Being Ordinary

Ordinary in an Extraordinary World

A flying person over there. A person dabbling with water over there. A person manipulating plants down there. Here, there, everywhere I looked there was some form of magic. Wielders almost everywhere. Unlike the wielders, I just carried on with my daily routine. I had my earphones in and I checked my watch. It was 8:13 on the dot, it was time. I walked on the grassy part of the sidewalk and as usual, a girl dashed by me using her speed magic, rushing to university. Everyday, at this time, this would happen. I walked back on the pathway and awaited the next obstacle that usually came to my path. After twenty more steps, I crossed the road as the wielder would be watering his front yard using projectile water. I wanted to avoid crossing the street as long as I could since there would often be toddlers running around there.

The sky had a curtain of clouds blocking the sun. By the looks of it it was going to rain. I had brought an umbrella but didn't want to have to take it out. A gust of wind made my ponytail sway side to side and it worried me that it would make my umbrella flip inside out. I hoped to reach my destination soon. Ten minutes of walking and anxiously looking at the sky, I finally arrived. I then felt a tap on my shoulder, it had to be my classmate, Yuumi.
"Hey Arisa! Are you ready for the exam?" she asked.

Her black hair was tied in two tight braids that fell just below her shoulders. She gave me a wide smile and looked at me with her hazel eyes.
"Sure," I shrugged.

I was in my last year of university and I was writing my last exam of the first term. I actually quite liked exams, for one particular reason; it was the only time that everyone was equal. Before entering the exam room, every wielder was injected with a chemical that would neutralize their powers. It was great. I wouldn't want anyone reading my mind or absorbing my knowledge during an exam. Those wielders had to study like the rest of us. Even if they had the magical ability to memorize everything, it would all vanish once the injection was in their blood. The injectors were usually nurses funded by the government. The serum was made by Wayfe Grimes, a brilliant man. I read a book about of him of how he struggled to find the right chemicals and formulas that would nullify their magic. Unfortunately, he was always on the run now as he had become a target to wielders.

Despite knowing those consequences he had worked hard to make it and publicize it. At first people jeered him and then when they saw its potential, it became a concern. After years of voting, finally people saw how unfair it was for wielders to use magic for every situation and the law was passed.

During studying time, the hallways were filled with babbles. The wielders were moaning, whining and complaining of how they couldn't use their magic. What a pity. They really were so dependent on their magic, it was pathetic.

Once, when I wrote an exam, there was a wielder who had the power to stay up all night and so he had done that for a week. He studied while the rest of us became victims of sleep. And when he was injected with the chemical, his lack of sleep caught up to him. He ended up snoring throughout the whole examination. I remember chuckling to myself. I was ready for this exam and Yuumi began panicking.
"Ohh! I always get so jittery before exams. I get really sweaty when I write it. The rooms are never air conditioned and I can't use my temperature regulating magic," she said, walking in circles.

This again. She would say these words before every exam. Her ability helped her regulate her own body temperature and if she wanted to she could control the temperature of a certain radius. In the winter, I would be bundled up with scarves, mittens, and jackets while she would be prancing around in shorts and a t-shirt. Now she had to suffer the exam like I did. It was great.
"Everyone line up! And get ready to go in!" a teacher bellowed.

Everyone formed a single file line.
"Ah! I'm not going to make it man. I survived this semester with my magic but now I can't even use that!? It's my right and skill! You wouldn't tell a smart person to inject themselves with a pill that brings their intelligence down, would you? Their intelligence is their advantage, as is our magic. How is this 'equalizing' thing going to prepare us for the future, it's not like we won't be able to use our magic in our workplace. Honestly, I could write an essay about this! Those stupid norms," a guy whispered fiercely.