I stood outside the consultation room for a moment, wishing that the power I had developed had been super hearing. But I couldn’t hear anything beyond the thick, heavy set wooden door.

So I put my hands in my pockets and slinked back down the corridor to the waiting room where I took a seat again. My eyes fell on the out of date magazines in the middle of the room and I thought about reading one of them, but I was too distracted. What did the doctor need to talk to Mom about in private? I wanted to know.

I played my eye bouncing game with the other patients again. The Dad and his son had gone. The old lady was still here, now snoring gently with her head resting against the wall. The girl whom I might have recognised from school was still here too, I had noticed when I came in. Who was she? When I bounced my eyes to her...

...she was already looking right at me.

My body jolted but I think I managed to hide it. Eye contact had been made. Why was she looking at me?

Her squint transformed into recognition. “Hey, aren’t you Ali Carter’s friend?”

Oh no, I’ve been identified. Now the whole school’s going to know that I was at the doctor’s with my Mom. This is a disaster. This is the end of the world. This is literally the apocalypse. Hold on--did she just say ‘friend?!’

“Um...er...yeah, I guess I am…”

Donotsayyournamedonotsayyournamedonotsayyourname. She carried on looking at me, as if expecting something else. “I’m Gonzalo. Gonzalo Lopez.” Idiot.

“Gonzalo, that’s right!” The cherry coated lips pulled up into a crescent. “You’re her Physics lab partner, aren’t you? I’m Sam Summers. Nice to meet you. I’d shake your hand but I’m kinda sick...”

Why was she talking to me like I was a normal person? Two girls doing this in the same year! It must be the powers. I realised I hadn’t spoken for a few moments. That was impolite.

“No worries…” I tried. “Me too.” I coughed into my hand pitifully a couple of times.

“It’s the worst, isn’t it?” Sam shook her head slightly from side to side. Her blonde hair was immaculately styled in deliberate curls. She must have done that just to go the doctor. “Hey...you’ve probably already heard, but I’m having a birthday party on Friday at my place in Queen’s...you know, if I’m feeling better, that is. My parents are away and they don’t know I’m doing it--it’s going to be awesome. You can come if you like. You can bring Ali.”

My palms were clammy. This had never happened before. Of course I wanted to go--if this was a potential excuse to spend more time with Ali, outside of school, I wanted in. But what was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to convey my enthusiasm?

“Shift your tuckus, Gonzalo,” said my Mom, “let’s go.”

This time I couldn’t stop myself from jumping. I span in the air and nearly collided with Mom. She was done discussing me with the doctor and had reappeared in the waiting room. She stopped when she noticed I was talking to someone.

“Ah, who is this?” she said, her voice turning musical. “Do you know this young lady, Gonzalo? You were in the waiting room before,” she said to Sam. She turned back to me and said accusingly, “Son, why didn’t you introduce me? Are you embarrassed of the mother who gave you birth?”

This cannot be happening. Everything was going so well a moment ago. Why is this happening? There is no God.

“Oh,” said Sam, “we only just met, really. I sort of know one of your son’s friends from school. A bit.”

“Is that so?” said Mom, smiling. “Well, young lady, if you would ever like to come over to our apartment for tea and pretzels, you would be very welcome. Heaven knows I have never seen Gonzalo even speaking with a pretty girl before.”

Sam giggled. “Thank you, Mrs Lopez--I’ll keep that in mind.”

My cheeks actually physically prickled from my blush. Mom had held all this kind of thing back when we were talking to the doctor; why was she letting loose now? I wished that the ground would swallow me up, digest me and fart me into oblivion. “Better go...” I found the strength somewhere to mumble.

“Oh, there’s no rush, Gonzalo,” said my Mom. Ah. She was enjoying this.

“Yes there is...we’ve got that...thing…” I literally pulled my mother away from my high school peer and out of the waiting room.

“Maybe see you later this week,” Sam said as we left, slipping me a wink.

I wanted to say “Maybe!” Instead, all that came out was “Meep…” in a kind of stifled squeak. You weakling.

I dropped my head and resumed watching my feet as Mom and I marched out of the hospital and back onto the grey sidewalks.

“That was very rude, Gonzalo,” said Mom next to me. “I was having a very pleasant conversation with that nice young lady. Oh well, I’m just glad to see you socialising with someone. You never tell me about your friends, and sometimes I wonder if you don’t have any, so it’s good to meet one and to hear about another one of them.”

That smarted a bit, but the thing was, I suppose I did have a friend now, in Ali. Not a girlfriend, not yet anyway, but maybe a friend. And I might actually now have a chance of making some more. “Sorry Mom…” I said. “I guess I was just a little... embarrassed…” I changed the subject to something more pressing. “Hey, what did Dr Black want to say to you in private?”

Mom went quiet for a moment. “Oh… He just told me that I needed to take extra care of you until we get the phone call. You’re a special boy, Gonzalo, you know that, don’t you? A very special boy…” Were her eyes filling up with tears again? If they were, she blinked them away. She must be really proud of me. “I’m very lucky to be your mother. You are very gifted. But I’ll always be here to take care of you. You know that?”

“I know Mom, I know,” I said. Gee, what is it with mothers? I did appreciate her looking after me, I really did. But couldn’t she see that it was time for me to grow up and become a man now?

I had superpowers.

I had a date with Ali Carter.

And now I had an invite to a party I could take her to!

Friday couldn’t come soon enough.