The Gunpowder Society

9. "You Are Exactly What You Are Supposed To Be"

All the other students watched Fr. Maven and Peter postulate back-n-forth about the possibilities of Bruce’s unimaginable strength.  The older students were a bit perplexed and intrigued at how quickly the two found a bond as well as the fact that even though Peter was nine he and Father seemed to be on equal ground intelligently with a mutual control of the conversation.   However, little Margaret found it only frustrating since Peter was also trying to spoon feed her while he discussed and observed Fr. Maven scribble diagrams and equations on a roll up chalk board that they had brought to the table.

The remaining young students, Gwen and Bruce, were quietly eating their lunch sitting at the far end of the table in an attempt to remove themselves from everyone’s focus momentarily.

Bruce turned toward the chalk board as he heard his name mentioned by Father, “Bruce should be able to run at high speed as well, as long as he can maintain a normal elevation.  I’m not sure if that’s possible though…”

Bruce turned back and lowered his head.  He looked down at his soup and dipped his spoon once more.  The ripples in the broth subsided quickly and he saw Gwen staring into his eyes through the reflection.

“It’s nice to not be talked about for a bit huh?” Gwen asked.

Bruce peered up at her with a look of disagreement.  Right then Peter said, “It would be best if he actually tore someone in half as opposed to punching them…”

“Oh yeah,” Gwen acknowledged.  “At least we don’t have to stand in the spotlight while they dissect us.”

“Yeah, I didn’t like that,” Bruce said as he turned back to his soup and slowly stirred it with his spoon.

“It makes me recall when people at my school used to talk about how I was different…. And talk about my defects,” Gwen said.  Bruce looked back up from his soup at her and saw that she had travelled back to those moments.  She wore a pained expression.  They both paused in her silence, and then she snapped out of it and looked up at Bruce.

“You are perfect,” Bruce complimented softly.

Gwen spent a moment taking that in.  She looked down at her soup and replied, “Nobody is perfect Bruce.”

“What I meant,” Bruce began to clarify, “Is that I think you are exactly what you are supposed to be.   Maybe you have shortcomings like everyone else, but God made you without any defects.”  A suppressed smile broke through on Guinevere’s face.  Bruce became embarrassed, “That’s what I see at least… when I’m looking at you.”

They were silent a bit while Bruce festered in his embarrassment and Gwen tried futilely to bury her smile.  When she realized that Bruce was blushing much more than she was smiling she decided to speak, “Well what perfection is there in a girl who can’t touch other people.”  Now she played with her soup.

“What are you talking about?  We touched each other and nothing happened,” Bruce stated.

“Yeah, but that was because I wasn’t electrical at the time or I would have probably blasted you.”

“Uh-uh, I definitely felt something when you touched me downstairs,” Bruce exclaimed a little bit louder than he should have.  The room silenced.

Gwen reacted to the attention by groaning uncomfortably and looking down, “uhhhhhhhhhh.”

Bruce went pale.

Fr. Maven began, “They’re referring to when they were…”

“In the building lobby when we first arrived,” Peter completed, reminding the priest that the young fire bender had witnessed the moment.  They quickly went back to the chalk board discussion.