Chapter Five: Utilization
"Amy-Lynn, would you please step up to the front of the class." I sheepishly walked up, and my entire body got warm. On the way to the front, I tripped so my face got even redder.
"Now, dearie, please share with us what you have Learned." Let me tell you, The thing I hate most, is standing in front of a group of people and being the only one talking.
All eyes were on me, and it was the type of silence where you could hear a pin drop. I had a weird dream like this, except I was in my bra and underwear, and it was a group of apes...weird dream.
I looked up, and as soon as I did, I nearly fainted.
Someone was using their Strength. I wasn't sure how I could tell, but I just...knew. And I knew they were taking energy from me to make me look bad, and to make me weak.
So I fought back. It was as if my body knew what to do. I concentrated with every step forward I took. I wasn't even sure how I did it, but I felt my strength returning. I wasn't even sure who I was fighting with for my energy, but I knew I was Stronger than the other person.
Eventually I won back all my energy, and for good measure took some of theirs as well. As soon as I did, I saw one person in the back's eyes start to fall, and then they snapped up and glared at me. Seeing his glare, I returned all of his energy. That only made his glare more deathly. Great, second day of school and I already someone had begun to hate my guts. Great.
"Amy-Lynn, if you don't mind, please share what you have Learned."
"Of course." I said, and smirked at the boy in the back.
"I realized what Abilities truly are..."and I went on explaining everything I had Learned. When I was done, the guidance lecturer looked at me in astonishment.
"You Learned all that? And this is only your second day?"
"Um...yes? Is that not normal?"
Just then the bell rang. The teacher scribbled something on a sticky note, and handed it to me.
"Now, sweetie don't look at it. It's for your Utilization guidance lecturer. Hurry on to her class."
As soon as I left the classroom, I looked at it. Strength battle. First one. One with Many. Help Utilize. That was all it said. Why couldn't I read that? Oh well, no matter.
When I got to the classroom, everyone was already there. I walked up to the front and handed the guidance lecturer the sticky note. Her eyes quickly scanned it, and she stared at me, using the same astonished face I had seen all day today.
"Who won?" I knew what she was talking about.
"I did. I could tell I was much stronger than he, but I gave him all of his energy and only returned mine." She seemed pleased, almost proud, that I had been fair. But after that, her eyes went back to astonishment, and something else. It almost seemed like...admiration. She couldn't believe I had only just found my Strength and already was stronger than someone who had been here, possibly many years already. By the looks of it, he had been.
"You realize that this young man," and she pointed to the one I was in the battle with, "has been here for three years? This is his fourth." My mouth hung. I couldn't help it. This was only my second day! How can so much happen in so little time? How could I be this strong? If I been thinking I would have wondered how she knew it was him that I Battled with. Oh well.
"I will be working specifically with you to Utilize your Strength, and any other Abilities you develop. Do you believe you are special, Amy-Lynn?"
I thought about it for a moment. After being sent here, and on my second day having a Discovery, Learning so much, and winning a Strength battle I didn't start, the realization hit me.
I AM different. Everything my parents- and everyone- had ever said is true. And she could see that I knew it too.
I didn't even have to answer her before she smiled up at me.
"Very good. Please, take a seat."
I did. I sat down, and my mind was swirling. I was afraid of having another anxiety attack, but it cleared away with a few deep breaths.
"Class, please take your seats while I take attendance. If I could please have Amy-Lynn and Jostlenua come to the front. The guy with the death stare walked up to the front. I didn't realize how big he was. He was tall and buff. How in the world did I beat him in a Strength battle?
"Thank you. Now class, if these two were to be in a strength battle, who would you think win?"
They all snickered and pointed to Jostlenua.
"Amy-Lynn, will you please Engage in a battle."
They all snickered again. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but my body knew. I stood up straight and shut my eyes. I took a deep breath and concentrated. I thought about the image of my aura, and I felt strength flowing into me, making the image brighter and more complex, more vivid and colorful. Yet it was still nothing.
All of this processed involuntarily.
I saw him starting to get tired, wanting to sit down, but refusing to do so. I looked at his eyes and expected a glare, but only saw pain. Once i saw it, I couldn't help it. I had to return his energy. And I did.
I returned all of it, plus a decent amount of mine. I wasn't even trying that hard, I just...did. I wasn't even sure how I did it, it was as if my body knew what to do, and it always had.
"Jostlenua you may sit down." He stormed back to his seat. Okay, maybe giving him energy wasn't a good idea. His death glare worsened from the last session, and followed me as I went to go sit down. I wanted to hide in a corner, turn away, just do something to escape his glare. Please, tell me he doesn't also have Sight, was the only thought my brain managed to form.
I had just beaten a guy twice my size at a game I was an amateur at.
"Amy-Lynn, how did you know what to do?"
"I didn't. My body did. It worked separately from...it's hard to...I'm not sure..." I couldn't form thoughts. I was shaking so hard. I guess I gave him more energy than I thought.
"I understand. What is this class called?"
I had to think about it for a minute. It was Utilization. That meant I would learn how to well... utilize my skill or skills. I stood up, and said it in a clear, and strong voice. I'm not sure where it came from, but I said it straight.
I looked at the guidance lecturer in the eye, and stated it.
"Utilization."
