again, must be found. Thank you.” There was a slight click as the loudspeaker shut off.
The buzz of student conversation quickly rose again, but our table remained shrouded in awkwardness. Except for Charlotte, who seemed completely at ease at a table with strangers. Maybe it was just because Andrew was so close to her. He had an arm around her waist.
She smiled, slight dimples forming under her freckles. “So, Cameron, Maggie, how have you been since we last met? Or rather, the first time we met?” She laughed softly a little. Her voice was lilting and melodious.
Cameron responded with a sound halfway between a mumble and a growl.
“Er…fine ish.” I told the table.
The corner of Charlotte’s mouth twisted ruefully. “Oh, I just realized that we never quite introduced each other properly.”
“Properly?” Echoed Cameron.
“My name is Charlotte, Charlotte Hopper.” When we didn’t respond, she told us, “I just like to know peoples’ last names.”
“Oh,” I said, “I’m…Maggie Scrivenor.”
“Cameron Glass,” Cameron said stiffly. “As I’m sure you already know.”
“Ah, yes,” Charlotte smiled wistfully at Andrew, who smiled back, his eyes softening in a way that I had never seen.
It made me uncomfortable. I cleared my throat. “So…Andrew, didn’t you have something tell us?”
Andrew looked embarrassed. “Yeah?”
“Yes,” I insisted. “You tried like three times to tell us yesterday. Can’t you just tell us?”
Andrew glanced at Charlotte. “What do you think?”
She sighed, “they have to know.”
“Will they make a scene?”
“We’re right here!” Cameron grumbled impatiently.
“Calm down, Cameron,” Andrew’s voice rose a fraction louder.
“Make me!” Cameron retorted, just short of yelling.
“Please, please,” Charlotte put on hand over Andrew’s and one hand over Cameron. “This is urgent,” she told Andrew. “I shall tell them.
Andrew, still glaring at Cameron nodded. Cameron looked away, drawing back her hand. I fixed Charlotte with my eyes.
“Alright,” Charlotte began, hesitating under Cameron and my stares. “This – and don’t ask me what ‘this’ is yet – begins hundreds of years ago. We – Andrew and I – are still trying to figure out the purpose of it all. But…the main part of it is that you, Cameron, and you, Maggie, have ‘powers’.” She paused, monitoring our response.
“…powers?” Cameron asked caustically. “Like what powers? Flying? Super strength?”
“Invisibility, natural powers, telepathic, telekinetic, others,” Andrew contributed quietly.
Cameron rolled her eyes. “Is this some sort of game?”
“Just hear me out!” Charlotte said hastily. “We think that Maggie might have powers that have to do with electricity.”
I started. “What?”
“Well, think about it.” Andrew’s voice lowered to a whisper. “That teacher’s lounge’s light didn’t work. When you opened the door after detention, you turned on the lights. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”
“Maybe the lights just suddenly worked. Like the circuts connected or something…” I mumbled.
“Wait…how did you know that I opened the door after detention? There was no one
Saturday, January 16, 2010
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