Gifted Connections 04

by S M Olivier

  Lincoln gave him a shrug and a little smile. “All the time.”

  “I bet you get laid all the time, too!” Mike said with jealously lacing his voice.

  Most of the guys laughed, but Lincoln just shrugged once more. “It gets old after a while.”

  I looked over at him in disbelief. I narrowed my eyes at him. I couldn’t believe him. Less than two weeks ago I witnessed him hook up with two girls at the same time. Whatever.

  I don’t care, I told myself. He meant nothing to me, even if we bore the same mark.

  “I totally expected to see you out there. We just saw some training videos of ya’ll the other day. You guys are sick! Where were you guys?” Tyler asked before he looked over at me.

  “I’m restricted to light duty,” I explained uncomfortably. They didn’t need to know the truth, at least not the whole truth.

  “She was too busy getting shot.” Mike smirked at me.

  He obviously followed the gossip rags, too. Mike could be a total jerk. I had tolerated him when we played together, but he purposely pushed people’s buttons all the time. I had a theory it was because his mother was overly devoted to her job and barely paid attention to her only son, but I still felt like it was a good excuse.

  “Is that why you’re here?” He looked over at Lincoln. “Wasn’t it you who saved her and shit?”

  “I didn’t save her.” Lincoln shook his head, looking like he barely tolerated Mike either. He was brash and loud, after all. “She actually saved my best friend, and I just happened to be nearby to help the bleeding stop.” His eyes met mine briefly. Since our verbal sparring match earlier, we kind of went back to our own corners and avoided each other.

  “Anna is your best friend?” Jemmy gushed, leaning into Lincoln. “That is so sweet that you’re best friends with a girl.”

  “That’s not what you said today to Gavin,” Sierra said with a deadpan expression, showing a rare side of herself. She was docile and laid back until she felt like someone important to her was under attack. Then she was quick to speak up. “You told us today you didn’t like how close Gavin was to Blake, that men and women shouldn’t be best friends.”

  I looked at Jemmy in confusion. She had never been intimidated by my friendship with him in the past, and I was the one who technically got them together. She looked away. She was still upset with me, apparently.

  “This is getting out of hand,” Drake muttered clearly upset at Jemmy.

  “You still play?” Ben asked, clearly trying to break the tension that just fell over the table as he looked over at me.

  I looked over at him, eagerly grasping onto the subject change. I was struggling, and Jemmy knew it, but instead of being there for me, it almost felt like she was against me. “Yes. I got a beautiful guitar and violin for my birthday,” I told him with a smile. “I play as often as I can.”

  “You down with playing for a little while? Unless you’re tired,” he added quickly.

  “I’m not tired yet, but my guitar is upstairs,” I frowned.

  “No worries,” Jaxson hopped up. “I’ll go get it.”

  “It’s still restricted.” I reminded him. “No one is supposed to go upstairs yet.”

  He flung out his arms dramatically. “I really don’t think all these girls packed their ho garb when they thought their lives were in danger. They definitely went back up at some point.”

  “Jaxson James,” I admonished him. I agreed with him, but I wore clothing like that at times, too. I didn’t want him to judge them even if they annoyed me. “Stop.”

  “Go get the guitar, man.” Noah laughed obviously amused by Jaxson calling the girls out. All of them had been making a point of strolling near the table.

  “I’ll go with you, Jax. Do you mind if I play with you guys?” Gavin asked me and Ben.

  I was surprised by Gavin’s desire to play with us. We played together from time to time, but he usually didn’t like playing in front of others. He just got accustomed to playing in front of family, but this was going outside of his standard comfort zone to the extreme. He was crazy talented, so I didn’t know why he was so shy.

  “Not at all,” Ben said enthusiastically. “I’m going to run and get my guitar.” He stood up and started to head towards the dorms.

  “I’m coming too, man,” Tyler said as he got up. “You guys jamming?” he asked Rick and Mike.

  “Count me out. I need to find some tail and get some sleep,” Mike said bluntly. “Yo, Jess,” he yelled down to the girl at the end of the table in the group Jace and Noah were sitting with. “You want some?”

  I saw her roll her eyes but get up. I knew most of them would be slipping away soon. Since they used their gifts quite a bit tonight, they would be craving the physical intimacy. I had already seen Terrance and Marcel slip off with a couple of the Nons.

  “I’m just going to chill,” Rick stated. He played the drums, so it wasn’t like he could do much without them.

  The South Carolina team and the Knights had already carried their bags into their dorms. Until we had everything put together upstairs, we would be living down here. I felt bad that the their first experience here would be under these circumstances. Granted, most of them volunteered to come here; but the fact still remained that they would be living in conditions they weren’t accustomed to. They would learn fast that the conveniences they were used to wouldn’t be as readily available.

  I leaned back in my chair, full and content. My mind began to wander over the whole day's events, and I stiffened as a thought crossed it.

  “Did we lose anyone?” I finally asked quietly.

  I hadn’t seen Will, Paul, or Kirk since I returned from the clinic, but then again, I had stayed longer, even after Dr. Wyatt told me I should go. I didn’t feel right leaving them until the chaos had subsided. I continued to work along with Dr. Wyatt and Paula until they were comfortable handing the reins over.

  Troy smiled and shook his head. “Thankfully, no. There’s a few of them that are definitely in critical condition and not out of the woods yet, but SC has an excellent healer with them.”

  “How many losses on the other side?” I inquired.

  “Twelve.” Remy frowned. “Sixteen injured. Thirty-four captured, including Alison.”

  My jaw dropped. “Does Jaxson and Jace know?” I asked quietly.

  Remy shook his head. “Not yet. They’ve already had a long day. We don’t need to add to it. They need to enjoy the night. Our people won a battle without us in the thick of it.”

  No wonder I hadn’t seen Will, Paul, and Kirk. They probably had their hands full dealing with all that. Troy had already told me that Leo was helping with the transport tomorrow, since his experience with catching fugitives with the FBI gave him the tools to deal with people that shouldn’t be trusted.

  We were informed earlier that the techs would be rolling out their new gadgets tonight. They had designed headpieces and gloves for the prisoners. Since most of our gifts manifested from our minds, the headpieces were designed to track our brain waves. Through several brain scans, they were able to determine when our gifts were being conjured. The moment the headpiece felt that part of our brains being activated it would shock the gifted. It wouldn’t kill them, but it was definitely painful. The gloves were for the people that manifested their gifts through their hands. No gift was able to penetrate the technology in the glove.

  I really hated the idea of them using them, but I figured it was better than the alternative. Our safety was of utmost importance. It was hard transferring the gifted that was dangerous. If they designed technology that helped the transporters, then so be it, but a part of me felt like it might be opening doors we didn’t want to have opened. I couldn’t help but wonder what the government would do if they found out that this technology existed. What would happen if the law was passed and they deemed all of us dangerous? Would all of us be forced to wear similar technology all the time?

  “Where’s Megan?” I asked. I wondered if she k
new her sister was now in the same building as she was.

  I was so thankful to have people like Megan, Beth, and Hazel around. They had been taking care of the younger ones all day. I felt terrible that I had only seen the kids in passing, but they didn’t seem terribly phased by it. The three women had been keeping them beyond busy.

  Poor Megan, though. I couldn’t imagine being related to and being best friends with someone for so many years, only to have it all fall apart one day. What was the turning point? When did it all start to crumble? If sisters could fall apart to that degree, was there any hope for Jemmy and me? I felt like we were headed down the same path, and I didn’t want that to happen. She was my first real best friend. She had made me feel so comfortable and made my transition into this world more manageable.

  I didn’t want to lose her but where did I begin to repair it?

  “She’s with Pops, Kirk, and Alison,” Troy confirmed, answering my earlier question.

  I looked over at him in confusion. “Why Kirk?”

  Troy smirked. “It still surprises me when you don’t do your research on every gifted person you encounter. Don’t you want to know what they can do?”

  I gave him an exasperated look. “Of course, I’m curious, and I want to know, but I remember when I was first introduced to the community, I hated when people asked me what I could do. I think it’s horribly intrusive, and I felt like if they wanted to tell me, they would let me know.”

  Troy chuckled. “You’re so cute,” he lowered his mouth next to my ear. “I want to kiss you so bad.”

  I smiled feeling, butterflies take flight in my stomach. “Same here, but you still haven’t told me why Kirk is with them.”

  “The technical term is a mouthful, so we call them Sleepers,” Remy said in amusement. “He’s able to render people unconscious with a simple touch. If the conversation starts going south or if Alison tries to use her gift, or if the new inhibitors don’t work, then he’s the backup. Greg determined Alison and another man we’re not familiar with are the strongest in their group and the ones to watch.”

  “They will be staying with us for a while,” Troy added. “They seemed to be the closest to Horatio, and they may be the ticket to finally bringing him down.”

  “Ta-da,” Jaxson cried triumphantly from behind me, making me jump. I hid my squeak just in time. He smiled, and I knew he purposely startled me. I gave him an indulgent smile as he handed me my guitar. “You’ll be happy to know that our apartment looks great. A lamp got knocked over, and we have to replace a few photo frames, but all is well.”

  “That is great to hear,” I said with a smile. I really hoped he didn’t see the uneasiness in my eyes. I thought he had the right to know that his mother was here, but I really didn’t want him to lose this side of him. He had been in a funk since we found out about Lincoln, but the last couple of days felt like I was getting him back. He was and always would be my candle. Even in my darkest places, he would shine the light. He held me through my terrors. He comforted me when I couldn’t sleep. But what endeared him to me the most was his ability to make me laugh and force me to find the humor in almost everything.

  Ben and Taylor had already gotten back, but I hadn’t even realized they were waiting patiently for us.

  “Okay let’s do this,” Ben said with a smile. “I remember you have an eclectic taste in music. What are we feeling?”

  I laughed. “Well, I know you like alternative and rock. You choose. I may or may not know it. Gavin’s pretty much all country, though.”

  We got up and arranged our chairs in a circle. Gavin pulled up beside me, Ben on the other side, and Tyler across from me.

  “Do you know Framing Hanley’s Hear Me Now?” he asked as he pulled out his tablet.

  I remembered from our sessions in the past that he had a music app that had the lyrics and music to almost every song out there. It self-scrolled and made it easy to follow along.

  “I’m familiar with the song. I’ve never played or sang it before.” I admitted. “Push play, I can follow.”

  Gavin was unable to read music yet. Jace was teaching him now as part of his Christmas present. He had a great ear, though, and picked up the music reasonably well.

  “You sing?” Ben asked, looking over at Gavin.

  Gavin nodded. “A little,” he said humbly.

  I laughed. “He’s good,” I reassured Ben.

  Ben smiled and nodded. “Okay, how about this, I’ll take the first verse. We all sing the chorus. Then my man…?” Ben shrugged and pointed at Gavin. Ben was horrible with names at times, and I assumed they hadn’t been introduced properly.

  “Gavin,” Gavin supplied with a small grin.

  “Right. Gavin, you take the second verse,” Ben continued. “Blake, I want you to take the bridges, and at the end of the song I want you to ad lib where you think we can use it.”

  “Okay,” I nodded as I checked if my guitar was in tune. I tuned it up and held up a thumb when I was ready. Ben found an additional chair to prop his tablet up for me and Gavin. I assumed that this was a song that they had been covering for some time.

  Ben started to play, and I pushed play on his tablet. I was immediately transported into the song as everything around me faded away. I liked that about music. Music had a way of transferring us to many places.

  I was vaguely aware that we sat in a mountain cave, in a lunchroom half full of people. My primary focus was on the music and listening to Ben as he belted out the lyrics. He really did have a great voice. I waited for the bridge and sang my part. Then as the chorus started, I harmonized with Ben and Gavin. I couldn’t help but notice how good our voices blended together.

  I was a soprano, Ben was a tenor, and Gavin was a baritone. Combined, our voices flowed with ease. This was the first time all three of us played and sang together, and it didn’t even sound like it. I could see the pleasure in Ben’s eyes, and I knew his thoughts reflected mine.

  When we were done with the song, Ben clapped and let out a whoop. “Wow, that was good. What song’s next?”

  “Your turn, Gav,” I smiled at Gavin.

  He really was coming out of his shell when it came to performing. I could see him shed his reservations and really getting into the song.

  Gavin took a deep breath in as he contemplated it for a moment. “Let’s do Just a Fool, by Christina Aguilera.” I gave him a raised brow, and he laughed. “What? It’s a good song and country isn’t the only music I listen to, just the one I prefer the most. Blake takes the first verse, we’ll join you at the chorus, and Ben you can do the second verse.”

  Ben already had it pulled up on his tablet, and I noticed even Taylor had to stand behind us to learn the song.

  I never even heard the song before, but as I sang it, I still gave it my all. I liked the song. It was probably the perfect song for how Gavin was feeling right now. I tried to convey his longing and pain into the song, imagining how he probably felt. He was struggling with his emotions and how Jemmy was treating him.

  I knew there was always two sides to every story, but in this case, I had complete faith that Jemmy was in the wrong. Gavin was attentive to Sierra and Jemmy. He made sure to make them both feel special. It wasn’t even. Having relationships like ours probably never would be, but he was trying, I was trying.

  When we finished the second song, I noticed several people were surrounding our table, and it wasn’t nearly as loud as it had been earlier. Next thing I knew, someone found Taylor a keyboard and we were having requests thrown our way.

  We were in our element and worked so well together.

  It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning I finally had to listen to my body. My head was beginning to spin, my hands were going numb, and my legs were cramping up. I wanted to believe it was because we had been up for so many hours and I was just tired, but I knew it wasn’t that.

  “Okay guys I got to call it a night,” I stated with a feigned smile.

  “Aww are you sure?” Ben gro
aned. “We don’t even have to start our day until noon.”

  “Which will come sooner than you think,” I attempted to stand up. “Now that you’ll be with us for a little while, we can try to play from time to time.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Ben mock pouted. “Gavin, you down with that plan, too?

  Gavin smiled and nodded as he looked over at me with slight concern. “Yeah, man. That’s sounds good to me.” He made eye contact with someone behind me, and within seconds I was being scooped up.

  “Let’s go, baby girl, let’s get you to bed,” Remy stated gruffly.

  “Night guys,” I tried to sound flippant as I waved at them. I also tried to convey my thanks to Gavin. He really was intuitive. Why would Jemmy give up on him so quickly?

  “Night,” I heard my guys echo me as they followed Remy and me.

  “Are you leaving?” I heard Jemmy pout at Lincoln.

  “Yeah,” Lincoln stated. “It’s late. See all of you later.”

  In between our songs I had noticed more and more girls had found seats near him. I also noticed he seemed pretty impervious to them. When I looked up from time to time, I saw his attention on me or occasionally talking to Noah and Jaxson.

  I was really surprised Jaxson was so friendly towards him. He had been adamant about not being able to accept another guy into my life. He almost seemed like he had already accepted Lincoln. I wish I could as easily.

  “Are you going down?” Remy asked as we entered the quiet of the hallway.

  “Yes,” I admitted to him. “I was feeling fine. There wasn’t even a warning this time. I wanted to get a drink, and it felt like everything drained at once.” I laid my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes.

  “What’s going on?” I could hear Lincoln ask.

  “She’s getting ready to crash,” Noah explained. There was a moment of silence before he continued. “When we started losing our gifts, she went down for a few days. Since then, she’ll go down for a day or two here and there.”

  “Did she overdo it today? It is almost two in the morning, and we’ve been up since six or so,” Lincoln said in clipped tones.