page 10

Andrew and Charlotte drifted off towards their classes, hands interlinked.

I blinked and looked away from them, into Cameron’s hurt and accusing eyes.

“Can you believe this?” Cameron’s voice and tears gave away her pent up frustration. “They go on about your powers and their powers and his power, but they won’t even speculate about mine!” I nodded silently, trying not to antagonize her. I needed my best friend now more than ever. And I needed the truth. Cameron sniffed wetly and I looked at her face. It was red, tearstained, and puffy. I sighed. There was no way she could go to class looking like that. Mrs. Eacker would definitely ask questions.

“Let’s go to the bathroom.” I cajoled. Please, please, please just agree with me, I thought.

Cameron glared at me. “What’s the point?” She yelled hysterically. “No one will notice anything!”

“Girls, get to class,” a counselor told us in passing.

Cameron laughed, her voice cracked and harsh. “See? I might as well be invisible.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?” I asked, “not being noticed?”

Cameron pressed her lips together. “Selfish, I know.”

I sighed, “It’s not selfish at all. It’s one of the six basic needs of humans.”

Cameron sniffed again. “Whatever. I’m still a mess.”

“Yeah…you kinda are.”

We laughed together, pure, self-deprecating laughter. Relief washed over me as we headed towards the bathroom.

“What do you think we’ll be doing for English?” I asked as Cameron daubed at her face with a paper towel.

She paused and gave me a look. “We’re getting our essays back, remember? The ones we wrote yesterday?”

“Oh. Right.”

I turned to inspect myself in the mirror. My green eyes were dark under the yellow lights of the bathroom, but I was pleased to see that my frizzy hair was calmer than usual; they had settled into wavy locks. I glanced over at Cameron, whose olive skin was perfect. Even after crying, her brown eyes were bright, and her auburn hair was a perfect, shiny curtain. I turned back to my section of mirror, and scrutinized the pink spots on my nose where I had forgotten to reapply sunscreen. Cameron never had problems like this. I looked over to confirm this. But Cameron was gone.

“Cameron?” My voice echoed across the tiled bathroom walls and ceiling. She couldn’t have left me. I was being late for her.

“Yeah, Maggie?” Her voice was clear, as if she was still in the room. Did she go to the bathroom?
“Where are you?”

“What do you mean?”

I stared at the place where she had been. Her backpack was still slumped on the floor. As if she had just disappeared. As if she was invisible?

“Um…Maggie?” Cameron’s voice cut through my disbelief. “Are you okay? I’m right here…” I heard the soft tread of her flats coming towards me. “Do you feel faint? I can take you to the nurse. I stared at the empty air.

“Ah. Her powers awakes.” I whirled around. Charlotte stood by the door, smiling at Cameron, or, at least, the lack thereof.