trust
him.”
“Really?” she said. “I think he was great! He
didn't even know us and he gave us a place to stay. He was so
friendly and has the greatest smile!”
“Smile?” said Han.
“I think it's a girl thing,” said Guido.
“Okay, so you trust him?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said, “What’s not to trust?”
“That’s what I think,” I said. Then I
whispered in Guido’s ear, “But I think Tracy likes Abe.”
“Hey, what are you guys whispering about?”
she said. But before we could say anything there was another knock
at the door. Guido opened it.
A skinny boy with long dark hair said, “Seven
o’clock. It's time for our morning run.”
“Run?” Tracy said.
“We do it every morning,” he said. “It keeps
us in shape. By the way, you won’t need that sweatshirt.”
“Okay!” I took it off and we followed.
Chapter 11: Our first day
He led us outside where a large group of kids
were gathered in front of the school. The sun was just rising over
the ocean but it was already very warm. Kids were warming up,
stretching, doing jumping jacks and push-ups on the beach. When we
got there, Abe stood up from a deep stretch. “Let’s begin!” he said
and started to jog along the flat terrain. We followed.
“It’s hot out here,” said Han who ran next to
me, a little out of breath. “The tropics.”
It certainly was. We got to see a bit more of
the island having run around much of it. A lot of the shore was
rocky and covered by white lichen. In some spots there were sandy
beaches, and I felt it would be nice to be in the water there. As I
looked to my left, I saw an area much like a park with short,
scraggly grass.
After perhaps 20 minutes, we came upon a
small harbor for ships. Most of these looked small, like private
boats, but as we passed I saw two men loading guns onto one of
them.
We ran in a long loop for perhaps half an
hour and if it had not been for our training, I’m sure I would have
not been able to keep up. The heat became unbearable as we jogged a
couple more miles before returning back to the main brick building.
For some reason, the heat made the run seem harder.
Fortunately, it was much cooler inside. We
showered and got ready for breakfast which was eaten in a large,
well-lit dining room. Besides the fluorescent lights, windows were
lined up on one side, bringing in sunshine and a view of a long
grassy slope. At breakfast we had oatmeal and fruit, very
healthy.
We huddled together but didn’t talk much when
we ate. All of us were still tired from our run. Tracy, usually the
talkative one, just picked at her food silently. When we had
finished we didn't know what was next, so we watched those around
us hoping for some clue. When we saw others cleaning up, we did the
same. Afterwards we noticed that students went in one of two
directions: some left the room on the north side and some on the
south side. We didn't know what to make of this.
“I don't get it,” Guido said. “Is it a
boy-girl thing?”
“No,” said Tracy, “See, there are girls going
both ways.”
“Well then what do we do?” said Guido
again.
“Confused?” said a friendly voice. It was
Abe. “I'm sure you are. A decision will need to be made at this
juncture. On the north are the Mixed Arts kids. In the south are
Focused Arts. Each of these has advantages, but you cannot be in
both, so choose carefully.”
“What’s the difference?” asked Tracy.
Abe gave her a bright smile. “Focused means
you focus on your specific ability. There, you will learn proven
techniques that will greatly enhance the use of your power.”
“The Mixed Arts kids are a sharing group. If
you go with them you will lose some of your own ability, but you
will also gain parts of other people's abilities. It is a
phenomenal thing!”
“I didn't even know that was possible!” I
said.
He smiled. “We have learned some things here
that I don't think have been discovered anywhere else,” he said.
“Stick
him.”
“Really?” she said. “I think he was great! He
didn't even know us and he gave us a place to stay. He was so
friendly and has the greatest smile!”
“Smile?” said Han.
“I think it's a girl thing,” said Guido.
“Okay, so you trust him?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said, “What’s not to trust?”
“That’s what I think,” I said. Then I
whispered in Guido’s ear, “But I think Tracy likes Abe.”
“Hey, what are you guys whispering about?”
she said. But before we could say anything there was another knock
at the door. Guido opened it.
A skinny boy with long dark hair said, “Seven
o’clock. It's time for our morning run.”
“Run?” Tracy said.
“We do it every morning,” he said. “It keeps
us in shape. By the way, you won’t need that sweatshirt.”
“Okay!” I took it off and we followed.
Chapter 11: Our first day
He led us outside where a large group of kids
were gathered in front of the school. The sun was just rising over
the ocean but it was already very warm. Kids were warming up,
stretching, doing jumping jacks and push-ups on the beach. When we
got there, Abe stood up from a deep stretch. “Let’s begin!” he said
and started to jog along the flat terrain. We followed.
“It’s hot out here,” said Han who ran next to
me, a little out of breath. “The tropics.”
It certainly was. We got to see a bit more of
the island having run around much of it. A lot of the shore was
rocky and covered by white lichen. In some spots there were sandy
beaches, and I felt it would be nice to be in the water there. As I
looked to my left, I saw an area much like a park with short,
scraggly grass.
After perhaps 20 minutes, we came upon a
small harbor for ships. Most of these looked small, like private
boats, but as we passed I saw two men loading guns onto one of
them.
We ran in a long loop for perhaps half an
hour and if it had not been for our training, I’m sure I would have
not been able to keep up. The heat became unbearable as we jogged a
couple more miles before returning back to the main brick building.
For some reason, the heat made the run seem harder.
Fortunately, it was much cooler inside. We
showered and got ready for breakfast which was eaten in a large,
well-lit dining room. Besides the fluorescent lights, windows were
lined up on one side, bringing in sunshine and a view of a long
grassy slope. At breakfast we had oatmeal and fruit, very
healthy.
We huddled together but didn’t talk much when
we ate. All of us were still tired from our run. Tracy, usually the
talkative one, just picked at her food silently. When we had
finished we didn't know what was next, so we watched those around
us hoping for some clue. When we saw others cleaning up, we did the
same. Afterwards we noticed that students went in one of two
directions: some left the room on the north side and some on the
south side. We didn't know what to make of this.
“I don't get it,” Guido said. “Is it a
boy-girl thing?”
“No,” said Tracy, “See, there are girls going
both ways.”
“Well then what do we do?” said Guido
again.
“Confused?” said a friendly voice. It was
Abe. “I'm sure you are. A decision will need to be made at this
juncture. On the north are the Mixed Arts kids. In the south are
Focused Arts. Each of these has advantages, but you cannot be in
both, so choose carefully.”
“What’s the difference?” asked Tracy.
Abe gave her a bright smile. “Focused means
you focus on your specific ability. There, you will learn proven
techniques that will greatly enhance the use of your power.”
“The Mixed Arts kids are a sharing group. If
you go with them you will lose some of your own ability, but you
will also gain parts of other people's abilities. It is a
phenomenal thing!”
“I didn't even know that was possible!” I
said.
He smiled. “We have learned some things here
that I don't think have been discovered anywhere else,” he said.
“Stick
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