The Permutation

Results (Part 4) Jordan

Monday 11 a.m. October 3rd

Wouldn't it be nice if sharing water was all it took to fit in? Of all the books she could've grabbed at random in her dad's collection, Jordan was in awe that she'd chosen the one that directly matched her own situation. It was about a human raised on Mars, raised in a completely different culture, and then thrust back onto Earth where he is different than anyone else even though he is a human just like them. In Martian culture, sharing water was enough to become brothers or sisters with another person, and religion included every living organism not random factions. She wished everyone had read this book, or at least everyone in this town. She smirked to herself, because she knew that somehow her dad left this book just for her. Even when he is gone, he is still there for me.

"Jordan Bryant, we're waiting," Ms. Essex said in an exasperated tone.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Essex could you repeat the question?" Jordan asked, even though she wasn't actually sorry.

"If you'd been paying attention instead of reading, maybe you would know the answer," she said curtly.

"Maybe you're right, and maybe I've decided that paying attention doesn't really do me any good. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, you still are going to treat me like a problem. I may as well enjoy myself," Jordan said in a polite tone of voice.

Ms. Essex smiled. The skin of her face seemed strained as if the act of smiling had pulled her face into a new and foreign position. Her thin-pointed features threatened to break through the skin her features were so pinched. It was really quite hideous. Ms. Essex knew she had won, and Jordan had let her.

"I don't know how they do things where you're from dear the way she said dear managed to feel like an insult, but around here we do not treat our teachers with such disrespect. I'm afraid I have no choice but to send you to the office." she said.

For some reason, Jordan didn't realize the punishment would go to this extreme. She'd always thought of herself as a good kid. Was this place changing her into what everyone else already thought she was? A problem. She sat there not sure what she should even bring to the principal's office. Would she need her bag and book or could she leave it here? She didn't even know if she was coming back.

"Did something I said confuse you Ms. Bryant?"

"N.... N.... No Ma'am," Jordan stuttered all fight out of her system.

She hurriedly stuffed all of her things into her bag and strode out of the room with all the dignity that she could muster. When the door closed behind her, the floodgates let loose. A mixture of sad, frustrated, and angry tears rushed unbidden down Jordan's cheeks. I wouldn't be water brothers with her if she were the last person on Earth or Mars! The lights above Jordan's head started flickering as if her sudden anger had startled them awake, and they were blinking the sleep from their eyes.

Jordan looked over her shoulder to see if anyone else was in the hallways to see what was happening. Meanwhile, the blinking of the lights increased in intensity. She couldn't tell, but each time they turned back on they appeared more dim than they had the time before as if their life force was being drained. That's when she felt it; the same feeling she had felt in the car. It was almost as if the air around her was charged with the force of her emotions. With each passing second, the ambient energy seemed to thicken, and she instinctively knew that is not something that she wanted to happen. How did I get rid of it in the car? An image of a melted door handle flashed in her mind. She had an idea.

In the remaining light, Jordan surveyed her surroundings looking for something she could use. Whatever was in the air was wild and wanted to run free, all she needed to do was give it somewhere to go. Her knowledge of electricity was next to zero, but she felt like brick could probably take a beating. With eyes clenched shut, Jordan extended her palm and placed it on the brick wall.