Sitting there in the dark, We're all equals

You can't tell who gets all A's in school

you can't tell who has the best clothes

You can't tell who cried seven times this week, because she didn't feel she was worth the time of day.

You can't tell who didn't have time to fix their makeup

sitting there in the dark, we're all equals

I could be pretty, or smart, or popular

The girl on my right could ...

"I think I am malfunctioning. "

My scientist turns in confusion. He did not see me walk in. "And what leads you to that conclusion?"

"I feel," I struggle to find the word. "wrong"

He laughs. "Well I didn't think you could 'feel' anything. "

He doesn't understand. For the first time, I can't find the words I'm looking for. "I feel, incomplete." HIs face turns to un unreadable expression.

"...

They'd abandoned her. The other children had banded together to leave, and they'd left her. She'd expected this from Ethan and Alyssa. Alyssa had twisted his mind

Stupid Alyssa. she'd ruined everything. There were supposed to be four. Edwin, their leader, the great scientist that he was had told her this Water, Earth, Fire, Wind. Why couldn't Alyssa just go along with what Edwin had always tol...

I have wandered ages. Endlessly telling the stories of those I see, Desperate to be a part of one of my own. Unable to stay anywhere, cast out as soon as the story is ended. I am no one.

Until now. I'm done. I'm so done. Done with being passive, and slipping away. Done with being a shadow, merely observing, and never having a place of my own. I'm just the listener. When they don't have a story...

I don't get picked first

even though I'm fast and smart

But that doesn't matter to team captains

because choosing teams is an art

You don't pick kids if they're nobodies

Which of course puts me last in line

But when they start calling names,

I can't help but wish for mine

But alas, It's not to be

My turn isn't bound to come

Until they get down to the end

And I'm the only one.

...

It had been years since he'd seen her. After the two Stetrin siblings had had their quarrel, they'd gone their separate ways, vowing never to meet again. But now Adam was ready to find his sister.

Kallie had been furious, and had vanished into thin air. Adam knew this was not going to be easy, her magic had always been stronger than his. If she didn't want him to find her, it was going to be ne...

The mission was easy. Get in, get out. At least it should have been. For Amelia this was a death sentence. She knew she wasn't as good as her class at the institute. Any other girl would have been out already. Instead, Amelia was left sitting at a table scanning for the contact she was supposed to meet.

"Delilah?"

Amelia whirled around, a bit too fast she criticized herself. This was her fake...