#
I was lying on my bed and staring at my ceiling when my phone buzzed. It was another missed call from Daniel.
I left the Dolinsky’s house without saying goodbye to him; his father hadn’t tried to stop me when I pulled on my shoes and ran back home. I couldn’t bear to hear another word about this world that I’d suddenly been thrust into.
Daniel had called nearly a dozen times in the paste few hours. Did he know what I was? How much of the conversation did he hear? Did his father tell him the truth? No doubt he thought I was some freak now.
I stared at my hands, letting them go in and out of focus. I opened and closed them, rubbed my palms together, and flexed my fingers. The low pulse of energy did not return. Did it only work when I was angry or in danger? Or was I hallucinating this whole thing? For all I knew, I might still be in the hospital in a coma or something.
I sighed, flicking my hands towards the ceiling one more time before giving up. I let my arms fall to my sides.
Exhaustion was creeping through my body again. I needed sleep more than anything right now. I closed my eyes and exhaled. I burrowed into my warm blankets and my body slowly began to relax. My tense, knotted muscles became limp and my breath slowed.
I surrendered to sleep.
Maybe once I woke up everything would go back to normal.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was dark when my eyes opened again. The light in the hallway was on; I could see my mother’s shadow as she paced. She was on the phone to my father, speaking Spanish so quickly I could barely understand her in my groggy state.
There was a big glass of water by my bed. She must have come in to check on me.
I bolted up and downed the water greedily, not noticing how thirsty I was until I saw it.
“Yes, she’s been sleeping for over twelve hours.” My mother whispered. Her shadow drifted away as she walked towards her office. Her voice faded and I heard a door click shut.
I glanced at my clock. It was past midnight. I finally felt rested but now I was starving. It was a deep hunger that clawed at my insides as if I hadn’t eaten in days. I collapsed back into my bed and checked my phone.
15 missed calls: Daniel
So many missed calls. Two voice mails and too many texts to count. The last text was from ten minutes ago: Bianca, please say something. I’m worried.
I sighed.
Before I could reply I heard a tapping on my window. I bolted up and pulled back my curtains.
“Daniel?” I gasped.
My best friend was grinning, leaning against the roof. There was a perfectly placed tree near that side of my house and the slanted roof made getting in and out of my room easy. How many times had I snuck out of the window when I was younger? I had lost count.
I opened the window and popped out the screen. I was an expert at this.
Daniel slipped in and smiled. “Bianca.”
I didn’t hesitate; I pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t message you back. I was sleeping.”
Daniel chuckled. “Now that’s a familiar excuse.”
“It’s true,” I whispered.
“I know. That ordeal yesterday must have really drained you, huh?” Daniel smiled.
I sighed. “Yeah.” Maybe his father hadn’t told him anything. Maybe he hadn’t heard anything. That was the only way our friendship would be normal now. I wanted to tell him the truth so badly, but how would he take it? I barely could grasp it myself. How could he believe me when I didn’t even believe it?
Daniel broke away from the hug. “Hey, if you want to talk, we should probably get out.” He nodded his head towards the window.
I glanced over my shoulder. The hallway light was off now. My mother must have finally gone to sleep. “Alright.”
I threw on a hoodie and gathered my long black hair into a ponytail. I looked back over my shoulder one last time, slipped on some flip-flops and then followed Daniel out into the night.
Daniel climbed down the tree with surprising ease. I didn’t miss how his muscles flexed underneath his gray t-shirt. The glow from the streetlight cast shadows on his face and body. I ignored the spark of attraction burning in my chest.
“Hey, I meant to ask, have you been working out or something?” I asked as I hopped down from the lowest branch.
Daniel looked away and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, a bit,” He admitted. “Just cause I’m going into a white-collar industry, doesn’t mean that my health has to suffer.”
I smiled. He was really taking college serious. I was both proud and jealous. Only a few days ago, I wished desperately that I had college figured out and now I would have given anything to feel that normal again.
“So, you hungry?” Daniel asked.
“Starving!” I exclaimed.
Daniel laughed. “Well come on, let’s grab something to eat. My treat.”
We both knew that the only thing open in our neighborhood at this time was the 7-11 a few blocks away. I didn’t care. I piled two hot dogs with nacho cheese and olives, a Big Gulp full of Sprite and a bag of candy.
Daniel and I sat on the curb while I ate. He watched me, smirking. “Wow, you weren’t lying when you said you were hungry.”
I wiped some cheese from my lip. “I’m sorry,” I laughed.
“Don’t be,” Daniel handed me a napkin. “I think I’m the only guy in the world that you’d be comfortable enough with to eat a nacho-cheese hot dog with.” He wrinkled his nose. “With olives.”
I giggled and tossed an olive at him.
Daniel dodged out of the way. “Gross! I don’t know how you can eat those.”
“Everything tastes delicious.” I said after taking a big sip of Sprite.
“You know those hot dogs might have been sitting there since last Tuesday.”
I rolled my eyes. “Doubt it. And even if they were, I’d chance it.”
We both laughed.
The silence settled around us and was only broken by the sound of Daniel’s slushy. He twisted the straw around in the cup. He cleared his throat before speaking. “So, I guess it’s true that people are really hungry and tired after having an… episode.”
I sputtered and choked on my drink. “What?”
“I mean, psychic people.”
I froze. My hand was shaking as I clutched the Big Gulp tightly.
Daniel turned to look at me fully. “Please don’t be upset. I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” He added hurriedly. “I’ve just never really known a psychic. Well, besides my dad but that doesn’t count.”
“Your dad?” My voice squeaked. Mr. Dolinsky was a psychic too? How could he not have told me?
Daniel nodded.
A car pulled into the parking lot and shone it’s headlights in our direction. We both blinked and turned away from the blinding light. A middle-aged woman with auburn-red got out of the car and strode into the store. She made an annoyed sound in our direction, probably thinking we were some good-for-nothing hoodlums. The bell chimed as the door closed behind her.
“Come on,” Daniel said. “We probably shouldn’t be talking here anyway.”
#
Daniel and I went to the park. It was small and shielded by trees. No one would be out at this time of night and it was secluded enough that no one should overhear our conversation. We sat on the swings like we used to do when we were kids.
“So you know about psychics?” I asked.
Daniel nodded. “Yeah, my dad told me about them after he and Mom got divorced. I know he works for the special FBI division. But that’s about it. It’s pretty much on a need-to-know basis. Mom left him because he had to keep so many secrets. She said she couldn’t trust him anymore.” His voice drifted away.
“Oh, I see.” I hadn’t ever asked about the details of the divorce. It always seemed like such an awkward topic and I was no good with those. I hadn’t even been able to talk properly at my abuela’s funeral.
Daniel shrugged. “Whatever.” He looke
d up at the sky and leaned back a little. “We’re not here to talk about that, anyway.”
“So, you’re not weirded out by this?” I asked.
“You being psychic?” Daniel laughed. “No way! This is great actually.” He paused. “Well, maybe not for you but for me it’s cool. You’ll be ok, Bianca. I’m glad my dad found out so he can help you.”
I nodded. “Yeah, at least there’s that.”
“You don’t sound very excited,” Daniel said as he pushed off from the swing. He stood in front of me, his face breaking into a huge smile. “I mean, I know if I suddenly found out I had awesome powers, I’d be stoked!”
I laughed weakly.
“I’m serious!” He insisted.
“It’s not like a comic book, Daniel,” I sighed. “I’m just so confused. I don’t even know what my powers do or how to make them work. Your dad said to be patient, but it’s been twenty-four hours and I have no answers.”
Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But every great hero has an origin story!”
I laughed and shook my head. “Again with the superhero talk?”
Daniel shrugged. “Well, I know it’s not exactly like that…” He trailed off and then gasped. “Come on, why don’t we practice a little and see what you can do?”
My mouth went dry. “Are you serious?”
Daniel nodded. “Yeah, why not?”
I stood and looked at my hands. I opened and closed them but no low hum came. There was no feeling of energy rising through me. I felt completely normal. “I don’t know how to summon it,” I said. “The last two times I just got emotional and then it happened.”
“Let’s give it a shot,” Daniel said. His positivity might just start wearing off on me soon.
I sighed and rolled my shoulders. “Alright, I’ll try for you.”
Daniel grinned and looked around. He found an empty pop can and placed it on the ground in front of me. “So your powers are telekinetic right?”
“Telekinetic?” I repeated.
“Yeah, like you can move stuff with your mind.”
“I guess so. I mean, so far I’ve only broken stuff.”
Daniel nodded at the can. “You can do it. This one isn’t glass so maybe it’ll work better.”
I held out my hand and then hesitated. “How do you know all this stuff?”
“Internet research,” Daniel replied with a shrug. “Once I knew that psychic abilities were actually real, a deep web search revealed the rest. I just couldn’t talk about it with anyone until now. I didn’t want anyone to think I was crazy.”
“Maybe we’re both just crazy,” I laughed.
I flexed my hands again and exhaled. This was insane. I stared at the can but nothing happened. Not even the smallest twitch. No low humming feeling. No energy. I sighed and threw my hands up in the air. “This isn’t working!”
“Be patient,” Daniel insisted.
I clenched my teeth and balled my fists. Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one who recently discovered they were some sort of scientific freak. I blew out a breath and tried again, but nothing came without emotion.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I said finally.
Daniel looked up and his face went pale. “Bianca, behind you!”
My mouth went dry and my body buzzed with energy. “What?” I threw up my hands and whirled around to see nothing. I blinked, and the can came soaring down from above me, bouncing a few feet away. I looked down at my hands. “Did I do that?”
“Yep! Sorry I had to scare you to make it happen,” Daniel said.
We both looked at the deformed can. The hum was still present in my body. I grasped the feeling desperately and reached out towards the lump of aluminum. I flexed my fingers and saw the can twitch. I gasped and concentrated harder. There was a pause and then the can flew up over our heads again and landed in the grass.
“You did it!” Daniel gasped.
“Yeah, I did!” I looked down at my hands, unable to believe it. The hum was fading again. The low frequency sound rumbled through me. It started in my head and traveled down my spine, curling out like roots throughout my entire body. I suddenly felt very tired.
Daniel caught me as I stumbled. “Bianca!” He helped me sit on the grass. “Here, you should rest.”
I lay back in the grass, ignoring the dampness and shaking away the thought of any spiders or crickets might be lurking there. I was too exhausted to let that bother me. It wasn’t as bad as the last two times, but the drain on my body was undeniable.
Suddenly, a chill blew though the park. I bolted up and looked around. “What was that?”
“What was what?” Daniel asked.
“You didn’t feel that cold?” I asked.
My friend shook his head. “No, come on, we’d better get you home.”
“She won’t be going home tonight, nerd.” A raspy voice came from above us.
I looked up to see a man hovering at the tree line. He was dressed in black, standing casually, and he might have looked normal if he hadn’t been standing on thin air. He looked down at us with a grin.
I shrank back. This wasn’t the same person who we saw at the museum, but at least now I knew what we were dealing with. Another psychic.
“She’ll be coming with me,” The man said.
“Like hell she will!” Daniel threw his arm in front of me and helped me get to my feet. My body was weak and my legs trembled. I was grateful for his strength. I clutched his shoulder to keep myself standing.
“Daniel, he’s psychic too,” I whispered. “We can’t do anything against him.”
Daniel clenched his teeth. “Hold on, I’ll think of something.” He held his breath, probably racking his memory for anything helpful he had found on the deep web.
The man raised his hand, and the trees groaned. The wood bent to his will and the wind picked up. “Fine. I’ll get rid of you, little boy, and then I’ll take my prize.” His dark eyes locked onto mine and I wished I hadn’t wasted my energy on that can.
The trees creaked and rustled as they bowed to the man’s powers. He laughed manically and flexed his hands. As he thrust his arms upward, the trees groaned, and the wind whipped around us. The wind howled like a demon.
“We have to get out of here,” I shouted. My hair flew into my mouth and eyes. My voice was barely audible over the wind. I gripped Daniel’s hand.
The ground beneath us shifted, and we were flung like toys onto the grass.
I groaned as pain shot through my body. Whoever this guy was, I didn’t want to mess with him. Daniel helped me up again and we began to back away.
The man leered at us. “What? Going so soon? Don’t you want to have some fun?” He cackled.
Suddenly, something dark flew out of the trees and struck the man. He was sent crashing to the ground. The wind stopped. Two boys appeared they were probably about my age. One was pale with blond hair and the other was dark-skinned with hair cut short to his skull. They were tall, dressed in black, and very threatening.
The dark skinned boy dropped to the grass on one knee. He was panting hard but a focused light gleamed in his eyes.
The pale boy stood with twin daggers in his hands. He glanced at Daniel and me. Our eyes locked, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. His blue eyes were like ice. He smirked at me and I felt a slight pain in my head.
I groaned and looked away, covering my eyes with my hand. The energy in my body flexed, but nothing happened. I was still too weak.
The man struggled to his feet and snarled at the boys. “Stay out of this, academy scum!” He shouted. Spit flew from his mouth. He held out his hands and the wind surged forward, but he was no match for the other two.
The pale boy flicked his hands down and the daggers extended like switchblades.
“Come on, Bianca, we should go.” Daniel whispered to me. He helped me to my feet but I could not tear my eyes away from the fight.
“We can’t leave them like thi
s,” I said.
“Pretty sure they can take care of themselves,” Daniel replied.
As if to prove Daniel’s point, the boys lunged at the man. The dark boy faded in and out of sight. He disappeared and reappeared behind the man. The pale boy lashed out with one of his blades, catching the man in the arm.
The wind howled in response.
“We need to disable his power!” One of them yelled over the blast.
The man vanished, just missing another attack. He reappeared above the trees and let out a laugh. “You think you preppy boys can handle me?” He grinned. There was a rumble from beneath us and the ground began to shake.
“Shit, he’s strong.” The blond boy said. He adjusted his stance and held up his daggers.
The two worked together as a team, but I could sense just the smallest hint of tension between them. Obviously this rivalry had to be put aside to defeat the common enemy, but it was still noticeable.
The pair clashed against the man again. He fell to the ground. The rumbling feeling returned but it was weaker this time. It sputtered and began to fade.
“Now, while he’s weak!” The pale boy shouted.
As they both lunged in attack the man threw up his arms and disappeared into thin air.
“Shit!” The blond one exclaimed and kicked the ground.
They spoke to each other. It was too quiet for me to catch, but their faces looked serious and concerned. As if sensing my gaze they turned towards me.
Daniel tensed defensively. Were they friends or foes?
“Tell no one what you saw.” A voice filled my head. I heard it as plain as if it were someone talking right in front of me. I knew it came from one of them, but who? How had they entered my mind like that? Energy pulsed through the air and the voice was gone.
The two boys stared at me for a long moment. The silence crushed me. Without a word, the dark-skinned boy grabbed his partner’s forearm, and they vanished without a trace.
#
Daniel walked me home in shocked silence.
I was tired and weak, clinging to the arm of his sweater to keep my balance.
Psychic Secret: An Urban Fantasy Academy Romance (Psychic Academy Book 1) Page 3