Zve ran through the hallways, trying to understand what was going on. There was a boy showing off his lightning one minute, a girl playing with ice the next. Her roommate could make flowers grow by waving her hand.
She definitely didn’t belong here.
I need to call Mom and Dad. I need to get out of here. I need to–
She crashed into someone. They went tumbling to the ground. Both Zve and the person she took down moaned. Zve started to sit up. She noticed it was a boy about her age with bright red hair and blue eyes.
“Can you maybe look where you’re going?” he asked.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry!” Zve said. She stood up and helped him up.
“Are you okay?” a young girl asked. Zve guessed she had to be around ten or eleven. Her bright green eyes were full of innocence.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Zve replied. “But I’m not supposed to be here! I’m not … special, in any way.”
“I seriously doubt that. They’re careful about who they admit. You can’t get into this school without some sort of power, like my amazing telekinesis, for example,” the boy said.
“Stop bragging Gavin. It’s annoying,” the girl groaned. She went up to Zve to shake her hand. “Welcome to Aria. I’m Margie, short for Marzena, and this is Gavin.”
“Your name means daydreams in Polish,” Zve thought out loud.
“How did you know that? No one ever knows until I tell them.”
“I’m Polish. My name is Zvezdan. It means star. You can call me Zve,”
“I like you already!” Margie exclaimed. Gavin looked like he was about to speak but Margie continued. “What grade are you in, Zve? I’m in fifth. I’m ten. What about you?”
“8th, and 13,” Zve replied.
“So is Gavin!”
“If I may,” Gavin started. Margie put her hands on her hips and pretended to pout. “What power do you have?”
“I don’t have one! That’s why I need to leave.”
“You can’t just leave. You’re here for a reason, and it’s because you have some sort of power. You can’t get into this school otherwise. It’s a safe haven for kids like us.”
Zve thought back to all the people she’d already encountered. “So Alex and Lily …”
“If we’re thinking about the same people, Lily controls plant life and Alex has accelerated healing.”
“How?”
Gavin shrugged his shoulders. “We were all just born with powers. Some discover their powers sooner while others longer. I assume you’re the second category.” Gavin paused. “Don’t worry. The kids here know what it’s like to be the new kid. You’re probably not the only new eighth grader. Heck, when you get to high school they’ll be new kids every year.”
Zve looked back at Margie, who looked completely like any other ten-year-old.
“Are you two cousins or …”
“My moms are friends with his mom, so we see each other a lot,” Margie explained.
“I was giving Margie a tour of the school. It’s the least I could do, help the little ten-year-old around the school. Anyway, we should get going. If you’re going to keep freaking out, just watch where you’re going, okay? See you around, Zve,” Gavin said. Margie waved before following. Zve awkwardly waved back.
What do I do now?
