Chaoyu – class C level 6 (age 16)
Chaoyu can move superfast. It isn’t clear if additional weight would slow her down since she runs too fast for the human mind to register. She didn’t so much as discover her power as always have it as an integral part of her life since birth. It seems to be growing stronger as she grows older. At first, it was assumed she could teleport as well seeing as she almost appears in a different spot in an “instant”. It is clear now that she just moves, admittedly faster than the average human, but she does not manipulate space. Chaoyu has a good amount of control over her power but does sometimes not realise she is using it and it does freak out people when she just pops up behind them or races ahead. Her appetite compensates for this power as she also eats more than the average person but unsurprisingly she has a fast metabolism too.
“Alright everyone! Get into positions! From the top! One, two…!” the instructor yelled out the beat for the song as the students put all their energy in the last run through of the day. Exaggerating the jumps, stretching their legs a bit higher, twisting with more attitude. They danced as much as their spirit and body permitted and then collapsed in a pile at the last note.
Chaoyu was the last to leave, always reluctant to leave the dance floor so soon. The instructor called her back. “Look, you have the steps down perfect but your timing! You were almost 2 beats ahead this time! It’s good that you know the steps well, but you’re throwing the people around you off-beat.” He smiled. “Try listening to the music at home and clapping along to it in beat?”
It wasn’t that she wasn’t on beat. She was. But for every one, she clapped twice. It was almost like she was impatient. The next sound was taking too long! Her hands itched to clap, it was almost like second instinct to her.
It wasn’t abnormal really. Some kids just had trouble with keeping in time with the rhythm. She listened to the songs at double the speed and kept up, her limbs moving in a fast flow. It was almost like seeing rap performed in a dance form. It was hypnotizing.
But didn’t match the group dance. So Chaoyu ended up doing solos on her own side while the others learnt at the right pace. She couldn’t perform with them but she was fine with that. All she cared about was the dance. The release of tense muscles in swift and fluid movements, she craved it. The release of energy, pent up inside her throughout the day. She was never one to stay cooped in a room for too long. Her feet tapped insistently, her fingers twirled the pen, tapping a rapid tune on her table. When she could move in an open space, uninhibited by furniture or people, then she was free.
Her friends complained that she walked too fast, damnit Chaoyu, slow down a bit! They’d laugh. And she would. But it never stayed like that for too long. She would jump around them, twirl around, laughing and talking energetically. No, no one saw too deep into this.
It was mandatory this year. All students had to take part in the sports day or risk staying in school for an extra hour and be subjected to a lecture. How they needed to take a more active role in their lives, how physical education was important in not only their body development but their academic life, etc, etc. No one was ready for that. This year, dance and gymnastics was removed from the options since there was only three people willing to take part.
So, she had to make a choice. Basketball, football, hockey or track. She went for basketball since Shreya and Emma were doing it, might as well spend the day with her friends. Unfortunately, the places were filled up so she went for track. Nakshatra was doing that. It would be fun.
The day arrived, preparations were made, it was all set. The first race was the 100 metre. It was simple enough, start when the principal yelled “GO!” and run as fast as you can until you reached the red ribbon.
As Chaoyu readied herself at the starting point, she looked back at all the sport movies she watched. This was the moment. When everything the actor worked towards came down to this race. She copied the determined look they always had on their face and looked towards the audience dramatically. There were a few teachers who were taking a break and a few students who were considered too sick or injured to take part. Good turn-out. Other than a small spark of excitement, she didn’t feel like this was anything extraordinary or special. Just a race.
To an onlooker, she didn’t. She teleported. One second, she was at the start and the next, at the 500-metre mark, the red ribbon hanging off her chest. But she did run. She felt the slap of wind against her cheeks, her legs burned like liquid fire was thrown on them. She stood for a few seconds before collapsing on the track, panting for air.
It didn’t take long for the school doctor to recommend her parents to investigate certain specialists and a few practise tests, confirmed it. Chaoyu was an Atypical.
