“She’s hearing voices,” Isabelle’s mom told her, her voice trembling.
Dr. Coven thought Isabelle was either on drugs or having a psychotic episode, and instructed her mother to take her to the ER immediately. The two of them took a taxi to St. Luke’s emergency room. While her mom was filling out paperwork, Isabelle texted her friend Jordana:
At hospital. Losing my mind.
Isabelle’s phone rang two seconds later.
“You’re not crazy,” Jordana said, and explained.
Isabelle wasn’t sure she believed Jordana but then Jordana conferenced in Pi and Pi explained how it all worked and about the eye closing and everything and ordered Isabelle to hightail it out of the ER.
Isabelle told her mom that she was feeling better, that the voices were gone, that all she needed was a good night’s sleep, but the ER nurse was already calling her name and so she had no choice but to get checked out.
Isabelle peed in a cup and got her blood drawn so they could run a toxicology report and do drug tests. Meanwhile, Jordana and Pi kept texting her.
Don’t tell them anything.
Did they figure it out?
What’s happening over there?
The tests all came back clean. The nurse couldn’t find anything wrong with her.
* * *
Anojah Kolar got it over breakfast. She told her dad that she could hear his thoughts, but he didn’t believe her. He asked her if she needed a new glasses prescription. LensCrafters was having a sale.
Dave and Daniel Zacow, the twins, both got it in the elevator. They were the only ones in the elevator at the time, so at first they thought they were finally developing twin powers, which people were always asking them about. Anyway, when they stepped out of the elevator, they realized they could hear their doorman’s thoughts too.
“Morning, Dave. Morning, Daniel,” he said. Good thing they’re always together, because I never remember who’s who.
Edward McMann wasn’t that surprised when he started hearing thoughts. He had always expected something paranormal to happen to him, but he’d always thought it would come in the form of him turning into a vampire. He watched and read a lot of vampire stuff. True Blood. Anything by Ann Rice. Fright Night—the original and the remake. He once put together a list of the top hundred vampire movies for his blog. He even read the Twilight books. He had to after he found out the lead guy was named Edward. He wanted to live forever and bite girls’ necks and, well, sparkle.
Sergei Relov and Michelle Barak both got it on their way to school.
Sergei stopped in the park to call his girlfriend in Toronto. There were only a few people there that early and they weren’t too chatty, so at first Sergei thought the extra voices were from cell phone interference. He hung up and called her again. It didn’t help.
Michelle got it on the subway. Unlike most of us, she did not live in Tribeca. She lived in a small four-floor walkup in midtown. But BHS was a better school than the one in her area and she had gotten in, so she took the subway there and back every day. When the telepathy kicked in, the subway got loud. Very loud. But hey—it was rush hour. Very loud was to be expected.
Rayna Romero got it right before homeroom while standing in the middle of the hallway. One second she was minding her own business, walking to class, and the next second voices were attacking her at full volume.
“Late night last night?”
He looks like shit.
“Wait for me one sec?”
I have a wedgie.
“Did you do your calc homework?”
She better let me copy.
“Will is such a loser.”
Is everyone staring at my zit?
Rayna didn’t understand what was going on. Why is it so loud in here? Where are all the voices coming from?
Rayna wanted to go to homeroom, but she couldn’t move. She was never late for homeroom. She was never late for anything. She didn’t like being late and she didn’t like surprises. But that morning she just stood there. Suddenly she had a splitting headache.
The bell rang, making it worse.
Rayna, it’s going to be okay, she heard from somewhere. She wasn’t sure where the voice was coming from. She looked around. No one was talking to her. Tess was standing in front of her, but her lips weren’t moving.
Rayna, we need to go to homeroom, the voice said—the voice that was talking to her.
I don’t want to go to homeroom! I want this to stop! Rayna’s eyes were wild. Terrified. But I can’t concentrate. There are so many thoughts!
“Excuse me!” a senior yelled as he stood behind her. “You’re in the way!” Honk! Honk! I wish I had a horn on my nose. He eventually walked around her.
Rayna, close your eyes, the nice voice said. Trust me, just close them.
Rayna did what she was told, thinking maybe she was dreaming. She had a lot of weird dreams. Sometimes she flew through the hallway stark naked except for her days-of-the-week underwear.
As soon as she closed her eyes, the voices halved. Better, she thought. At least the real voices weren’t so rude.
“It’s going to be okay,” the nice voice said, but this time it wasn’t muffled and was accompanied by a hand on her arm.
She opened her eyes to see that Tess was talking to her. “What’s happening? I really don’t like surprises.”
“Follow me to homeroom,” Tess said. “We’ll explain.”
Unfortunately for Rayna, this wasn’t the only shocker she would get that day. That night, while she downed a plate of cheese ravioli and breadsticks with her parents and younger sister, she would telepathically discover that she had been born with a sixth finger on her left hand, which had been promptly removed and never spoken of again.
Um, surprise?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SOMETHING FUNNY’S GOING ON AROUND HERE
Cooper sang to himself as he hurried up the stairs to school. As usual, he was late. This time he was late because Ashley, his three-year-old sister, would not let go of the leg of his jeans. She hadn’t wanted him to leave. “Let’s play Spider-Man!” she’d hollered. When she finally let go, she insisted on going with him to the elevator to press the button. He adored his sister, but she made it infinitely more difficult to leave the apartment.
He slept in by accident. He’d been up late the night before. The baseball game had gone into overtime. Eleven innings. The Yankees had beaten Baltimore, finally, 4–3. They needed to win two more games to go to the Championship Series. After the game was over, he’d had trouble falling asleep. He’d been thinking about Mackenzie and trying to figure out what was going on with her. Something was up; he just wasn’t sure what. When they’d spoken the night before, she had sounded distant.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Fine,” she said, her voice clipped.
It was with this in mind that he dumped his books into his locker and hurried to homeroom. He was looking forward to seeing her.
“What’s up, 10B!” Cooper sang. “Can I get a boo-ya?”
Usually we responded to his chant. On this day, though, we just stared at him. No one said a word. Not even Nick or Mackenzie.
He tried again. “10B! I cannot hear your boo-ya!”
Again we didn’t respond.
He looked confused. He was confused. Understandably. Every day for all of September at least some of us had responded to his boo-ya. That day we were all too busy mentally talking to each other.
And what we were saying was this: Everyone in our homeroom could read minds. Everyone except Renée, Adam McCall, and Cooper.
I get why Renée and Adam can’t—they didn’t get the vaccine. But why can’t Cooper do it?
He got the shot, didn’t he?
He did!
Did anyone see him get the shot?
Mackenzie did. She went in with him.
Mackenzie was in the back row. Tess was sitting to her right. Cooper would take the spot on her left.
Levi, B
J, and Courtney were all in the row in front of her.
Yes, Mackenzie thought. I just hope it didn’t work on him. Damn, I didn’t mean to think that!
Mackenzie’s glad he doesn’t have it! Courtney thought.
Why? thought BJ.
I don’t know! replied Courtney.
Stop thinking about me! Mackenzie ordered.
Mackenzie always thinks everything is about her, Courtney thought.
Excuse me? I do not.
Why wouldn’t you want Cooper to have it? BJ asked, twisting around to look at her. Unless there’s something you’re not telling him. Did you lie to him? Did you cheat on him?
The name Bennett popped into Mackenzie’s head before she could stop it. She clenched her eyes closed immediately, but it was too late.
Way too late.
“Bennett who goes to Westside?” Courtney blurted out.
Oh no, oh no, oh no. Mackenzie didn’t want to give anything else away, but she wanted—she needed—to know what the others were thinking. She opened her eyes.
“What about Bennett who goes to Westside? I know a Bennett who goes to Westside.” said Jordana, who was sitting next to Courtney.
He’s the guy Mackenzie cheated on Cooper with. He lives in her building. He’s hot.
BJ shook his head in dismay. Mackenzie cheated on Cooper with a private school guy? Rough. Cooper doesn’t deserve that.
Mackenzie cheated on Cooper!
Why would she cheat on Cooper?
Slut!
Bitch!
Mackenzie gripped Tess’s hand.
It wasn’t me, I swear, Tess thought.
BJ was staring at both of them. So it’s true?
Can you just stop talking about this, please? Mackenzie begged. She spotted Nick in the front of the classroom. Nick was friends with Cooper. Not best friends, but good friends. Was he listening to this?
Don’t worry, Tess thought. Nick won’t say anything. He’s staying out of people’s business. He didn’t say anything to Teddy about me.
Mackenzie put her head down on the desk and closed her eyes. She wanted this to stop.
“Hey, babe, what’s wrong?” Cooper asked, finally taking the seat beside her. “Headache?”
She opened her eyes and stared at his trusting face.
“You have no idea,” she said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AND WE MEET AGAIN
Like the rest of us, Olivia walked out of homeroom with a pounding headache.
Unfortunately, she had public speaking next. She hadn’t seen Mr. Roth since the previous day’s telepathy-induced panic attack. She had her speech with her, but she didn’t think she could do it that day. She prayed her teacher would give her a break.
“Let’s just stroll by Lazar’s locker,” Renée said. They are going to be the cutest couple.
Olivia was too tired to argue. And anyway, at this point she was happy to surround herself with people who could not read her mind. Homeroom had been one of the most stressful classes of her life. She was even too stressed to worry about Lazar. To worry what he thought of her. To worry if he thought she was cute. Or if he thought she was a total moron.
She’d felt awful for Mackenzie. Everyone in homeroom had been thinking about her and Cooper. She felt bad for Cooper too, of course. The whole situation was miserable. If she’d been in either of their places, she would have just about died.
She hated that the people in her homeroom could hear her thoughts. She did not want her homeroom to know that the only kissing experience she had was with her pillow. She didn’t want everyone knowing when she had to pee. Or when she had a stomachache. She had lots of stomachaches. At her next doctor’s appointment she was going to ask them to check for Crohn’s disease.
She didn’t want everyone knowing anything.
She was planning on avoiding the other people with ESP at all costs. Since there were about two hundred people in her grade, only a few students in each of her classes would have ESP.
But she’d still have to listen to everyone else’s thoughts, including Renée’s. And all of Renée’s Olivia-related opinions.
Olivia really should go out with Lazar. A boyfriend would make her so happy. She should also not tie her hair back in a half ponytail. It’s so sixth grade.
“You should really wear your hair down,” Renée said. “Have you thought about bangs?”
At least Olivia could trust Renée to say what she thought.
“There he is,” Renée said. I should get him to walk with us to public speaking!
Olivia stopped in her tracks. No! Wait!
“Hey, Lazar!” Renée said. “Come walk with us!”
Argh.
Lazar looked up, first noticing Renée. She is such a pest.
Olivia tried not to laugh. She was a pest. But at least she was honest.
Then he looked at Olivia. Oh! It’s Olivia!
Olivia stood up straighter. Yes it is. Thank you for noticing.
I hope she’s feeling better. What happened in class yesterday was insane. I’ve never seen anyone faint before.
Olivia felt her cheeks burn. Great. Just great. Now all he saw when he looked at her was a freak of nature.
“Hi,” he said, looking into Olivia’s eyes. He had splotches of red on his cheeks. “How are you feeling?”
“Oh, um—” Her throat closed up. She hated talking to guys. What if she said the wrong thing?
She looks better, he thought. She looks good.
Olivia blushed. I look good? He thinks I look good! Wait, what was the question? Oh right—“I’m feeling better. Thanks. Thank you.”
“Good to hear. That was one scary fall,” he said, still looking into her eyes. She has great eyes. They’re so expressive.
He’s complimenting my eyes! “Thanks,” she said. Then she realized that he hadn’t actually said that aloud. What had he said aloud? Oh! Her fall. That was one scary fall. “Yes,” she said finally. “It was one scary fall. But I’ll live.”
He was still staring at her intently. She’s pretty.
Hmm, Olivia thought. Maybe hearing what people think won’t be as bad as I thought.
* * *
Tess also had a headache. And now she had chemistry class with Teddy and Sadie.
She would have to talk to Teddy. She would have to look at Teddy. She would have to listen to Teddy.
She would have to be lab partners with Teddy.
“Sorry you missed so much of the movie last night,” Teddy said to Tess as she slid into the seat beside him. “Is everything okay?”
“Yup,” she muttered.
Sadie walked in and waved.
“Hi,” Sadie said, about to approach them. Sadie had texted Tess twenty times since the night before. And left five phone messages. It was super annoying. Tess would prefer not to chat with the girl who had stolen the heart of the guy she liked. She did not want to be best friends with her either. She wanted nothing to do with her. But since she wasn’t a bitch, she’d had no choice but to help Sadie through her breakdown at the movies.
First she’d whisked Sadie away to the bathroom. “What is wrong with me?” Sadie had asked Tess, tears overflowing from her doe-like eyes.
So Tess explained. About how it was happening to everyone in their homeroom. That they were not the only ones. That they were meeting the next day to talk about it at lunch and to decide what to do.
Meanwhile Tess was thinking, You better not like Teddy!
And Sadie said, “What? Huh? Teddy?”
Then two other girls stormed into the bathroom and it got noisy. Tess had stepped back so that the other girls were between them and she could compose her thoughts while Sadie was distracted by the noise.
Tess did not want Sadie to know that Teddy thought she smelled like strawberries. She did not want Sadie to know anything about Teddy at all. He was her Teddy. Even if Sadie was dating Keith, it was still possible that she could fall madly in love with Teddy, right? Even if he was a sophomore
and Keith was a senior? Unlikely, yes, but still possible.
Teddy was smart and funny and cute. No. Tess would not let herself think nice things about Teddy. Sadie would hear and it would just encourage Sadie to like him.
Besides physically putting other people between her and Sadie, or maybe hiding in the bathroom stall, Tess wasn’t sure how she could stop Sadie from hearing her. She couldn’t exactly close her eyes in the middle of a discussion.
The strangers went into stalls.
Tess decided to try something. “Everything is going to be fine,” she said. “Don’t worry. It’s a little overwhelming at first but you get used to it.” Tess realized that if she kept talking, then Sadie would focus on what she was saying. Not on her thoughts. Also, if she forced herself to keep talking, then she wouldn’t be able to think at the same time.
“And it stops when you close your eyes,” Tess added.
Sadie slammed her eyes shut.
Tess took a deep breath. Ahhh. Free play. You better not like Teddy! He’s mine, mine, mine!
Sadie opened her eyes. “I think I want to go to sleep.”
“No worries,” Tess said, backing away. “I’ll tell Keith you’re not feeling well. You can call me if you have any questions. Or text me.”
Afterward, Tess had snuck back into the dark theater and told the boys that Sadie wasn’t feeling well.
I can’t believe she’s making me miss the movie, Tess heard Keith think. Then, I guess this means no sex tonight.
Ass.
Oh no! Teddy thought. This was our time together!
Tess told Teddy that she had to deal with a family issue and spent the rest of the movie eating popcorn and sitting on the wooden bench outside the theater, reading and answering texts from Sadie.
Sadie: I can hear my parents too?
Tess: Yup.
Sadie: And my doorman?
Tess: Everyone.
Sadie: Do you think it’ll be gone by tomorrow?
Tess: I hope so.
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