The Fifth Element

Chapter 2

"Hello. My name is Ms. Aria. Now I understand that all of you here are seniors and would rather not be bothered with calculus when there are so many other things happening to your bodies and minds right now...and I don't just mean hormones...but in order to keep Lancaster Academy under the radar, we're going to have to have a few 'mock' classes just in case," the teacher, a tall woman wearing a fitted navy suit announced as she slowly strode down the front of the classroom. She sighed and pursed her crimson, lipstick coated lips before turning around to face a smartboard.

"Under the radar?" I mouthed silently to Lex, who bit her lip and pretended to not see that I was talking to her. I was seriously lost here...

The teacher uncapped a marker and scrawled the beggining of an immensly complicated equation. They had some pretty advanced technology here, I'd give them that. Suddenly, a redheaded, freckled kid shot his hand straight up in the air.

"Calm down Einstein, she hasn't even finished writing," I thought.

"Yes Sam," the teacher called without even turning around.

"28,956.76009," Sam drawled, not skipping a beat. He smiled smugly.

My mouth must have dropped to the floor. Holy shnikies! How the heck did he answer the question before she even got halfway through wrting it?!

"Showoff..." A lanky, mohawked, Hispanic guy muttered.

"Quiet, Santiago," the teacher told him. "But he's right, Sam. Not everyone can do what you do. Quit showing off." Sam blushed and Santiago shrugged in response, his arms stretching unnaturally toward his back pocket as he pulled out a stick of gum. I squeezed the bridge of my nose and shut my eyes. Okay, who drugged my coffee this morning? None of these things I was seeing were real, right?

The drama died down and after about thirty minutes, the bell rang. "All of you will head over to the gym next period," Ms. Aria reminded the class as they filed out. "Take a right and go straight down the hallway. You can't miss it."

"C'mon, Sky!" Lex commanded, pulling me with her out of the classroom. She skipped happily for a few paces and I walked next to her, readjusting my backpack strap before my eyes wandered toward a sign that read 'Gym'.

I grabbed Lex's arm. "Looks like we found the right place," I stated, pointing to the sign.

"Well letsh gooo," Lex mumbled with her mouth full.

"When did you even start eating those?" I questioned with a grin. Lex smiled and handed me the bag of mint Oreos. I scarfed one down and handed her back the bag, tilting my head toward the gym to get Lex to follow me there.

I pushed aside the double doors and Lex and I joined the other students who were crowded around a huge platform in the center of the gym, where a pot-bellied man held a clipboard in his right hand.

"So glad you could finally join us, girls," the coach said with a frown. Just be glad I didn't make you two drop and give me twenty since it's the first day of school."

Oops. Guess we were late...

"Today, we will be practicing on honing your powers, making sure you can control them..." he continued.

Uhh....powers? What in the world was this guy talking about?

A short and petite Chinese girl who had her hair in a bob cut, raised her boney hand in the air. The coach nodded in her direction.

"Coach Harris, what if we can't show our powers?" she inquired, her eyebrows knitted in concern.

The coach chuckled. "Don't worry, Ms. Tang," he replied. "We got modified earphones just for that purpose."