Kids With Extraordinary Abilities (Preview)

Michael Namikawa never understood the girl and her teddy bear during recess. He and the other first and second graders were already playing outside when the kindergarteners piled out of the gym doors, running and skipping to the extra spots on the swing sets or to the slides. But that one girl, the only one who dragged her feet across the pavement as if recess was the worst thing in the world, would stand in between the tetherball and basketball courts and cling to her teddy. He noticed the way her fingernails dug into its gray fur, squishing its fat higher up the body. Her legs were locked in together, with her feet pointed toward each other, and she rested her chin on top of the teddy’s eyeless head. But while she held onto it, not once had she looked at it. Her sad green eyes were always focused on the ground.

Michael studied her curiously, for this had gone on for a week now, since the first day of school. Why didn’t she have any friends? Why wasn’t she playing? “Hey, boss!” He turned when his nickname was called and caught the dodge ball chucked at him. He scowled and whipped it back at his longtime best friend, Jake Rhodes.

“Nice catch!” His other best friend, Forest McGee, chirped, bouncing over to the boys from the slides.

“Where’ve you been, Booger?” Jake snapped, chucking the ball at him, his fierce blue eyes scrutinizing the boy.

“Lay off, Snake,” said Michael, smacking the back of his blonde head. “He probably got in trouble with the ‘thorities again.”

Forest pushed his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose and sniffed. “When I sneezed, I accidentally made a flower grow. ‘Cause it was an accident, they let me off the hook again.” He narrowed his eyes at Jake. “And stop calling me Booger!”

Jake laughed and threw the ball at him. “How ‘bout Snot then? You always got somethin’ hanging from that nose. Right, Boss? Boss? Whatcha lookin’ at?”

Michael tore his eyes away from the girl and looked at his friends. “Oh, uh, her.” He pointed at the brunette with her bear. “She’s always alone. We should ask her to play.”

“Wonder what her power is,” said Jake. “Think she can do fire like me?”

“Or control plants like me?” Forest chimed in.

Michael bit his lip and started toward her. “Hey-!” he began, but was immediately cut off by a siren wailing in the corner of the yard.

All thirty of the children looked up, spotting a dark figure climbing the chain link fence. “Hey!” “What’s he doin’?” “Don’t he know ‘bout the rules?” “He’s gonna get in ta trouble!” The students ran toward the scene, kicking up a large dust cloud as their feet scraped against the dirt.

“C’mon, Boss!” Jake cried, running after the crowd with Forest.

Michael looked once more at the girl, who made no move to check out the scene, before running after his classmates. He came to a stop before the mob of children, pushing his way through the throng of bodies and spotting three men in white scrubs shouting up at the boy to coax him down.

The kid looked considerably older than him, like one of the high schoolers. His face was caked with dirt, sweat, and determination as he climbed higher and higher. “Get down right now, Michael!” one of the orderlies yelled.

Michael’s heart jumped. The kid had the same name as him!

“I’m outta this hellhole!” he yelled back. Michael watched in awe as he slung a leg over the top. He was now on the other side of the fence. The second grader made a point to remember everything about this kid- shaggy dishwater blonde hair, tall, skinny with long arms. He was wearing the high school uniform: white button-down shirt, slacks, and a red tie.

One of the orderlies held up a walkie talkie and pressed a button. “We have a Code Nine.”

When the older Michael dropped to the ground, he flipped his middle finger to the crowd and began running. At this, the children smashed themselves against the fence, bringing younger Michael with them. The highschooler made it about thirty yards, cheered on by the kids.

Michael, with his heart pounding, cried out, “Go! Go, Michael! G-!” Before he could say anymore, there was a tremendous Boom! and Michael was enveloped in flames. Everyone screamed in horror, backing away from the fence.

The seven year-old, with his dirty hands still clung to the chain-link fence, widened his eyes and dropped his mouth. The brightness of the fire burned into his irises, and once it went away and he rubbed his eyes, there was nothing left of the rebellious student.

“Everyone back to your games!” a feminine voice rang from behind him.

Michael turned to see the kindergarten teacher, Ms. Vern, waving the kids to the playground. She locked eyes with Michael and smiled, coming over to him. Only until she came within a few feet of him did he realize he’d been shaking. She knelt to his level and cocked her head at him. “Michael Namikawa, I remember you! Did that scare you?” She nodded past him, to the spot where the high schooler was killed.

Against his will, tears spilled down his cheeks. He shook his head, despite the pounding of his heart and the sickness in his stomach. “That’s what happens to naughty children, Mister Namikawa,” she said. “But, then, I don’t need to tell you that. You’ve always been a good boy!” She patted him on the head and stood up. After she left, Michael collapsed to his knees and discarded his lunch onto the ground.

“Aughh,” Jake groaned, bending down to clasp a hand on his friend’s back. “You okay, Boss?”

“Wh-why would they do that?” Forest croaked, looking again to the fields outside of the fence. “Couldn’t they just’ve gone out there and got him?”

Michael stood up and wiped his mouth. “Let’s go back before one of the ‘thorities sees me sick and takes me to the ‘firmary. Race ya!” He ran off, ignoring the cries of protests from his friends. But all he really wanted to ignore was the memory of Michael the high schooler vaporizing in the flames.