Young Writers Society

It amazed Dawn how kind and gentle Avery was. A true gentle giant. Trying to hide the loud pounding of her heart, she grabbed her book and placed it over her chest. A part of her wanted to ask Avery to make something else, but she wasn't a fan of asking someone things like that. So, she opened the door. "Are we ready?"

Izzy slammed her head on the plastic cafeteria tables dramatically. "This place stinks! Not a single dorm! This boy-girl rule sucks major ass!" she wailed. The small boy beside her didn't say a word, nibbling on the crust of a pre-packaged peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He wore large glasses that encased most of his head. "Am I right or am I right?!" Izzy demanded of the boy.

He nodded rapidly, "Yes! You're right! It does. It really does."

Izzy sighed, then studied him closer. "What's your name?"

"What?" the boy in glasses asked.

"You heard me, nerd kid. What's your name?"

"Um, Powder."

Izzy laughed. Powder didn't.
"Seriously? Your parents named you Powder?"

"Well, when I was a baby, whenever I looked at gun powder or other explosive stuff, it... exploded."

Izzy scoffed, "That's lame."

"Yeah... I know."

"What's lame?" Sam came bounding over to their table, a disgruntled Evan trailing behind them. The Pyrokinetic leaned over the plastic surface, staring at Izzy and Powder with excited orange eyes. "Oooh, is that a peanut butter sandwich? You got any more? I ran out..."
They held up the empty jar.
"Sam, quit bothering them," Evan grumbled. "Just go to the lunch line like a normal person."
"Did I hear that you can make things explode?" Sam asked, ignoring him. Powder nodded timidly. "Cool! So can I! Watch this."
They held up the empty peanut butter jar, gripping it tightly in their hand.
"What are you doing?" Evan demanded. The pyrokinetic's hand began to smoke. "Sam, NO!"
The jar exploded, shards of glass flying everywhere. Evan covered his face, sparks of pain running through his palm as bits of broken peanut butter jar lodged themselves in his flesh. Everyone in the cafeteria ducked, startled by the loud noise. When they looked up, Sam was standing over the table, their hand still closed around where the jar had been.
"Pretty cool, right?" they said, grinning.
"What the actual hell--" Evan lunged forward, grabbing Sam by the wrist and marching him into the hallway. He slammed them against the wall, fuming. "What were you thinking?!? You could've killed somebody!"
"But I didn't, did I?" Sam replied, eyes wide. "Everything's fine."
"Does this look fine to you?" Evan opened his palm, revealing the bloody cuts made by the shattered glass. Even his blood was colorless--greyish fluid dripping onto the floor. "You need to be more careful!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sam muttered, reaching for Evan's hand to look at his wounds. "I didn't mean to--"
"Ow!" Evan cried. "You burned me!"
"Sorry," Sam stuffed their hands into the pockets of their jacket.
"You better hope they don't expel you for that," Evan growled. "You just endangered an entire room full of students. On the first day!"
Sam lowered their head. Evan sighed.
"You can't go around exploding things," he muttered. "Just...try to keep the fire and stuff to a minimum, okay? We can't have anyone getting hurt."
"Okay," Sam said quietly. "I'm sorry about your hand."
"It's fine, just--oh, hey Sis."
Sage, Avery, and Dawn had just appeared in the hallway.

Izzy was the first to speed out of the room, leaving a wind tunnel and flipped trays behind her. Powder shrieked so loud that everybody in the second floor could hear. He hid under the table, using the remains of his pb and j as a weak shield. Dawn had been speed-walking to the cafeteria once she heard a loud boom and screaming. "Oh boy," she mumbled.

Then, she came across the pair. At first, she wondered if this was something she shouldn't be walking in on. The most she knew about normal schools was from TV and movies, but this didn't seem like that. There wasn't any dramatic lightning or romance songs or anything more sultry. "Um, what happened?" Dawn asked.

A gush of wind hit the combined grouping in the face. "What happened-" Izzy rested her arm on Sage while giving a hard stare to Sam, "-was that moron thought it'd be a good idea to blow up glass in the cafeteria!" she said, pointing at them like a videogame lawyer.

Before Dawn could even ask who this mystery speedster was, she noticed the colorless liquid from Evan's hand. Her heart dropped. "You're hurt!" she squealed. "Look, I can take you to the nurse, if you want. I also have herbs, if you think that would help!"

"Nah, it's just a few cuts," Evan muttered, grimacing as he pulled the glass from his hand. Avery cringed.
"You really shouldn't do that," she murmured. "It looks like you might need stitches...go with Dawn, Evan. She'll get you fixed up."
"Fine," he grumbled. He jerked a thumb at Sam. "Keep an eye on this one, will you? Make sure they don't set the school on fire."
"Aye-aye, Cap'n," Avery said, moving to stand beside the tiny Sam. They looked so small compared to her six-foot frame.
"Did you really make the jar explode?" Sage asked, shoving Izzy's arm away. "Is that even possible?"

Izzy rolled her eyes when she was pushed off her arm-rest, but soon enough she smiled at Evan before he left. "I think I like you," she said as Dawn hurriedly ushered him to the nurse's office. Then, she turned her attention to the other students. She absentmindedly brushed her fingers through her hair, only then realizing just how frizzy it was. Well, she did move fast on surfaces that could conduct electricity.
"Yeah! I saw it with my own two eyes!" Izzy butted in again, "They just grabbed it and looked really concentrated, then boom!" She made a grand show of her arms to mimic the explosion.

"Is that so?"

"Wah! Who in the world are you?!" Izzy pointed behind Avery and Sam. Looming like a dark shadow was a tall, astute man with a small pair of spectacles and lean frame. "Ya don't just sneak up on people, dude!" The speedster was too caught up in her own shock to realize that the man was much older than other students and wore a suitable vest over a collared shirt.

"Apologies. Dr. Walter Emily. Or just Dr. Emily," he said, calmly, "I teach English. Izzy Rinstone, yes? And you're Sam Walters, Avery Jones, and..." He squinted at Sage, "Sage Emorius, right?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Good. Well, I heard quite a fuss down here and came to investigate, only to find shards of glass everywhere and this boy."

Behind Dr. Emily was poor little Powder, sniffling as he tried to dislodge a piece of glass flown into his thick frames. There was also a cut across his cheek. "If it weren't for his glasses, he would have easily lost an eye or worse. So, would anyone like to explain that story again? With more depth, please."

Izzy was quick to start her story again, but the teacher stopped her. "I'll need more than one witness testimony. My apologies in advance."
She grumbled her annoyances and was left to pout on her own.

Sage twisted her chain nervously. "I don't know what happened. Neither me nor Avery were there when it happened."
She looked at Sam, standing quietly in the corner. She couldn't read their expression--whether they felt guilt or exhilaration, she didn't know.
"Why don't you explain what happened, Sam?" Avery asked.


Evan glanced back as he followed Dawn to the nurse. "Was that teacher there before?"
The tall, smartly dressed man seemed to be interrogating Sam. Evan's stomach twisted with worry. Odd. It was uncharacteristic of him to be anxious.

Dawn made sure to pat Evan comfortingly on their shoulder. "Yeah. I think? He must be one of the Adjudicator's friends," she said, careful not to reveal their connection. "He seems nice, but I'm starting to think he has teleportation powers or something." Soon enough, they arrived at the nurse's. A short young man was fiddling with a small plant in the corner of the room.

"Hello?" The nurse greeted with a warm smile. Dawn quickly introduced him to Evan.

"Don't worry, Evan. He's a healer. You'll be good in no time," Dawn said, sitting beside him on the cot. The nurse quickly approached and placed Evan's palm between his hands. A faint glow emmineted from it.

"You're lucky it's only a minor cut. This should take a few minutes, tops. Broken bones take hours," he said, sighing at the mere thought of sitting for hours with a warm light on his hands.


Izzy smirked knowingly, "Yeah, Sam. Go on!" Then, she ended up bursting into snickers. "Sam's in trouble on the very first day! You're gonna get your ass beat!"

The teacher bit his lip to stop himself. Saying something so unbecoming to a stupid teenager would be a terrible dig on his already low reputation. "Watch your tongue," he ordered.

Izzy's shoulders jumped, but she obeyed and hid behind Sage ever so slightly, her face red in embarrassment.

Sage scooted away from Izzy, wrinkling her nose slightly. She didn't like this girl, especially when she touched her without permission. The Botani-kinetic moved to stand beside Avery instead, little vines sprouting in her wake.
"I was just showing off my powers," Sam explained, brow furrowed. "I never intended for anyone to get hurt..."

The doctor hummed and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you are young. I doubt you've had your powers long," he said gently, "so I'll be sure the Adjudicator doesn't go too hard on you. She'll understand."
Just as suddenly as he came, he walked off into the cafeteria to search for any other victims. What could he say? He liked things done in a timely manner.

Dawn turned to Evan after a minute or so. "Feel any better?"

Evan rubbed his hands together, examining the skin of his palm. It had sealed back together perfectly--there wasn't even a scar where the glass had been. He looked up at the nurse.
"Thank you," Evan turned toward the door, glancing at Dawn. "Shall we get going? I hope Sam's not in trouble..."


Sage watched the man go, confusion lining her face.
"Seems like he let them off the hook really easy..." she muttered to Avery. The tall girl nodded, eyes narrowed slightly at the stranger's retreating back.
"Although," she murmured, scratching her chin. "He mentioned the Adjudicator. Sam might not be out of the woods just yet..."

So, months passed as normal. Many students were just "elated" to hear that the fun action stuff didn't happen until about the end of the semester. For most teachers, it meant they didn't have to worry about too many students showing off their powers once everyone was acquainted. For Dawn, it might she got a few months of feeling like a normal kid.

Well, that, and the absolute hell of the winter months. Even when she was a baby, the amount of medicines she had to take just to not cough her lung out during winter was frightening. The doctors said her immune system naturally made itself so helpless from September to February, and there was no reason for it. There was several prescribed medications on her nightstand (usually a new on got added every year as she became resistant to the antibodies), and cough drops were always in her pockets.

She had to be wrapped in blankets at the constant, and it seemed her powers didn't ever work as usual. The plants were weak, thin, and died fast. Her overalls and sweaters had been replaced with layered shirts, hoodies, and leggings underneath her sweatpants. Every time she showed up to class, she'd be shivering and sleeping through half of it.

If it weren't for handcrafted Daya candles, she'd likely have finished her entire prescription before the middle of November. Actually, having friends around willingly to share blankets and heat up ramen bowls helped a lot. Sure, Dawn still felt like a helpless little kid, but it was nice to see someone there. Her mother never took care of her like that. It was just her brother, and... Well, not a fun story.

Thankfully, this morning was one of the days she was starting to feel just a bit healthy. Though, even with a Daya candle next to her, she was shaking under her heated blanket, dreading the day. Today, they had the morning classes off. After lunch, the real fun those kids were talking about would start. Thank the stars her mom made it so Dawn was allowed to sit back and watch.

Sage leaned back in her beanbag chair, popping one of her watermelon lollipops into her mouth. She glanced over at Dawn, who was shivering violently under her electric blanket. A twinge of sympathy went through Sage's heart. She didn't know what was making her friend so cold and tired--some sort of seasonal allergies, perhaps? But they didn't seem to be getting much better.
She looked around the room. Avery was making more candles, adding to the pile of purple wax at her feet. Sam and Evan were there, too--Sam was heating up a large pot of water with their hands while Evan watched.
"Is it almost there?" the little pyrokinetic asked. They were so tiny, their hair barely poking up over the rim of the pot.
"Just a little bit longer," Evan replied. "It hasn't started bubbling yet."
"There has to be a better way to boil water," Avery muttered, lighting another candle and placing it beside Dawn. "Why don't you make a fire or something?"
"That would set off the alarm," Evan answered, eyes fixed on the pot. "And we definitely don't need that. Sam's already being watched...oh, I think it's ready. I'll put the pasta in."
"You do know we have to leave soon, right?" Sage raised an eyebrow. "Lunch is starting in just a few minutes."
"Yeah, well, we won't have to go to lunch if we have food, will we?" Sam said excitedly as Evan dropped spaghetti into the boiling water.
"Keep it steady," he instructed. "I don't want to get burned again."
Sage pursed her lips, little vines sprouting around her. She'd finally came up with a name for her unique plants--Semavry. It was kind of a mashup of everyone's names--S for Sage, E for Evan, M for Sam, A for Dawn, and -vry for Avery. A bit far-fetched, but since they couldn't find any information on the little emerald plants, she'd had to invent her own.
"That's the bell," she muttered, looking up. "We should probably get going..."

Dawn opened her eyes briefly. Only when she heard interesting conversations and when she felt like the aching in her joints and muscles was getting better. She scooted herself closer to the sources of warmth by her and made a buritto of blankets around herself.
"You know," Dawn coughed. Her voice was a bit hoarse. "Sam, I'm this close to just... letting you set me on fire," she chuckled. "It'd probably feel... so good right about now."

There had been countless apologies for causing so much troubled murmured beforehand, so some consider this bit of banter an improvement. Still, after everyone ate and slurped their pastas, the long awaited announcement came. "All students report to the training grounds at this time. All students report to the training grounds at this time please," Ms. Darcy Lane sung over the intercoms.

Dawn grumbled. Using all of her strength, she slowly stood up. She was starting to feel bad about having to depend on everyone around her, so she wrapped a blanket around her and took one of the candles sitting on her nightstand. "Um..." she whispered, "I can't exactly do much, so I'm just gonna watch with my mom. Does..." Dawn's face seemed a bit redder than usual. Well, that wasn't saying much, but it wasn't as feverish. "Does anyone wanna come with? I can just say you're assisting me, if anyone wants to skip out on the whole thing. Plus, meeting my mom, if that's any incentive."

"I'll come!" Sage said brightly. She laughed nervously. "Any excuse to get away from the crowds, y'know? What about you, Avery?"
"I go wherever you two go," the tall girl said, pulling her canister over her head. "Besides, I doubt there will be much to miss out on."
"What is going on, anyway?" Evan asked as he dumped the empty pasta pot into the sink. Sam scuttled about the room, scooping up paper plates and tossing them away. "Why are we going to the training grounds?"

Dawn smiled. She knew those two would always be by her side. She glanced at Evan and Sam. "Well, ever since Sam's... incident, I think they wanted to start helping kids with their powers sooner than expected. That's all I know."

Short goodbyes were given, and soon enough the trio was scuttling off. Dawn seemed just a bit more energetic than usual. So, she happily led her friends to the agreed meeting spot. A bench on the botanical garden with a perfect overhead view of everything. Just like when she was younger and they would go to the park... "I think you guys will like my mom. She's kinda blunt, strict, very formal, but she's a good person."

Meanwhile, Izzy was already there, drawing small pictures in the sand. Little Powder stood right next to her, fiddling with his round glasses. Darcy Lane stood on a makeshift stage, going through the flashcards the Adjudicator made for her as she awaited the students. "This is getting boring!" Izzy whined, as usual. Powder nodded his head with her.