by SM Olivier
I didn’t bother turning around as I rolled my eyes, but said sweetly. “No thanks. After doing cardio, strength training, and the rest of my emotional day, I’m exhausted.”
“Well, I really am sorry.” And for a moment there I could almost believe he meant it.
As I walked up the stairs, I prayed that Gavin and I could get enough evidence to fry them all soon, so I could finally go home, my real home.
Even though I went to bed before ten last night, I hit my snooze button numerous times. I woke up feeling under the weather. I didn’t normally get sick, so I immediately knew the signs when I was. My head was pounding, my body was aching, and I pretty sure I was running a fever. I didn’t even make an effort at all today in my appearance. My limbs felt heavy as I slid on a pair of black yoga pants and a white Knightstown College sweatshirt. I skipped putting on my makeup. Then I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and went out to the kitchen.
“Hey,” Collin said with a wide smile, but then it faltered. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “I think I might be coming down with something. Do we have any orange juice left?”
He grabbed me a glass immediately and poured me some juice. “You need to slow down, babe. You work out every day. You push yourself relentlessly with school work. Now you want to squeeze in a music program. Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t in the mood to fight today. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Collin scoffed.
I sighed and clutched my head. “Please, Collin, I’m not in the mood. Can this wait? Do we have any Tylenol?”
He gave me a couple of Tylenols and we left the apartment. If I didn’t have two exams today I would have stayed home. I was nearly caught up in my English Literature class, so I didn’t want to fall further behind.
When we got to school, I let Collin give me a perfunctory kiss as he told me he hoped I would feel better.
“Whoa, Blake,” Gavin did a double take as I took a seat next to him. “You don’t look so hot.”
“Gee thanks,” I halfheartedly stuck my tongue out him. “You really know how to make a girl feel beautiful. I think I’m coming down with something.”
“Speaking of beautiful girls,” Gavin squirmed in his seat. “How do you feel about getting a cup of coffee after class? Or I can run you home?”
I knew that was code words for he wanted to talk in private.
“I might take you up on that ride after our next class. I need to finish these two exams and maybe I can catch up at the apartment,” I said as I laid my head on the desk, angling myself so I could still see the front of the class.
I loved this professor. She was no nonsense, and she always handed out our exams right away. She also dismissed us the moment we turned them in. She posted all the notes and some important reminders at the beginning of the week, so everything else was on us.
This book wasn’t one I was familiar with, but when I had the time, I didn’t mind curling up with an enjoyable book. Not that this book was good; in fact, I found it quiet boring, but I was always great at retaining stuff just enough to test on it.
We were given the whole class period to complete the test. I took 30 minutes. The professor smiled at me when I turned it in. She liked me, and I liked her. She wasn’t one of those teachers that wanted us to give our theories based on her personal bias. She liked having a lively debate on our interpretations of the novels we read.
I smiled back and headed out into the hallway. I knew Gavin wasn’t going to be too far behind. He was bright, and I was going to be amused to see how he and Jemmy meshed after the ‘honeymoon’ phase was over.
I curled up in one of the leather armchairs located in the lobby, and shot him a text using Collin’s phone, so it didn’t look suspect.
Blake: Hey. Out in the lobby waiting for that coffee.
I then pulled out my other phone and noticed I had missed a text from Noah.
Noah: Good morning, beautiful. Why can’t I get you out of my head? Last night I had a dream we were sitting in a hot tub and you were wearing this hot red and white bikini ;)
I gulped. I wanted to tell him it hadn’t been a dream. It was a memory. Instead I wrote back.
Blake: Good morning, handsome. :-D A dip in a hot tub sounds amazing right about now. I feel like crap. Think I’m coming down with something.
He texted back immediately.
Noah: I’m sorry, you don’t feel good :( Too bad Drake’s in classes all day. He makes a chicken noodle soup that’s amazing and cures all maladies.
Blake: Says the healer :-P
Noah: Hey, hey, hey no fair. You know I would take away any pain you had if I could.
Blake: Sooo sweet :)
And I meant it. I knew our relationship was stronger than it had ever been.
Noah: Well, getting the stink eye from the proff. TTYL :-*
Blake: Okay :)
I smiled down at my phone as I put it back in my bag.
“Well that’s a happy smile,” Gavin said, startling me as he walked up.
“Noah,” I mouthed silently. Out loud I said, “Just felt really confident about that test.”
He nodded with his own goofy grin before a frown settled on his face. “Let’s go get that coffee.”
“Sounds good,” I nodded, wondering what he had to tell me.
I took Collin’s phone and purposely stuffed it in the cushions of the seat I had been sitting in. The seats were barely used and were more for decorative purposes. If someone found it, so be it. Right now I couldn’t care less.
I followed Gavin out of the building.
“Ugh, I don’t do sick, well,” I moaned with self-pity.
He gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry. I don’t either. Maybe you can skip the coffee and get some orange juice instead.”
I shook my head. I hadn’t had any caffeine this morning yet and whether it was just mental, I know I needed one. “Nah. I’ll double fist it, if I have too!”
He chuckled but then frowned. “Well, I was talking to Jemmy all night long, and this morning she asked me how I got her number. She didn’t remember any of our conversation last night, but it was in her phone.”
I frowned. “That’s really weird. Was she…drinking?”
He shook his head. “No, and I texted Remy this morning to apologize for last night again, and he said he had forgotten all about it, but we saw him before we left.”
Chills ran down my spine. “Let’s go,” I said.
“Where?” he asked mystified.
“Let’s go to the high school. You’re going to the office and asking for Rachel.” I explained as I headed towards the parking lot.
“How? They’re not going to just let me see her.” He hedged nervously.
“They are, if you’re William Bell,” I said slyly.
“I can’t cast illusions without Jax,” he sighed.
“Yeah, but you can cast illusions when you imitate my gift.” I stated. “I feel like crap, so I can’t go in there, but you can.”
He paused and looked at me. I knew he was using his gift. “It’s not gone. He’s not blocking you anymore,” he said excitedly.
“I know!” I exclaimed. “I think when I made my connection last night, it made me stronger. He’s not strong enough to handle me anymore.” I paused for a second, excitement building.
“Let’s do this,” he said more enthusiastically. I knew his budding relationship with Jemmy was a motivating factor to getting this done sooner than later.
He started his truck and made his way over to the high school. He didn’t have the pass necessary to park there, but we didn’t care. We were on a mission.
It wasn’t long before I saw Will, Gavin, and Rachel making their way over to the truck. It was slightly unnerving to see them at first. I missed Rachel, and seeing the illusion of Gavin next to Will was pure craziness.
I could see the confusion on Rachel’s face as she slid into the back seat. I tu
rned and looked at her as the illusion was dropped. Anger and panic replaced confusion as Gavin employed the child locks, preventing Rachel from leaving.
“Who the hell are you, and why have you locked me in here?” she seethed as she vainly attempted to leave the truck.
Gavin looked uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, and I looked at her beseechingly. “Hey, Rachel. We’ve met before. I’m Blake and this is Gavin. I’m sorry we had to do this, this way, but I need a favor from you, Rachel, and I know you’re a naturally distrustful person.”
Her eyes narrowed at me as she spoke between clenched teeth. “And that’s a lie and a truth.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “She’s a human lie detector,” I explained to Gavin. I sighed. “Okay, my birth name given to me is Amanda, but I haven’t gone by that name since I was like, five.”
She looked at me with the same distrust, but I also saw the surprise in her eyes. “How do you know that? Who sent you?”
I sighed again. “What I’m about to tell you is a little hard to swallow, but we were once best friends. Jemmy Bell, you, and I used to hang out with each other all the time.”
She interrupted me with a snort. “Not likely. Jemmy Bell is one of Knightstown royalty and I can’t imagine ever hanging out with that pampered princess.”
I grimaced. Rachel was a scholarship teen, and she had become somewhat bitter when she had lost her brothers in a house explosion after her father had disappeared. Honestly, I didn’t blame her bitterness. Knightstown wasn’t a place I would have thought I would have ever felt comfortable had I not come here with the Bells initially. From an outsider looking in, most of these kids acted privileged and had no clue how the real world worked. They never had to worry about whether they were going to eat that day or endure being mocked for the clothing they wore. They drove their expensive cars and were constantly tethered to their newest and greatest technology. Posting their every moment on social media, constantly searching for their next ‘like’ to validate their existence.
“If you focus, you’ll know I’m not lying. We used to be good friends, best friends even, the three of us. Someone decided to mess with me and my connections and turned back time,” I explained adamantly.
She snorted, crossing her arms across her breast. “Another pampered princess. Thinking the entire world revolves around her.” She patted Gavin condescendingly. “Hey buddy, you should get your girlfriend checked out.” She whistled and did the universal sign of crazy with her pointer finger circling her temple.
It was my turn to snort. “You assume I’m a pampered princess and I wasn’t, well not originally,” I cleared my throat. “You had a loving father and three doting older brothers. You lived in suburbia in a middle-class family. You never lived in a trailer park with a cracked-out stepmom that hated you and abused you, along with her boyfriends,” I hissed at her. At her look of shock, I continued, regretting my outburst. “I know you miss your family,” I said more gently. “I know you would trade this in for them, any day, just to have them back. I know your favorite color is black. I know you were saved from death when you snuck out to meet your boyfriend. I know Remington Murphy was the one to find you, and you’re harboring a little crush on him. I know you hate bacon,” I jokingly snorted. “Which I believe is still highly un-American, bordering on communistic.” Gavin stifled a laugh as Rachel continued to stare out the window. She was so stubborn! “Your favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. You love storms, and if it’s nice enough, you open the windows in the room to hear the thunder.”
“So, you’re a stalker.” I could see her inner struggle. I knew she knew all my words were true. “What do you want from me?” she snapped at me.
“I need your help,” I stated simply. “Bridgette Mason just transferred to this school and should be in your Performance Arts class. I was wondering if you knew her gift.”
Something deep inside of me already knew, ever since Gavin informed me that Jemmy and Remy had no recollections of the night before. But my mind was in denial mode. I didn’t want to believe the evil girl that had tormented me for years could possibly be my sister.
Chapter 10
“She’s not,” Rachel stated.
I felt like all hope was lost, and I sunk into my seat with defeat. My body was struggling. I was hot, then cold, and my bones ached to the core.
“But she is in some of my classes.” Rachel said reluctantly. “Why do you want my help? What do I get out of it?”
“Your life,” I blurted. “You get your life back. We get our life back. We were happy. Every weekend we went home to the Bell estates and we had fun, we were loved. We could eat all day, play music, swim, and we laughed…a lot. I know you hate it here. I know you go back to your room every night with no cell phone and dream of going back to your old life. I need—we need—information on Bridgette. I think she’s a major player in this game that stuck us here.”
I saw a glimmer of longing in her. “I was friends with the Bells?” she asked hesitantly. “What kind of info do you need?”
I nodded emphatically. “We were all a family. A dysfunctional family, but it worked for us. I need to know what her gift is, although I already have a feeling.” I grimaced at Gavin. “I hope I’m wrong, though.”
Gavin looked at me, puzzled. I looked at him and then Rachel. “It was once believed in gifted families that they could only produce two off-spring, max” I explained even though I knew Rachel already knew this. “However, in families like Rachel’s and…mine, our parents were able to produce more than two.” Rachel softly gasped and I continued. “My mother has produced five of us…that I know of.”
It was time for Gavin to gasp, “That could explain why my parents wanted more children but couldn’t.” He had a shocked expression on his face before his eyebrows furrowed. “But my parents aren’t gifted,” he insisted.
“Okay, so apparently there are many low-level gifted, one’s and two’s, that never even suspected they were gifted. It could be that they run a little faster than a normal person, or they have the ability to remember details, like someone having an eidetic memory. Nothing remarkable. They’ve done some research, but nothing has been positively proven. It’s a possibility both of your parents were just carriers of the gifted gene. Who knows, maybe your great-great somebody or other was gifted. Some gifts can be hidden,” I explained with a shrug.
Gavin looked at me in wonder and fascination. Sometimes I forgot he was new to all this.
“Anyhow,” I continued, “Will heard that I may have a sister out there that is capable of messing with people’s memories. I have a dreadful feeling that Bridgette Mason is my half-sister and she’s been messing with the memories of the Bells.”
We all jumped as a hard knock came on our window. We all turned shocked eyes as we saw William Bell and a security guard standing poised outside of my window.
I feigned a smile as I looked at him and rolled down my window. “Mr. Bell, so nice to see you again,” I said brightly.
He gave me an exasperated sigh. “I see you haven’t changed much, Blake, or should I call you Amanda?”
We were all being led back into the high school, but I stopped short as I heard the bell ring for the next class.
“Mr. Bell,” I said insistently. “I know you have questions, and I have answers, but can I suggest that we do this elsewhere?” I looked over at the security guard that was still trailing us.
I never met the security guard and I didn’t know if he could be trusted with our secrets. Plus, I didn’t like the idea of Bridgette seeing us. I was supposed to be in class, and I didn’t want her to suspect that I was reaching out to Rachel. I already felt like I had to protect Gavin. I didn’t want to add one more.
He gave me a long-suffering sigh. “Ms. Thomas, I don’t think you are in any position to tell me what I should do. You were caught just weeks ago trespassing, and now you two,” he looked slightly disappointed at Gavin, “…have taken another student from her class. While one o
f you were impersonating me.” He looked at us suspiciously. First at Rachel, then Gavin, then me. “Is Jaxson in on this. Is he around?” He gave a pointed looked around before narrowing his eyes on Gavin. “Did you imitate him?”
I knew he wasn’t in the mood to hear any excuses. I focused hard, which was difficult since I was sick, and my body was failing me. I had used what little energy I had helping Gavin with his illusions. “Please,” I pleaded silently. “I know you suspect nefarious individuals working for you. Your suspicions are correct, and I don’t want anyone especially, Bridgette Mason, Zach Young, Tamara Young, and Collin Scott seeing us together. Not like this.”
His eyes widened, and I realized that he had heard me. I sagged in relief, before I felt myself falling into the darkness, my body finally giving out on me. I had ignored it for too long.
I suffered from debilitating nightmares some nights. Especially in times of high stress. My life was filled with stress lately. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a good night’s sleep. In the past, Jaxson had always been there for me. He had always known when they came, because our mental connection had been strong. Since I woke up in the ‘past,’ the connection had been severed and that only added additional stress to my life.
My nightmares were generally the same. I had been abused, and when I was awake I was capable at handling the demons that wanted to suck the joy from my life. At night, I was unable to stop them from coming when they wanted to intrude into my dreams. They were the soul sucking kind that wouldn’t just release me immediately. They infiltrated my brain to the point I would be frozen for moments, unable to move, forced to feel and see the horror repeat in my life. Oftentimes I would wake with a scream and tears on my face.
Today was no different. I woke with a scream and was momentarily still locked in my nightmare. I still saw the hands that pinned me down and as I fought to push them away; I realized my mistake, too late, as I watched the blood gush out of my hand to soak into the white sheets beneath me.