The Book Club League

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“Girls, it’s almost time to go!”

“Almost done, mom,” Melissa yelled back. She turned to her best friend Carrie. “That’s all, right? Did we miss anything? What about -”

Carrie started picking up papers from the kitchen counter, “Stop worrying. This is going to be the best science fair ever!”

Melissa rolled her eyes. Carrie said that every year. Carrie lived for the science fair. Melissa was just grateful to be her partner and tag along for the glory.

Carrie suddenly gave Melissa a sideways glance, “Unless… You haven’t seen anything that we should worry about…?”

“For the last time, I can’t see the future. Get over it!”

Carrie looked hurt, “I’ve known about your power for years. You might as well admit it. I’ve never told anyone. Not once! You can trust me.”

Melissa stared down at the counter and angrily gathered up their notes, not caring what order they were in. Ever since junior high, Carrie had been convinced of her nonexistent ability to see the future. Lately, Carrie had been trying to trick her into admitting it: asking her things like who’d win the volleyball game - Oyster Bay High or Waterbury? - And pressed until Melissa gave her a guess. If she was right, Carrie used it as proof of her abilities. “I don’t have super powers.”

Now you’re lying.

Melissa glanced over at her fiery orange betta fish. Not now Blaze. He was right though. She did have a super power, just not the one Carrie thought she had. She had even told Carrie straight out a few years ago that she could talk to betta fish. Carrie hadn’t believed her.

“Fine,” said Carrie, picking up the last of the papers, revealing a book with a green waterfall on the cover. Lover’s Paradise was printed across it in fancy gold script. “And I’m a lama.”

Before the argument could continue, Melissa’s mom swept into the room. “Oh, I can’t believe we’re running late again! Carrie do you have your stuff? We’ll drop you off, pick up the dry cleaning, and just barely not be embarrassingly late to LotL.”

Carrie looked up from shoving papers into her backpack, “What’s LotL?”

“League of the…” Stop! yelled Blaze, but Melissa had already realized her mistake and mentally kicked herself.

“League?” asked Carrie with a glint in her eye. 

Of course, she was thinking of the superheroes. Melissa’s mind raced. What could she say to explain her slip of the tongue? Even if she’d wanted to tell Carrie LotL stood for League of the Lame (talking to betta fish was lame. So were prophetic dreams of fashion faux pas. All six members had powers that, while mildly interesting, weren’t really useful) Carrie would never buy it. Her eye fell on her mom’s book. “League of the Lovers. It’s our book club.”

Carrie’s eyes narrowed, “I’ve never heard of this book club.”

“That’s because dad doesn’t want to admit to liking romance novels,” Melissa hastily improvised. “So we don’t talk about it.” Blaze’s fishy laughter rang in Melissa’s ears and she had to control her own laughter at the thought of her dad reading a romance novel. She didn’t even like them herself. She’d skimmed Lover’s Paradise out of boredom once and couldn’t finish. (The love interest was a jerk and she was hoping the heroine would shove him off the waterfall.) “Please don’t bring it up. Dad’s really  sensitive about it.”

Carrie looked back and forth between Melissa and her mom, unconvinced. “Really?”

“Really,” said Melissa’s mom firmly. “Lissa, grab the book. I can’t lead the discussion without it. I’m glad we didn’t forget it. You girls have everything? Then off we go!” With that she shooed the girls into the van.

The ride was awkward. Carrie sulked, while Melissa’s mom prattled on about the nonexistent book club. Melissa breathed a sigh of relief once they dropped Carrie off. If only she hadn’t gotten the notion that she could see the future! They had been great friends almost their whole lives. But Melissa didn’t know how much longer it could last.

“So, you realize we’re going to have to keep this up, right?” Her mom asked, backing out of the driveway. “Read a romance every month? It’s the only way she’ll believe us.”

Melissa groaned, “Why’d I say lovers? I could’ve done lunatics and then we could read murder mysteries.”

Her mom laughed, “It’s a great cover story though. It has a built in excuse for why we keep quiet about it. Of course, dad and the other guys will be embarrassed when they find out.”

Melissa groaned again, “Dad’s gonna kill me.”

Why does Carrie think Melissa can see the future? Read Betta Girl to find out!

Betta Girl

Prompt: A day in the life of a not-so-super hero.

In a world of superheroes and villains, one expects certain inconveniences. Exploding bridges, high profile kidnappings, delays getting to work while the forces of good and evil battle for control of the city, and science tests.

Melissa tuned out the radio broadcast detailing the latest superhero and villain face off as she rummaged in the fridge for some eggs. Superheroes and villains were always up to some shenanigan and or other. As long as it wasn’t happening near her school, there wasn’t much to worry about. Right now, the science test was more important. 

“Good luck on the test,” said Blaze.

Melissa glanced over at the fiery orange betta fish. “Thanks. I’ll need it.”

“You’ve studied so much that even I know all the answers,” Blaze insisted.

Her mom looked up from writing out a grocery list, “If you two are talking about the test, you’re going to do great.”

Melissa smiled, finished her breakfast and ran out the door to catch the bus. She was glad that science was the only class she had a test in today. She had enough nerves without dealing with everything else. Leaning against the bus window she sighed; she wasn’t looking forward to the test. Her cousin thought having a superpower somehow made her a science expert. Sure maybe the superheroes published all the science behind their powers (for the retired heroes anyways. They didn’t want the villains to get the advantage), but science was her worst subject. 

At school she popped into the front office, ostensibly  to say hi to Mrs. McMullin, but really to chat with Bluebell, the office betta fish.

“I could totally find out all the answers to the test,” Bluebell assured Melissa. “Mr. Ricks is in here all the time…”

Melissa bit back a snort. No one could hear her talking to the betta fish, but snorting for no reason would get her weird looks. “I don’t want the answers. I’m not a cheater.”

Bluebell sighed, “Suit yourself then. But if you ever change your mind…”

Melissa quickly left, glad that Bluebell was confined to a glass tank. That betta fish would get into all sorts of trouble if she could. None of the other betta fish she’d ever met were so interested in human doings.

She slid into her seat next to Carrie and waved at Barney, Mr. Ricks’ deep purple betta fish, glad that it had never occurred to him to help her cheat. If he started shouting out answers at her she wouldn’t be able to help hearing them. And how could she explain to Mr. Ricks that his fish needed to be removed from the classroom during tests? She couldn’t. Superpowers were for saving the world or nearly destroying it. While she liked talking to betta fish, no one was going to believe a superpower as lame as hers existed. Besides, everyone knew about Douglas Finch, a man who’d let everyone know he had the world’s worst superpower: he could make soda go flat. Villains had killed him to make sure he wasn’t hiding other powers. Melissa didn’t plan on having the same thing happen to her.

Mr. Ricks passed out the papers and Carrie gave her a quick smile of encouragement that she shakily returned. Carrie loved science. Over the summer, she attended as many different science camps as she could. On one of the few weekends they’d had a normal slumber party, she’d confided to Melissa that she dreamed of one day inventing all sorts  of devices for the superheroes. Melissa just hoped to pass the test.

Taking a deep breath, she read the first question and started writing. Once she got into the rhythm of the test, she relaxed a little. Blaze was right. She’d studied this backwards and forwards, it wasn’t so bad… She paused at a harder question and frowned. Maybe she should have taken Blueberry up on her offer to get the test answers. Shoving the thought away she concentrated on the question. With another deep breath, she closed her eyes, trying to reach to the edge of her memory. She’d reviewed this kind of question hand’t she? But she couldn’t remember now if they’d ever discussed it in class…

“Duck!”

Melissa did, eyes flying open. A paper plane soared over her head. Only then did she realize it was Barney who shouted. She glanced nervously around. Had anyone noticed her? Mr. Ricks left his desk to angrily confront Cody. Of course it was Cody. He was always in trouble. The other students watched silently until Mr. Ricks barked at them to get back to their tests. No one seemed to have noticed that she had reacted to an unhearable shout. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thanks,” she said to Barney, doubly glad no one could hear her.

Mr. Ricks marched Cody out and the test continued. Melissa gave up on the tricky question and jotted down the first thing that came to her mind. It was wrong, but she was too rattled to think it out. The rest of the test wasn’t much better. Carrie finished quickly and sat around looking bored. Mr. Ricks came back without Cody. Glumly, Melissa watched the other students finish and hand in their tests. She was last, finally finishing right as the bell rang. At least it was over.

Carrie had waited for her and they walked out together. “That was so awesome!” gasped Carrie in an excited whisper.

“What?” Melissa stared at her. Even science loving Carrie couldn’t think a test was awesome. Could she?

“You!” Carrie kept her voice low, “I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, I won’t tell anyone. But you can see the future and that is amazing!” She did a weird little dance. Melissa was still confused. Carrie babbled on, “We’ll be such a cool team! I mean, you probably know that already. But I’ll make you the coolest crime fighting gadgets ever and…”

“We need to go to class,” mumbled Melissa, finally piecing things together. “And I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right,” Carrie grinned. “Right. I got carried away. See you at lunch!”

Melissa watched her dash down the hall. She’d always wondered what it would be like to tell someone outside of her family about her power, but she’d never imagined that it would get misinterpreted so badly. She tried to avoid Carrie for the rest of the day, which was impossible since they’d arranged their schedules at the beginning of the year to have nearly all of their classes together. It was a relief to get on the bus and be alone.

“How was school hon?” asked her mom when she walked in the door.

“How was the test?” asked Blaze.

“Um,” said Melissa. “Well… weird. Any ideas on how to convince someone I can’t see the future?”