Prologue

The Orphan and The Scare Crow

If you asked me where I saw myself in the next ten years I’d say running a schnazzy little diner or running a town as mayor. Ambitious for a dweeby little foster girl but I dream big. And big is what I am, or rather curvaceous.

Carley sat looking forlornly at her mocha cappuccino, yet again they’d skimped her on her whipped cream. Letting out a gentle sigh she slowly meandered her gaze around the room. She loved people watching, it rejuvenated her soul, like bees to a flower customers lined up for the bitter coffee Freddie’s was famous for.

It was slightly cold outside so most ordered hot beverages to hold like a shield. Keeping them comforted in the slightly chilly little shop. A bouquet of apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice slid delicately along her senses. Carley stood out, she knew that, with her pitch-black A-symmetrical bob, winged eyeliner, and green almond-shaped eyes. She felt beautiful, she was also adorably plump and proud of it-at least on her best days. Her mother had been Korean and her father Irish. She only wished she had gotten the red hair.

Her 70’s retro-chic fleece looked sharp with tight jeans and hot pink ballet flats. She loved color and lived for the challenge of bringing as much color as she could to every day. A buzzing pulled her out of her quandaries glancing down she saw the name Tessa a.k.a. best friend and person most likely to murder her if she ignored another call. With a quick flick of her fingers, she accepted the call and prepared to be chastised. “Hey Car, haven’t heard from you in days. You know you promised to hang out with me yesterday, what’s up?”

Carley drew a breath and felt frustrated that she had to explain … again. “Hey Tess, you know it’s not an easy time right now. It’s the anniversary of my parent’s deaths, remember?”

Answering silence, a silence that rivaled that of a cemetery. She loved Tess… really, but she could be charmingly thoughtless at times. “Oh, I’m so sorry Car, with the performances just around the corner at school I’ve been preoccupied and I guess that slipped my mind.”

Carley flinched, and yet another reason she had gone incognito.

The Power Performances were talent shows for superpowers, a chance to get noticed by scouts and end up in prestigious schools. Tess was a brunette cheerleader with the superpower to freeze. She liked to make ice sculptures in her spare time. Meanwhile, there was me, with no superpowers to speak of and a penchant for flying under the radar I liked to hibernate during the Power Performances.

“It’s all good Tess, no worries” She promised to call Tess later and hung up the phone. Her parent’s death anniversary wasn’t something she liked to talk about, and usually during this time of year she’d go into herself a little and avoid human contact. She missed them, she was six when it happened and even though she lived with the most amazing Grandma ever, it was hard.

Her mother had been an artist and a writer. When Carley was little she would sit cross-legged on the dingy cement floor of the garage (her mother’s studio) through her hot pink leggings she would feel the cold on the surface of the floor. She wouldn’t even care about the chill or the dim lighting, she lived for the swoops and sways of her mother’s art brush on canvas. Megumi was strong, or at least from what Carley’s six-year-old memories conveyed. Her father Timothy was quiet, hard-working, and introspective, the perfect traits for a carpenter. Carley could remember knocking over his towers of quarters that sat aloft on his workbench when she wanted his attention.

To say their crash was a freak accident would be kind. Megumi had been turned in her seat looking at Carley with an excited gleam in her eyes. It was Carley’s seventh birthday in a few days and her parents had decided to take her to her favorite place in the whole world Banchan a cozy Korean Cafe. Timothy had been studiously watching the road, none of them prepared for Carley’s door to jerk open. Carley’s father started to veer off to the side as an oncoming car slid on a sheet of black ice, colliding with the front of the vehicle. Seat belt unbuckled and hand outstretched, Carley attempted to shut the swinging door - as she leaned out she felt the absence of her seat as she grabbed for the handle and was flung towards the harsh asphalt, scraping her knees and palms upon impact. Both cars pummeled through the metal guards and tumbled down the side of the embankment, all Carley heard was the sound of a small explosion before things went quiet.

Superpowers… can’t save you from everything. Megumi had the power to see colors others couldn’t and her father had the ability to manipulate wood with his mind. As if the universe was punishing her, she never developed hers. Carley had never forgotten the pain of realizing what it means to be alone, she was happy still. She had her Grandma. Sometimes though there were whispers of longing, especially around Christmas.

She took a sip of her now cold and dejected coffee. Rolling her eyes she decided to go up to the counter and demand a warm-up and her F***ing whipped cream. Steeling up her resolve she trudged towards the counter narrowly avoiding being tripped by an old granny’s cane. She looked at the boy behind the counter, he had ashy brown hair and light hazel blue eyes, and freckles tracked across his nose like little footprints in the snow. Forgetting her mission Carley just stared a moment. Then once his eyebrows started to rise, she realized this was awkward. Cheeks burning slightly she shyly looked down at the coffee cup in her hand. Taking a measured breath she glanced up, put her best confidant girl posture on, and said “Uh hi, I need this heated, and um I need there to be whipped cream because it’s essential to the coffee drinking experience… Please” She sloshed the liquid a little as she pushed the cup towards him. His eyes hid a laugh as he said “Sure, no problem”. Nodding Carley moved to the side and stared fixedly at the coffee stirrers refusing to make more eye contact.

The boy, unnamed and not that she cared but avoiding looking at her pushed the now heated liquid in front of her and topped it with a liberal amount of whipped cream. Carley smiled, not able to help herself, and swiped the liquid yelling “Thanks!” over her shoulder as she walked away.

Super Powers Schmooper Powers, who needs them when there’s whipped cream. Carley enjoyed the rest of her time, reading her favorite book series, Vampire Academy, and pretending the superhero world didn’t exist.