Higher Learning
Danny barged into Paige's office without knocking, ignoring her startled yelp, and proceeded to panic. In a major way.
"I don't understand," he said when the rant had finished. "Fire is my thing. I'm good at fire. Why do I get lumbered with ice as well?"
Paige stood up from her desk, slightly taken aback by the sheer energy of the young man's anxiety.
"I think it makes sense." She said. "Fire and ice are polar opposites, right? Maybe your powers are some kind of supernatural thermostat."
Danny stared at her in abject confusion.
"A thermostat?"
"Yeah," Paige nodded encouragingly. "A similar thing happened to my sister. She had the power to freeze things, and then she got the power to blow stuff up too. Apparently, it's all about the movement of molecules. I never really understood it that well."
Danny shook his head.
"You mean this is permanent? Not just some magical screw-up?"
"Well I could ask Brigitte to go Up There and check, if you like."
"Would you mind? 'Cause I gotta say, this has got me pretty freaked out."
Paige agreed to talk to Brigitte the next time she saw her, and Danny left. A few minutes later, the recently conjured Mr Right came out from under the desk, and continued the private lesson with Miss Matthews.
"You should be glad you've got a new power," Rosario said at lunch. "This glamour thing gets dull after a while – I mean, why would I want to look like someone else, when I'm so flawless to begin with? I'm telling you, those Higher Powers seriously messed up when they were handing out the magic."
Danny laughed. It was amazing how Rosie could take anyone's problem and turn it into her own. It was helpful, in a way – it distracted him from his new 'gift'.
"I guess ice wouldn't be so bad..." he mused. "I was just so surprised, I mean, it's trouble enough trying to control fire. Every time I get angry, things heat up. Do you think I'll start being cold to people now? Like, literally cold?"
"I don't know," said Rosario, changing the colour of her nail polish with a blink. Deciding she didn't like it, she shook her head and the purple returned to a dark blue. "But just think, you'll be handy to have around in winter and summer now!"