No Such Thing As Perfect

Kale

Calm thoughts. Think calm thoughts.

Kale inhaled a deep breath, tracing his fingers along the black scar that swirled from his palm to the tip of his left shoulder. Testing day had finally come. The sick feeling of dread twisted inside him. He wasn't ready. He needed more time. But how? He couldn't faint or accidentally ruin his uniform in the wash and be late to the test. He had already done both twice, and countless other tricks like it. Time was running out, and so were his ideas.

A light frown crossed his face as he eyed the open locker in front of him. Could he fit inside it? Manage to squeeze his broad shoulders and too-long legs into the narrow box? Hide there until the testing period was over? It would be a tight fit, but he might be able to bear it for an hour or two. Just long enough to miss the test and figure out a good excuse for why he didn't show up...again.

"Hey, Terrakemi!" Kale jerked his gaze to the man standing in the arch. His crisp white coat and trousers marked him as an overseer. A tablet rested in the crook of his elbow. "Get your jacket on already. Testing starts in five minutes."

He swallowed and nodded. The overseer stared at him, and Kale's shoulders tensed. Did he recognize him? He stood there a moment more, then turned heel and left the room. Kale blew out a shaky breath. Slowly he took the double-breasted woolen jacket from the locker rack, slipped one arm through the sleeve, then another, concealing the long scar. Numb fingers pushed the gold buttons into their holes. He straightened the hem and lifted his head a little so the jacket's high collar wouldn't cut into his chin. The rich red and gold embroidery shimmered against the dark fabric.

The soft thud of Kale's boots echoed through the long room as he walked to the arch. He was out of time, out of tricks. He had only two choices now — pass the test and move on to the next, or fail.

And everyone knew he was too good to fail.

=

Think calm thoughts. Calm thoughts. Calm. Thoughts.

The Hall was ghost-quiet as the students entered through the archway. Kale bit his lip and looked away when they passed by the judges' table. He could feel their eyes watching his every move. No matter that there were forty-nine other young people filing into the room with him. He felt singled out in the Hall as the one every judge recognized. They probably expected him to try something. Expected him to pretend to sprain his ankle or break his arm or lose his voice. He looked to the large windows that served as the Hall's light source. White light streamed through the glass panes, bouncing off the ivory walls. How hard would it be to run to a wall and jump from one of the windows? Surely he could survive the three-story drop. Three stories...a bit of a long fall...

Surely he could survive that.

Those are not calm thoughts, a voice giggled in his mind.

He turned his head and shot a cold look at the girl standing behind him. Her glowing coconut-brown hand jerked away from his shoulder, but a smug smile still curved the corners of her closed lips.

Don't do that again, Acacia, he warned, power shuddering through his veins as he linked with her mind. He closed his hand into a fist, concealing the bright green light shining from his palm and beneath his sleeve.

The smile deepened on the Corporokemi's face. Why? It's not a crime to read the thoughts of another person.

It should be. Kale wrinkled his nose and scowled as they took their seats on the long white bench. Everything was too white here, too clean, too untainted.