Smoke

7: Realization

My breath was shallow as I walked off the bus and onto campus. I looked around and looked for my old friends, momentarily forgetting I didn't have friends anymore. When I remembered, I just froze and blinked, took out my phone, and waited for the bell to ring. At my old school, my friends and I would be loud, running across campus chasing each other, laughing, and being annoying.
As I stood there, it just sunk in how alone I was here. I sighed, clicking my phone off again and putting it in my pocket. I looked around, seeing other people laughing and messing around before class.
As i pitied myself, I also thought about how I hadn't even been trying. Here I was, standing alone, not even attempting to talk to anyone. And in class, I would just sit by myself or add as little as possible to the conversations. Even when Oliver reached out to me, I tried to end the conversations as soon as possible to end my embarrassment or to prevent from getting nervous enough for the smoke to start.
I shook my head, blinking slowly.
I was sad and I felt sad. I looked around, seeing kids standing and sitting in groups. They had friends.
As I continued feeling sorry for myself, my eyes caught on one boy. He was dark-skinned, short hair, brown eyes, attractive. He was talking to a girl, but the more he talked to her, the more he smiled, and the more I could tell that he was levitating.
His feet were barely off the ground, but I could see it. I took a step or two closer, trying to make my brain cooperate with my vision again. But as I stepped forwards, I could tell that he was obviously levitating. His feet were just hanging there, relaxed as if he was weightless, which he was. I looked at the girl he was talking to.
In her hand, she was playing with magnets. They looked somewhat large and strong, but she wasn't even touching them. They were hovering above her hand. She was moving it between her fingers like she was spinning a pencil around her hand. My heart started to beat faster, and I felt nervous. What kind of school was I in?

As I looked around more, I saw someone just holding water above their hands, like a large suspended water drop. I saw someone flicker in and out like they were there, then weren't, then they came back again. I saw someone talking to a copy of themselves.
I shakily fished my phone out of my pocket, calling mom. My heart was beating fast. My skin washed cold with fear, nervousness, anxiety. I can't believe I didn't notice this before.
She answered.
"Yes? Sugar?" She asked. Her voice was static over the phone, and I struggled to breathe out enough air to talk to her.
"Is everyone at this school," I breathed, feeling dizzy. "weird?" I finished the sentence.
"Well, yes." She said, and my heart was beating louder. "That's why I sent you there." Mother said. Her voice went through my ears. Being here did not make me feel safer.
I still had a whole school day left with these people.
"You must've noticed before now?" She asked, her voice quiet. No wonder Oliver asked me my power as if it was a normal thing to converse about. Here, it was. Here, everyone dealt with it.
The bell rang. Nervousness curled in my stomach, along with my thickening breath, and the smoke.
"Oh dear. We'll talk at home, okay? Get to class please." Mom said, hanging up. I was frozen for a second, watching everyone else go past me in waves. I held my phone tightly in my hand, as if I would need it.
I couldn't believe I didn't notice everyone before. My body was static as I walked to class, full of anxiety, side by side with other weirdos. I couldn't wait until I got home.