Out Of Control

My favorite part of the Hulk movie is when Bruce Banner says “But you know what scares me the most? It’s when I can’t fight it anymore, when it takes over, when I totally lose control. I like it.” Like him, I know what it’s like to lose control. So does Allison.
The week after my return to school, was strangely enough like the day I left. There was physics first. And there were lab reports to be done. I sat down at the back of the lab and looked around the class. My eyes met Erica’s. She gave me a shy smile and a little wave. I could feel my cheeks burning as I smiled back. “Wow. You must really like her.” A voice said beside me. I turned to see Allison staring at me with her grey eyes wide open. Since Allison had learnt she wasn’t crazy, she started taking better care of herself, but she still had the crazy look on her face. Coupled with the fact that she could read thoughts, it was actually pretty spooky. “How do you figure that?’ I asked.

“Because, when you think of her, your thoughts are all sappy and muddled.” she replied
I gave her a stern look. “Stay out of my mind please.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t need to read your mind to know that you two have chemistry. I just needed to read hers.”

My eyes opened large “Allison, how dare you…”

“And I also know that she’s dying for you to ask her to the dance two weeks from now.” I opened my mouth to say something but I stopped. Now there was a useful bit of information.

“See, now I bet you’re happy that I read her mind.”

“No, I’m not. You’ve seen enough Saturday morning cartoons to know that you shouldn’t use your powers for evil.”

“I’m not using it for evil.” She replied, somewhat ruefully. “I’m just practicing to use my power. I bet you practiced a lot when you found out you could make snow cones.”

I smirked. “Yes I did, but this is different.”

“How so?”

“Because making snow cones doesn’t violate someone’s fundamental right to privacy.”
She was about to reply, but just then Miss Havelock, walked in and called the class to order. “Well now,” she said, “I hope that you all have finished doing on your laboratory practicals, because there’ll all due for tomorrow.” A collective moan rippled through the class. “Yes, I know, I’m excited too.” A chill ran down my spine. I raised my hand slowly. “Um, Miss Havelock, I wasn’t here for all of these labs.”“I’m aware of that Mr. Peterson, but when you came back from your little excursion, I do remember asking Ms. Dagger to take them to you. You did do them, did you not Mr. Peterson?”

“Yes…yes, I did” I stammered.

“Well you shouldn’t have a problem tomorrow.” She turned to address the rest of the class. “The lab would be open after school for a few hours after school for all those who haven’t finished. Failure to submit them would result in a loss of 50% in your term grade, as well as your partner’s. Now then let’s get on with today’s class.” I turned and looked at Allison. She mouthed the words “Did you do them?” I shook my head my head, slowly from side to side. I didn’t need her ability to know what she was thinking. It was something along the lines of “I’m going to kill you!”

Allison caught my hand in the rush of leaving the classroom and pulled me aside. “You had a month of doing nothing. You mean you didn't come to school a couple of afternoons and do them?”
“I spent most of my afternoons practicing to use my power.” I thought.
“You spent your time playing with your powers? Is that it?” she said angrily. “What about last week?”

“I forgot.” I replied, shamefacedly. “But here’s how I figure it. You’ve done them right. You can give me your reports and I’ll copy them over. I’ll change it up a little so that it won’t look like I copied.” She didn’t answer. “You didn’t do it either, did you?”

“No, I thought you’d do it so I could copy them from you.” She said, wincing.

“You still have those headaches?’ I asked

“No,” she replied, “They went away when I learnt to control my power. More importantly,” she said, “what do we do about these reports?’

“Well I guess we have a late afternoon later.” I answered. I shouldered my satchel and walked out of the lab.
W
e spent a grand total of three hours that afternoon, setting up apparatus and taking measurements. We didn’t even realize when the janitor came to lock up and told us along with the other kids to leave. “You see,” I said on my way out, “we had absolutely nothing to worry about.”
Allison shook her head, “We still have 8 experiments to do. That’s about a third of our grade.” She flinched and shook her head. “We are going to fail.”
I looked back at the lab. An idea began to form in my mind. “We could always go back.”

“When? The reports are all due for tomorrow.”
I looked at her and smiled. “Oh no.” she said in a matter-of- fact voice. “We are not going to break into the lab. That my friend is a crime.”

“Failing physics,” I replied, “that’s a crime as well.” I turned and walked towards to school’s main circuit breaker.

“You think we’re gonna get away with this? There’re security cameras and alarms. How are you going to get past all that?” I put my hand up in front of the circuit breaker and froze it. Power went out throughout the school. She looked at me frowned. “And you were telling me about using my power for evil.” As she said that the power came back on. “Oh well, we tried.” I turned and walked back towards the lab. “What, are you crazy? We’ll get caught for sure now. They’ve put on the generator.”

“When they put on the generators, they take off the security system.” I responded

“How do you that?”

“Last time I got put in detention, they made me work with the janitor. Now do you, have any other questions?”

I froze the lock on the lab and opened the door. “You are digging yourself into such a deep hole.” Allison said, following me into the lab, “Do you know how this would look in your permanent record?” she stopped and held her head, shaking it. “Are you ok?” I asked concerned. “You know I could do this and e-mail, the results to you.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t worry about me if I were in your position.”
We walked into the lab and took out the apparatus. “Let’s hurry up and do this.” Allison moaned “I don’t feel that great.”
“Well it would go a lot faster if you would help me.” I said, placing beakers on the table. I placed my hand on her forehead. “You have a temperature. You sure that you don’t want to go home?” She shook her head again. “I’m already committed. Let’s get this over with.”
“Well then,” I said, taking out my scripts, “here we go.” I looked at my sheet. “Ok, pass me the burette Allison.” She didn’t respond. “Allison?” I turned to see what was keeping her. Allison was holding her head, and shaking. “Allison?” She collapsed on the floor and began to convulse. “Allison?” I called out, my voice close to hysterics. Suddenly, Allison let loose a bloodcurdling scream and began to trash wildly on the floor “Allison!!!” I screamed. I heard the equipment fall. I looked around the lab to see objects flying around the room, crashing and breaking on their on accord. I reached to grab her, but I felt myself being lifted up and flung across the room. “Allison, stop it, stop it now!!!!” I yelled. She continued screaming and trash on the ground. The windows shattered and glass flew everywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door open and close. It wasn’t part of the general chaos. It was as if someone had done it on purpose. I looked back to see shards of equipment soaring towards me. I threw up my hands in a futile effort to protect myself. What happened next happened as if in slow motion. I saw thin wisps of something silver form between me and the shards. Slowly more and more formed, building a wall in front of me. The shards hit it and bounced off. I reached out and felt it. It wasn’t ice. It felt more like some kind of metal. Like steel. As quickly as it formed it disappeared. I sat stunned for a moment. A beaker crashing right next to me brought me back to reality. I ducked and crawled across the room and placed my hand on Allison’s forehead. Her skin was burning up. “Cold.” I thought instinctively. “Make her head cold.” Slowly, her temperature began to drop. I controlled my power so that her whole head didn’t freeze. Gradually, she stopped moving and the objects in the room settled back. I breathed heavily. Allison sluggishly opened her eyes. She looked around disoriented. “Well,” I said to her, “guess we’re not doing any work tonight.” I turned around and began packing up our stuff. A sudden knock on the door surprised me. “Security, open up!” a boisterous voice yelled. I froze. Security! They must have heard the commotion I grabbed my stuff and looked for away out. The lab was on the second floor. There was no way out. “We’re coming in!!” the voice shouted. I cringed. The door opened and… I was in my room. I looked around in confusion. Wasn’t I just in the physics lab at school? My satchel and papers lay at my feet. How? I remembered Allison. Did she do this? More importantly, was she still in the lab. I whipped out my cell phone and called her number. Her phone rang a few times before I got her voicemail. I hung up and called again. On the fourth ring, someone answered. All I could hear was heavy breathing. “Allison?” I asked

“Yeah, I’m here.” She answered shakily.
I
breathed in relief. “Where are you?”

“I’m home,” she said, bewildered, “In my room.”

“How did you get there?”

“I don’t know. I was lying in the lab and I felt someone grab me. Next thing I know, I’m here. What about you?”

“Same thing.” I answered. “Get some rest. We’ll figure this out in the morning.”

“Ok,” she replied weakly. “Good night.”

“Good night.” I replied and hung up. I stared at the phone. Someone grabbed her? I took off my shirt. The security? I held the shirt in my hand. Something caught my attention. I looked closer and stopped in shock. Right on my shoulder, there was a handprint. No one had touched me there today. Somehow, someone in that lab had grabbed my shoulder and brought me here. I thought about the door opening and closing. What was going on here? And what about the slab of steel in front of me. Did they do that too? Who exactly was ‘they’? I shook my head. So many questions, all with no foreseeable answers. For now, a bad physics grade was the least of my worries.