ROGER The other kids at school noticed we were different too, though they couldn't have said exactly how. We were faster in gym class, stronger than we should be. Once, in fourth grade, Tommy Henderson tried to bully Ava, pushing her down on the playground. I'd been on the other side of the school, but I felt her fear and anger like it was my own. I was there in seconds, moving faster than I'd ever moved before, and when I grabbed Tommy's arm to pull him away, he yelped in pain. "Freak!" he'd shouted, cradling his arm. "You're both freaks!" The teacher on duty had separated us, but she'd looked at me strangely, like she was seeing something she didn't want to acknowledge. After that, the other kids gave us a wide berth. We didn't mind. We had each other, and that was all that mattered. Our parents noticed too. I'd catch my mom watching me with this mixture of pride and sadness, like she was mourning something that hadn't happened yet. Ava's parents were the same. Sometimes, w
Last Updated : 2025-12-08
