"Lindy!" said Contri from behind me. "You weren't supposed to fight each other."

Dakota looked up at me. "Oops. Could you untie me, then? You wouldn't get in trouble. I'd never tell."

I tapped my foot, debating what to say. How do I word it perfectly... "Hmm. I think I might."

He sighed. "These elastics are kind of digging into my skin, so if you did it sooner rather than later it would be nice." I grabbed them and they poofed. Dakota scrambled up.

I looked over to Contri. "What have you been doing?" She pointed to a bookshelf.

"I've been learning stuff. About Supers. It's actually kind of cool. Want to come?"

After checking to see if Dakota's still there, in case he'd want to come with us, I nodded. "It would be good to learn about, um, our people." She laughed. Before we got over, though, Mr. Hart stopped us.

"Contri," he said. "A word, please?" She shrugged, mouthing sorry, as she walked away, but I still slumped. I'd been looking forward to talking. She seemed like she'd be a good friend, and I definitely needed one of those with the Super stuff going on.

I continued on my walk to the mini library.

I felt a tap on my shoulder just before I reached it (Did people have something against me reading?) and when I turned around, it was Dakota.

"Mind if I join you?" I shrugged, which he took for a yes, and we walked over to the books. The first one I found was about Supers Through the Ages, which was good enough. I opened it to the first page.

"So, do you think it's weird that there's only ten of us?" Dakota was sitting there, elbows on his knees, like he didn't even expect to be reading.

"I guess," I mumbled.

"It'll probably work out just the same as a normal school, though. We're going to get to know each other better, so there's bound to be more drama. Especially with the whole superpower thing. And the subs."

"Subs?" There was something I hadn't heard before. I set my book down, thumb still in it. Was subs short for submarines or substitutes or was it a sandwich-

"Mr. Hart didn't talk to you yet? Apparently, only five of us actually get to do super stuff. Those of us with dumb powers are the substitutes, in case someone gets severely hurt."

My shoulders slumped. I should've known. I'm just going to be on the sidelines, I know it already. Sure, elastic bands are useful, but not for fighting people with fire powers. They could just burn them away, and that's if I could manage to get it over them in the first place.

"Lindy?" asked Mr. Hart, with a tap on my shoulder. I looked over to see Contri, fully immersed and fifty pages into a book.

I got up and turned around, following my teacher into a small room at the back which probably had the purpose of containing subs so they wouldn't scream.

"Now," he started. "This may come as a surprise to you, but not all ten of you will-"

"Actually fight?" He raised his eyebrows, but nothing more. I had been talking to Dakota, I supposed. Who he'd already told.

"Yes, five of you will be the substitutes, going in only when someone is hurt."

"And that'll be me?"

He sighed. "You guessed it, Lindy. I hate to say it, but-"

"Creating elastics isn't exactly a very battle-friendly power."

"Although you may be getting everything right, could you please refrain from guessing everything? Also-"

"About the rock?" I patted my pocket for emphasis. Mr. Hart shushed me.

"Don't talk about it in the open," he hissed. "Some people would kill to get their hands on it. In fact, they already have. It has power you couldn't even dream of." He looked to the side, shaking his head, supposedly at the bobbly flamingo sitting on the desk. I started to edge me way out of the room, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"I can hear you," he said. "That's my power. Super senses. I go by Sense in the Super world."

"Um, that's nice."

"Lindy, I'm trusting you with a very powerful rock. I had to trust you a lot to give that to you."

"I know, actually, can I leave?" I pointed at the door and took another step towards it.

"After you promise me one thing. You have to swear on your power not to show the rock to anyone, tell anyone about it. Anything like that."

"Okay? I swear on my power that I won't reveal the rock's existence- in my possession- to anyone."

Swearing on my power seemed a little harsh, seeing as usually if you break a promise you lose the thing, but if the rock was as powerful as he said it was, it was needed. His shoulders relaxed as soon as I said anyone, and I quickly slid out the door.