The Library of Powers

Chapter 2: Glass Pen

It was lunchtime and Jackson was wallowing in both self-pity and a dry bagel. As he ate his meager lunch, he wondered why he had never thought that a test, no, an entire book assignment Jackson had never heard of could simply be a misunderstanding. He'd had plenty of time to think it over, he was in that damn library for over 2 hours and never once questioned it. But then again, Jackson wondered, would he had done anything differently knowing there was a chance the test wasn't real? But then again, he would have done something differently knowing there was a chance he would be caught exiting the library. Jackson glanced around from his empty lunch table, looking for Melanie. He didn't find her, but he did notice an entire lunch table looking directly at him. 7 seniors, mostly girls but a few guys, had suddenly taken an interest in what Jackson was up to. He made eye contact with two of them and cocked an eyebrow. The two girls glanced at each other, as unsure as he was. One of them stood up, moving towards Jackson, and the other followed. They were Jennifer and Lillian, two friends of Melanie. Jackson smelled something afoot, and he dreaded the answer to his mystery.

Damnit, Melanie, you told me my secret was safe with you.

Jennifer and Lillian were wearing matching pink tank tops, but Lillian had a thick fur coat over hers. Jennifer twirled her brown curly hair idly, and the two of them had a look of begrudging curiosity. "So..." Lillian started. "We might have heard a rumor..." Lillian danced around the topic like a ballerina, which was ironic because she was a ballerina. "Someone told us you..."

"So do you really have powers?" Jennifer said bluntly, cutting to the topic like a lumberjack felling a tree. Which was ironic, because Jennifer had probably never even seen an axe before. Not that Jackson had either, but the point still stands. Jackson stammered, thinking of a response when Lillian finally worked up the courage to make a comment. "Don't even think about using whatever weird powers you have to perve into the women's locker rooms after school." She said, taking the conversation in a completely different and frankly insulting direction.

"Woah, my powers don't even work that way," Jackson responded, putting up his hands and growing a scowl. This was another of the things Jackson just assumed didn't work, and had no intention to find out. Okay, maybe the idea had entered his mind once or twice, but he'd never put any real thought into it.

"So you dooo have a superpower then!" Jennifer exclaimed, jumping and pointing a finger at him. Rude. Jennifer raised a hand for Lillian to high five, and they did, sort of. It was the kind of clumsy high five that only comes from someone trying so hard to be cool they somehow do something so ridiculous it boggles the mind. But, taking it in stride, Lillian asked Jackson, "So, like, can you show us your powers?"

Jackson had had enough of this by that point. His scowl evaporating, he stood up, grabbed his lunch, and said: "Sure, I'll be in the women's locker room after school." Jackson had hoped to leave the pair in stunned silence, but as he walked away he heard a few scoffs and the sound of feet scuffing the floor as they returned to their original table. As he cursed Melanie, Ms.Salmon, and the entire Vera City School District, Jackson headed to find somewhere else to finish his lunch. It might have been just a bagel, but damn it, that bagel was the only good thing to happen to Jackson all day. "You'll be ok" my ass, Jackson thought as he passed the main office. Glancing at the open door, Jackson once again made the mistake of prolonged eye contact with a very specific person.

"Jackson Reil, my office, now."