The Mind Readers (9 page)

Hefting my books in my hands, I
left Biology and started down the crowded hall. Emily stood at her locker,
which was near mine. I couldn’t ask her if she’d happened to hear anything
about me, oh, say, reading minds. I knew she was done with me even before she
glanced over her shoulder, as if sensing my presence. She smirked and turned
away. It was a direct cut and a lot of people saw it happen. I kept my face passive,
not daring to show how crappy I felt, but my hands were visibly shaking.

“You think it’s true?” someone
whispered as I moved by.

“Oh please, no way,” someone
else responded.

God, what if she can read my mind?

I stumbled and glanced back.
Tara leaned against the wall, watching me. She jerked her head down, focusing
on the floor. Does she know what I’m thinking?

I froze there, in the middle of
the hall, the scent of lemon cleaning product sharp and strong, making me want
to gag. They all knew. The roar of conversation became a muffled murmur. No.
This was not happening. Frantic, I looked up and down the hall. More than one
student was looking at me, whispering, some giggling as they moved by, careful
not to get too close.

Can she read minds? Emily thinks she can.

Oh shit, what if she knows I cheated on that math test?

Will she tell Emily that I really hate her?

I wanted to throw my books to
the floor and scream for them all to shut up. I didn’t care about their stupid,
insignificant problems.

Instead, I lowered my head and
made my way toward class. This was horrible. Worse than horrible. Why had I
trusted Anne? Clearly, she wasn’t a friend, she’d betrayed me. Quicker than the
flu in winter, my secret had spread through the school.
 

“Excuse me,” someone snapped.

I looked up. Anne stood in my
way. She’d changed, no longer meek and shy, I could see that in the hardness of
her gaze. Life had turned her. No one seemed to notice her wrinkled outfit
anymore. Her hair had been combed back, and her face was its natural color.
Throwing me under the bus had given her strength.

At least now they’re talking about her and not me.

My heart stopped, for a brief
moment as realization struck hard. She’d done this on purpose…spread the rumor
that I could read minds. She’d wanted to hurt me because she still thought I’d
been responsible for turning George in.

“You did this,” I seethed.

“Did what?” She lifted a brow,
daring me to respond.

I bit my tongue, refusing to
give in. She had friends behind her. Friends who had previously been my friends
as well. Friends who looked uneasy, unsure. They were wondering if they could
trust me. Wondering if Anne was lying. Wondering if I could really read minds.

“You’re in my way.” She glared
at me.

This morning Anne had been a pariah,
but there were those few who felt bad for her and those few were supporting her
now. This afternoon, I was the one with leprosy, but the difference was that I
had no one to back me up. Alone. Everything I’d worked so hard for was gone. I
realized, in that moment, I had no idea what to do.
  

“Anne!” Sarah came to a skidding
halt beside us. “It was just on the news…they’ve found evidence, it’s not
looking good.”

Anne’s large brown eyes filled
with tears. My heart actually clenched for her. She dropped her books with a
loud thud and raced down the hall, disappearing around a corner. Her friends
didn’t follow. Some friends.
 

“Are you serious?” Toni asked.

“Yep.” Sarah was more excited
about being the first to know, than being worried about Anne’s welfare. They
darted a glance at me, but realizing they didn’t know what to say, they
wandered reluctantly away.
 

I sniffled, my nose burning from
unshed tears. How I wished I could go home and cry. If I went home and gave
into my tears, Grandma would immediately wonder what had happened. Not that she
wouldn’t read my mind tonight and know anyway. She would realize I’d told Anne
about my ability and then there’d be hell to pay. Would she make us pack up and
leave? Had I ruined everything once again, just as I had in Michigan?

The bell rang, indicating the
start of last class period. The hall emptied but I still stood there. Confused.
Lost. Alone.

The thud of footsteps sent my
heart racing.
Lewis?
I spun around,
but it wasn’t Lewis. No. It was Trevor. Slowly, he looked me up and down, a
smirk playing on his lips. No thoughts of me and my mind reading abilities
flashed through his brain. Thank God. Same old Trevor, wondering if now that he
and Emily had broken up, he could get some from me. He thought I’d be happy to
take Emily’s place because he was, well, Trevor. School star athletic. Of
course I wanted him.
Not.

“Hey, Cameron.” He paused in
front of me, too close. I really didn’t have the time to deal with him right
now.

“Hey,” I muttered, brushing past
him and heading toward French class.

“What’s the hurry?” He latched
onto my arm, pulling me to a stop.

“I’ve got class,” I said, trying
to shrug off his touch. “Don’t you?”

She’d be easy,
he thought.
Screw
her and move on. She won’t say anything, she’ll be too worried about Emily
finding out.

I sighed and tried to jerk my
arm away. “Listen, I gotta go or I’ll be late.”
 

“So,” he shrugged, grinning that
grin that made many a girl’s hearts flutter. Fortunately, I was totally immune.
He pulled me back. Off balance, I stumbled and fell against the wall.

“Aren’t you ever bad?” He took
the opportunity to step closer, his body pinning mine to the wall.

I was so stunned, I let him. The
idiot didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. He actually believed that I
would be so grateful to have his attention, I wouldn’t mind the fact that his
hands were currently traveling down my waist and creeping dangerously close to
my ass.

“You know I’ve always liked
you.”

“Bull,” I snapped, using my
French book as a barrier between us. I wish I could have explained his actions
away because his parents didn’t love him, or deep down he felt insecure. But
nope, he was just an ass. “You’ve never liked me; you’re just horny and have
some delusional belief that I’m so desperate I’ll let you use me.”

I saw the surprise flash in his
eyes, heard the mental curse come from his thoughts, but he recovered quickly.
He was good, and if I couldn’t read minds, I might have actually fallen for his
crap.

“Cam, it’s always been you I was
interested in. I only dated Emily to be close to you.”

“Wow,” Lewis’ voice suddenly
reached out, a beacon of hope. “That is the worst pick up line I’ve ever
heard.”

He crossed his arms over his
chest and leaned against the wall not ten feet from us.

Trevor looked unimpressed.
“We’re having a private conversation here, Newbie. Might want to make yourself
scarce.”

Lewis glanced at me, a quick
glance, but I didn’t miss the look. Something was there in his eyes. Something
I’d never seen before. A hardness, a darkness that surprised me.

“Really? Because Cameron doesn’t
look like she’s enjoying the subject of conversation.”

“I think I know Cameron better
than you.” Trevor turned back to me. “As I was saying…”

Lewis gripped the man’s shoulder
and spun him away from me so fast I barely had time to register the movement.
Before I could even blink, Trevor—big, tall, strong Trevor—was pinned against
the wall.

“You touch her again, you’ll
regret it,” Lewis said softy, yet the quietness of his voice only somehow added
to the threat.

“Back off, man,” Trevor said.

Was it my imagination or had his
voice quivered? How the hell was Lewis, preppy Lewis, holding Trevor immobile?
But then I noticed it, the hardness of Lewis’ body, the muscles that bulged
under his shirt, the way he held Trevor’s arm pinned behind the idiot’s back.

In that moment I realized two
things: Lewis was much stronger than I’d first thought and Lewis knew some sort
of martial arts. I was no Kung Fu expert, but I knew a trained person when I
saw one.

“I’ll back off when you swear
never to touch her again.” Lewis’ voice was calm, as if he was in complete
control. And he was. I wasn’t sure whether I should find his protective nature
sweet or ridiculous. Shocked, I just stood there like I was watching a movie.

“Fine,” Trevor snapped,
grimacing as he struggled in Lewis’ hold.

Finally Lewis released the man
and stepped back.

“Freak,” Trevor whispered as he
rushed down the hall, horrified and embarrassed. Silence lengthened between us,
an odd, uneasy silence. The only sound was the soft murmur of teacher’s voices
behind closed doors. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Maybe I wanted to.”

“Oh.” For one long moment we
just stared at each other. My body felt odd, hot and trembling. My heart raced
and in my mind was this desperate need to be closer to him. The one person who
understood me. “Thanks.”

He nodded, a short, curt nod.

“Annabeth told everyone,” I
blurted out, because he needed to know and because I wanted him to stay with me
just a little longer.

“I know,” he said, his blue eyes
softening. “Emily’s helping spread the rumor.

“To get back at me,” I
whispered. It was bad enough having Anne as an enemy, but Emily would be a
million times worse. “Why is she doing this to me?”
 

“Self-preservation.” Lewis
leaned next to me, so close I could feel his warm breath. “Humans will always
try to protect themselves; always throw another under the bus if it will save
them. She’s hurting, to her you’re the cause of that hurt. Plus, if people are
whispering about you then they aren’t about her.”

I clutched my French book
tightly to my chest. “I don’t believe that. People can’t be that horrible.”

“You’ve read their minds.” He
shrugged. “You know how dark their thoughts can be.”

He was right; I’d heard things
that would make people question the whole of society. Was it true, would people
always think about themselves over others? Mom didn’t care about me, she’d
dumped me first chance she got. What kind of parent would do that? Grandma
wasn’t any better, keeping me under her constant control. Maybe Lewis was
right.

“I am.” He grinned.

I sniffed, finding no amusement
in the fact that he could read my mind. It wasn’t fair. In the span of a week
my life had completely changed, and why? Because I’d tried to help someone.
Grandma was right about one thing, it was best to keep your powers hidden. And
Lewis was right…you couldn’t trust anyone. I wasn’t even sure I could trust
him.

“Lewis, why can’t I read your
thoughts?”

“Cam,” Lewis sighed and leaned
closer to me. “It doesn’t have to be like this. There’s a way to be able to use
your powers and at the same time feel safe and protected. There’s a way to be
around others like us.”

Startled, I looked up at him.
“How?”

“The café,” he said, taking a
few steps backward. “Where you go after school—”

“How’d you know about that
place?”

He grinned. “I know a lot about
you. You think my being here is just a coincidence?”

I started toward him, my heart
racing. “You knew about me even before you arrived?”

He shrugged. The hall was empty
so we didn’t have to worry about being overheard. “Meet me after school at the
café. We’ll discuss things.” He turned and started toward the exit, apparently
skipping his last class.

“Lewis!”

“We’ll talk later,” he called
over his shoulder.
 

And with that he was gone,
leaving me in the hall frustrated and alone. But I knew one thing… for the
first time in days, I felt hopeful.

Chapter 7

I wasn’t sure what to expect
when I—wet, cold and miserable— entered the café. The place had been closed for
a week after the shooting and they’d lost plenty of business. It wasn’t nearly
as crowded as it had been and I knew the owner was worried about money. Poor
guy had a family to support.

I easily found Lewis sitting at
a table by the windows. His hair was damp, the ends curled over the collar of
his dark jacket. For one moment I stood just inside the doorway, watching him.
He certainly must have felt my presence and if not, seen me walk up the
sidewalk. But he kept his head bent, his gaze on the cup in his hands.

He was so cute it almost hurt.
But it was more than his good looks that attracted me to him. Finally I had
someone who understood me. Someone who didn’t think I was a freak. Someone I
admired. He’d given me hope when I had none left. He wasn’t afraid to get
involved. He’d called the cops, which had led to George’s arrest over the
weekend. He was a freaking hero, while I was…

He looked up and smiled at me.

Giddy warmth swept through my
body. This was welcoming. This was someone I could trust. This was someone I
could completely fall in love with. I moved across the room, eager to be closer
to him.

“Chai tea with cinnamon.” He
pushed the cup toward me as I settled in the chair across from him.

I dropped my backpack on the
floor. “How’d you…” But I didn’t need to finish that sentence. I flushed. Of
course he knew. “Thanks.”

He gave me a sheepish grin.
Outside, rain pelted the windows. It was a cold, dour afternoon, but I felt
warm. I didn’t have a clue what Lewis had to say, but knowing what I did about
him, I prayed it was going to change my life for the better.

I sipped the spicy liquid, my
insides heating for once. It felt good, so very good to be here, settled in a
café on a cold autumn day with this guy who understood me like no other did.

“You want to know?” he laughed.

“Yeah,” I admitted. I was used
to Grandma being able to read my mind, but no one else. It was a bit
disconcerting. He knew I was eager to learn the truth. He obviously knew I was
attracted to him.

He leaned forward, his blue gaze
intense. “Alright. The truth?”

I nodded, clasping my cup
tightly and letting the warmth seep into my skin. He was going to pretend like
he didn’t know I had feelings for him, which was fine by me.

“I was sent to help you.”

Stunned, for a moment I merely
sat there with my mouth hanging open, my mind spinning. I wasn’t sure how I
felt about this revelation. Who the hell had sent him? And did this mean he was
only here because he had to be? “Who sent you?”

He settled back in his chair, as
if he was relieved to get the truth out once and for all. “His name is Aaron.
For years he’s taken mind readers under his wing.”

“Where did he come from?”

Lewis laughed. “Same place you
and I came from, our parents. The man is a genius. He’s taught us everything he
knows, he’s empowered us.”

Empowered. What I wouldn’t do to
feel that way. My excitement was almost unmanageable and I scooted my chair
closer to the table. “Such as?”

“How to control your thoughts so
other mind readers can’t read them.”

That would be really, really
good…especially when I was around Lewis.

“How to focus on certain
people’s thoughts. How to block thoughts…anything you can imagine.”

He’d already sold me and I
wanted to ask him where to sign up but I managed to keep calm. I didn’t really
know who Lewis was or where he’d come from, but to me he was an angel.
  

“You guys doing all right?” A
young waitress interrupted our session.

I jumped, startled. I’d been so
mesmerized by Lewis, I hadn’t even heard her or her thoughts approach.

He’s cute, but too young
, she thought, glancing at Lewis. I
frowned, annoyed. How did she know Lewis and I weren’t together? Rather rude,
if you asked me.

Lewis grinned, obviously hearing
her words in his own mind. “We’re good, thanks.”

She moved on, leaving us alone.
I had so many questions it was hard to contain myself. “Mind readers. That’s
what we’re called?”

He shrugged. “It’s what we call
ourselves.”

“How many are there?”

“A few hundred, at least. Not a
lot.”

But so many more than what I’d
known. I sank back into my chair, shocked to my very core. “And they all live
with Aaron?”

“No, of course not. Just a few.”

I stared out the window,
watching raindrops chase each other down the glass. Overwhelmed, I wasn’t sure
what to say, to ask. My entire world had changed in a moment. Why hadn’t she
told me there were others? “All this time I thought Grandmother and I were
alone.”

Lewis’ face grew serious.
“You’re not, and there’s so much more you could do, if you were trained. So
many things you’re missing out on.”

His words were tempting. He’d
touched something deep within, a feeling of worthlessness that had taken root
in my soul. I was different. I was wrong. But for once, I felt right.

“I want to show you something.”
Keeping his arm on the table, Lewis opened his hand, fingers spread wide. The
clear salt shaker next to me rattled. Startled, I drew in a sharp breath. The
shaker slid across the tabletop, stopping directly against his palm. Lewis
closed his fingers around the shaker and he set it back in its rightful place.

“No freaking way,” I whispered.
“How’d you do that?”

“Telekinesis. Moving things with
your mind.” He grinned. “It’s amazing what the mind can do if trained
properly.”

My heart leapt with excitement.
“You’re saying I can do that?”

He shrugged. “We don’t know what
you can do, unless you try. Unless you’re trained.”

I took my lower lip between my
teeth and played with the cardboard sleeve on my cup. “But my Grandma…”

He sighed. “Your grandma is
trying to control you.”

True enough. How often had I
thought the same thing? How often had I been so incredibly angry with her
because of her controlling and demanding nature that I’d wanted to run away?
Heck, I was counting down the days until I could leave for college. Still…

You’re not alone, Cameron.

I jerked my head upright.
“What?” I wasn’t sure if he’d spoken the words aloud or implanted them in my
mind.

Lewis smiled but didn’t move his
lips.
You’re not alone.

I looked around, afraid the
other two patrons in the café would notice I was talking to myself. “You can
talk to me…my mind?”

“Of course I can,” he said aloud
this time. “It’s simple, a mere thought directed at you. And you can do the
same to me.” He leaned closer, temptation in his eyes. “Try it.”

What to say? I looked around
again to make sure no one was watching. I’m sure to the other customers we
probably looked like two teenagers intensely attracted to each other, the way
we were leaning in close, staring so intently. If they only knew what we were
really up to.

I stared into his blue eyes.
All right. Here goes. What happens next, if
I agree?

He took a sip of his drink.
You come with me.

I didn’t respond immediately,
too surprised. Leave? Leave this town? Leave Grandma? Leave the only life I’d
ever known?
Where to?

Aaron’s home.

Suddenly a picture flashed
through my mind. A mansion really, of red brick. Rolling green hills, fall
colored trees, the blue ocean sparkling in the distance. A beautiful, peaceful
looking place.

“Did you do that?” I demanded,
blinking the picture from my mind and focusing on him.

The waitress looked our way,
hearing the sound of my shrill voice and wondering if something was wrong. I
sipped my tea and focused my thoughts on him.
Did you send me that picture?

Yes.

But…but how?

It’s easy, when you know the way to do it. We sense emotions, we can
hear thoughts, worries, and we can see and send mental images as well.

So many things my Grandmother
had never told me. I wasn’t sure if I should be angry or confused. Why was she
keeping me in the dark?
My God, that’s
amazing.

He grinned.

“Why didn’t she tell me? Why
hasn’t she helped me develop these abilities?”

His smile faded. “Some people
are frightened of what they can do.”

I laughed, a forced, hard sound.
“My Grandma’s not afraid of her abilities.”

He looked at his cup, tracing
the rim with his finger. “Your Grandma’s different. She’s never fully accepted
what we can do.”

I stiffened. “You say that like
you know her.”

He looked up at me. “I know of
her.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Decades ago, Mind Readers stuck
together. Almost like a family. They lived and worked as a group.
Unfortunately, there was some falling out and they divided. Some went the way
of your Grandmother, going into seclusion and hiding. Others went with Aaron,
not hiding, but being proud of what they could do. I don’t really know the
details, but I do know your Grandmother wants to keep her powers to herself.”

For some reason I felt the need
to defend the old bat. “Maybe she has a reason for hiding. You saw how the
school treated me, how it backfired.”

He latched onto my hand, his
grip strong and sure. “No. You saved countless lives today, Cameron, don’t ever
forget that.”

He was right. I was being
selfish by worrying about my social standing and not proud of the fact that I
had helped put a murderer behind bars. “But how can we fit in?”

He shrugged, his gaze shining
with excitement. “Why should we? We don’t have to fit in. We don’t need others.
Humans don’t understand us.”

I pulled my hand from his. I
couldn’t think straight when he was touching me. For the longest time my goal had
been to blend in, to be normal. Now, he was telling me I didn’t need to. “You
say humans like we aren’t.”

He glanced outside onto the wet
streets, deep in thought. “Maybe we aren’t. Who knows where our abilities come
from.”

What the heck was he saying? How
could we not be human? We were quiet for one long moment, my mind spinning with
confusing possibilities. “What do you know?”

He looked directly at me.
We know the ability to read minds is passed
down in the family, although it can skip generations.

I nodded. That certainly made
sense.
My Grandma.