Andre sat at the far end of his classroom, his desk shoved against the corner like an afterthought. The chatter of students filled the air, a cacophony of voices boasting about their latest feats - feats Andre considered horrendous. Whether it was hardening the body into steel to bath in an acid solution gurgled by a friend, or producing wind blasts from the tip of the hand. He couldn't imagine doing such acts as his body would be pulverized in a flash.
Andre kept his head down, doodling on the edge of his notebook, hoping he wouldn't be noticed.
"Did you hear about Layla?" one boy exclaimed. "She stopped a whole train yesterday with just one hand!"
"Woah? Big deal," another shot back. "I finally found a way to compress my fiery whirlpool, it can slice through anything." A smug smile on his face reflected his pride and excitement.
Andre sighed. It was always the same. Stories of strength, speed, and brilliance; abilities he could never dream of having. In a school where every student had a superpower, Andre was the anomaly and most definitely not in a good way, the powerless boy among prodigies.
***
It was not always this bad. When Andre first enrolled in Power Crest Academy, he thought his ability would emerge sooner or later. His parents had reassured him over and again that it was just a matter of time.
"Everyone in the family has a gift," his mother had said. "Yours will show when the moment is right."
But by the time he had turned sixteen over a year ago, it was clear that no moment was coming. While his classmates honed their powers - powers most of them had had since age 13 - Andre struggled to even keep up with his schoolwork. It wasn't just about having no abilities; the entire curriculum revolved around them. Classes like "Advanced Kinetics" and "Elemental Mastery" were incomprehensible to someone who couldn't so much as make a pencil float.
Andre became the butt of every joke, a walking punchline.
"Hey, Andre!" someone called as he walked timidly down the hallway. "Need me to levitate your books for you? Oh, wait - you wouldn't understand how that works."
Others weren't so subtle. They'd trip him in the halls, blast him with harmless but humiliating bursts of energy, or simply shove him aside like he didn't matter. Worst of all were the bullies who would beat him and humiliate him every chance they got. He always tried moving so he wouldn't be noticed, but his weakness smelled, it seemed, and the power-intoxicated teens seemed to pick the scent of his weakness. His height didn't help to obscure him either; a tall, frail lanky boy was easily spotted.
That day wasn't much different.
Andre walked into gym class, where students were supposed to demonstrate their abilities in mock combat. The coach Mr Burke, a burly man known to be able to grow thrice his size, barked instructions in his gruff voice. "Pair up! Today's focus is defensive maneuvers. Show me how you dodge and counter in combat!"
Andre stood awkwardly at the edge of the group, hoping no one would notice him.
"Looks like it's you and me, Andre," sneered Marcus, a tall, broad-shouldered boy whose power was launching concussive blasts from his hands. Marcus was the worst of the bullies, and he seemed to take particular pleasure in tormenting Andre.
"Coach," Andre started, "I... I don't think this is a good idea..."
"Begin!" the coach yelled, ignoring him.
Marcus grinned. "Let's see how you dodge this, Zero." With a flick of his wrist, he sent a shockwave barreling toward Andre.
Instinct took over, and Andre dove to the side, barely avoiding the attack. The students watching laughed, some clapping in mock applause.
"Not bad for someone with no powers," Marcus taunted. "Let's try again."
Another blast came, faster this time. Andre stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet and landing hard on the mat. Marcus loomed over him, his hands glowing with energy.
"Come on, Zero. Fight back!" Marcus jeered.
"I can't!" Andre snapped, his voice cracking. The humiliation burned inside him as the laughter of his classmates echoed in his ears.
"Enough!" the coach bellowed. "Marcus, stand down." He shook his head, muttering something about 'wasting time' as he walked away.
Andre stayed on the ground, his fists clenched, fighting back tears. He hated this; hated being the one everyone pitied, the one who couldn't fight back.
***
After school, Andre sat on the swings in the small park near his house, kicking at the dirt. The laughter and taunts from the day replayed in his mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.
"Why me?" he whispered to no one. "Why couldn't I just be normal?"
He thought about his parents, who had always tried to be supportive. But even they had started looking at him differently, their smiles strained, he could see pity in their expressions which they tried to mask. His father had taught him martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, saying, "If you don't have powers, you need to learn to defend yourself."
He had since made it a part of his routine to train everyday in his backyard, for the past year before making a spot in the forest beyond the creek his new favorite for the past few months for solitude, getting a good grasp of different moves but Andre knew it wasn't the same. In a world of superhumans, physical skills weren't enough.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Andre heard footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Tyler, one of the few classmates who didn't treat him like an outcast. He had the wind ability, though his level was low but he did quite well and never flaunted it.
"Hey," He said softly, sitting on the swing beside him.
"Hey," Andre mumbled, trying to force a smile.
"I saw what happened in the gym," Tyler said. "Marcus is a jerk."
"Tell me something I don't know," Andre muttered, his face fell.
Tyler hesitated before speaking again. "You know, not having powers doesn't make you less than them."
Andre snorted. "Easy for you to say. You have something. I have nothing. Do you see the difference? I'm just... weak."
"That's not true," Tyler insisted. "You're still here, aren't you? After everything they've put you through, you're still standing. That takes strength and resilience."
Andre didn't respond. He appreciated his words, but they felt hollow. How could he understand what it was like to be completely powerless in a world that valued nothing else?
After a long silence, Tyler stood. "You're not weak, Andre. You just haven't figured out your strength yet. Catch you later, I have to go meet my brother" He gave him a small smile before walking away, leaving Andre alone with his thoughts.
***
That night, as Andre lay in bed, he replayed Tyler's words in his mind. 'You're still standing. That takes strength.'
Maybe he was right. Maybe strength wasn't just about powers. He thought about all the times he'd endured the bullying, the mockery, the isolation. He'd wanted to quit, to give up, but he never had. There was something inside him, something that refused to let him break.