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“Get away from her!” A jet of flame came from behind the creature, making it fall forward, to my side. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Jeff’s face. His glasses were missing, his shirt was burned and a little torn, but he was okay. He reached his hand out and closed it over the flame on my calf, putting it out. The pain seared through my whole leg, not just where the burn was. I winced and tried to ask Jeff what had happened. But he was looking over at where the thing had landed. I followed his gaze, and to my surprise, the monster wasn’t there anymore. In its place was a wiry man; across his back was a scorch mark.

“Who’s that?” I asked, coughing and trying to clear my throat. “Where’d that thing go?”

“Can you stand?” Jeff asked me. I leaned forward to try to get up, his hands on my shoulders the whole time. I tried putting pain on my hurt leg, but nearly collapsed from the pain. Jeff sighed, then placed his hand on my lower back. “Jump.” He said, holding out his other arm. I looked at him and bit my lip. Did he really think he was strong enough to carry me? I mean, I was short, but not that short.

The man in the corner groaned and started to move. I closed my eyes and, with my good leg, jumped, putting all my weight on Jeff’s hand on my back.

He didn’t even struggle as he walked toward the back of the classroom, toward the door that I had come through. The smoke in the atmosphere was making my head spin, but it didn’t seem to effect him. The flames eating at the doorway smoldered out as we approached, due to Jeff’s powers, and he opened it with his back.

The fresh air was a welcome relief to my aching lungs, and I breathed deeply as I leaned against Jeff’s chest.

“Maggie! What happened?” Cameron, Andrew and Charlotte came running towards me. From another direction, some firefighters and a few teachers came running too.

“Hm. This is going to be hard to explain, isn’t it?” Jeff muttered. I couldn’t have agreed with him more.

***

School was closed for the next few months, while they rebuilt the science building and some of the cafeteria. Unfortunately, the time we spent out of school would just be replaced by having school during the summer.

And I had to spend most of my time inside, healing my poor leg.

“Hey, Maggs.” Cameron said as she came into my room, holding a tray that my lazy mother had no doubt asked her to take up. She put it on the short table next to my bed and pulled up a bean bag chair I had bought just for this reason.

“Hey,” I sighed. “What’s going on?”

“Well, Charlotte’s on her way up with Andrew, they took her car so they should be here any minute.”

From downstairs I heard a crash.

“Oh my! I’m so sorry Mrs. Scrivenor!” Charlotte’s voice floated up to my open door. In a few minutes the couple walked in, smiling and bearing flowers.