They finished the pancakes with Jacob talking about a new bartender and waitress that the club had hired. Elena got up to finish getting ready for her classes that day. The others would do the dishes. Another reason to love cooking. As she came back into the living room, she found Phillip and Jacob sitting on the couch. Jacob was flipping through the sports channels on television. Monica was upstairs and Elena called goodbye to her. She knew Phillip had classes and was playing tonight and they probably wouldn’t see each other again today. “Bye, guys. I’ll see you tomorrow, Phillip. Are you working tonight Jacob?” she asked.
“No, I’ll be around after my last class today. See you then.” He waved goodbye to her as he flipped the channel again.
She started to turn towards the door when she noticed that Phillip had risen from the couch. She couldn’t move as he stalked toward her. “No secrets,” he said as he came to her and bent his head to kiss her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” And then he kissed her for a long moment before silently returning to his seat. Jacob’s laughter as he gave her directions to the door finally got her moving again.
Chapter 3
Since Monica and Elena both had breaks between classes on Thursdays, they had a standing meeting to get together to study or chat. The day was gorgeous so they decided to meet outside at their favorite spot on campus. Elena brought them each a bottled water. It was late afternoon but still a bright spring day. They both knew there would be no studying. They sat side by side on a bench shoulders touching. “I got your note. Were you writing it because you were worried about me and Jacob? Or were you going to tell me about Phillip? Guess I read his rumpled appearance at breakfast all kinds of wrong this morning.”
Glad for the sun’s warmth, Elena took a moment before responding. She should have expected the hurt, maybe even the censure if Monica thought she had been hiding it from her. But the anger took her aback. Slowly the blackness faded from the trees and grass around them. Monica and Jacob must have talked before she left that morning. Or it could have been Phillip. No secrets, he had said. That probably would be worse. Monica would feel betrayed. Just as Elena was about to answer, Monica broke in. “You didn’t have time to tell me. I bombarded you as soon as you got home from the library because I didn’t want to feel guilty about Jacob anymore. It’s not really your fault. Unless, it has been going on for a long time now? Whatever it is. I don’t know more than Jacob telling me you got some tongue from Phillip this morning. He thinks you’re why Phillip is coming home after every gig these days. So spill.”
Elena started to spill, but she wouldn’t forget the “feel guilty anymore” comment. “When I wrote the note I was mostly thinking of you and Jacob. I saw the two of you looking at each other. You don’t look at me that way.”
“Not my type. Keep going. Lame jokes aren’t gonna save you.”
“Anyway, Phillip had kissed me when he helped me get my necklace untangled. It started almost as a joke. Then when we were hiding out in my bedroom during the Marvin Gaye fest we kissed some more.” Monica looked like she wasn’t buying the short version. Or maybe it was just the Marvin Gaye comment. Whatever the case, Elena went on. “Truly, not too much else happened. I wouldn’t want our first time to be this week.” That was true for more than one reason. Monica snorted as she went to take a drink, understanding one of Elena’s reasons. “Now you’re laughing at me. That water I brought you almost came out your nose. That would have been poetic justice.” Monica bumped her with her shoulder playfully. Elena was glad her anger seemed to be abating. She wasn’t surprised though. That was Monica’s personality. She spoke her mind and then moved on. “I was really surprised when he kissed me goodbye this morning. It was . . . better than that first cup of coffee in the morning, you know.”
“Girlfriend, that dreamy look in your eyes is what has me worried. I don’t know if you can do the casual thing. This can’t be another Jason. And we all live together. That doesn’t leave you any space if things don’t go how you want them to. How do you even want them to go?” she demanded.
“I don’t know yet.” Elena answered truthfully.
“That’s not a comforting answer.” Monica’s concern showed in her eyes. “You’re a sensitive person.” She saw Elena start to shake her head. “Elena, you can’t deny that.”
“I’m not as inexperienced as I was before.” Elena chose her words carefully.
“I just don’t want you to leave again.” Monica had a right to be concerned. Elena had nothing she could safely say, so she tried shifting the conversation to Monica.
“What about you and Jacob? You said you didn’t want to feel guilty anymore. How long has this been going on?”
“We’ve been flirting for a couple of weeks.” At Elena’s look, she amended that statement. “I mean really flirting. Not just the playful stuff we’ve been doing since, well, since he moved in. Last week we kissed, but last night was the first night we actually slept together. I know it complicates things that we live in the same house, but we have both done the casual thing before. Jacob is a great guy. Maybe this really will go somewhere. I don’t know. I will graduate in two semesters and he has a while to go. But he is so laid back. I just don’t worry about it getting ugly. I’m still more worried about you and Phillip.” Elena actually had to agree with her, at least regarding some of it. Jacob was about as easy going as they came. She was also very aware of Monica’s timeline. It was going to hurt to be left behind.
“I know you’re worried, and I appreciate it. No lines have been crossed yet. I even talked to him some about my not being comfortable with casual.” Monica looked a bit relieved.
“Well, keep talking to him. And keep talking to me. Just don’t disappear and leave me with a letter.”
“I promise I will do my best. Well?” Elena’s voice rose as she asked expectantly.
“He measures up just fine.” Monica’s smile was wicked and she gestured discreetly with her hands causing Elena to giggle like a child. Monica’s break was shorter than Elena’s so she started to gather her things.
As they hugged goodbye, Elena said, “Thank you for the overshare. So, Marvin Gaye is on your playlist. What’s on your mind as you take all your walks?”
Monica stood up. “Why do you think I take such long showers when I get home?” she said with a wink, then added, “Chickened out about asking me about the butter?”
Holding her hands up in front of her in a defensive gesture, she said, “Never planned on it. Just going to make sure I pick out more cholesterol free foods during my shopping trips. You know, for your health,” Elena joked.
Monica turned back and said over her shoulder, “It’s funny that the timing worked out like this. All of us hooking up at the same time.” She waved one last time and headed to class.
Elena stayed seated on the bench. It was a beautiful day so there were lots of students out. But the area was open and no one was too close by. She decided it was safe enough to sit there and think things through. Monica’s last comment touched on exactly what had been bothering her most. She supposed the timing could be coincidence. Still, the weeks before her birth date were always the most dangerous. Elena knew that and had prepared for it this time. She had thrown herself into her class work and especially volunteering for the crisis hotline. She had actually avoided the house as much as possible. Fortunately for her, her birth date was right around mid-terms, so everyone else was busy, too. Mentally, she listed the questions that she desperately wanted answered. Why was her mother’s letter addressed to Phillip? The gift was from her parents, but the letter - that was all her mother. Why had she not picked up on Monica and Jacob earlier? Why didn’t she sense Phillip’s attraction at all until he tried to kiss her? Was she concentrating so hard to block everything out that she just wasn’t able to make sense of any of what she Sensed? She supposed picking up on attractions from different sources could have confused her. Unless, it actually all came from one source. Monica and Jacob were attracted, Elena picked it up, reacted
and amplified, and then Phillip responded to her? She hoped that wasn’t the case. Phillip had talked as if he had actually thought about her before. Though what she most feared about Monica and Jacob’s attraction, and Phillip kissing her - was that it was all her fault. Power always flowed along the continuum, seeming opposites actually connected. Every Speaker could Hear, and every Listener had Voice, at least to some extent. Her power had always flowed inward, but at times, emotions spilled out. She had thought Phillip attractive the moment she met him. She had wanted him the first time she heard him sing. Beyond that, he possessed a quiet strength that drew her to him. Away from his swamp and the life he had always known, he was still so connected and true to himself. It came out in his words, in his actions, and in his music. That had only strengthened her initial attraction. She had always had to work hard to concentrate around Phillip. Could she have been so attracted to him that it had spilled out despite her best efforts? Had it washed over Monica, Jacob, and then finally Phillip?
No. She wasn’t going to let her insecurities cloud her judgment. Her birth date had passed and she had the necklace now. It was new and at its most powerful. Whatever happened after she had it on was legitimate. The feelings would be true. But still, she would not expect anything from Phillip. If the attraction all came from her, his feelings would fade quickly. They could go back to being roommates and friends. And Monica and Jacob would be fine, too. Worst case scenario was that they enjoyed a few nights of mutually consensual sex. She would stay focused on the questions that still remained to be answered. The letter and why she had missed so much of what had been going on in her own home.
As she got up to walk to her next class, she thought again about her conversation with Monica. She was worried that Elena would leave again, which was always an unfortunate possibility. Monica worried that history might be repeating itself. Elena knew that wasn’t the case this time and wished she could at least allay that fear. She hadn’t left last year for the reasons Monica thought. Elena had met Jason about two months before her last birth date. They were so interested in each other. Fascinating to each other, and the physical attraction was so strong. Elena could barely stand to be separated from him. Then her birth date had come. She had exchanged the ring for the bracelet and immediately realized she felt nothing for Jason. She found him mildly attractive at best. All of the feelings had been coming from him. He bordered on obsessed with her and she had missed that completely. She had been so caught up in his feelings for her, she had absorbed them and taken them as own. The whole affair had been one-sided, and she hadn’t even known. She was humiliated over her lack of control over her own innate power. Humiliated over losing herself so cheaply to another. Humiliated that she hadn’t Sensed in Jason the obsession that would have turned destructive. Her mother had Seen when she needed help. In the end, the Speaker had come for him. He had used Voice, and Jason was convinced he had lost interest in her. He broke things off and ignored her completely if he chanced to see her on campus. Monica assumed Elena had left heartbroken, and in a way she had. She had not run away though. She had learned from her mistakes and much had been accomplished. Last year, she had left Sensitive. She came back Empathic. She was not yet an Empath, but she would learn.
Chapter 4
After her classes were finished Elena spent most of the evening at the community center. It was harder to Sense what people were feeling using only their voices over the phone. Proximity always helped. Touch would make it unavoidable. She had known these next couple of weeks would be particularly difficult to help those who called in. She had to rely heavily on her education. It was good for her to practice stretching as well, actually striving to Sense other’s emotions. She didn’t have chances to do that often. On the contrary, Elena would probably always struggle blocking out other’s emotions. Being born in to her family, it was no surprise that she had developed early. Early and strong.
When she was finished, she headed to the grocery store and picked up chicken and veggies for stir fry. She would make a couple of large batches. It would keep well. Monica was home that night, though she spent most of her time studying upstairs in her room. It was good to feel how easy it was between the two of them. Elena had been worried, even though she knew it wasn’t Monica’s style to hold a grudge. When Jacob had come home a bit later after hitting the gym, Elena understood why Monica had hit the books so hard. She had wanted to be done with studying when Jacob made it home. Thankfully, there was no cheering and no Marvin Gaye, allowing Elena to get to sleep relatively early.
Sometime late in the night her eyes popped open. Someone was outside her bedroom door. Her heart beat hard in her chest. She felt her body respond with arousal. One breath in and out. Another. But Phillip walked away after whispering, “Goodnight, Elena.” She fell back asleep listening to him making his way up the stairs.
Elena was up and gone almost as early as Monica. She had some shopping to do today and needed to get some work done on her thesis. She headed to the campus library first. It opened earliest. She planned on working on her thesis. She had decided that she would focus on neuroscience. The night before, she had a caller whose feelings had felt almost alien, though she believed she had helped him. That thought made her swell with pride. Everyone felt better when they connected with another, and Elena had given him understanding. There was nothing dangerous to others that she had Sensed from him, but his emotions were so foreign, she had hypothesized that he did not possess typical biology. A branch of neuroscience specifically dealt with the brain processes of mental illness. What a fascinating subject for her to follow. Although while she was at the library, she did spend a little time looking into social psychology. Perhaps his emotions were affecting his cognitive process. She would leave her options open and maybe concentrate her Master’s Degree work in this area.
When she was finally finished with her research, she headed to the strip mall. Inside there was a music store. She wanted to get Phillip a present to use with his guitar. Walking in, she allowed herself to relax and absorb the emotion of the workers and the patrons. There was one hanger-on groupie who just felt hungry. And somehow empty. She almost ached for him. He would not find what he needed here. No matter what he had chosen, this was not a path he could happily walk. Overall, the feeling of the place was more positive, like possibilities waiting to be explored, and new discoveries waiting to be born. It all reminded her of her father. She approached the counter to speak with the worker.
“I wanted to see about specially ordering some guitar picks.” She smiled her best smile. She pushed hard to Project happiness. He was the empty, hungry one she had Sensed when she walked in. He smiled, but it was flat, mostly professional courtesy, not out of happiness. This wasn’t her power. Still, she kept it up as much as she could hoping to help in some small way.
“We do that here. It can also be done on-line.” He wasn’t unkind about it; he did want to help. “What do you have in mind?”
“I wanted some with Louisiana themes. Maybe a ‘gator, but it can’t look like it’s from the university in Florida. What about the swamp?”
“Well, you can Google pictures of the bayou.” He pulled some up and turned the computer screen so they could both see. There was one that showed a party barge on the bayou.
“Can you make that one larger?” He did and she asked, “Can we make it set up for a band to play? The guitar would need to be in the center.”
He hesitated. “Well, you would have to silk screen your own design. But once you had that, it would be easy to order.”
“Do you have a contact here that does that, silk screen thing?” As he shook his head, she felt dismayed.
At her crestfallen look, he responded, “It’s really not that hard. I have done something similar in my art class. But there are plenty of websites that you can order on-line from.”
“I worry that I wouldn’t get the feel right trying to order it off the computer, you know what I mean? I would rather talk to a person.” She read h
is name tag. “Are you sure you don’t know anyone, Daniel?” She Projected confidence. She had to lean on the counter after the first second.
“Well, I have an art project due Tuesday. I think we can help each out. Give me the idea and I can make it happen.”
She ignored the bit of doubt that he had waited until now for a project due in a couple of days and started in with him. “I like this barge, and I like this picture of the bayou stretching on forever in the background.” They discussed details and made a plan to meet back in two days. In the end she had decided on the picture of the bayou with a guitar in the middle hovering over the water. She Sensed Daniel’s resolve. This had worked out far better for both of them than she had ever anticipated. She left the strip mall hardly feeling her feet touch the ground.
When she made it home, she parked in front of the house and went through the front door. She closed it quietly as she heard Phillip playing his fiddle in the living room. It was special. Usually, he stuck with his guitar. She had discovered he only played his fiddle when he was homesick or writing a song. He wasn’t homesick now. He was playing a melody she had heard him toying with for the last couple of months, but he had never sung along with it before. She remembered asking him about it the night they spent together in her room. And now, it seemed, he had finally finished it. The music and lyrics were country with that slightly blues hint that was so Phillip. The music changed. The bridge perhaps?
Sing A Twist Page 3