Elevated (Book 1): Elevated (7 page)

“Yeah.”

Clearly, I need to figure out another way of hiding my scanning. I slip my napkin off the edge and sink underneath the table, trying to look like I’m trying to find it.

Tessla keeps squirming beside him, making it difficult to ignore her. She stretches out her legs. You’d think she owns the restaurant.

Their waiter zips by with a tray of food for them.

“Our food. Finally,” Tessla says as she leans her leg out.

It’s a setup. She’s positioned her legs to trip the waiter when he returns. I quickly crawl out from under the table, and snap to my feet.

“Excuse me, waiter,” I call out. As I walk over, I make sure to stomp on Tessla’s ankle on the way. “Can I have some more mustard?”

Tessla yelps in pain. Her wings spring open, knocking a chocolate milkshake off a nearby table and right down the dress of a well-attired woman.

“Ya gotta be kiddin’ me!” comes a thundering voice.

It’s the woman’s date. He stands on his feet with a large thump. We gaze up at his enormous mass. His shaved head emphasizes his thick furrowed eyebrows. Grabbing a napkin off Tessla’s table, he wipes off a shirt that reads “Elevateds Suck.” We both stand completely still.

 “Rob, it’s ok,” says the woman at the table.

“Shouldn’t be allowin’ ya in a place like this anyways. Here’s for Basics. Not you mutant freaks. Take away those fancy wings of yours, and what you got? Nothin’, nothin’ at all.”

Rob chuckles to himself and begins to sit down. Tessla fumes.

“It’s fine Tessla,” says Zach. “Let it go.”

Tessla stands for a moment, panting in anger. I head back to the table. I see in my mind her shadow reach for the mustard bottle and aim it at me. When she squeezes the bottle, I turn around and shove it away from me.

The mustard splats on the top of Rob’s bald head. The splotch of yellow on his gorilla-like face would normally be hilarious, but his angry expression terrifies me.

“Seriously?” Rob snarls.

He rises up on his feet and stares Tessla down. “If you weren’t a girl, I’d knock you sky-high, featherbrain.”

 A man in a business suit approaches the table. It’s safe to assume he’s the manager of the restaurant. He stands between Tessla and Rob. “I’m sorry. But I’m going to need both of you to leave immediately.”

Rob stands there, hovering over her.

“Please, sir. If you don’t leave now, I’m going to call the police. And you know what will happen if I do that. Big guy like you threatening a girl. You know who they are going to side with, don’t you? What will you gain?”

Tessla gives an obnoxious smirk as Rob and his date collect their things and leave the restaurant.

The manager turns towards Tessla. “You too.”

“It wasn’t my fault. Rose almost got me killed,” she says.

For a moment, I’m almost flattered she remembered my name. Then I remember the dodgeball bruises.

“You were asked to remain vested. You did not,” the manager continues.

Tessla crosses her arms. “It’s a reflex.”

“Plenty of Elevated can remain composed indoors. I suggest you learn.”

“Fine. Whatever. Lousy place anyway,” she says as she gathers her cronies. As they begin to leave, she leans over me.

“This isn’t over,” she whispers.

As the Fliers storm out of the restaurant, Zach lags behind and gives me a wink before joining the rest.

I stagger to my seat and slouch down into the booth. Elliott stares with his jaw dropped. I absorb myself in my chocolate shake again. When glance up, I see him. Smiling.

“You have quick reflexes,” he says.

“Thanks to you.”

I need to stop saying these things before I think about them. Elliott scrunches up his face. It’s too late to back out now.

“Look, I don’t know how to say it. It’s probably easiest if I just come out with it. Your slap, your touch, it—well it seems to have given me an ability,” I say. He sits there completely shocked. “I’m a Scanner. I open my mouth, I mean, I don’t even have to think about it, but I open my mouth and—”

“You’re crazy!”

“What?”

His eyes narrow. “I’m not sure if you’re upset about not getting an ability, or you’re trying to make me feel better but—”

“I’m not trying to make you feel better. I can see things, Elliott!”

“And you’re trying to tell me my power is making people Elevateds? How do you explain that?”

“I can’t.”

“Rose. You need rest. Or something.”

“Elliott, listen.”

“You need rest.”

Before I can say another word, he stands up and leaves. I sit there and play with the ice cubes in my glass again. Couldn’t have expected this reaction. My first instinct is to message Aaron, but I still haven’t told him about my ability and it’s not the sort of thing you text someone about.

Checking the calendar on my phone, I find the next communication with Dad won’t be for another two weeks. Frustrated, I toss my phone on the table. I need to speak with him now more than ever. Even then, I won’t dare bring up my ability. The government monitors our conversations. They have to, since he’s still technically an Unsound. Makes it impossible to confide my deepest secrets to him. Makes it impossible for him too, even if Mom thinks I’m paranoid.

I need a friend. Someone I can tell these things too, or already—

Jex.

Jex already knows I have an unauthorized power. He might be able to give me more information on my father. I also remember him mentioning how he wanted to use my ability to help their group. The last thing I want is to learn more about my ability. I want to destroy it. Go back to a normal, safe life.

On the other hand, I can’t help feeling like a safe life is now impossible.

CHAPTER SIX

There’s an awkward atmosphere at school as students return from GEMO break. Technically, displaying powers is forbidden outside of class, so everyone wears clothing with slogans to show off their new powers. A girl wears a hot pink shirt that reads, “Graspers Are the Best!” A boy comes in with “I got the electric touch” written on his face with black ink.

However, for every student with a tacky shirt or temporary tattoo, six or seven hold their head down and try to act as invisible as possible. A few try to join the act with shirts with sayings like, “Undetermined, but Destined for Greatness” or "Proud Undetermined.” As the day goes on, I wish I had one that says, “Stop Asking Me About My Ability.” You can’t walk a few feet without someone asking about your Elevation Day.

I’m relieved when Aaron joins me. Few kids will ask about my ability now. Aaron is well known for his stance against Elevateds.

A scrawny boy next to us crunches into the school lockers, causing a human sized dent. “Sorry,” he says. “Don’t know my own strength.”

“Sure,” Aaron says. “Show off.”

Tables with different company recruiters line the hallways. They have signs like “We Hire Jumpers,” “Graspers Welcome!” and “Harness Your Electricity.” Shelly talks to the representative for a company advertising for Fliers.

“Have a friend who’s a Flier?” the agent asks.

“No,” Shelly says as she picks up a brochure. “I’m the Flier. Can I make an appointment?”

The agent grimaces. “Sorry, but we are only interested in Fliers at the moment.”

“But I’m a Flier.”

“No you’re not.”

“You must be able to tell. There’s a sixth sense about Fliers. We recognize our own kind.”

The agent stands up. “You’re going to need to leave now.”

Shelly groans and heads down the hall.

One at the end of the row says, “Training for Basics and Undetermined.” I catch a few classmates sneaking over to snatch a pamphlet.

“No one wants to advertise they’re a Lesser,” Aaron says.

“Stop using that term.”

I’m tempted to grab a brochure, but I already know I need a good score on the SKT to get into Orbison University’s botany program. Thankfully, that’s a few months away. Maybe Aaron can give me some crash math lessons.

There's a scuffle behind us as Zach dashes through the hall followed by a group of giggling girls.

"Come on, a little peek?" asks one of them.

A big black jacket covers his entire upper body, but you can see there is a muscular body underneath. Flying must be good exercise. He speeds up and tries to lose them by zigzagging through the crowd.

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” he says.

The girl flutters her eyelashes. “Tessla told me. You’re a Flier. Girls like Fliers.”

"Indeed," he says as he cuts through an opening and loses them in the group of students.

Aaron raises his eyebrows. “Zach is king on campus now. He’s got his pick.”

All the girls seem to be staring at him. He has to realize they only like him because he’s a Flier. A couple of days ago, they didn’t even realize he existed. He saw through their acts. At least I hope so.

Another girl grabs his jacket and throws it off, revealing his well-developed arms. The gathering crowd starts pointing, giggling, and giving each other high-fives. Zach scampers over to get his jacket, and a girl pulls on his wingvest, trying to get it open. He wrestles his way free and snatches his jacket.

Miss Dukay rushes over and helps him put it back on. “That’s enough stupidity for today.” She shakes her head judgmentally at the girls and then holds out a stack of brightly colored papers. “Make sure you take a map. Everyone has new classrooms based on their new abilities.”

I take a map and open it to read. Fliers, Jumpers, or Climbers now meet at the South Entrance. Agility, Hearing, and Seeing are in Classroom B. I skim past a dozen more groups to find my new home is with the Basics in Classroom H. I wonder how many classmates I’ll have. With the bell a few minutes away, the students head to their classrooms. Zach zips past me.

“Um—isn’t the South Entrance back the other way?” I point towards a small group of kids heading the opposite direction.

Zach turns and charges ahead to catch up, arms flailing around like a palm tree in a hurricane.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, your next Flier,” Aaron says. “At least until he ends up lost in Antarctica.”

***

Classroom H is the smallest classroom on campus. The narrow room has just enough space for a dozen students. I’m fortunate enough to grab a desk near the window. At least I’ll be able to watch the pretty daisies growing along the edge of the school.

Miss Laura stares at her book, refusing to make eye contact with the class. “Some of you, I’m sure, are feeling rather confused or lost. It is difficult to watch your friends change and evolve while remaining a Basic. While some are here by choice, there are others not healthy enough to undergo treatment. It is the goal of this class to prepare you for the future. It’s a tough job market out there for Basics. Competition is fierce. The important thing you must learn is to find a skill, something deep inside, which sets you apart. And that will be the focus of this class.”

She clicks a button and our screens pop up with “Assessment Test.”

“Don’t bother looking up the page count. I can tell you it’s big. This is all we’ll work on today.”

Groans of disapproval echo through the room. The beautiful daisies rustling by the window catch my attention. Beyond them, a group of Fliers stand on a tall platform ready to make their first jump. Each one has a harness on their wingvest strapped to a cable, which extends about 100 feet to another platform. They take turns leaping off the platform, attempting to fly for the first time. Zach goes first and soars across the field like a pro. Must have been practicing at Fowler’s Grove a lot. When the teacher isn’t watching, Tessla rips off her harness. She jumps off and glides smoothly before careening out of control and into a thorny bush. I can’t help but smile. At least someone is having a worse day than me. Aaron taps me on the shoulder and points at my screen. Shrugging, I focus back on the test.

By the time I finish it, my brain is mush. The results will probably tell me I’m perfect for a job as a Short Order French Fry Cook. And that’s if I’m lucky.

“Results will be posted in tomorrow’s class,” says Miss Laura.

“Oh, goody,” Aaron says.

I’m not sure why he acts so nervous; he has nothing to worry about. With his math brain, he has lots to offer. While some people become Analyzers, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have the skill to utilize their power for math. Basics with solid math skills are always in demand. Me on the other hand—

“How ‘bout a milkshake?” Aaron asks. “After a crummy day like today, I could use a sugar boost.”

“Sorry, don’t think I can tonight.”

“Date with the boyfriend?”

“No!” I slam my screen shut. “I…just have things to do.”

I still haven’t figured out how to tell Aaron about my ability. But I know I’ll have to. I won’t be able to keep my meetings with Jex private for long.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Aaron says as we head out of the classroom.

“Aaron!” calls a voice behind us.

It’s Shelly. I forgot she sat in our class. She had been mercifully quiet the whole day.

She speaks softly, her voice broken. “I need your help.”

“What can I do?” Aaron asks.

“I want information. I need the truth. Why was I put on the scrubbed list?”

“Scrubbed list?” Aaron asks.

“I’m perfectly healthy. There’s no reason why—” Her voice trembles. “Why I didn’t get the treatment.”

“How should I know?” Aaron turns to leave.

Shelly stops him. “You know things. I see you carry around those Basic Brigade newsletters. You know what’s going on.”

I shake my head. “I don’t even know if I believe everything in those newspapers.”

“I want the TRUTH!” Shelly yells. “Why! Why I was scrubbed off the list, why no one will tell me what’s going on!”

She starts to cry. Hard to believe only a week ago she skipped down the halls showing off wingvest designs she planned on wearing.

Aaron sighs. “Let’s be honest, you have more access than we do. Your father is head of GEMO Control.”

“My father won’t say anything to me either. Says he doesn’t want to frighten me. But I can tell there’s something more.”