by Aaron Slade
“It was very unfortunate,” Dad answered. “When two class one extra-humans fight in public like that, a lot of people can get hurt. People don’t always have a sense of how powerful they are until it’s too late.” The temperature returned to normal.
“I heard it destroyed half a city block and that about sixty people died,” Principal Vance said. His eyes looked heavy with sadness.
“A year and a half before that we were in Seattle,” Dad said. “Evee and I just barely made it out of the city before it was destroyed.”
“Did the Military ever figure out what happened there?” Principal Vance asked.
I tuned out their conversation. I did my best not to think about Dad or his job. The subject always involved death and violence, which I couldn’t stand to hear. Whatever questions were asked would always end in the same answers I’d heard my whole life: classified, top-secret, or pending investigation. I especially didn’t like to think about Seattle– Dad and I hadn’t been the same since. I tried to change the subject.
“How about a tour of the school?” I suggested, interrupting the previous conversation. “We can talk safety all day, but I think if my dad sees for himself, he’ll let me attend for sure.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Principal Vance said. He teleported from behind his desk to the door. “Just follow me.”
Dad and I both sat up and walked toward the door.
“Not so fast Colonel,” Principal Vance said. “I’m going to ask you to leave your gun in my office.” He stared at the gun holstered on Dad’s waist.
“May I ask why?” Dad asked.
“I run a high school,” Principal Vance said. “I imagine it’s similar to ordering soldiers in some ways. But my point is that all of the students here come to school every day with loaded guns– we call them extra-human traits. I’m trying to teach the students how to control their abilities while giving them an education. Guns are a weapon of the past for those who needed to demonstrate power. In my opinion, there are enough power struggles today without guns. My students barely respect their own abilities, so I know they don’t respect fire arms. I don’t want any of the students to see it because… I don’t want them to think they need any more power than they already have.”
Silence struck the office for a moment, but Dad eventually handed over the gun to Principal Vance, who put it in his desk drawer for the time being.
“Now,” said Principal Vance, “how about that tour?”
We walked around the school for an hour. I was glad that most of the students were in class. Principal Vance introduced me to some of the faculty roaming the halls who would be my teachers. It was surprising to see the teachers dressed casually; all the teachers I had known dressed in Military garb. It wasn’t just the teachers that were different, but the facilities too. However, the cafeteria was like the cafeterias on every Military Base. Finally, the principal stopped at the library.
“This is actually the best library in the Nevada Territory,” he said. “The Military has been gracious with their funding, and, as principal, I’ve striven to gather the best books possible for the students. The public is also welcome to the library.”
“What kind of historical section do you have?” Dad asked.
“The best I’ve been able to gather,” Principal Vance responded. “My son works in the library in the afternoon, so maybe we will see him.” He gave me a brief look, followed by a smile.
Casper wasn’t at the front desk of the library. The librarian told Principal Vance that Casper was helping a student find some books. Both Dad and the principal were still set on visiting the historical section of the library, so the principal led us up the stairs to the second floor of the library. I let myself drag behind to look for Casper.
The second floor of the library was just as crowded with books and shelves as the first floor. If Casper was in the library, it would take me years to find him. Even if I did locate Casper, I had no idea what I would say. Hey, you and me fall in love! Something told me that the explanation might push him away, but I had to see him again.
I approached the balcony where the second floor overlooked the first floor and leaned against the rail. I looked up and down the aisles of the stacks, but the only people I could see were the same twin girls I’d seen earlier sitting at a study table.
Out of the stacks, Casper appeared holding some books in his hands, but he wasn’t alone. There was a small, blonde boy with him that couldn’t have been more than six or seven years of age.
The two of them walked to the desk just right below where I stood above them. Casper sat behind the desk and the young boy pulled a chair up to stand on while Casper checked out his books. Casper had the same down, depressed expression again. His face didn’t show any emotion, but somehow no emotion made him look upset or maybe even angry.
I thought about the boys I’d crushed on in my life. I liked intelligence. Casper looked smart, but I didn’t know for sure. There was a chance he was just a handsome face. Maybe he was the bad boy type, which might explain the tattoo and the scowl, but bad boys didn’t smile like Casper. I didn’t know anything about him, but I found myself wishing that he was sweet, gentle, and passionate. The giddy feeling from Shannon’s vision returned. It felt like I knew him.
I heard a noise and jerked around to see what had made it. A girl with thick glasses and mousy hair sat at the study table behind me. She must have been there the whole time I was staring at Casper because I never saw her sit down. I thought I should say something or else I would come off as rude. She lowered her head.
“Hi,” I said. “Have you been there long?”
Her lips moved as if she was about to say something, but after a moment’s hesitation she simply shook her head. Her eyes focused on the books in front of her, and I noticed that she didn’t smile either.
“Are you a teleporter?” I asked. “I just met the principal and he said there were a lot of them here.” She didn’t look like a teleporter, but I thought it might explain how she got to the table without me noticing her, and if I was wrong, hopefully it would be a good conversation starter. I was desperate to make friends.
The girl didn’t look at me, but once again shook her head. I got the impression that she wasn’t incredibly social. I moved closer to the table and sat down opposite her.
“I’m Evee Ford,” I stated. “I’m new here.”
She nodded this time. “I figured,” she muttered, just slightly above a whisper.
Grateful that she finally talked to me, I instinctively relaxed. “I guess I stick out, being in a small town. Everyone knows everyone here, right?”
“Kind of,” she said. “I’m a savant. I can remember every face I’ve ever seen in full detail. I’ve never seen yours before now.” She pushed the glasses up her nose, and folded her hands in her lap. “My name is Sara Harper.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sara,” I said. “I hope we can be friends.” I sat down opposite her at the table.
Sara froze at the word friends. She broke eye contact with me and looked off the balcony and down to the first floor. I followed her eyes and saw that she was staring at Casper and the young boy. The young boy laughed, but Casper’s laugh seemed forced and fake. It looked as if something was bothering him.
“I saw you staring at him,” Sara said, “earlier by the balcony. You look like you’re… crushing a little.”
My heart leapt. I didn’t know why, but the fact that someone already knew that I was giving Casper special attention could only mean that I was being too obvious.
“He seems nice,” I said. “I met him earlier in his father’s office. His dad was just giving me a tour of the school when he decided to show my dad the historical section of the library. I’m afraid it might be a while before they reemerge.”
Sara grinned wider and I could tell she felt more comfortable around me already. “Do you like him?” She gestured towards Casper.
Her question stunned me, and I was curious why Sara wa
s so invested. “It’s more complicated than that.” I didn’t want to explain to her the real story so I just made up something. “He’s just the only person I’ve met here so far… besides you.”
“Oh,” Sara said with disappointment. “That’s too bad. He’s a really nice guy.” She stared at him again and she frowned.
“Are the two of you friends?” I asked, wondering if she always tried to play matchmaker for Casper.
She nodded. “We’ve been friends for a while. We sit at the same lunch table, and he’s in a lot of my classes. We both take some of the advanced courses.”
“I guess both of you are really smart then,” I said. “The only schools I’ve attended are on Military Bases. They don’t usually have advanced placement classes.”
“Your dad’s in the Military?” she guessed. Her eyes widened with a new energy.
I nodded. “I’m a Military-brat. This is my sixth school in three years.” The flat tone in my voice would tell her how tired I was of moving. “But my dad has assured me that this is our last move. That’s the reason he’s letting me attend public school.”
“Fallon is a great place to live,” Sara said. “I haven’t lived anywhere else, but I’ve enjoyed living here.” As Sara listed some of the fun stuff to do around town, I listened to her, but focused my real attention on Casper. Why did he look so depressed? Sara caught me staring at him again.
“I think you’re having the biological reaction people in high school refer to as crushing,” she said with skeptic eyes that left no room for doubt.
I was caught. “He just looks so sad.” Both of us gazed off the balcony at him and the young boy again. “When he met me in the office he had such a warm, pleasant face, but now… it’s gone.”
She grinned as if there was an inside joke I was missing. “Casper’s not often a happy person. I’m surprised you saw him smile at all.”
“Why?” I asked. I imagined that someone as handsome as Casper would smile as much as possible. With his charm, he could get anything he wanted out of someone.
“Well,” Sara began,” he doesn’t smile for the same reason I don’t talk to anyone outside my trusted friends. In high school, a person is only as popular as their extra-human trait. If you’re born with a useless or boring ability, you’re also blessed with an innate sense of lameness in high school. Our classmates can be cruel– with words and actions.”
I felt my eyes roll automatically. “Extra-human traits shouldn’t determine popularity. Why don’t you like to talk? You do perfectly well at conversing.”
“My extra-human trait is intelligence,” Sara said. “If I don’t limit my words, I can talk too much with advanced vocabulary and random facts. After kindergarten it kind of isolated me socially. Sometimes I overstep my bounds.” Sara seemed to shrink in her seat.
“Your ability sounds amazing,” I said. I thought she should be proud. “Being friends with you would help expand my vocabulary.”
“Until you grow tired of it,” she said. “I don’t talk, because if I talk, I know I will drive everyone around me insane… even my parents get annoyed sometimes.”
“You’re doing fine now,” I said. “And you’re not driving me insane. Maybe you don’t give yourself enough credit.”
“If you ever take a class with me you’ll think differently.”
“Give me a chance,” I said. “I might surprise you… although you might have to tutor me if I’m placed in an advanced class.” I gave an encouraging grin, and we both returned our attention to Casper below us.
“The little boy next to Casper is another one of our friends. His name is Seth Grindle,” Sara informed me.
“Does he have gifted intelligence too?” I asked. It was the only reason that possibly explained why someone so young was in high school.
“No,” Sara answered. “He ages three times slower than the rest of us. He’s actually seventeen, but he looks considerably younger. That’s why he hangs out with Casper and me. We have our own little group of outsiders that the social hierarchy of high school chooses to exclude.”
“I’ve never heard of an ability like that before,” I exclaimed. “His extra-human trait must be really rare.” I pitied the boy instantly.
“If you ask him, it’s tragic,” Sara said. “Most people ignore Seth. His mom used to eat lunch with him every day before Principal Vance had a talk with her.”
“What did he tell her?” I inquired, finding myself addicted to the small town drama.
“He told her that he didn’t want her eating lunch with her son anymore. Principal Vance arranged for Seth to sit with Casper and Adam at lunch. Seth’s mom doesn’t like Casper, but she would rather her son have a few friends than none at all.”
“Who’s Adam?” I asked.
Sara snorted in a half-laugh way. “Adam’s the exception of our group. He’s a teleporter, and if he wasn’t best friends with Casper, he would probably be one of the most popular guys in school. But Adam doesn’t mind. He and Casper are brothers.”
“Do people not like Casper?” I asked.
She hesitated, but finally shook her head. “No… people don’t like him.” She looked gloomy for a moment. “I should tell you, though, Casper is… potentially the nicest, most caring person at this school. It’s unfair the way people treat him.”
Somehow I could sense everything Sara told me– like somehow I already knew Casper. He seemed unbelievably kind and gentle. Something more than the future connected us, but I couldn’t explain it. I watched as Casper waved goodbye to Seth, who struggled to exit through the library’s giant double doors with his books in hand.
“So people don’t like Casper because they think his extra-human trait is lame?” I asked.
“No,” Sara answered. She looked away from Casper to me, with troubled eyes. “People don’t like Casper because he’s… human.”
STRUCK
Casper:
In the library, I concentrated on my homework, trying to distract myself from thinking about… her. Just thinking her name felt dangerous. I’d only met her once and barely spoken to her at all, but already her face and eyes were permanently imprinted on my mind. When I finished my homework, I sketched Evee’s face in pencil, lacking any color that could equally match her blue eyes. I was a decent artist, but I couldn’t do her beauty justice. Was it natural to be this obsessed with a girl? I dropped my pencil and shut my journal, cramming it into my backpack and vowing to never sketch a girl’s face again.
Thinking about girls wasn’t smart, but why couldn’t I get this one out of my head? Dating wasn’t an option for me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we had an instant connection. Trying to rationalize the situation, I convinced myself that it was only because Evee was new in town.
The way she looked at me was something new. I’d seen enough movies to know what that look meant, but I was shocked a girl had given me the look. Girls made fun of me, and encouraged guys like Randy to kick my ass. They didn’t look at me like that. But of course she didn’t know me. The new girl was bound to be unaware of my condition. She’d treat me like everyone else once she found out about me. The laws of attraction were strict. Maybe I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t powerful, which was the combination girls desired.
It was almost fun to imagine what dating a girl would be like in the privacy of my thoughts. If I could ever date, I would want it to be someone like her. I’d do all the romance stuff: flowers and chocolates, like in the movies. Dad said once he felt a spark for Mom instantly. Maybe that’s what I was feeling. Her eyes were so stunning– blue like ice, but not cold or lifeless. She had an energy about her that seemed fun and thrilling. Her high-set voice was angelic and full of personality, as if it were meant for singing.
“Ready for work?” a familiar voice asked.
I jerked, surprised by the new presence in the room.
“Sorry,” Adam said. “Did I scare you?”
I breathed easier seeing Adam. “Someone needs to put a bell on you. Sta
rt teleporting in front of people instead of behind them. I’ll be ready after I shut down the computers.”
I shelved the last of the books and turned off all the equipment. Adam followed his usual routine by waiting and not helping.
“Are you alright?” Adam asked. “You look like you’re thinking… hard.”
I almost laughed, but he was right. He knew me better than anyone– except maybe Uncle Jesse, who knew my every thought. “I did a lot of thinking today.”
“About?”
“About the future I don’t have. Without a college education, I’ll never get out of this town. And then I also thought about… something else.” I turned my back to Adam, feeling silly.
He teleported in front of me and squinted his eyes. “What?”
I swallowed hard before asking. “Do you think a girl… could ever… like me?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but he closed it before he was able to find the right words. “It’s natural to think about things like that, buddy. But I don’t know how to answer that for you.” He scratched his head in a desperate attempt to stall. “I don’t think you’ll have much of a chance at dating here.”
I must have looked depressed, but it was the exact answer I’d expected. I could always count on Adam to be honest with me. He patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry. If I have to, I’ll take you to the Texas Territory with me when I go to the University. We’ll tell all the girls there that you have heightened hearing or something like that.”
I could only hope that I could pass for having some minor EHT. “Thanks.”
“One day things will be different,” Adam said. “But for now we have to go to work. Ready?”
“Yep,” I responded. I forced a cheery grin and threw on my backpack. Adam and I walked out to the parking lot. I avoided the eyes of our classmates, hoping Randy wasn’t among them. Adam and I walked towards my car parked near the front of the lot. I was thankful Adam was with me. Bullies left me alone when they saw us together.
“So can I give you my backpack and you take it to work for me?” Adam asked.
