8:30 a.m.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Being away from my parents on holidays was harder than I thought it would be.
I missed them. I missed the food. I missed the naps after the food. I even missed ignoring the boring football games on TV.
Noah and I were headed to breakfast when we saw a line twisting out the cafeteria doors. Penny and Jordan were in it, standing together. As always, Penny had her ukulele hung over her shoulder. They waved us over.
Jordan was still invisible, but at least we knew where he was because of his clothes.
The line snaked all the way down the hall. I had no idea why that many people were waiting until I saw the poster on the cafeteria door.
ANNUAL KEPLER ACADEMY SUPERSHOW.
It was a talent show scheduled for the last day of school before winter break. At the bottom were the words, “Talents will be allowed for performances.”
“Get in line,” Jordan said to me and Noah.
“No cutting, ya dorks!” Dexter shouted from several spots behind us.
Vic was next to him. “Get to the back of the line, Dorothy!”
“Did he just call me ‘Dorothy’?” I whispered.
“We were holding their spots for them,” Penny said.
“You can’t do that!” Dexter said, glaring. He looked right at me. “Why are you even in line? You don’t have a power! You’re the only one here who hasn’t got one yet!”
I stared at the ground. Nobody said it, but everyone thought it. I was the only one left in the school without a power.
My four-month deadline was coming up. If I didn’t develop one in the next thirty days, I’d have to pack my bags and go home. The first one ever to go home.
Dexter shouted again. “Back of the line like everyone else!”
Penny swung her uke around and gave Dexter the evil eye.
He backed off immediately.
“Anyone else got a problem?” Penny said. Everyone went back to what they were doing. “That’s what I thought.”
Once we got to the sign-up table, Noah and Penny filled out papers right away. Jordan didn’t. He was too cool to enter.
And without a power, I didn’t bother signing up, either.
Noah and Penny dropped their slips of paper into a little bucket at the end of the table. The four of us walked out the second set of cafeteria doors into the hallway.
Just then someone bumped into me hard enough that I fell in front of everyone. It was Dexter.
“Watch where you’re walking, man!” Dexter shouted. “You almost knocked me over!”
I stood, but Dexter shoved me again. “Now tell me you’re sorry!”
“C’mon, man!” Noah said, putting his hand on Dexter’s shoulder.
Dexter pulled away from Noah and out of nowhere lunged toward me with his fist.
I flinched, covered my face, and tried to drop to the ground. Instead, I felt a rush of air like I was being pushed up, not down.
I heard the gasps of other students around me.
“Ben!” Penny shouted.
I spread my fingers open and peeked out at everyone. They were all underneath me. Way underneath me.
Dexter’s mouth dropped open as he stared at me, his fist still in the air. His punch never had the chance to land. I finally did the thing I’d been trying to do all year.
I had discovered my power.
I was flying.
I didn’t know how, but I did it. I hovered over everyone in the hallway as they clapped their hands and cheered.
Dexter was steaming, but he didn’t do anything else. Vic hid behind him, jerking his head to get his hair out of his face.
I floated closer to the carpet—somehow. Noah, Penny, and Jordan reached out to pull me the rest of the way down.
“You did it!” Noah said, wide-eyed and smiling.
My blood was pumping. I’d never felt so alive!
I threw my arms around Dexter and hugged him tightly. “Thanks, man! You helped bring my power out!”
Dexter growled as Vic pulled me off him.
I had to celebrate. I had to do something.
And then the poster for the talent show caught my eye.
Without another word, I ran back to the sign-up table and entered the show.