Chapter 26 - 26. Vouchers
"Miss, we are here to redeem the promotion prize!" Jane announced their goals holding up her spicy chicken wrap. Art and Asher followed her and did the same.
The cafeteria worker's jaw dropped, "Three! But you all just bought them at the same time!" She was stunned. 'How lucky can they be that all three got them at the same time. I will be having a word with the other workers who placed the pre-made wraps on the warming table. "Ehm, Congratulations on being this year's winners. You three are the second, third and fourth to claim the prize. I will give you all a voucher for your prize to be used at any hero corp design center." She gathered herself and pulled out three blue and purple vouchers. They were water proof and had a space for a signature. "These are transferable if you do not wish to hold on to them but I would recommend you three sign them now."
Art and Jane grabbed pans from the cafeteria worker and signed their name on the spot. However Asher hesitated and put it in his pocket. "Asher what's up? Are you going to give it away?" Art saw this as he slipped his own in to his pocket.
"Well I have no idea what I would use it to get yet. I need to learn more about my powers for what I might need in the next three years of high school." He was thinking for his junior year next year and his senior year. Eventually he would be in the same situation as his sister trying to show off to the universities to get scouted in to a program. He was taking the smart path and saving it for when he would better use it. If he had any use at all.
"Well I know exactly what I will use it for so don't go copying my design for my combat suit. I will be winning the combat tournament for our grade this year and next year, and our senior year so you don't need to worry about that. I will let you have second place though." Art was riding the high of victory.
"Don't act all high and mighty. It was that weird lucky fist bump you had us do. If Asher hadn't joined then I doubt we would have won. He's the lucky charm of the class." Jane had the feeling that if Asher wasn't around then they wouldn't have won anything at all.
Asher looked down a little embarrassed, "Just because my power was lucky in its name doesn't mean that I am actually lucky…"
"You're right, Asher is the best good luck charm there is!" Art laid a hand on his shoulder smiling like a fool. "Promise never to leave my side buddy!"
"Eww no, get off me you weirdo." Asher tried to escape his grip and looked to Jane for assistance but she was too busy laughing. Or at least that was what it looked like since her shoulders were bouncing and she was clutching her side.
The girl that had tried to manipulate the wind in their dodge ball battle earlier had fixed her hair in to it's usual smooth style. She had been late to lunch due to her spending the time to fix her hair. 'Awe..I am definitely too late to win now.' She had gotten to the front of the line just as the cafeteria worker was bombarded by the three familiar faces of her classmates.
The scene that unfolded was both shocking and also disheartening as she saw them all show their winning symbols. "Wow you guys are so lucky. I just got here and there's only like ten wraps left…" She had just barely been loud enough for Asher to hear.
"Your hair looks much better that way then sticking all up." Asher's strange greeting put her off just a little. "I haven't properly introduced myself to you yet but I am Asher Ronan. Your power to control wind is really cool. I bet you can fly if you practice!" She was enamored with how excited he seemed to get at the prospect of her being able to fly.
"Um, well I have tried but I can't make the wind do what I want yet...Oh, I'm Sammy Young. I have wind control…" She started to repeat her power but realized that it was obvious since everyone in their class had already seen it when she had sneezed at their gym period.
"We are going back over to the table in the corner there. You should come eat with us after you get your lunch!" Asher started to turn but stopped giving a look at the spicy chicken wraps left. "I have a good feeling about that one with the torn tin foil." He pointed out one that looked like it had been squished under the whole pile of wraps.
"But it lo-.." Asher had already headed off to the table he had pointed to. Art and Jane had gotten ahead of him. 'Well I might as well right?' Sammy grabbed the torn and squished looking wrap and placed it on her lunch tray. The cafeteria worker gave her a look that asked; Do you really want that one?
Sammy fully committed to this one as she paid for her lunch and immediately let her curiosity take over. 'Come on please lady luck be with me today.' She tore the rest of the wrapper revealing the wrinkly looking top which had no marks. She looked so disappointed.
"Try turning it over." The cafeteria worker was equally curious if there would be a fifth winner since no one else had come up. 'I swear if one of the students ate it without checking the bottom I will quit this job forever' She was afraid that the fifth voucher would go unused this year.
Sammy took the cafeteria workers advice and rolled the chicken wrap on its side. "Ah!!" her loud shot caused the wind in the cafeteria to pick up blowing napkins in to a tornado. She was jumping in the middle of her own little rain of napkins and plastic silverware holding up a winning chicken wrap.
'Please rest well today.' The cafeteria worker said a silent prayer for the custodian knowing that he would have a pretty large chore to clean all this mess up. She surveyed the area seeing that all the students affected by this wind were showing faces of jealousy and annoyance. "Now now, get a hold of yourself. Your wind is getting food everywhere." She jumped in to mediate making most look away from the jumping girl. She handed over the voucher and recited the same speech as before.
Sammy signed the voucher instantly, she could not hold back her brimming smile as she rushed to the table where art, Asher, and Jane were digging in to their wraps. "I won too, you picked the right one for me! How did you know!?" She leaned over the table getting right in Asher's face.
"Hey! Asher is eating, get out of his face!" Jane reacted and pulled Sammy back who realized her blunder immediately. Her eyes were still staring at Asher refusing to move without getting her answer.
Art responded while Asher tried to swallow his food to respond. "Asher is the good luck charm of our class. Of course he would pick the winner, it's only natural for him." Bragging like this was a fatal flaw for Art but instead of making Sammy retract it only made her more excited.
"You have to get a desk next to me when we switch! If you help me on the multiple choice answers I am sure to pass our next geometry test!" Sammy could only think of how much easier it would be if she followed Asher's flow when it came to testing.
"What? I am terrible at geometry." Asher found his voice after he finished his mouthful of food. "I just pointed at a random one. You are the one who chose it at the end of the day so you are the lucky one." This did not seem to release any of the pressure behind Sammy's gaze. Trying to get her distracted he decided to properly introduce the others, "This is Jane and Art, they are my best friends. I am going to beat them to becoming a professional hero after graduation." He threw in a little spice to get Art in to the conversation. It worked like a charm.
"Oh no you don't! If you listen to him you'll end up betting on the wrong guy." Art didn't even wait to finish his bite and was already talking.
Jane looked at their newly introduced lunch mate, So with your power you can pursue a lot of careers right?"
"Yes, elemental powers always have a variety to choose from. But I was actually thinking of law enforcement too. The skies are full of trouble now that there are so many people that can fly. My father flies planes and always complains about how many people can get in the way." Sammy spilled her desires to protect the skies.