by SM Olivier
“Sure,” I said a bit distractedly. He was so attentive, it was hard to believe I was like a job to him. He was being ordered to get close to me and make me fall in love with him.
“See you later,” he gave me a charming smile and left.
I started heading to the class, admiring the scenery as I went. I still had twenty minutes before my class started. The school was surrounded by mountains. Knightstown was discovered almost 10 years ago. Initially, it was a place for the gifted and had expanded to include the non-gifted. It had an excellent music, academic, and sports program. The school sprawled over thousands of acres. There was a daycare, preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, and college all in one area. They even had dorms that worked like a boarding school for those as young as 5. I was shocked at the amount of people that sent their gifted and non-gifted children off at such an early age. The local parents were able to pick their children up on Friday afternoons and needed to return them Sunday night. It wasn’t until they reached high school that they could return on Monday mornings.
“Hey,” said a masculine voice that startled me out of my thoughts.
I looked over at the large mature tree to the right of the path I was walking on. Gavin was leaning against it. He looked tired, his eyes dark with circles.
“Hey,” I said hesitantly back.
“What’s your first class today?” he asked.
“Intro to Sociology,” I replied, although I knew he was making just making small talk. His unease was evident.
“Me too. General studies? You don’t know what you’re going to be when you grow up either?” He chuckled awkwardly.
I shook my head. “Honestly no, but then again, technically this was supposed to be my senior year in high school.”
He looked impressed. “I didn’t realize you were that young.”
“I’m seventeen,” I shrugged. “At my last school, I took a lot of college prep and AP classes.”
“So…this time around should be easier, since you’ve already done this…right,” I knew he was extending an olive branch.
“Not necessarily,” I said solemnly. “When I did this the first time around I only had two college classes, and the rest of my classes were over on the high school side. I already did all my make-up work to catch up for the semester before. Now I have to do it again.”
He groaned, visibly relaxing. “That sucks…Do…Can you tell me what happened?” he finally asked hesitantly.
I looked down frowning. “I wish we had the time. We have class soon,” I began walking once more. “And I think Collin has a tracker on me. I overheard a conversation I shouldn’t have last night, and now a few things are starting to make sense…It’s so complicated and I really need a…friend right now.”
“I can be that friend. Why don’t you just leave him,” he said resolutely. Then he laughed a bit disparagingly. “A few months ago, life seemed so simple. Sure, I felt like I might be losing it. Seeing people’s auras and such, but it was somewhat of a normal existence. Then one night I was leaving work late, and I saw these men that could throw fire, lift cars, create this weird dome-like thing. Their auras were so strong.” He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and spoke quietly. I was sure I was the first person he had ever told.
My breath hitched. What was the likelihood that he ran into men that could wield fire, have super human strength, and create a force field? I knew instinctively he had seen my guys. I smiled up at him. “It’s so complicated,” I groaned. “I think I know the guys you saw. Are you familiar with the Bells?”
He snorted. “Who doesn’t? They’re the kings of this school. This city. This county. I haven’t ever met them, but I’ve heard of them.”
I nodded, a bit chagrined. “I was adopted by Mr. Bell…the first time I got here.”
We finally reached a group of people rushing into the school, and our conversation had to stop.
“With every answer I just got, you just gave me a million more questions,” he said ruefully. “Let me see your phone,” he said holding out his hand.
I looked at him quizzically, but handed it to him regardless.
“I’ll be right back. I might be a little late to class.” Before I could stop him, he was off, weaving into the crowd.
I purposely found an empty spot with a free seat next to it. Gavin slipped into the seat about 15 minutes later. He was late, but so was the professor.
He handed back my phone. “He has a very high tech, expensive tracker in your phone, I can remove it, if you like.” He whispered.
I shook my head. “Not yet,” I insisted. At his look of disbelief, I whispered. “You’ll understand once I tell you everything.”
He nodded but sighed at me as the professor took her place in front of the class room.
I could groan in frustration. Not only did I have no clue about the first thing about sociology, but now I had to make up for any major projects, papers, quizzes, and tests that I had missed. I was going to be up to my ears in school work. This school was unique, because if there was room available in any given classroom, any student could start after the semester began. Thus, the reason why I was starting in the middle of the fall semester…again. I was somewhat suspicious that Mr. Young, Collin, and anyone else involved in this deception had purposely put me in this position.
I was known to be an over achiever and intelligent. They knew failure was not an option for me. Catching up would keep me busy, too busy to meet people. Little did they know, I thrived on challenges and I would surprise them. I had every intention on keeping up in my classes and continue getting good grades. I had until winter break to get full credit for the classes if I was to complete and pass everything required of me.
“I can help you catch up, in fact, I have all the notes on this class since the beginning of this semester,” Gavin said as if he could read my mind.
I gave him a halfhearted smile. “Thanks, that would be helpful. If only you had History of Performance Arts.” I rubbed a weary hand over my eyes.
“Well,” he said tentatively. “I kind of dropped my Fundamentals of Speech Communication class,” he explained, “and picked up History of Performance Arts.” At my surprised expression, he hurriedly explained. “I figured it was about time I learned more about our gifts and what history has to say about it. So maybe we can work together in getting all those assignments knocked out. Although I was reassured that it’s a fairly easy class, and most people take it for an easy grade.”
I sighed. “Well that’s a relief.”
“Want to catch lunch?” He looked down at his watch. “Or should I say, brunch?”
“I wish,” I said somewhat bitterly. “My babysitter wants me to have lunch with him.”
As if on cue, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Gavin.
Hey, sorry to drop this on you, but will it be okay if I skip out on lunch? Something came up…
I breathed a sigh of relief and typed back. No problem. I understand. Everything okay?
His response was immediate. All is well, just have to finish up on a project that’s due for my next class.
I didn’t care that his response was highly suspect. If he was a real boyfriend, I would point out the obvious: he should have known he had to complete a project. Yet he had taken me out for dinner last night and made plans to meet me for lunch today. It was a no brainer that he was lying. Now what could he be lying about?
I typed back instead. Aww, hope you get it done on time!
His response. Thanks, babe! :-*
I looked over at Gavin and smiled with relief. “Let’s do brunch!”
“The babysitter’s not on duty.” He chuckled as we made our way to the quad.
We had to pass the parking lot on the way to the quad and I stopped abruptly. Collin’s lean frame was unmistakable; he walked like he was still the king of high school. I slid behind a tree where I could observe covertly and pulled Gavin with me.
“What?!” he asked, startled.
“And that’s the little blond…Rose?” Gavin whispered back conspiratorially.
I stiffened. It was clear that they were both sneaking around by the way they both kept looking around nervously. How stupid could they be? The campus was large, but someone was bound to see them. How long had they been hooking up? I knew two weeks from now they still were, and it was obvious from Rose’s reaction yesterday that this had been going on for some time.
He looked at me with suspicion and surprise at my reaction. “I thought he wasn’t your boyfriend.”
“He’s not, but she’s dating my real boyfriend, well one of them…,” I stated soberly, just as they both slid into Collins car and shared a steamy embrace and kiss.
As we entered the quad I realized how different things were. It hadn’t taken that long for me to reach popularity the first time I was here. Before, I couldn’t walk 10 feet without people calling out to me saying hi or trying to talk to me. Knowing the guys and becoming part of a well-known band on campus made me popular. When I lived with Heidi and went to high school there, I was bullied and flew under the radar. I didn’t have friends. I didn’t want people to get close because of the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse I went through. I didn’t want anyone to pity me, or worse yet, turn my step mother in.
Gavin offered to pay for my meal since I didn’t have any money. I promised I would pay him back. He waved it off and informed me that his parents were ‘loaded’ and that the shelter he worked at was a tax write off for them. He got a huge breakfast pizza and an order of home fries. I chose to get an egg white wrap with spinach, fried onions, mushroom, and green peppers. I made sure to get a handful of Texas Pete hot sauce. Jaxson had a thing with putting hot sauce on his eggs, and I had to eat my eggs with hot sauce ever since he insisted I try it.
“Is that all you want? Want a coffee too?” Gavin asked.
“Mmm yes, coffee,” I smiled.
We waited in the next line, and I ordered a coffee with a shot of hazelnut, cream, and sugar.
“Would you like any coffee with all that sweetness?” Gavin joked as he got his tall coffee, black.
I stuck my tongue out at him playfully. “You sound like the guys.” Which instantly made me sad. Troy and Remy took their coffee black. Jace took his with a splash of cream, mainly to cool it down for immediate consumption. Noah liked his with one sugar, one cream. Drake, Jaxson, Jemmy, and I liked our coffee flavored, sweet, and light. You never realized how much you picked up on another person’s habits until they were gone…or you were. The simplest, most mundane things, like getting coffee, made you miss them.
Gavin seemed to notice my moroseness and led me to a secluded tree outside of the quad. We both took a seat on the ground and promptly dug into our food.
“Story time,” Gavin gently prodded with a smile.
I smiled, resisting the urge to tell him he had a connection out there and how similar they were in the way they said and did things. One surprise at a time. I would tell him…soon.
I finished the food in my mouth. “Okay, so since I know you’re going to be around for a while and you’ll be practically family,” I told him mysteriously. “I will give it to you straight. Which if you knew me, you would realize is a rare thing and you should feel privileged.” I explained, trying to make light of the situation.
“Privileged, huh? I feel like you’re just going to fully blow my mind, as if you hadn’t effed with it enough as it is,” he said jokingly.
I jokingly rolled my eyes. “I guess I can start at the beginning, with a few details omitted for time’s sake” I began. “I had a crappy childhood. My dad was murdered when I was ten. I was left in the care of my step mom and she developed a drug and alcohol problem. She moved my half-sister and I to a crappy trailer park where things went from bad to worse. I was abused in every way imaginable. Almost a year ago I was taking a music class and I had a teacher that took an interest in me.”
“He didn’t try to touch you, did he?” Gavin asked grimly, but working with the shelter, I’m sure he had heard plenty of ugly stories.
“How much do you know about connections?” I asked him instead of answering him.
He shook his head frowning. “Connections?”
“In the gifted community, some of us are marked, most of the time around the same time we come into our gifts. It is believed that we should find and make connections with our…other half so we don’t lose our gifts.” I explained to him.
His eyes widened. “Like my mark on my shoulder.”
I nodded, still battling with telling him the truth about his connection. “Most of us are born with no connections, but generally it’s the people with the weaker gifts. Some of us are born with a single connection out there. Then in rare instances some of us have more than one connection. Those well-versed with the gifts say that we can only have a max of two.
He blinked slowly. “When you say connections, how are we to connect to the other person?” I had a feeling he knew exactly what I implied, but he wanted to make sure of it.
“We have to have an intimate bond with our connected,” I clarified.
He seemed stunned and overwhelmed by the knowledge. “What happens if we have no interest in the other person? I’ve been known to be…picky,” he blushed. Then hurried on. “Before I hit puberty, I enjoyed sports. I did well in school. I had friends. Then I got my gift. I was thought of as the weird kid for a while there. I had no clue I was gifted, and my parents had me in and out of hospitals. By the time I started getting interested in girls, I found out most of them wanted me for my money…” his voice trailed off.
“From my understanding,” I elucidated slowly. “We are naturally drawn to our connections, and the bond we feel for them is undeniable. That’s not to say it’s easy.” I frowned thinking about the fact I had never made my connections with Noah and Troy, although I had been attracted to them and cared for them. “In fact, it can be slightly difficult. It’s almost like an arranged marriage. We should be a perfect match, but for people like me, since my father died I struggled with the littlest things. Trusting and touching being a few of my hang ups. I never had a real boyfriend either. I was out of my league when I found out about my connections.”
His eyes widened, and he said almost in shock, “So, you have more than one connection. How can that even work?” He cocked his head to the side. “Do you have a strong gift…?” Then as delicately as he could, he said slowly, “You seem so weak.” He shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry, but like I said before, your aura is faint, sometimes it’s not even there.”
I nodded, feeling melancholy creep in once more. “I was, am, an anomaly. According to Will Bell, it was rare that my gifts came to me at an early age. I had started showing signs long before I was a teenager, so I was told. And I don’t have just two connections, I have six.”
Gavin choked on his breakfast pizza, literally. After taking a long swig of his drink, he finally cleared his throat. “Excuse me.” Then something like horror entered his eyes. “Am I one of them?”
I didn’t know if I should be offended or amused. I put myself in his shoes and started giggling. I playfully punched his arm. “No.” I rolled my eyes. Then I said quietly, urgently, “You can’t say anything to anyone. The people that took away my connections, my memories and turned back time, are…afraid of me. No one, and I mean no one, outside of the Bells and my connections knew that I had six connections. I’m sure we kept them guessing since we are…” I paused and gulped back tears. “Were very close and everyone, including Jemmy and Rachel were openly affectionate with each other. To an outsider looking in, I’m sure we looked like brothers and sisters, but a few nefarious individuals seemed to be threatened by me.”
He gingerly patted me. “I promise I won’t breath
e a word to anyone. You’re my first real friend I’ve had in a long time. When I came here it was obvious almost everyone had known each other for years, and since I chose to keep my gift hidden, some of the gifted treated me like a pariah.”
I could see how that was possible. I had noticed it with quite a few of our class mates. Most of them pretended like we weren’t even there.
When I looked at Gavin’s rugged handsomeness and realized how intuitive he was, I would think he was Mr. Popularity. He carried himself with confidence, but now I understood it was a defense mechanism. It must have been hard on him to go almost seven of his twenty years not knowing he wasn’t crazy, but gifted.
“Thanks,” I smiled at him. “So yesterday I woke up with a man I hadn’t seen in years and he’s proclaiming to be my boyfriend, and when I ran into one of my connections, he didn’t recognize me.” Once more I had to fight the tears. “I have no clue where my sister is, and I have no clue how to make them remember me.”
“Why don’t you just leave him and go find your sister? I’m sure we can find her, somehow,” he tried to sound reassuring.
I shook my head. “I can’t leave him, at least not yet. The night before I ended up….here, in this time, we found out for certain that Will had people working for him and people on this very campus that are working against him. Will’s no angel, he had a colorful past, but he realized the error of his ways. He wants to create a safe part of the world where we could peacefully coexist with the non-gifted and live in harmony together. There’s another man, his ex-best friend Horatio, that feels like we should rule the world. Enslave the non-gifted and brainwash newly discovered gifted to do his bidding and dirty work.
“The night before I ended up here, I had just met you. You witnessed the abduction of Krista and a few other gifted children. Including my half-brother. We also found out, for some unknown reason, they wanted Will and me. There was a gentleman by the name of Zach Young, a member of Will’s board that was working for Horatio—at least that’s what we surmised—and now I know Collin works for them too.