"Anyway, back to the individuals we came here to celebrate can Talia Grimlock, Emilia Hardish, Scott Stallwick, Amber Emmerson, Kenneth Calbell, and Eddie Ultman join us on the stage please." The Presenter called for individuals receiving the Scholarships to join them on the auditorium stage.
"Hey, why did they call your name first?" I angrily ask Talia giving her a nudge with my elbow.
"I guess I just shine brighter." She says as she begins to float from her seat through the air towards the stage beams of light radiating from her hands.
"Yeah yeah whatever..." I say speedily running to the stage meeting her there as she lands. The rest called all used their powers to get to the stage as well. Scott a young man with long blonde hair and a tall and lanky build also quickly appeared on the stage next to me.
"Emi I see you're still a crazy try-hard." He says while speedily changing his facial expression so no one notices him sticking his tongue out at me.
"And I see you're still super slow Scotty boy." I reply quickly flipping him the bird so no one would notice. No one but the other speedsters in the room and Talia we've trained so long and hard together she can pick up when a speedster so much twitches.
"I thought you speedsters were supposed to be so rare that you were drawn to each other?" Talia teases while giggling to herself. Although she was partially correct speedsters have this undeniable draw and connection to each other that when they finally meet it is like two lightening rabbits in a tiny enclosure. Me and Scott had our spark sophomore year before I knew he was a lying dick. I caught him visiting his then-girlfriend on the other side of town he'd visit super quick whenever not with me and that's where the connection dies it's not like permanent imprinting like certain powers can. Kenneth who normally is invisible for the sake of himself reappears on stage near us shyly watching his shows.
"Hey, d-d-dork were you up here that whole time?" Scott crudely asks super speedily poking him in his arm causing him to swat at air. I quickly stomp Scott's toes bringing his heckling to an end.
"Ow, you're such a fucking buzzkill." Scott says now trying to feel the toes I'm sure I flattened.
"Get bent Scott. Hey Kenneth it's nice to see you." Talia adds shining the brightest smile at Kenneth whose face flushes beet red from the public attention.
"h-Hey Tals... Sup Emi... Go f-f-f-Get bent Scott." Kenneth manages to get out after tripping over his stutter he was a pretty cool guy and his power intrigued a lot of people it wasn't invisibility Kenneth's power was light manipulation he could bend it around him and refract it and the dean of GU thought he could do so much more.
"Hey, Ken glad to see you didn't immediately disappear after reappearing buddy." I say with a big thumbs up. It was promptly ignored so he could stare lovingly into my cousin's eyes. They've had a "secret" relationship since freshman year Kenneth's hate of PDA and constant need to be unseen luckily enough suited Talia's need to seem single seeing as any guy who tried to date the great Talia Grimlock would be unceremoniously and expeditiously incinerated on the spot by the might of the sun itself.
Her father had a strict no boys, girls, or distractions policy since her powers manifested at a young age she was considered a prodigy and had the full focus of the great Solar Flare & Cosmic Lightning, or Mom and Dad as she calls them. It wasn't only that though Ken and Tal both had a Power Imprinting moment. Power Imprinting is when two people's bodies react to each other's powers entangling them mentally and elevating the understanding of their abilities to new heights. At first, Kenneth thought all he could do was become invisible but when he met Talia he immediately was moved out of the stealth courses and into the Illuminated courses with light-based powers. Coming to the stage next was a long violet-haired girl who slowly made her way to the steps and across the stage toward us.
"Could you move any fucking slower Emmerson!?" Scott chides grumpily still looking as if his toes were sore. I quickly push him a few steps away from me making room for Amber to take his spot.
"How are you feeling my violet blur?" I ask taking one of Amber's hands in mine causing her sleeve to drop revealing bandaging down her arm.
"Not too well my late queen. I couldn't stop on a run today and took the brunt of it with my arms." She shows me her other arm also bandaged and a pang of sadness runs through me. Amber Emmerson was fast and I mean if my pride would let me admit anything she could have been faster than me, but her body for some reason could barely handle her speed without outside intervention. Her suit was top-of-the-line living armor built for speedsters it formed fit and sprung to life wrapping itself around you but even with it, her body couldn't withstand the rebound of her powers or the effects of physics.
"I just can't wait to get this over with so I'll never have to run again." She admits which causes another sting of pain to pierce my chest that I failed to hide on my face causing her to give me a quick peck on my cheek.
"None of that this is a happy day a celebration." She takes my hand tightly in hers before giving me a soft smile and turning back to face our peers. The five of us now stood waiting for the sixth candidate to arrive.
"Eddie Ultman? Is there an Eddie Ultman here today?" The presenter asks looking to the principal who panickedly began to sweat. A few moments of children murmuring to each other were interrupted by the ceiling beginning to shake and vibrate. A hole rips open above us sending cries of confusion through the crowd as a young man drops from it.
"Sorry, sorry! Everyone I fucking had to use the three-D printer before I left campus..." The semi-stoned young adult says holding only what could be described as an ornate and elaborate pipe.
"Eddie put it back... Now!" The Principle yells from across the stage pointing at the hole in the ceiling. The very fried Eddie looks at the hole above him and back to his principal confusedly before balling his hand into a fist causing the ceiling to shake and vibrate again and the hole to close.
"There it's back dude chill..." Eddie says with a sassy spin on the spot to join us in line one stage.
"Nice fucking pipe Ed." I say offering a fist to bump.
"You fucking know it Emi!" He says bumping my fist with his before taking his spot next to Scott who high-fives him and admires the pipe.
"Alright... now that all the candidates are here could I please get around of applause for... the future of Gifted University!" The presenter exhaustedly declared stepping down from the podium. The children go wild with praise and applause all hoping to one day stand where we were.
"Just imagine after today you guys get to use our powers like the adults." Amber whispers to me with genuine excitement in every word.
"I mean that's cool but after today we are gonna start training to be Heros!" I whisper back allowing the applause to wash over me and the excitement grow.