We’re all around you but you wouldn’t see us. Take it from someone who knows don’t look for us.
–Jessica Cleave
It was noon on a hot August day, and two of my three siblings and I sat in our small orphanage bedroom, in Chicago Illinois.
“Jess, plug in the fan,” ordered my eleven year old sister Grace. She struggled to turn around in the recliner and push me out of the space next to her.
I began to object, but my sister’s ocean-blue-eyes practically shot lasers at me. Sighing, I stood and relinquished the overstuffed chair to my sister.
“Thanks,” muttered Grace, and settled back into her mane of flowing blue hair. This was her favorite seat, and it had once belonged to our father. Not that any of us had ever met him of course, he died years ago, but she felt that he was with her in some way whenever she sat there. Unfortunately for her, her face was often confronted with my long, tangled mess of jagged blonde hair. I enjoyed the soft blue chair almost as much as Grace did.
“Grant! Uuuuu! Not Funy!” With an enormous heave and not a small amount of water, Grant (my ten year old brother who was now sitting on her) was launched across the floor.
“Graaa-aaace! Why’d you do that!?” His black eyes flashing, he shook out his shaggy jet-black hair, and once he was relatively dry, sent a good-sized ball of anti-matter at the wall above our exuberant sister’s head.
For good reason, Grant hadn’t risked a full out fight with our older and more powerful sister. An entire year at JAP (I didn’t know what this stood for, but I hoped to soon find out) was not something to be laughed at, as Grant well knew. After every summer, the two of them left for a day’s trip via bus, after which they traveled to the school. I’d never been there, because I had yet to discover my power, but with any luck, this fall the Cleave dorm at JAP will house one more pupil, me.
Of course, both of my parents had had powers, and the gene was passed on to all of us. At least, I hoped so. At nine, I was a little late in discovering my power. Of course, that my two older siblings had tried every conceivable method of coaxing it out of me. The battle scars that I sported had warded off quite a few passers by on the street, but I was becoming accustomed to odd looks and unconcealed staring that pelted me every time I left the orphanage.
I remembered all this as I undertook the rather dangerous trek across the room. Water and I had never been the best of friends. Of course, that fact wouldn’t keep Grace from forcing me to plug in the fan. Electricity was too bright for Grant. And Grace, having water running in every possible part of her body, didn’t fair much better. So I picked up the plug, and went to the outlet. As the plug went in, a huge spark came out and hit me
in the head.
“Are you okay, Jess?” Grace came running.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I questioned.
“You just got hit in the head by a foot long spark!” Yelled Grace.
“Did I?” I asked, puzzled. I touched my forehead. It wasn’t tender. Hmmm.
“You didn’t feel it?”
“No, but I saw it.” Now I was scared. What did it mean that a variable lightning bolt had entered my head and I had not felt even the slightest fizz?
Grant and Grace had a quick discussion in hushed tones. There were a lot of glances back over their shoulders in my directions and shaking of heads. Finally, they turned around, a worried look on their faces.
“Jess”, there was an edge to Grace’s voice. ”I think you have Electricity”.
“So? That’s great,” I cried. “Why are you so upset? I get to come with you to JAP and study and everyth…” I trailed off. Grace was shaking her head. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“Don’t you get it?” she cried. “I have Water! We have to stay away from each other! And you be have a constant attraction to me!”
Oh. That explained a lot. Already, I felt like there was a magnet buried in the center of my body that was drawing towards her. It was almost unbearable. Ugh. This would complicate things during our frequent fights.
. 
