He typed and typed for hours on end; or at least, that's how it felt. Soon enough he hopped from his chair with a big, joyful grin.

"There is another way," he pointed, "but I don't think we'll need it."

"Why is that?" asked Fey, her arms crossed.

"Because," he laughed, "look behind you."

We all turned half a circle's distance, facing what our backs no longer do. Behind us was nothing out of the ordinary. I had noticed no change. Until the mayor pointed at Fey.

"Me? Why me?" She questioned. The mayor said nothing, only took careful steps to meet her face to face. Staring her dead in the eyes, he took her phone from her hand. He walked back to where he had previously remained, Fey's anger boiling. "Hey, that's my phone!" she exclaimed, following him. She reached out to grab it before he pulled it away.

"Step back and watch closely," he demanded, his voice deeper and more serious. Fey gulped and obeyed. "Now, close your eyes and think about where you are in this room." Fey groaned with frustration before doing as he said. She stood completely still, her arms at her side, her legs and spine straightened.

The mayor began instructing. "I'm going to spin around, and when you hear go, open your eyes," he said, grasping her phone. Fey sighed and nodded. The mayor began to spin. He spun around five times, then spun the other way. Eventually, he stopped and yelled, "Go!" He threw her phone towards Pierre. Fey's eyes flew open. She stood still before bursting into action. She bolted towards Pierre and pushed him aside. Tripping over her feet, she caught her phone, fumbling it in her hands. She almost dropped it.

Sara looked in awe. "How did you..."

"Future perception," smiled the mayor, the kind tone returning. Fey looked at her phone intently, her eyes wide.

"What would you have done if I didn't catch it?" Fey asked, stretching her neck upward. The mayor shrugged. Fey's jaw dropped, but was quickly returned. The mayor seemed pleased.

"So, what? Are we just gonna keep testing each other?" asked David.

"That's what the first test was for," groaned Jonathan. He slumped into the white couch cushions.

"We can assume what power matches what, right? Like, we know Azalea has aura reading. We know David has the healing stuff. We know that Fey has the future-y thing. The rest we can just guess. Lilac's the light seer, so that leaves Jonathan, Sara, and me," commented Pierre.

Pause. That sentence, the last one. It persuaded my further actions. I had grown attached to the thought, the idea, of being a powerful being. Someone with a purpose. I wanted to be able to use that ability to help people. With the final push, that last sentence, I had convinced myself that it would be true. I struggled to keep in my excitement. I would finally fulfill my lifelong dream of being worth more than I had previously thought.

"Peculiar," mumbled the mayor. I looked up from my thoughts. I had been so starstruck that I had failed to notice Pierre. He was translucent, almost transparent. A dark shade was cast upon him as he fled the semi-mortal realm.

I could hear jaws dropping. Not all, but some. Pierre seemed to be oblivious. "What?"

The mayor pointed at Pierre, a wild smile across his face. Pierre looked down at himself and gasped, falling backwards. Once he hit the floor he vanished.

Gasps. Air rushing into each lung surrounding him, except for the Mayor's. Sara's eyes widened as she fell to her knees where Pierre had last stood. "Pierre?" she screamed. I dropped to my knees and started patting the floor.

"I'm fine!" his voice called back. Sara scrambled back onto her feet. "Lilac, stop slapping me!" I slapped the floor one final time, with more strength, before standing up again.

The mayor snickered. "Shadow flight." He clapped his hands together once before resuming his short laughter.

"So that leaves precognitive dreams and mind control with Jonathan and Sara," Fey tapped her chin.

Jonathan walked over to Fey, his eyes protruding his face. He had pressed tension through his veins and muscles, focusing his strength to his face. His body shook, the tension wearing him down. "Hand me your phone," he growled. Fey slowly reached for her phone, then took her other hand and slapped Jonathan across the face. Jonathan groaned in pain, touching his hand to his cheek.

Azalea held her breath, pushing the threatened laughter down her throat. She continuously swapped her hand motions between covering her mouth, holding up he pointer finger, and leaning over her knees.

"Guess he doesn't have mind control," shrugged David. Azalea's lost all strength and she burst into laughter, Jonathan shooting her a glare of complete and utter rage.

The mayor sat in a chair and put up his feet, grabbing a newspaper. "Instead of tensing every nerve in your body, try focusing on the other person's thoughts," he said, turning the page.

Jonathan took a deep breath. His fists were clenched and his eyes watering from lack of moisture. His muscles relaxed and he shook his arms, tilting his neck upward. His eyes were closed as he cleared his thoughts. He shook his limbs and looked back at Fey.

At this point, Fey was not going to be the victim. Swapping places with David, she raised her hands above her shoulders. "Nope." David sighed and reluctantly took his newly assigned place.

Jonathan took a deep breath before muttering ever so silently. It was difficult to understand what he said. David's head had been lowered in shame. He had since raised it to meet eyes with Jonathan. His face loosened the tension and began walking towards the Mayor's desk. David reached his arm around the mayor and grabbed a lemon-lime dum dum. He delicately turned around with the lollipop in his outstretched hand. He shuffled back to his original spot and handed the candy to Jonathan.

"Yes, it worked!" Jonathan cheered. David blinked quickly, holding his forehead in his palm.

"Lemon lime?" He asked, groaning quietly from the headache. Jonathan glared at him, opening the wrapper with his mouth and spitting it onto the floor. The lollipop stood alone in the grasp of his other hand before he crammed it between his lips.

"So Sara has precognitive dreams," concluded Azalea. We all sighed in relief, finally being released from the irritatingly difficult results.

"Well, if you're satisfied I will see you off," chimed the mayor, sitting up from his position and folding the newspaper back together. He looked at me from the corner of his eye, or it felt like he did. There was a glaring feeling behind the look, but not an intimidating type of glare. More of a knowing look. I shook it off, thinking - knowing - that it was all in my head.

We each turned to the door, the mayor close behind. He waved farewell as we stepping outside, the cold air hitting us like a brick. I turned and waved, "thanks for all the help." He smiled as he closed the door, before he whispered four little words. Those four words were a pendulum swinging across my chest. They slit my skin, shivers running down my spine. Those words stuck, and I will always remember how they were said- because I had heard it before. Those four, measly words, "you're not the one."

~•~

We walked down the street back to the coffee shop, not knowing where to turn now that we finished our task. Steadily, the cold began to dust over us in the form of the shining shapes of snowflakes.

I decided to stay quiet on our walk, while the others chattered about their new found abilities. I would, too, if it weren't for those four words. That's twice I was told that phrase. What did it mean? I looked down at my frozen, reddened hands, rubbing them together for heat. I cupped my hands around my mouth and blew warm air into my makeshift pocket. Sara must have noticed that I was struggling behind. She slowed her steps and met up with me.

"Hey, are you okay? You're weirdly quiet," she questioned. I said nothing, only a slight nod. I hadn't processed what she had said to me, only that it was a question. She waved her hand in front of my face. Blinking back my thoughts, I look up and meet her eyes.

"Oh, hey," I half smiled. Sara looked down at her feet as we walked. "It's nothing, really. It's just... it's silly. I'm sure I'm imagining things."

"What is it?" Sara asked, a curious sparkle in her eye.

I sighed and looked up from the ground, a smile across my face. "It's nothing, really."

Sara looked me dead in the eye. "You sure?" Worry was toned throughout her voice, painted across her face. I nodded reassuringly, knowing that it was a lie. "Okay, but I'm gonna stay next to you so you don't sulk," she commanded. I giggled quietly as we continued walking.