Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

1 - DECISIONS
    “ W hat kind of secret superpower would you want, Julia?”
    Startled out of my usual daydream I shifted my focus to Katie’s chestnut-colored eyes, concerned about her choice of subject.
    “Why?” I asked, trying to act natural.
    “You know that TV show about heroes with superpowers? I’ve been thinking about how cool it’d be to have one,” she answered innocently.
    “Oh,” I said, relieved she didn’t mean anything by her question. My brain froze though, unable to find a legitimate power. “Flying, I guess.”
    “That’s so cliché,” she said with a raised pierced eyebrow. “Everybody wants that. Pick something more obscure.”
    I wanted to laugh at her for using such big words and tell her to mind her own business, but didn’t want to look obvious. Super powers weren’t all that glamorous like they portrayed on TV; they always came with a price.
    “Ummm . . .”
    I scanned the table looking for help when I sensed Cameron’s confidence. He should’ve been offended that Katie interrupted his riveting discussion about Calculus, but he had something he was dying to tell us though the expression on his fair, freckle covered face didn’t show it.
    “I don’t know. What about you, Cam?” I asked hoping to deflect the question.
    “That’s easy; shape shifting ability.” His blue eyes twinkled beneath his mop of wild red hair.
    A question like that wouldn’t have bothered me, if I were normal. But I did have a secret power, or gift as people might call it and I wanted to keep it that way—a secret.
    “Shape shifting?” Dena asked. “What’s that?”
    Cameron straightened his shoulders and amusement played across his face because the conversation shifted back to his in-depth knowledge.
    “To turn into anything I wanted. An animal, another person, an inanimate object, whatever suits me.”
    “That’s cheating. You can only shape shift into one thing,” Katie said, feeling annoyed but kept an aloof disposition.
    I smiled. Cameron wasn’t playing the game by her rules.
    “Hey, it’s my power, I wield it as I see fit.”
    Katie made a face before moving to her next victim, Dena, who now had an air of confidence as well.
    The first time I was aware I was different was the last time I saw my mother. We were happy, together, laughing and holding hands when I was suddenly consumed with fear and pain no five-year-old should have to experience. The feelings seared into my conscience forever. I’ve never been sure if I’d always had this sixth sense of reading other’s emotions, or if somehow the ill-fated event of my mother’s disappearance caused the change, but I’ve been aware of it ever since.
    To look at me, you’d never know. I’m just an average teenager with a slight build, dishwater-blonde hair and hazel eyes trying my hardest to blend in. People say I’m shy, which is fine. I’d rather have that label than “freak” any day. I do seem to wander off topic in conversations, frequently appearing ADD, but that’s because it’s become increasingly difficult to concentrate among my overly hormonal peers. And today was no exception; Katie’s boredom screamed so loudly, I shouldn’t be able to concentrate. Luckily, I’ve learned how to ignore her.
    At the moment, I sat at our usual table in the quad on a chilly fall day with Samantha, Dena, Morgan, Cameron, and Katie waiting for fifth period to start. We’d been friends since elementary school and met for lunch almost every day.
    Cameron had been rambling about Ms. Smith’s lecture in Calculus, a class none of us are in, before Katie so rudely changed the subject. Even though he bored everyone, I appreciated his enthusiasm for math. He just didn’t realize we didn’t share the same affinity for the subject, which wasn’t his fault. Gifted with smarts, he lacked social graces. I was willing to overlook that flaw, because he was a genuinely nice guy with a huge heart.
    “Seriously, Dena? Only you would pick a super power that would help people,” Katie said in contempt.
    Katie’s comment snapped me back into the conversation. Mentally, I’d drifted away again. Knowing Dena, I’m sure she picked something to save the world.
    “Well isn’t that the point? To use it for good?” Dena said, furrowing her brow. “What’s wrong with wanting to heal people?”
    “I think it’s a very good super power. I wish I’d have thought of it,” Samantha chimed in.
    “I agree,” I said.
    “Of course you can