Madame Bella looked up as Henry entered the room in his new school uniform.
"Well, don't you look smart?" she said.
"I feel like an idiot," he replied.
"Oh well," Madame Bella shrugged. "At least you won't be the only one who has to wear it."
Henry shook his head.
Henry, Elata and Roberto
Henry checked the schedule in his hand, then the number on the door. Satisfied, he entered the classroom along with the other students who were making their way inside for rollcall, and picked a seat.
"Hey, are you new?" Elata asked. "You must be, I haven't seen you here before."
"Uhh, yes, I'm new," Henry replied.
"Great! So are you a mutant? I love mutants."
Henry opened his mouth to reply, when the teacher called everyone's attention, and started reading out the roll.
"Roberto Harrison."
"Here," said a boy on the other side of the girl who had greeted him.
A few more names later...
"Henry McGuire."
"Here."
The teacher stopped, and it was all Henry could do to keep from groaning.
"Henry's new," she said. "for those of you who hadn't noticed. I understand that you're a mutant?"
"Yes."
"Would you like to tell us about your power?"
"No," Henry replied, because he couldn't lie.
The teacher stared, rather taken aback.
"Why not?"
"Because the first time I ever revealed my power to someone, she killed herself."
Silence. Henry was looking very uncomfortable.
"I... see..."
"Sorry," Henry appologised, realising he had to tell them now, and it would porbably be better if he did. "I know you would have been happier not hearing that. But my power is Truth. I can't lie to people, or try to decieve in anyway. So I had to answer your question honestly, no matter how much it hurt. And I can always tell whenever someone else is lying, and what the truth they're hiding is."
"Ahh. Well, sorry about that," she said. "Didn't mean to put you on the spot."
And Henry knew that she did mean to, she just didn't think she would get that reaction. After a moments' silence, the roll calling continued.
"Geena Sharpe."
Silence. The roll call teacher sighed.
"Elata?"
"Here!" Elata beamed.
As the roll call continued, Henry looked over at Elata curiously. She knew that Geena was her real name, but believed that Elata was her true name. And yet, he sensed that it began as a deception within herself, which was now becoming a truth simply because she had made people start calling her it. At the same time, he sensed that the teacher saw it as a lie. He had seen denial before, people deceiving themselves into believing something was true, but not quite like this before. It was fascinating.
Roll call ended, and Elata took it upon herself to link arms with Henry.
"So, what class do you have next?" she asked.
Henry checked his schedule.
"Umm, English."
"Room 205?"
"Yes?"
"Yay! That's where me and 'Berto are headed."
Roberto gave him a nod.
"We can show you the way. And you can sit next to me!"
Henry smiled.
"I'd like that. Thanks."
Maybe Donna was right about this school.