Yet that Monday morning, something made me almost want to lose my lunch. In front of this school, this place that looks like a reform school for pyromaniacs and other crazy kids with superpowers they can’t control, stood my parents. My normal mom and dad, leaning against the old family van, my mom looking through the window occasionally, probably checking on my baby sister.
Usually, I would have loved to see my parents. Even though they sent me here, they still think I’m the greatest thing ever. Besides the fact that I blew up the kitchen on multiple occasions, and almost burned the whole house down, I’m sure they would love to have me home.
But I can’t go home. Not now. Not when I’ve finally found a place where people don’t look at me weird when I tell them I was here because I blew up the kitchen. Most people just shrug and walk away, knowing that’s the smallest thing to do to get in here.
Truth is, I don’t have a superpower. At least, not one that I can control. Oh, believe me, I’ve tried. There are even extra classes you can take in your free time to control any energy inside of you. The teachers call them Energy Management Classes. The students say that only little kids usually have to go there, because they don’t even know how to control their own bladder. It’s pretty embarrassing if I’m seen coming out of that classroom, so I tell people I’m helping Mrs. Kakora with the kids. That lie has gotten me far with the kids, but nowhere with my powers.
Anyway, I’m getting off topic. What did I start with? Oh yeah, my parents. So, I was walking by the window at the end of the hall, and I see them. I probably looked like a dork, just standing there with my books on ‘Controlling your Inner Power’ and ‘How to Find Your Powers - For Dummies’ in my hands and my mouth almost touching the floor. I could have stood there for hours, just watching as my old life stood in a broken down parking lot, but luckily my BF, Arianna, or as the other kids know her, ‘Air Rider’, comes up behind me. ‘Sup, Flame?’ she asks me. Now I’m sure you’re thinking, what’s with these nicknames? Well, here’s the cool thing about this school. Everyone in the school, including the faculty, have some kind of nickname that says something about their superpower. Ari can fly, and when she does it looks like she’s got some kind of air surfboard under her feet. Everyone assumes I’ve got some kind of flame firepower, cause of what happened at home, so I’m Flame.
Again, I’ve gotten off topic. So, my parents are in the parking lot, right? And Ari comes up behind me and asks me what’s wrong. K, let’s actually tell the story now. So Ari looks past me and sees the car in the lot. She knows them from pictures I’ve shown her, so she opens her mouth a little, raises her eyebrows, and whispers, “Aww, crap,” I turn to look at her. She’s got a classic ‘Why-are-my-friends-parents-here-they’re-gonna-crash-the-party’ look on her face.
“Any reason that my parents are here today, at this school, right now?” I ask her. She just shakes her head and keeps staring out the window. I turn back to them. Luckily my parents aren’t looking very hard for me in the windows, cause even though I’m standing there like an idiot, they haven’t seen me. I’m thankful for that fact. If they did see me, and waved at me, I might just lose my lunch. Not because I’m disgusted, but because I miss that life. I miss my family that thinks I’m just a klutz in the kitchen, someone who just isn’t meant to be cooking. But they love me, and if I had to face that, and leave them again, I will be broken for a while.
Me and Ari must have stood there for a good 5 minutes when Ari breaks the silence. “Hey, Flame, let’s go talk to the principal, see if there’s some kind of ‘Visit with your Former Life Day’ today that we missed.
I nod my head. “K, let’s go.” Ari turns around, and out of habit, she starts floating like only she can. “Ari...” I scold. She looks down and notices she’s standing about six inches off the ground. “Oh yeah, oops,” She lets herself down. I smile. Even though using your powers is banned unless supervised by a teacher, she tries as hard as she can to avoid that rule.
We turn and start bolting towards the end of the hall, where we fly (literally) down the stairs and land lightly on our feet. As we approach the office, we slow down, quietly catching our breath from the short burst of energy.
We slowly ease the door open to the office. We’re greeted by the always-smiling face of our secretary. Someone came up with the nickname Valentine for her when she first came here a few years ago, and for some reason the name stuck. She smiles now at us. “Hello girls, what can I help you with?” Typical Valentine response. She may or may not have superpowers, but she does have an ability for keeping positive and being patient.
I’m not even given a chance to talk before Ari cuts in. “We need to see the principal. It’s kind of important,” Valentine smiles again. Man, that kinda gets creepy sometimes. “I’m sorry, but the principal is in a meeting right now. What is the problem now?” Oh crap. K, that was a little unexpected. Most people, I know, never want to talk to their school’s principal. They are a rare sighting. But it’s different at our school. The teachers are cool, and the principal is like our best friend. It’s kinda weird, but it works. She’s usually there for us.
“Umm, Valentine? Well, there’s a little occurrence that just parked themselves in the parking lot,” Occurrence is a word we use a lot, because some other words like ‘weird’ or ‘strange’ don’t work. The whole reason these kids are here is because we’re weird.
Valentine looks at us, the smile still at the corners of her mouth. “What kind of occurrence would that be?” I look at Ari, she meets my eyes, and Ari says it for me. “Well, Flame’s parents are kind of parked outside in the lot, and we don’t know if they’re supposed to be here,” Ari and I probably look really nervous at this point, but Valentine never loses her smile. “Oh yes, they are supposed to be here. In fact, the principal herself invited them here,” I step back about three paces, and almost knock over a decorative vase.
“What? Why would she do that?” I sound so shocked that Ari almost has to catch me from falling. My parents were invited... by the principal... to come to this school!
Valentine continues. “They have been emailing the principal about 3 times a day, asking if they could come visit their daughter in her new school. She responded every time with the excuse of ‘Your daughter still needs time to adjust to her new school, and if you visit too early, she may become homesick and distracted from her studies,’ but they became impatient and they insisted that they come.
Ari looks at me. Her blue eyes are filled with sympathy for me. I can’t completely understand why. I’m the one with family who still cares about me, while she, along with pretty much everyone else in this school, was dumped here by parents who think their kids are freaks and they need military training to fit in with society. She should be burning with jealousy.
“Um, Valentine? I kinda don’t want to see my parents right now. Or for that matter, not until I’m done with school and can go back home,” I’m about to say more when Valentine nods. “I completely understand. As does the principal. She allowed them to come here on the condition that if their daughter doesn’t want to see them, they have to respect that. That’s why they are waiting for the principal to come and take them on a little tour,” I relax a little. Good, I don’t have to see my parents if I don’t want to. “Thank you, Valentine,” I say, and turn to leave with Ari.
Chapter 2
“I feel like such a coward, hiding from my own parents,” I confess to Ari. She just nods. My parents have entered the building about an hour ago, and they are probably asking a million questions about how their oldest daughter is learning here. “Well, Flame, it’s your decision. If you think it will make you homesick, then don’t talk to them,” I look at Ari. Her deep blue eyes betray her feelings. “You’re jealous of me, aren’t you Ari?” I say quietly, as to not accuse her. Her head lowers, and I know I hit it spot on. “Honestly, I am. If... Well, if I knew my parents, and they came here, I would run right out to them and give them a big hug. I wouldn’t hold back. But then...” she trailed off. I feel really bad for her.
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