Powerhouse

Chapter 1

There was an enormous crack when the wave hit the ceiling of my school. My socks turned a sallow gray with the water that had begun to gush around my ankles. I turned in my seat and cleared my throat.

The boy behind me sighed. "What?"

"You know "what". I told you Miriam would be a Hydro. Pay up."

Aurel grumbled and begrudgingly handed me five bucks.

Our teacher swooped in, sopping wet and noticing the exchange. The woman had eyes like a hawk. "Children," she reprimanded in a cold, high voice, "How many times do I have to tell you that gambling is a punishable offense?"

I pocketed the cash as Aurel stared at her with innocently widened eyes. "Mrs. Smithe, why don't you go and see if Miriam's okay?"

Our classmate stood in a corner, shivering, while water gushed out of her palms. 

Mrs. Smithe's tone of voice shifted instantly as she answered, "Oh yes! Of course, dear." She shuffled away to calm our newest human faucet.

Aurel met my wide eyes with a bewildered expression. "What's up?"

I shook my head and looked down. 

It was nothing. Just a conversation with our teacher, not significant in any way. Just a tiny detail, not enough to judge any sort of potential by. Besides, Aurel was my friend, a best friend who had just saved me from trouble for the fourth time this week. I should be happy. I should be calm.

"So," Aurel began conversationally, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "Any bets on what I'm gonna be?" 

I kept my eyes on the ground, but forced a smile on my face. "Nope." I reached up and scratched my lip. "I've got nothing."

He shrugged and laughed. "Guess we'll find out soon. And you?" 

I laughed through my teeth. "I must be a surprise." 

He grinned. "At the rate you're growing, you'll be 20 by the time you get your power, shrimp." I rolled my eyes at him, but felt myself shudder. Aurel and I were the last two people in my class who had not yet developed powers. I'd hoped Miriam would be after me, but Aurel was my only hope left. For more reasons than one. 

The concerned wrinkle at his brow told me that he had noticed me shudder. "Are you cold? You can use my jacket." 

I blushed, my cheeks turning bright cherry-red as he offered it to me. "No, I'm fine," I insisted, my face heating up. I cursed at myself.

He shrugged again, turning away, his cheeks tinging pink too. 

I cringed as I turned back to face the front of the classroom. I watched as Mrs. Smithe ushered Miriam out the door, torrents of turquoise water still gushing out of her palms. 

I sighed. If only I could figure out what I would be able to do. I had guessed the abilities of all my other classmates correctly. Aurel was the only one obstinate enough to continue to bet money against me after the first five had exploded with their potentials, and I had a pretty good guess at what he was going to be. Not that I could ever tell anyone. 

Why not me? I had no markers of elemental power, my plain brown hair and hazel eyes hardly denoted a fantastical power, and my behavior and physique held no pointers as well. Anxiety seeped into my thoughts as I pictured myself, stunted, powerless, weak. 

I shook the image away and tuned in to my teacher, who had returned from teleporting Miriam to the prodigy office to get registered. "That was exciting, but let's get back to the subject, everyone. A loud, ostentatious, and thoroughly optimistic personality marks which power?"  

I raised my hand after Eloise got it wrong. 

"Katrine?" she called. 

I opened my mouth when a tremor rocked the floor.