“Alright that's it for today guys, remember your paper on cape techniques is due on monday,” He was interrupted by the bell, “Have a good weekend, Julie can I talk to you for a minute?”
I already knew what he was going to talk to me about, but I waited for the rest of the class to file out of the room, and I walked up to his desk.
“Hi Mr. Taylor” I sighed.
“Hey Julie, I wanted to talk to you because your test scores have been kind of lacking recently, If you ever need help, I’m always here.”
“Okay, thanks Mr. Taylor”
“Have a good weekend Julie”
“Thanks Mr. Taylor, you too.”
That was probably the fifteenth time we’ve had that exact conversation this year. As I drive home, I pass the sign if front of school that says “We give you a SUPER welcome to Chesterville Superhero Academy.” Sounds pretentious, I know. What the sign should really say is “We train kids whose parents are superheros in this s***ty school in Chesterville Ohio because we’re scared to let them actually be in the real world.”
I’m probably the worst superhero ever, a lot of kids with parents who are supers inherit a lot of their parent’s abilities, I, However, am pretty sure I caught the recessive gene, and I’m barely super at all. I would much rather go to a normal high school, but my parents are convinced I’m just a “Late Bloomer”, and make me keep going to this stupid “Superhero Academy”
When I get home, Tia Walker, who happens to be my next-door neighbor is outside her house, she is the best superhero in our class, and just happens to be a total b****. I wave and smile to her anyway, and she waves back, but doesn’t smile. “What a b****” I say under my breath. I’m pretty sure she heard it. I don’t care.
The next day in class, Mr. Taylor was talking about how we’re going to go on a test mission the next day in class. I’m not too bad at test missions actually. I’m better at thinking on my feet and following my impulses than taking a written test. “There’s a little twist to this test mission however,” Said Mr. Taylor, “ You are going to have a partner.” The class erupted into an excited murmur. I locked eyes with my best friend, Henry across to classroom.  “Partners?” I mouthed. “Of course!” He mouthed back.  “Okay okay guys quiet down.” Said Mr. Taylor “I will be choosing your partner this time.”  The class fell silent. Mr. Taylor began reading out names. Henry and Kelly, Jessica and Matthew, Stephanie and Nola, and then he got to my name. Julie and… Tia. Tia and I scowled at each other from across the room. “ I will give you the rest of class today to meet with your partner and start on your prep work.”
Tia and I finished our prep work without saying a word to each other Finally the bell rang at the end of class. “Okay Your missions are tomorrow, get ready!” Said Mr. Taylor.
The next day I showed up to class and met Tia in the back of the classroom.
“Hey Tia”
“Hi Julie”
Both of us looked unhappy. She turned around and said something to her friends behind her. Probably about me. They snickered and I looked at Henry and rolled my eyes.
“Tia and Julie, you will be in mission room number one, as soon as you enter your mission will start, you have one hour.”
Tia and I walked in silence down the hall to mission room one. Before she opened the door, I asked if we should talk anything over for a minute. She said no. She opened the door and once we stepped in a loud voice came over the speakers. “ Welcome to your test mission. A Super Villain has set fire to a large office building. Save the people from the burning building and catch the villain. The simulation will start in 5 minutes.
“So do we..” I started
“I’ve got it okay. Don’t worry.” She interrupted
“So what do you want me to..”
“Just stand there okay.”
“O- okay”
The simulation started and I “Just stood there” Tia ran into the “burning building” The simulations are actually really realistic there is real fire, and older students acting as people in the building and the villain. There is also a teacher watching and grading us. Tia started bringing the people in the building out one at a time. “Tia the villain is going to get away let me help.”  She scowled at me and grunted in reply.  I started running towards the burning building. Suddenly I ran into a wall. Did Tia just forcefield me? She definitely did. “Tia what the hell!”
“I told you to stand over there”
“Tia you can’t do this alone”
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do Julie”
“Just let me help. I’ve got this okay?”
“ You're going to screw this up”
“ No, I’m not. I’m going to help.”
“Fine”
“Fine”
I Started running into the building and started saving people. They were heavy, and it was crazy hot, but somehow it seemed easy. I knew what to do.
“Tia you have to go fight the Villain.”
“Don’t tell me what to do Julie”
“Tia this is a TEAM mission. We’re a TEAM”
“ You do it then.”
“Fight the villain?”
“Yes you can do it”
“But..”
“Julie GO”
I found the villain and started fighting him. He was bigger than me and probably much stronger. These fights are serious, and the other students show no mercy. The teachers want to see if we could actually fight a villain on a real mission. 
That's when I blacked out. Apparently I beat him by a long shot, but after tying him up, I tripped on the rope i tied him up with, hit my head, and passed out. Just in time for the timer to go off and the simulation to end. I woke up to Tia and Mr. Taylor kneeling over me.
“ Julie, Julie are you okay?” asked Mr. Taylor
My head was pounding, and everything was achy.
“No? But… yeah.”
“ That was crazy.” said Tia “Sorry I underestimated you… and I was pretty rude.”
“Thanks… it’s okay… I wasn’t the nicest either.”
“Okay we’re going to get you to the Nurse’s office Julie.” Said Mr. Taylor, “Great Job”
That was 10 years ago. Now, my Husband and I own a restaurant and are expecting our first child in the fall. Tia Walker and I quickly became close friends after that test mission , she went on to be a professional superhero and has gotten a lot less mean.