Mom’s voice cut through the haze of sleep, pulling me back to reality. “Gia, time to get up! You’ll be late for school!” I groaned, burying my face deeper into the pillow, hoping to escape the heaviness pressing down on my chest. My mind was still tangled in the events of last night—the restaurant, the argument with Dad, the electricity that surged through me like a living thing. I wasn’t ready to face the world yet, especially not after everything that happened.
“Gia! I mean it, you’re going to miss the bus!” Mom’s voice was sharper this time, and I knew I couldn’t stall any longer. With a sigh, I dragged myself out of bed, my body feeling sluggish and heavy. The tension from last night still clung to me like a shadow, and I could feel the remnants of that strange energy buzzing just under my skin, waiting for a chance to escape.
As I stumbled to the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes were puffy from crying, and I looked like I hadn’t slept at all. Great. The last thing I needed was to look like a mess in front of everyone at school. But as I splashed cold water on my face, I realized that wasn’t even the worst part. The real problem was the fear gnawing at the edges of my mind—fear of what might happen if I lost control again.
I tried to push the thoughts away, but they lingered, turning my stomach in knots. I didn’t know how I was going to get through today, let alone the days that would follow. And then there was Dad. The anger in his voice, the way he looked at me like I was some kind of experiment—it all played on a loop in my head, making me feel even more trapped.
“Gia! I’m not going to call you again!” Mom’s voice snapped me back to the present, and I quickly finished getting ready. As I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs, I knew one thing for sure: today was going to be rough. But no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, the storm was coming, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep it from tearing everything apart.
I gave Ethan a quick hug before he headed to his elementary school. “Have a good day, little bro,” I said with a forced cheerfulness. “You too, Gia! Don’t be late!” he replied with a grin that made it hard to keep my smile in place.
Turning to Mom, who stood by the car with a mix of concern and support, I said, “Thanks, Mom. I’ll call if I need anything.” She pulled me into a warm embrace and said, “Buona giornata, Gia. Remember, we’re always here if you need us.” Her embrace was comforting, but the weight of last night’s events made it hard to fully appreciate the gesture.
With a final glance back, I headed to the bus stop. Natalie was already there, her bright smile offering a much-needed moment of normalcy. I slid into the seat next to her as the bus arrived, grateful for the distraction.
“Hey, Gia. Everything okay?” Natalie asked, her eyes reflecting genuine concern.
I managed a small smile, though it felt strained. “Yeah, just had a rough night. Let’s get through today.”
As the bus pulled away, I felt a deepening disconnect from my usual routine, like I was navigating a foggy world where nothing quite fit right.
The school day dragged on, each class blending into the next until finally, the lunch bell rang. I felt a mix of relief and dread as I headed to the bathroom, hoping a moment alone would help clear my mind. The bathroom was quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.
As soon as I entered, a strange sensation washed over me. The air felt charged, like the static before a storm. I approached the sink, and as I reached for the faucet, a jolt of electricity shot through my hand. My fingers tingled violently, and I looked down to see tiny sparks of light flickering around them.
My heart raced as I watched, horrified yet mesmerized. The sparks danced along my fingertips, growing brighter and more intense. I tried to pull back, but the energy seemed to draw me in, pulsing with a life of its own. The lights overhead began to flicker erratically, casting wild shadows on the tiled walls.
Desperate to regain control, I gripped the edge of the sink, focusing on the feeling of the cool metal beneath my hands. I could see the electrical energy arcing up from my fingers, tracing faint patterns in the air. It felt like I was a live wire, the raw power surging through me and making the entire room feel unstable.
I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. Gradually, the energy subsided, and the lights returned to their usual steady glow. My reflection in the mirror looked pale and shaken, my eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion. I knew I couldn’t keep ignoring this—it was becoming clear that my powers were evolving, and I had no idea how to control them.
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As I stood there, trying to steady my breathing and make sense of what had just happened, the bathroom door swung open with a jarring creak. Mary strutted in, her presence immediately filling the space with a sharp, unwelcome edge. She didn’t see the lingering crackle of electricity that had just dissipated, but she did notice the disarray in my demeanour.
“Look who we have here,” Mary sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. “Gia, hiding in the bathroom again? You look like you’re about to pass out. Did you finally short-circuit your brain?”
I turned to face her, forcing myself to calm down despite the residual buzz of energy under my skin. My fingers twitched nervously at my sides, and I could feel the remnants of the electric shock lingering in my muscles. “Just needed a moment,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
Mary’s eyes narrowed, her gaze locking onto me with a predatory gleam. “Moment, huh? You’re looking like you’ve had more than a moment. Are you having one of your little freak-outs? Maybe you’re finally realizing how much of a loser you are.”
Her words stung, but it was the way she spoke to them, with such venomous glee, that made my blood boil. “Shut up, Mary,” I snapped, struggling to keep my emotions in check.
Mary’s smirk widened, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Ooh, scary. Whatever’s got you acting like this, don’t let it explode in here. I don’t want to be caught in your next meltdown.”
She turned on her heel, leaving me standing there with a mix of relief and simmering anger. As the door slammed shut behind her, the flicker of lights in the bathroom subsided, but the tension and embarrassment remained. I had narrowly avoided a confrontation, but I knew this was just the beginning. I needed to get my powers under control before they—along with my patience—short-circuited completely.
I trudged into history class, my mind still buzzing from the strange incident in the bathroom. Slumping into my seat, I tried to shake off the jitters as Mr. Thompson began the lesson with his usual enthusiasm.
“Today, we’re diving into something really fascinating—the history of superpowers,” Mr. Thompson announced, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “We’ll start with Elara, one of the earliest recorded cases of a person with extraordinary abilities.”
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the classroom. “No way,” someone whispered. “You’re telling us this is real?”
Mr. Thompson nodded, undeterred. “Elara was believed to control lightning. Ancient texts describe her as having the ability to summon storms with her will alone.”
The room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by a few incredulous whispers. “You mean there were actual people with powers?” a student asked, her voice filled with awe.
“Yes,” Mr. Thompson replied, his tone firm. “Elara’s abilities were recorded in several historical accounts, and while the details might be embellished, the core of her story suggests that people with extraordinary powers have existed throughout history.”
A student in the back scoffed, “So what, she was just a freak?”
Mr. Thompson’s expression hardened. “That’s not the point. Elara’s story is significant not because of how people reacted to her, but because it challenges our understanding of what’s possible. Whether you believe in her powers or not, the fact that such stories have persisted through centuries tells us something about the human fascination with the extraordinary.”
The class fell silent, grappling with the gravity of Mr. Thompson’s words. No one dared to mock Elara further, and the air was thick with curiosity and disbelief. The idea that people with powers might have once existed was both thrilling and unsettling, leaving me with a profound sense of connection to a story I’d never expected to be so relevant. As the bell rang, signalling the end of class, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Elara’s history was more than just a lesson—it reflected my own hidden struggles, making the weight of her story feel more personal than ever.
As the final bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, I gathered my things, eager to escape the clamour of the hallways and head home. I was just about to slip through the crowd when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Mary and her usual group of friends smirking at me.
“Hey, Gia,” Mary drawled, her voice dripping with malice. “I heard you were really into that freaky stuff in history class. Maybe you’ve got some lightning left to shock us all, huh?”
Before I could respond, one of her friends shoved me lightly, making me stumble. “Yeah, maybe you should go play with your ‘powers’ somewhere else. We wouldn’t want you zapping us by accident.”
The taunts stung, and a sharp burst of anger surged through me. I could feel the familiar crackling sensation building up inside, like static electricity gathering before a storm. My hands started to tingle, and I glanced down to see faint sparks dancing along my fingers.
I clenched my fists, trying to will the energy away, but the pressure was too intense. I could feel the raw power surging beneath my skin, and with a sudden, involuntary release, a small burst of energy shot out, hitting the lockers nearby. The metal groaned, and a few lights flickered ominously.
Mary and her friends jumped back, eyes wide, but they didn’t seem to understand what had just happened. Instead, they looked around in shock. “What the heck was that?” Mary’s friend asked, her voice trembling.
I hurried past them, heart pounding, trying to regain control of my erratic powers. As I made my way to the exit, I could hear Mary’s laughter fading behind me. Despite their confusion, I knew my outburst was anything but ordinary. My powers were becoming harder to manage, and I couldn’t afford any more slip-ups. With my heart still racing, I pushed through the doors and headed toward the bus stop, feeling the weight of my secret pressing down on me even more.