Oakswood

[Demandred]

There isn't any growth in this; if people want it to continue then there's some in the next part. Regardless, enjoy.

- Dem



Oakswood


I didn't want to go to a boarding school. A bloody boarding school, of all places. It was all very southern England, just like the brochure had suggested. Tall trees bowed into the avenue as we arrived at the gates, the September sun strong despite the fact that I was certainly meeting my doom in this place. Oakswood Boarding School, a large burgundy sign told us on the left of the black iron gates.

?I know oak's wood? I muttered, earning a disapproving look from my Dad. He was driving, and my Mum was sat in the passenger seat looking a little too emotional. It wasn't through losing her only son to the boarding school, it was just her natural expression.

?Now Nathan, that attitude isn't going to make you very popular in your new home.? My Dad said sternly, turning to face me. ?You're living here for 45 weeks of the year.? Yeah, you heard him right. I'm only coming back for a week at Christmas, and for 6 weeks from July. The gates opened and off we went, up the winding road to the main building. It was pretty big, 5 floors of a terracotta colour. It was like a large mansion really, only this one happened to house 500 people. I think I would have liked the idea more, if I'd actually taken my GCSEs at a boarding school. Some people went from the age of, like, 6, and turned out ok. I'm 17, and this is my first time in a la-di-dah uniform-imposing school which actually disciplines students.

We pulled up behind one of many other cars outside the main entrance, and instantly a bright-eyed bushy tailed girl with pigtails was there with a clipboard to check my name off.

?Nathan Lane? I muttered, opening the boot and pulling out my suitcase. It was one of those cool ones with the pulley handle and wheels, and it had a cow-print design. That was one of the only things I liked about this place so far. My mum and dad were out the car too, standing between me and the school. I had to say goodbye to them, I supposed. That was another of the few perks to being here, the fact that I was free from the 'rents.

My dad went first, whilst my mum rummaged through her bag. ?You be careful, son. Don't do anything stupid. I want you to do your best, and get as much out of this as you can. Don't waste this time, or my money.? He shook my hand and got in the car, impatient to leave.

Mum finally gripped both my hands, and looked me in the eyes. They were a striking silvery grey, just like my own. But then, my Dad's were the same, so yeah. ?You be careful, Nathan. You have a lot of growing up to do here! I'm sure that when you finish here you'll be ready to take on the world as a man. You don't have to come back for Christmas if you don't want to. We'll totally understand, crumpet.?

?Don't miss me too much? I said drily.

?Oh of course I'll miss you, you goon. This is the best place for you though. You will be- uh, you're going through a lot of changes, and this place is suited to handling you at this difficult time.?

?Uh, Mum, I hit puberty like 5 years ago. It's not even embarrassing to talk about any more.?

?Oh honey, that's just the hormones talking. Take care!? With a squeeze around my mid-section, she tottered back to the car, her large blonde hair scraping the top of the car. I heard my dad grumbling about taking her sweet time before promptly driving away, leaving me on my lonesome.

?Great.? I muttered. Looking up at the other people going inside, I figured I may as well assimilate myself and pretend this was the one place I wanted to be more than any other. Putting on my Smile For All Occasions, I made my way into the building. It was exactly what I'd expected, with dark pine stairs wrapping from the left to the balcony to my right. A large archway in front and a door either side revealed similar dark corridors, with the perfunctory plants and old paintings which made me feel right at home. Students, people I was probably going to be seeing a lot more of, were heading up the stairs. I realised I had no idea where my room actually was, so I took the chance to ask pig-tail girl when she walked past.

?Nathan Lane? Umm...? She checked her clipboard. ?Floor E, D Corridor, room 7.? So off I went, up to the top floor. It looked like the whole of the top floor was for the extra curricular stuff, and accomodation. One half held the students, and the other had a gym and stuff. There was even a pool, according a shiny blue sign. That would be pretty fun if I didn't have an aversion to being topless.

The corridor had it's own door, with a great big D on it. Only, it was locked. How was I supposed to get in?

?Here, let me help.? A guy said, and he opened the door without a problem. ?It's a skill of mine... and I'm on this corridor too. My name's Corey.?

Corey? Oh christ, that was more American than the Statue of Liberty. Judging by the accent though, he was from the south of England somewhere. He looked like a regular old student, with floppy brown hair and a cheeky grin. He was wearing blue and white shorts and an open shirt, revealing an impressive set of abs. If he was on my corridor, then maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

?I'm Nathan.? I said, letting him in first. ?The door was locked, how did you...??

?We always lock the door when we have new people.? Said someone from an open door. Another guy, with his arms folded over a lime green shirt with the school logo of an oak tree. ?I'm Kyle, your corridor rep. I sometimes help teach Maths as well.? Seeing my expression, he grinned. ?Not here for Maths then, eh??

?Nope.? I said shortly, though not because I was feeling rude. I just don't roll that way. ?English student. Uh, which one's my room...??

?This one with the 7 on the front? Kyle said, handing me a set of keys. ?One's for the door into the corridor, and the other opens your door. You get to live next to Corey and his amazing country music.?

?Eh? Is that sarcasm?? Corey asked, but he was grinning.

?Yeah. Now get in your room so I can talk to the new guy.? Kyle said. When I opened my door into my room, he followed me in. Corey went into his own room, and sure enough I could hear the dulcet tones of some unknown country singer gracing my bedroom.

?You look more like a rock kinda guy to me.? Kyle said. ?Give him a run for his money.?

Putting my stuff down, I looked around. A bed at the wall opposite the door, with a window overlooking a forest just off the school grounds. There was a desk, two shelves and a wardrobe, plus a mirror and a comfy looking chair. The place needed more personality, but I had more than just my cow-print suitcase to make it mine. The stuff my dad had already sent on the train was on the bed; blankets, a green bean bag, my books, loads of stuff. I was looking forward to unpacking actually.

?Ok, I should probably give you the lowdown.? Kyle said, sitting on the blue chair as I wondered where the hell to start. ?There's 10 people to a corridor. There's 150 people on this floor, 150 on D floor and 200 people round the back of the building. But most of them are 2nd or 3rd year students. Corey's kinda special, said he wanted to live in the same corridor as me...? He gave a shrug, and smiled. With his blonde hair and sunglasses, the smile only improved his appearance. ?There's only 3 girls on this corridor.?

Great, I thought. I'm in a testosterone-dominant zone. At least there was some feminine influence, to prevent a full scale explosion of manliness which supposedly happens in most single-sex boarding schools.

?So... when do lessons start??

?You'll get your timetable tomorrow, and classes begin officially the day after. The day after being Monday, and all. There should be a little book in your desk drawer with mealtimes, rules of the place, all that jazz. Basically...? Kyle gave a shrug, like it didn't matter, ?Just don't leave the grounds and get caught. Don't steal from the kitchens and get caught. Don't kick the shit out of another student. Don't take advantage of anyone else. And so on, and so on.?

Strange rules, I thought, though they did make sense. Maybe Kyle was a little eccentric, though he looked friendly enough. If anything, Corey looked crazier than him. ?Ok... erm... thanks.?

?That's it really. Come to the kitchen about 4 and meet the rest of your corridor. Corridor D! Yeah!? And with that, Kyle left me alone in my room hearing what had to be Dolly Parton pounding through the wall, as hard as Dolly could anyway.

I kept my door open as I unpacked my things, but I didn't see anyone. I heard Kyle a few times, but I figured he kept everyone in their rooms until further notice. By 4, I had my stuff all unpacked and thankfully there was no music from Corey's room. It was kitchen time.

The kitchen itself was what I was expecting, though I was put out when I found out the place didn't actually feed us itself. There was a canteen, but it only gave us a meal a day; breakfast and our evening food would have to be made ourselves. Cheerful yellow walls and shiny silver appliances gleamed at me, so I directed my attention to the large round table in the centre of the room. Turns out I was the last person in there, and these were my 9 D Corridor friends. Well, maybe not friends, but that remained to be seen.

I couldn't remember most of the names at first, but here they are in order of room number; Wendy, Harry, Ivan, Jennifer, Corey, Kyle, Me oddly enough, Kane, Sophia and Andy. You'll hear more about them later, I guess. With Corey to my right, Sophia to my left and Kane across from me, I was set to go really.

?So anyway you guys, welcome to Oakswood.? Kyle said, sitting on top of his chair so he was raised above everyone else. ?It's a pretty good place, it's a shame they only let people who are 16 or over in. But you have to wait until then anyway.? There, another strange comment. Something was a little off here, or maybe it was just Kyle. ?We're The D Corridor massive! Should be a good year. I'm Kyle, as you should all know, I'm acting as your hip and uber cool mentor person for a few weeks. But I'll be here all year. Now's for the fun part.? He rubbed his hands in anticipation, looking around at everyone. ?Corey.?

Corey produced a small box from nowhere, or probably under the table, and a key to the lock. It was one of those sturdy plastic ones which were a pain to open without the key. I speak from experience.

?Corey's another 2nd year.? Kyle informed everyone, though I already knew. Actually, everyone else probably did from their expressions. ?Sophia, try opening the box without the key.? Sophia, a doll of a young woman, gently tried prising the box open. ?Stuck, isn't it? You try, Jennifer. No? Pass it back to Corey then.?

Corey looked almost as pleased as Kyle. ?This is no trick? He said, and with a simple lift he opened the locked box as if it was possible all along. Seeing the expression on our faces, his grin faded. ?It's not a trick? He said, ?It was locked.?

?Actually, you opened the door for me earlier when Kyle locked it? I said. Now that made more sense. ?So you can, like, unlock stuff??

?Can you show me how?? Piped up Harry, but Corey just shook his head.

?This isn't any old school.? Kyle said dramatically. ?You probably don't know it, and your parents almost certainly didn't, but this place is a school for the Gifted. And I don't mean just the clever people. Long story short, you've all got a gift. You don't know it yet, but it's like an advanced puberty. You're going to go through a couple of changes, and most normal people would get freaked out about them. The Headmaster here, he finds people aged about 15 and sends them the booklet which fell through your mailbox about 2 years ago when you were probably wondering about what to do after your GCSEs. Some of you may have parents who have gifts, but most of you won't; it's a recent development, and we're getting more and more students every year. There's a similar school somewhere in America, but we don't really keep in contact with them. We can't actually find them...?

There was an awkward silence. I had no idea what to think. A gift? What the hell? Was he being serious?

?Bullshit.? The one word uttered by Kane ended the silence. Everyone looked at him, but the dark-haired teen with the hoodie and the glare didn't seem to mind. ?He can open boxes. Great.?

?Well, anything locked-?

?Whatever. What's your gift then, Kyle? Care to share it with us? Or is this some kind of welcoming joke you two fuck buddies came up with to make us look stupid??

?Yeah!? Harry added helpfully.

Kyle didn't seem to mind the reaction. ?I thought you'd have something to say. Lucky for you guys I've got a pretentious, showy power.?

?I'm getting a serious deja vu feeling. Like we're in an X-men comic or something.? Andy muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose.

?Uhh... yeah.? Kyle shrugged. ?Anyway, here goes.? I expected him to take off his sunglasses and beam a ray of red light at the far wall, or shapeshift into one of us at the table. I was almost right, actually, because with a small poof of pink smoke, there was a chubby poodle sat on the chair where Kyle was a second ago.

?Wow... did he just turn into a dog?? Asked Andy, leaning closer.

?Yeah I just turned into a dog, what does it look like?? The dog said, making everyone including me jolt in their seats. Corey handed him a dog biscuit, which he took forcefully. Then in another cloud of smoke Kyle was sat there again, chewing and grimacing. ?So yeah. Sooner or later, probably sooner for most of you, you'll start developing these crazy new powers. Fuck knows what they are, but you can guarantee that by Christmas you won't want to go back home. It's a 1st year thing, you're afraid you'll lift your leg against your dad or something...?

That killed the conversation. I looked at the others sat around the table. They all seemed to share my uneasy gut feeling. How did they know where we were to send the brochures, what about the future. Then the most important question; what power would I get? The same thing dawned on everyone, and soon we were all smiling. Well, not frowning so much anyway.

?You're gonna need some time to think about this. I wouldn't tell your parents if I was you. Not to worry you or anything, but when I pissed on my dad, they decided it was probably best to leave me here.? Kyle didn't look too upset, but I couldn't help but wonder if it bothered him. I didn't think it would be too difficult keeping it from my parents, seeing as I didn't actually plan on talking to them until Christmas. Or was that the other way around? We all left and went into our rooms, not speaking to one another. I lay on my bed and looked at the ceiling for a while, wondering what the hell was going to happen to me. I'd certainly gotten more than I bargained for in coming to this place. Next thing I knew, it was 8am and there was a piece of paper under my door. I think I fell asleep, but I don't remember dreaming anything, or even getting changed. The mirror told me my messy blonde hair needed a wash, and that I should think about some fake tan. I don't get hung up on my appearance, don't get me wrong. I think I'm pretty alright. I'm about 5ft 11... ok, 5ft 10 if I'm honest. I'm skinny, in a lean way, from accidental exercise and much walking. I kind of have a six pack going on, if faint. It's more through being skinny than muscular, though.

The piece of paper was a timetable. I could see my subjects ? Literature, English Language and good old Art ? but there's an interesting slot there as well on a Friday called ?Life Lessons?. I got the impression that it would be something to do with handling my powers, whatever they would be, or something. It was still quite something to get my head around.

Going into the kitchen, Sophia was in there listening to some classical music on the radio and eating chocolate spread on toast.

?Good morning.? She said. ?You're up early.?

?It was either that or lay in bed feeling confused? I said drily. Sophia bit into her toast and didn't reply. She looked and sounded very well-to-do, with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was fully dressed, in a tweed dress with long white socks and black shoes. She probably enjoyed horse riding, fox hunting and polo, I assumed as I rummaged through the fridge. There was nothing of mine in there, not yet anyway, but I was curious all the same.

?Toast?? Sophia asked, offering me a slice. I took it and ate it in the time it took her to finish her half-eaten slice, but she didn't seem to notice. ?So what do you think of this place so far then?? She asked. ?It's more modern than I was expecting...?

?Apart from the fact that we all apparently have superpowers just waiting to develop, the place is ok.? I replied drily.

?They're not really powers, they're more like gifts. There's a difference.? Kyle said, entering the kitchen. ?Some people end up with pretty useless 'powers', like being able to change the colour of their hair.?

?That sounds pretty cool.? I said. ?It'd save on hairdressing bills.?

?It's not cool if you can only change it to different shades of brown. Most people come here and hope they don't get a shitty gift, but there's no way of telling until it happens.? Kyle, who was making a coffee all that time, sat at the table with us. Neither me nor Sophia knew what to say, so we soon left.

***

The next few days were spent getting into the routine of things, and getting to know the rest of my corridor. I won't bore you with the details; I'll move on to my first interesting lesson. It was art, and I was trying to paint a dramatic picture. Kane, who happened to be in my group, was stood to my right and I think he was outdoing me in the dramatic stakes. He was one of those people who seemed to walk around not fully awake, being hit by life in little chunks as it came at him. But when he was given a canvas, a controversial subject or peanut butter then he seemed to come to life more, and it was like he would fall out his clothes from moving too much. His baggy jeans and hoodie didn't show it so much, but underneath there was a toned physique just waiting to dominate someone. That was one of the perks of sharing showers, albeit in our own cubicles; some people, like Kyle and Kane, didn't mind just heading down there in their towels. Just looking at him then was distracting me from my work. Looking at his, I had no idea what it was. Some kind of charcoal blur.

?Uhh.?

?It's a representation of how our society has let us down.? Kane sounded disgusted, though whether that was with me or society I couldn't tell.

?Oh.? I turned back to my own picture, which was supposed to be a firework, and raised my hand to paint. I wouldn't have mentioned that mundane fact, if it wasn't for the piercing pain that suddenly ran through my entire arm. ?Shit!?

?What's up?? Kane asked, moving in closer. I'd dropped my brush, which rolled to his feet. By the time he'd picked it up for me, the pain had gone and I was only left with the echo of it.

?I don't know. Probably cramp, or something.? I said, taking my brush back off him and testing my fingers. ?Thanks.?

?No problem.? Kane grunted, turning back to his painting. I carried on like normal, and didn't think much of it at the time. ?Hey.? When I looked, Kane was looking right at me, so I suppose he was talking to me. ?You going to that Life Lessons thing tomorrow? Sounds like a load of crap to me.?

?I heard it wasn't compulsory? Said the guy on my left, a tall guy whose name escaped me. ?If you don't want to learn more about our powers then don't go.?

?Shuttup Liam, you arse licker.? Kane growled.

?I got told they aren't powers, they're gifts.? I said, trying to keep the two guys from getting all testosteroney on me.

?Whoever told you that is quite silly.? Liam said (He looked more like a Quentin to me). ?Of course they're powers, that's what everyone else calls them. Even the teachers.? Granted, the Art teacher could turn invisible at will. He probably did that to put us at ease more, though it made no difference to me. ?The people who call them gifts are the ones with the useless powers. Like, I heard that there's one girl who can turn into a plant pot. I mean, how useless is that??

?Let's see what you say when it turns out you can turn into a poof... oh wait, I forgot...? Kane sneered from his painting. I gave him a level stare, and he had the grace to blush. ?Come off it Nathe, you don't have the whole limp wrist thing going on. Besides, I'm no hypocrite, damnit.?

?Getting on with our work are we?? Came Mr Levelle's voice from nowhere. He suddenly appeared behind me, a squat man with a walrus 'tache and a lab coat, though I'm pretty sure he isn't a science teacher on top of teaching art.

?It represents how society has let us down!? Kane announced automatically.

The lesson finished soon after, so me and Kane were free for the rest of the day.

?The best part about art is we don't have to wear a uniform! Sweet!? Kane said with a large grin on his face.

?We don't have to wear a uniform anyway? I told him, which had been a surprise for me considering the brochure had pretty much told us there was one. ?Hang on, have you even been to any of your lessons yet other than art??

Kane shrugged. ?Well, you know, I've...? He looked a little furtively around the corridor, then back to me as we began up the stairs. ?I've been a little off. Headaches and stuff. The nurse said it was a common sign of, you know, getting a new power. Gift. Whatever.?

?Really? I asked. ?So soon??

?Of course not, I just didn't want to get out of bed on a Monday morning for History. Or a Tuesday... I went to Philosophy though. Honest!?

I shook my head and walked in front of him. Kane caught up looking annoyed. ?Come on it's just a laugh. They only tell you the most boring stuff in the first lessons anyway.? By that time we were at the front door to corridor D; I'd barely opened the door when Wendy, poor exciteable Wendy, was fluttering from her door at me.

?You two! Come quickly!? She said, tottering to the kitchen. I gave Kane a confused look, one which he returned, before we followed her in. Wendy was sat at the table next to Andy; the rest of the kitchen was there as well, the attention on Andy. In front of him lay a number of wooden spoons, bowls and plates.

?What's going on?? I asked, sitting next to Corey.

?Andy's got his power!? Said Wendy.

?It's a gift.? Kyle said, looking much calmer than anyone else at the table. Andy seemed to be sweating profusely, in a miniature panic attack. ?Andy, you alright??

?Uh... yeah, I think so.? Andy replied, though his breathing suggested otherwise.

?What's your po-errrr, gift?? Asked Kane, earning a reproachful look from Kyle.

Andy didn't seem to be in a position to say anything, so Wendy filled in as his designated spokesperson. ?He can turn anything metal into wood.? She said. ?Look.? Holding a metal spoon, she thrust it into his hand. Quite quickly the whole thing turned a pale brown, and fell onto the table with a wooden shudder.

?Shit.? Kane breathed. ?It's like a fucked up Midas.?

The kitchen door swung open and in came an important looking guy with bristly ginger hair and a clipboard. ?Andrew Simley? The Head wants to see you.? Andy got to his feet with a vacant expression on his face and followed the guy out the room.

?He'll be fine.? Kyle assured the group. ?When you begin to develop, you have to see the Head to get your... gift... registered. Then he gives you a little pep talk and you're done. It's the only time you see him outside of the end of year assembly, most of the time. He keeps to himself.?

I looked over at the door where Andy had just left and wondered if he'd be ok... and when it was going to happen to me.

***

When I woke up the next morning, the sound of country music from Corey, classical music from Sophia and the smell of cigarettes (from Kane's open door probably) were enough to get me out of bed. I did have Literature at 9am, but it didn't mean I wanted waking up at 7 ? and it didn't explain why everyone else was up early either.

?Morning Nathe? Kane called from his desk as I opened my door. ?You slept through it, Andy came back about 2 hours ago.?

?Really? I yawned, running a hand through my hair. ?Wait, why was he gone so long??

?Says he had some thinking to do.? Kane said, flicking the butt of his cigarette at the bin. One thing I liked about Kane was the fact that he had great stubble, and wasn't afraid to grow it. It wasn't patchy like most people our age, it was even and it looked good on him. People with dark hair always pull it off better though. ?I suppose it's changed his life forever. He can't wear a watch anymore.?

?Leave him alone Kane!? Sophia barked from her room over the sound of a climax of violins.

I chose that moment to get some breakfast. I think the pair of them are so different, they kind of bounce off one another. With her stood scowling at her door in just her nightie, which sounds modest but is in fact as effective as clingfilm, and him in his oh-so tight boxer shorts, there was enough sexual tension to level a mountain.

So off I went into the kitchen, where I found Andy sat there looking at a wooden spoon. It was certainly a teaspoon once. ?Oh, hey Andy.? I said, trying to sound casual.

?Hi Nathan.? Andy sighed. ?Do you want me to make something else wooden??

?No, not really? I said without thinking. Shit. ?I mean, whatever you wanna do, yeah?? But Andy was laughing, so I think I gave him the right answer.

?Thank God, I thought I'd turn the whole kitchen wooden before Wendy got bored.?

?How did your thing with the Head go?? I asked, sitting with him at the table.

?It went alright. Strange guy, but he seemed nice enough.? Andy shrugged. ?He just writes stuff down in his book, tells you you aren't a freak and lets you go. I didn't get back until a short while ago though, I wanted to wait until everyone else was asleep. Of course, I forgot all about this stupid gift and turned the lock wooden. I really need to invest in a pair of gloves. I had to break the door down, and half the floor woke up. Then Wendy wanted a private session.?

?Oh right.? I said, not knowing what else to say. Making some kind of joke about morning wood was probably in poor taste. ?Erm... you going to this Life Lessons thing later then??

?I may as well.? Andy said. ?The Head said I'm not the first person to go to him already. He said that next week and the week after are the busiest ones for him, with everyone getting powers and all. Or gifts. Whatever. He said both.?

So, after a particularly uninteresting Literature lesson, I walked with Jennifer to The Great Hall, which was where the Life's Lessons... lesson... was being held. I was beginning to think the timetable tried to put people with at least one person they lived with in each subject, though I didn't mind all that much. Jennifer was a nice person anyway, with freckles and dark brown pigtails. She looked like she had the potential to go crazy and spray paint her ex boyfriend's car or scratch it with her keys or something, but if I kept on her good side I would be fine.

?Looks like all of the school's going to be in here.? Kane said as he followed us in.

?Only the First Years, surely? I said. ?Why would they have everyone do it all over again??

?Incompetent students. Or timetabling.? Kane shrugged.

?I don't think Oakswood falls victim to incompetence.? Jennifer said with a bemused frown. ?With so many gifted students they probably have to be a cut above the rest.?

We sat in the seats facing the stage, though we ended up behind some tall people so the view wasn't as good as it could have been. When nearly all the seats were filled, the lights dimmed spare the ones on the stage. It was like the opening of a play or something, and I had every intention of getting into it. But then I felt a spasm down my leg, just like the one in art.

?Calm down it's just the lights.? Said Kane, amused at my jumpiness.

?It was that cramp again? I began, but Kane wasn't listening. He was staring at the stage with his mouth slightly agape, and when I looked up from rubbing my leg I was equally gobsmacked. On the stage was stood a man of epic proportions, and it looked like he was dressed for a night out in a club rather than giving a lesson. A trendy cream shirt struggled to contain his bulging upper body. I was sure I could see his nipples through the thin fabric. The broad, heavy shoulders gave away to a waist which was probably as thin as mine, then a pair of skinny black trousers. The thing that got me ? and probably Kane ? was the obvious bulge down one side of the trousers.

The hall fell quiet quickly. The man smiled, one of those cocky ones, and opened his arms wide. The already stretched sleeves were forced even tighter, highlighting his big, round biceps. ?Welcome to Oakswood. You've been here for a few days now, and you're probably used to the idea of people having their own unique.... skills. You should also know by now that you have one of your own, which will manifest soon.? He had a deep voice, one which seemed to shudder through my chair, up to my head. I wasn't really listening to what he was saying, just to the sound of him speaking, so when he began walking off I was a little confused. Yeah, his voice seemed to do that to a guy. Maybe that was his power...

?I think these are IKEA chairs? Jennifer mused, in the lull between the man who hadn't actually introduced himself and whatever was happening next.

?What?? I began, but then the muscle-happy man was walking back onto the stage. He was carrying with him a small box, which he put on a chair on the stage.

?Let's say your power is in this box.? The guy said. ?And that coming to Oakswood has unlocked this box.? He flicked the lid open, and I expected a rabbit to jump out or something. ? Only, this kind of box can't be opened like I just did this one using my manly hands. There is a slight resistance as your body adjusts to this new part of you. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting, moodswings, growing pains, pins and needles or spasms, changes in diet, tiredness and, in rare cases, death.? If that was supposed to be a joke, it fell like a fat person off a diving board. Someone coughed, and the guy took the hint to carry on. ?These will last for a few months, until the box has been fully opened. You will still be able to develop your power some more, especially when your body is used to it.?

We sat there for what felt like ten minutes, looking at the box. There was something in what he'd just said which didn't sit right with me. Of course these things were going to happen; I hadn't learned anything new.

Wait. Spasms?

[jsmith2300]

Cool. I like this premise. Seems pretty promising. It is kinda like X-men in a way. That's a good thing --- I happen to love X-men!! Especially the X-teens. Hee!

Looking forward to more when you can!

--JSmith

[TemptationIV]

Liking this one so far! I like where it's going. I look forward to more!

[tagsnola]

... very different from most of the fare in this group. But it seems like an epic in the making. Looking forward to how this plays out.

[tagsnola]

... very different from most of the fare in this group. But it seems like an epic in the making. Looking forward to how this plays out.

[Wild]

Ahhh. Nathan Lane is the name of a famous actor.

[nj.]

I love your descriptions. Please carry on. Even if you don't have a plot, I'll just enjoy the writing...

[wolfotehmoon]

This is great I love the wittiness of it; like Jaypat's but... Can I say more British? Because it definitely feels more British. :P Looking forward to the next installment, and hoping that the story manages to go into the MG aspects without losing the interesting characterizations and overall style that I liked here. :3

[chocomus]

very interesting. I really want to know more about this story. I also like the characters and their personalities, especially the main char.

[philat99]

It reminds me of a prelude to X-Men or the like, and I like it very much. Looking forward to where you take it in forthcoming chapters.
Mike

[Mdlftr]

I like the semi-snarky narrator. Sort of like Harry Potter the juvenile delinquent, rather than Harry the goody two shoes.

Interesting to see where this goes!

Mdlftr