by Marilyn Kaye
She didn’t even have to read minds to know that some of them were just deadly dull. Every day, there were ‘group’ sessions she had to attend. Around ten residents gathered with a counsellor to talk. What they mostly did was complain and find other people to blame for their situations – usually a mother or a father. It was boring.
So she’d been hanging out by herself, eating alone, not making any effort to connect with anyone. She supposed there had to be some decent people here, but she just couldn’t get up the energy to make the effort to find them.
She’d been almost glad when another resident assistant, Carrie, told her she was getting a roommate yesterday. But when the new girl, Kristy, arrived, Jenna could see right away that her life was only going to get worse.
She didn’t look terrible – in fact, she was something of a goth herself, with dyed black hair and several prominent piercings. She even had tattoos, something Jenna hadn’t got into yet. But the minute Carrie left them alone together in the bedroom, Kristy reached into her bag and pulled out a cigarette.
Jenna didn’t want the new girl to think she was some sort of goody-goody, but once Kristy lit up the smell was too seriously disgusting.
‘Um, I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules,’ she murmured. ‘Not that I care about rules,’ she added hastily, ‘but someone’s going to smell the smoke in the hall and you’ll get into trouble.’
No sooner had the words left her mouth than there was a sharp rap at the door and Carrie entered.
‘No smoking,’ she declared, and pointed to the very visible sign of a cigarette with a big X over it on the wall. She took the cigarette from Kristy, and then, without even asking permission, she went into Kristy’s bag. Removing the pack of cigarettes, she said, ‘You’re getting a demerit for that.’
‘Like I care,’ Kristy muttered, as soon as Carrie left. She then began to regale Jenna with her reasons for being at Harmony House. It seemed that Kristy had been part of a gang that was robbing convenience stores. She went on and on about how cool it was to hold a gun and scare the wits out of some guy behind the counter at two in the morning.
She didn’t say if she’d ever actually used the gun, and Jenna suspected she hadn’t, because Kristy seemed like the type who would brag about it if she’d shot someone. As her tales went on, Jenna wondered which was worse – someone who wept over her crimes or someone who boasted about them. The latter, she decided. Her former roommate at Harmony House may have got on her nerves, but this one was truly creepy.
Fortunately, her new roommate discovered that some old pals of hers were in residence at Harmony House, and she spent the rest of the evening in search of them. Kristy slept late and skipped breakfast that morning – which resulted in another demerit – and Jenna didn’t even have to eat lunch with her today in the dining hall. Kristy spent her lunchtime at the table famous for hosting the most serious offenders.
But Jenna couldn’t avoid her for ever, and she wasn’t surprised when Kristy ambled into the lounge. Of course, she wouldn’t have any visitors – she was still in her first forty-eight hours. Without even asking Jenna if she was watching whatever was currently showing on TV, Kristy picked up the remote control and started hitting channel buttons. Then she reached into her pocket and took out another pack of cigarettes.
As she lit up, Jenna spoke.
‘There’s a resident assistant around,’ she warned Kristy.
Kristy glanced at her briefly. ‘That Peter guy, right?’
Jenna nodded.
Kristy uttered a short laugh, and took another drag. Jenna wondered if the girl was really as tough – or as stupid – as she acted. With nothing else to do, she poked around Kristy’s mind.
. . . hate this place . . . maybe it won’t be so bad . . . can’t make phone calls, that sucks . . . gotta figure out a way to get in touch with Pete . . . tell him to come on Monday and bring E . . .
E . . . she could be referring to a person whose first initial was E. But it was more likely she was talking about Ecstasy. Oh, great, Jenna thought. Cigarettes were bad enough. Now this idiot was going to try to get high in here.
The smell of the cigarette was making her nauseous. Another resident, a boy, came into the lounge, and Jenna looked at him hopefully. Maybe the smell would bother him too, and together they could get Kristy to put out the cigarette.
But the boy wasn’t staying. ‘You guys seen Peter?’
‘He’s around somewhere,’ Kristy said.
The boy seemed a little nervous as he touched the pocket of his jeans. ‘Well, if you see him, tell him I’ve got something for him.’
Puzzled, Jenna couldn’t help wondering why the boy looked so uneasy, his eyes darting around the room. One quick sweep of his mind gave her the answer. He was carrying a bag of weed.
That was when it hit her. Peter Blake was using residents to get drugs. He was telling them to get their visitors to smuggle the junk into Harmony House. Maybe he was bribing them with extra privileges – like giving Kristy the right to smoke. Or it could be blackmail. He’d discover someone breaking a rule and make a deal – no demerit in return for a favour.
And this would explain why she, Jenna, had no visitors. She leaped up, went out into the hall and down the stairs to the office of Ms Landers.
‘Hey, you can’t just go in there!’ the secretary exclaimed. But Jenna walked right past her and opened the door to the director’s office.
The director wasn’t alone. That cop, Jack Fisher, was sitting on the other side of her desk. Landers looked up with annoyance written all over her face.
‘Young lady, you do not barge into my office like that!’
Jenna ignored that. ‘I want to know why I haven’t had any visitors,’ she demanded.
The woman’s expression didn’t change, but at least she answered her. ‘I explained this when you entered. The accumulation of demerits results in the loss of privileges. Five demerits means no visitors or phone calls for twenty-four hours.’
Jenna’s eyebrows went up. ‘I have five demerits?’
‘Six, I believe. Let’s see . . .’ she turned to her computer and hit a couple of keys. ‘Sneaking over to the boys’ dormitory wing. Picking fights. Smoking in your room.’
As she continued with her litany of fabricated violations, Jenna wanted to hit herself on the head for being so incredibly stupid. Peter had asked her if she had friends who would do ‘favours’. She didn’t know what he was talking about, but he’d assumed she was refusing to ask her friends to bring in drugs, or whatever else he asked residents to smuggle in for him. So he’d made up infractions for her and given her demerits. It was a punishment for not cooperating.
She should have figured this out that first day, in the dining hall. But what could she have done about it? There was no way she’d ask her friends to do something like that. Her friends couldn’t do anything about it anyway! She tried to picture Emily looking around a bad neighbourhood for a drug dealer.
‘If you feel these demerits are unwarranted, you may appeal against them,’ the woman said. ‘But not at this moment – I’m busy. You can make an appointment with the secretary.’
Jenna left, and passed the secretary without bothering to make an appointment. What good would it do? She couldn’t tell Landers about Peter Blake. She wouldn’t believe her. And if she directed Landers towards the others who were being threatened or bribed, they’d only deny it. And how would she prove she was telling the truth? Admit to having read their minds?
Outside the office, she paused in the empty corridor and leaned against a wall to catch her emotional breath. She’d been screwed, that’s all there was to it. And there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it.
‘Are you OK, Jenna?’
She hadn’t even heard Jack-the-cop come out of the office.
‘I’m fine,’ she said shortly.
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of chewing gum. ‘Want some gum?’
‘No.’
; She knew how rude she must sound, but what did it matter? He’d heard Landers’s report on her. He knew she was nothing but trouble.
But she could have sworn she saw something else in his eyes. And just out of curiosity, she peeked into his head.
. . . surprised . . . she doesn’t seem like the type . . . is she covering for someone? Wish I could get her to open up to me . . .
She must have been staring at him, because he cocked his head to one side and smiled. ‘Want to talk?’
She did – but not to him. Not to a cop. She didn’t care how much sympathy she saw in his eyes or read in his mind, she couldn’t trust him.
‘No,’ she said, and walked away. But just as she was about to turn the corner, she looked back at him. Somehow, she managed to get one more word out.
‘Thanks.’
CHAPTER NINE
IN THE KITCHEN AT home, Tracey sat on the counter – a position that was forbidden in the Devon home. But it didn’t matter, since her mother couldn’t see her.
Her mother stood just a few feet away, with the phone in her hand.
‘Tracey isn’t here, Emily,’ she was saying. She laughed nervously. ‘Actually, she might very well be here, but she’s not available, if you know what I mean. I haven’t seen her since she left for school yesterday.’
There was a pause, which Tracey assumed meant that Emily was responding. Then her mother spoke again.
‘No, I’m not worried. Not yet. I mean, this has happened before. I’m sure she’ll turn up eventually.’
Eventually. That was the key word. Tracey hadn’t gone this long without reappearing since – since the days before Amanda changed her. At least now her parents actually noticed that she wasn’t visible. That was definitely an improvement.
Her problem now was figuring out how to share what she’d learned from Amanda yesterday. The only person she’d be able to communicate with was Ken. But every time she’d tried to defend Amanda, everyone told her she was being silly. They all thought that just because Amanda had inhabited Tracey’s body and improved Tracey’s life, Tracey had some dumb notion that she owed Amanda something.
But there was one other possible connection – Jenna. Could Jenna read the mind of an invisible person? Jenna could read people’s minds when she couldn’t see them, but Tracey couldn’t recall any circumstance when Jenna had read her mind when she was invisible. Maybe if Tracey thought about what she’d learned from Amanda, Jenna would ‘hear’ her. Their gifts were constantly developing, evolving – she’d seen Charles display an aspect to his gift she’d never seen before. It was possible that her own gift, and Jenna’s too, had potential they hadn’t yet discovered.
But only if Jenna knew that Tracey wanted her mind to be read. Tracey had to get close enough to Jenna to give her some kind of signal, to let her know. And how could she get close to her when she wasn’t permitted any visitors?
Tracey had to laugh at herself. What an idiot she was! She was invisible, she didn’t need anyone’s permission to visit Jenna.
She had to take three buses to get to Harmony House, but her biggest problem was not the distance or the time it would take to get there. Her chief concern was getting on and off each bus; if no one else was waiting at the bus stop or getting off there, the bus wouldn’t stop or open its doors. Fortunately, this only happened once, and someone came along, which enabled her to get on the next one. The positive aspect was the fact that she didn’t have to pay for the ride – but being a basically honest person, she didn’t feel very good about this. Riding for free seemed like stealing. But she couldn’t waste energy feeling guilty about it – she had no other option.
Jenna’s residence didn’t look like a prison. The brick building was painted white, and it was set way back on a green lawn. The sign on the lawn read ‘Harmony House,’ not ‘Detention Centre’ or anything like that. There were bars on the windows, but they’d been painted white too and shaped in a design that made them look more like window decorations. Tracey suspected that the two men who were standing on either side of the front door were guards, but at least they weren’t dressed like guards, and she couldn’t see any guns. They could have been doormen at a hotel.
When someone came out, she slipped inside. Now the place looked more like an institution, with its sickly green walls and the lobby that seemed more like a waiting room. But Tracey had no time to waste on criticizing the decor. She had no idea if she might suddenly become visible again. This was a pretty big place and she had no idea where Jenna might be.
Luckily, it was dinner time, and she followed people who all seemed to be heading in the same direction – a dining hall. And there she found Jenna, sitting alone at a table.
From a distance, Tracey studied her friend, and her heart ached for Jenna. She wore that dark, angry face that Tracey remembered from when she first saw her, the day Jenna entered the Gifted class. Her expression had softened considerably since then. Even when Jenna was doing her ‘I’m-tough-as-nails’ thing, she didn’t look so – so enraged. And something else too. Sad. In Tracey’s opinion, sad was worse than angry.
She moved closer and closer, until she was at the table, standing right in front of Jenna.
Jenna, it’s me, Tracey.
But Jenna’s expression didn’t change. Tracey wasn’t surprised. If Jenna didn’t know she was there, she wouldn’t try to read Tracey’s mind. How could she let Jenna know of her presence? She considered various possibilities.
Recalling her mother and the handbag, Tracey took a salt shaker from another table and placed it in front of Jenna. But the sudden appearance of a salt shaker didn’t grab Jenna’s attention. Obviously, her mind was elsewhere.
Tracey removed her own headband from her hair. It was something she wore a lot, and maybe Jenna would recognize it. She dropped it, and it landed right on top of Jenna’s sandwich.
Jenna saw it, but her reaction wasn’t what Tracey expected. She snatched up the band and stood up.
‘Whoever threw this at me, you’re in trouble!’ she yelled.
A couple of kids giggled, but the people sitting closest to Jenna just stared at her blankly. Jenna walked over to the trash bins and dropped the headband in one.
Tracey watched her mournfully. It had been one of her favourites. But she should have known that Jenna wouldn’t notice what other people wore, not even her closest friends. Jenna was the opposite of Amanda – she didn’t care about stuff like that.
She’d probably know what she herself was wearing, though. Jenna’s necklace, a thick silver thing with a dangling pendant of a skull, was one she wore frequently. Moving around the table, Tracey quickly lifted the necklace over Jenna’s head and dropped it in front of her.
Jenna whirled around. But no one could have approached her and got away so quickly. She picked up the necklace and examined the clasp. Then she shrugged and put it back around her neck.
What else could she do, Tracey wondered. Gather up plates and bowls and dump them on Jenna’s table? That would get Jenna’s attention, but it would attract attention from the others in the dining hall too. She was getting desperate – she had to talk to Jenna. She had to share this information, she wanted Jenna’s advice and opinion. Jenna would know what Tracey should do. She had to make contact with her. She needed her friend!
Suddenly, Jenna’s eyes widened. ‘Tracey?’ she whispered.
Yes! Yes, it’s me, I’m right across the table from you. How did you know I was here?
Jenna put a hand over her mouth and spoke so softly that Tracey had to lean across the table to hear her.
‘I don’t know, but it happened once before, when Emily was trapped by Serena at school. I guess she was trying so hard to make contact with me that I actually heard her.’
Just like me, Tracey said with feeling. I’ve got to talk to you.
‘What’s going on?’ She’d taken her hand away from her mouth, and a couple of kids at the next table glanced at her curiously. Jenna quickly speared a carrot from her plat
e, stuck it in her mouth and chewed furiously.
Just listen. I’ve learned something. This wouldn’t be breaking the promise she’d made to Amanda. Because she wasn’t ‘telling’ the secret – she was only thinking it.
Silently, Tracey recalled the story Amanda had told her about Mr Jackson. She’s telling the truth, Jenna, I’m sure of it. And it all makes sense, when you think about it. The spy is reporting to Mr Jackson. That’s how he found out about our gifts.
‘So it was Jackson who put the knife in my locker?’
I think so.
‘But who’s the spy?’ Jenna asked. ‘Who’s telling Jackson about us?’ Realizing she was talking out loud, she clapped a hand over her mouth but it was too late. People turned to look at her. And one guy, with a bad complexion and a ponytail, sauntered over to her.
‘Talking to yourself, Jenna?’ he asked unpleasantly.
Jenna glared at him. ‘Does that get me another demerit?’
‘No,’ the guy said. ‘Just a report to Doctor Paley.’
Can we go someplace private? Tracey asked.
Jenna rose, and picked up her tray. Tracey followed her as she left the tray by the bins, and went out of the dining hall.
‘We’re going to my room,’ Jenna murmured as they walked.
But they weren’t going to get any privacy there. A girl was lying on one of the twin beds, and smoking a cigarette.
Jenna spoke. ‘Get out of here with that cigarette or I’ll ram it down your throat.’
The girl smirked. ‘Is that a threat?’
‘No,’ Jenna said. ‘It’s a promise.’
Tracey was impressed. She knew Jenna could act tough, but she’d never heard her sound quite so scary.
The girl got the message. Once she was out of the room, Jenna threw herself on the other twin bed. ‘That threat’s going to get me another demerit. Which will probably mean another day of no visitors.’
Is that why they’ve been telling us you can’t have visitors? Because you’ve got demerits?