Chapter 9: Mildly Marvelous Misfits' March

As they set off towards their new school, Mia felt like she was walking into the opening scene of some bizarre teen superhero movie. All that was missing was a dramatic soundtrack and maybe some slow-motion hair flips.

"So," Mia started, her voice pitched low like she was sharing state secrets, "what do you think it'll be like? I mean, besides the obvious freak show aspect."

Zoe snorted, nearly tripping over a crack in the sidewalk. "God, I don't know. I keep picturing this insane mash-up of Hogwarts and Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, but with more acne and awkward teen drama."

"Oh great," Mia groaned, "so we're basically walking into 'High School Musical' meets 'The X-Men,' but everyone's power is utterly useless? Fantastic. I can't wait for the big dance number where I accidentally turn everyone's socks neon pink."

They dissolved into giggles, drawing curious glances from a couple passing by – a boy who seemed to be hovering a mere inch off the ground and a girl whose hair was emitting a faint, warm glow. Mia's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Zo. Did you see that? That girl's head is like a really inefficient nightlight!"

"Yeah, and that guy's doing his best 'almost levitating' impression," Zoe whispered back, her voice a mix of awe and trepidation. "Suddenly, talking to houseplants doesn't seem so weird, huh?"

Mia squeezed Zoe's arm reassuringly. "Hey, at least you can have a decent conversation with a potted fern. Watch me struggle to shake hands with anyone without turning their fingernails into a walking Pantone color chart."

As they continued their walk, the streets began to fill with more students clearly headed to Evergreen. It was like a parade of the weird and mildly wonderful. A boy zipped past on rollerblades that seemed to generate their own very small puffs of wind, while a girl nearby was surrounded by a small cloud of floating sticky notes.

"Okay, I'm officially feeling outclassed," Mia muttered, watching a kid turn his pinky finger into a USB drive and plug it into his phone. "What do you think our classes will be like? 'Intro to Not Accidentally Mildly Inconveniencing the World 101'?"

Zoe snickered. "Or how about 'Advanced Awkward Power Control'? Oh! Maybe there's a class on creative uses for useless abilities. You could be the world's most efficient nail polish applier!"

"And you could revolutionize the houseplant industry," Mia shot back, grinning. "Zoe Greenthumb, savior of mildly wilted ficus trees everywhere. Just don't let it go to your head, or we'll have to deal with slightly grumpy succulent overlords."

Their laughter was interrupted by a sudden burst of tiny soap bubbles that rained down on them. A boy with slightly iridescent skin had sneezed, sending a cloud of fragrant bubbles into the air. "Oh fuck, sorry!" he called out, looking mortified.

Mia and Zoe stood there, covered in tiny bubbles and trying desperately not to laugh. "Well," Mia said, popping a bubble on her shirt, "at least we know the school bathrooms will always smell fresh."

As they neared Evergreen Academy, the concentration of extraordinarily ordinary teens increased. Mia felt like she was walking through a very bizarre, very public audition for "America's Got Slightly Unusual Talents." There was a girl having an animated conversation with her pencil case, which seemed to be answering by rearranging its contents. A boy nearby was changing the flavor of his chewing gum every few seconds, cycling through fruits like a sentient Juicy Fruit factory.

"Oh my god, Zo," Mia whispered, nudging her friend. "Look at that guy. He's like me, but with gum! Do you think we're long-lost cousins or something? The Mildly Impressive Twins, reunited at last!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but couldn't suppress a grin. "Great, just what we need. Double the barely-noticeable chaos. You two could start a band: Mia and the Mild Inconveniences."

As they bantered, Mia couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions bubbling up inside her. On one hand, seeing all these other teens with weird, sometimes inconvenient powers made her feel less alone. On the other hand, it was all so overwhelmingly... well, underwhelming.

"You know," Mia mused, watching a girl walk by with a single, minuscule raincloud floating above her left shoulder, "I always thought I was a freak. But now I'm wondering if I'm not freaky enough for this place. Like, what if we're the boring ones?"

Zoe squeezed her arm. "Then we'll be boring together. Besides, who says talking to houseplants and being a human mood ring isn't cool? We're like... mildly eco-friendly interior designers or something."

Mia snorted. "Yeah, sure. 'Harper and Greenthumb: Making Your Home Both Slightly More Colorful and Marginally More Conversational.' We'll be the hottest thing since room-temperature bread."

As they approached the imposing gates of Evergreen Academy, Mia felt her heart rate kick up a notch. This was it. The moment they'd been both dreading and anticipating all summer. She glanced at Zoe, saw the same mix of terror and excitement reflected in her best friend's eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Ready to dive into the shallow end of the freak pool?" Mia asked, trying to inject some bravado into her voice.

Zoe nodded, her grip on Mia's arm tightening slightly. "As ready as I'll ever be."