“Phila! There you are,” said Chad rushing to catch up with Phila, who was walking to the lounge. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” Phila looked him coldly in the eyes.

“I’ll bet you have,” she said harshly, pushing him out of her way as she made her way into the lounge.

“Phila,” said Chad as he put his hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t,” snapped Phila as she covered her body in piercing metal spikes. “Please.”

“I’m sorry about-”

“Just go away. Don’t you see that I don’t want to talk to you? Just get out of here. I never want to talk to you again,” roared Phila, towering over him. Chad’s eyes widened as he looked at the ground and walked away.

* * *

Ella was walking to Power Art and saw Garnet and Amethyst having a hushed conversation in the hallway. She was going to catch up, but heard something much more interesting and decided to listen in.

Garnet whispered, “That Chad… he changed so much! Do you remember, back when I had just come, he was our orientation guide-- this sweet, shy guy… I knew there was something fishy about him…”

Amethyst nodded. “But I hate to assume that he’s a full on murderer, you know? There’s just not enough scientific evidence,” she interrupted Garnet’s words, “And yes, we need scientific evidence, something not based on assumptions and inner feelings.”

Garnet sighed. “Maybe we should ask one of the new girls to help gather some. I think Ella was rather taken by him.”

Amethyst responded, “She’s ‘rather taken’ by all guys.”

Garnet and Amethyst laughed. “Speaking of, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to help me make a love potion for her, to give to some guy? I hate to see her heart broken again and again.”

Garnet agreed, “Good idea. And while you’re at it…” She continued talking

Ella realized that the conversation was no longer about Chad and therefore not secretive. She came up to them. “Hey Garnet, Amethyst!”

Garnet smiled as if the serious conversation had never happened. “Good morning! What class do you have now?”

Ella looked at her notebook. “Power art.”

Amethyst laughed. “Well, in that case, you already passed it. Five doors down on the left.”

Ella glanced back. “Oh, no! Thanks guys, see you later!”

Ella debated whether to tell the others what she overheard, but finally gave in.

“They want to make a love potion for us?” asked Phila, stabbing her clay sculpture with a metal spoon. It was easier for her to transform into any figure than it was for the clay, and she was easily becoming frustrated.

Ella shook her head. “For me! And that’s not the important part!”

“If they do it to you, they’re bound to do it for me. Look what Chad did. Next time, they're going to want to make sure he actually likes me,” grumbled Phila.

Ella shook her head.” Why don’t you just ask Amethyst to make you one? She enjoys making potions so much it’s scary.”

“No, it has to be natural,” said Phila.

Dian shook her head. “Then why did you want a love potion in the first place?”

“If you actually paid attention to what I was saying,” said Phila. “You would have noticed that I seem agitated by the fact that they’re going to make some guy fall in love with me because they feel sorry for me.”

Ella blinked. “You do? I didn’t notice.” Phila gave Ella a bland look.

The teacher, Mr. Isley, walked by. “Great job, Sahara, your glass bowl looks great! Excellent inspiration from your power!” He stopped and looked at Phila’s mound of stabbed clay.

“Interesting perception of the arts, I like how abstract it is!” he said, running his fingers through the lumpy spoon marks.

“Okay, that’s it. I’m officially done,” said Phila, stabbing her spoon into the clay and leaving the classroom.

“Marvelous!” said Mr. Isley. “This is getting more abstract by the minute!” Ella was busy gluing feathers on her styrofoam bird while Dian was splatter painting a canvas with electricity.

“Good work girls!” said Mr. Isley, making another round around the classroom.

“I wish he would stop doing that, it’s getting really annoying,” said Dian, noticing Phila came back into the room.

“I’m tired of everyone being phony,” she said. “Chad never really liked me, Amethyst wants to chemically create artificial love, and even Mr. Isley thinks my sculpture is amazing!”

“I love the addition of the spoon to your sculpture, it makes the viewer think about what was going on in your mind when you made this piece,” said Mr. Isley. Phila sighed.

“Even I’m artificial,” she said, folding her hands. Phila grabbed another spoon and went back to stabbing the clay.

“I think the love potion is a good idea,” said Ella. “But I want to pick out which boy I want.”

“Ella, that’s weird. What if you woke up and had a strange attraction to some creepy guy?” asked Sahara. “How would you feel?”

“Hey! I am not creepy,” said Ella, glueing the last feather on the bird.

“Look, the potion would eventually wear off and he would realize he’s dating you,” said Dian. “And he could break up with you when that happens.”

“I still want to try,” said Ella. “I want to know what it’s like to have someone love you.”