Wooden Horse
by northern

One morning at breakfast, Lance cleared his throat and told them all. "I have a new power."

"Wow!" JC said and looked at Lance, a smile growing on his face. "What is it? When did you get it?"

Lance smiled secretively. "I've actually had it for a week now." His cheeks were flushed.

Chris put his cup down and sighed. "Come on, then, tell us what it is. It better not be like Justin's lame-ass shrinking food thing."

Justin smacked Chris on top of the head. "I liked that one! I could make tiny little pizzas and everything!"

Lance waited until he had everyone's attention. Then he said, "I can make things alive."

They looked in disbelief at him, except for JC, who was smiling in an encouraging way.

"No, I mean it. Look at this chair." Lance put his hand on top of the backrest of Joey's chair and closed his eyes. Joey flinched and got off the chair in a hurry. "Damn! It moved!"

"I told you," Lance said smugly.

They all gathered around the chair and stared at it. It was maybe swaying a little, if you squinted.

Chris took a step forward and patted the chair's armrest, pulling his hand back quickly. When nothing happened, he looked back at Lance. "Come on! This isn't alive. Joey, what kind of joke is this?"

"No, I swear it moved." Joey was rubbing the side of his neck. "It kind of... shuddered. Creepy feeling." He wiped his hand on his pants.

"It's not alive, I'm telling you!" Chris said stubbornly and sat down on the chair. He held out his hands. "See? Nothing. Lance sucks at gags."

"You might wanna move now," Lance said and smirked.

Chris planted his feet and crossed his arms. "Uh-uh. Not moving. You don't have a new power."

The air around Chris and the chair blurred. It looked like Chris did a single bounce, up and down. From his expression, the bounce had not been voluntary. Chris grabbed hold of the seat and looked at Joey with wide eyes.

Justin giggled, clapping a hand over his mouth, as the chair began making small jumps back and forth.

Lance's smirk grew wider. "Are you sure you don't want to get off, Chris?"

Chris looked a little whiter, but held on tight to the seat and shook his head.

Lance turned to Joey. "They usually become more and more alive, until they explode," he explained earnestly.

"Explode?!" Joey looked worried. "But shouldn't we warn him, or something?"

"Naah. It's not a big explosion. And he's earned it." Lance looked on as the chair started running with it's stiff, un-jointed legs. Its path looked random, but it still managed to avoid the walls and other furniture. Justin had to stop giggling long enough to jump out of the way, though. The chair didn't seem to have a sense for humans. Chris did a good job of holding on, but he was starting to look seriously rattled.

JC came up and put his head on Lance's shoulder. "It's cute," he whispered in his ear. "Can you make me a piano like that?"