Zak Turner - A Twist In Time (23 page)

On either Thursdays or Fridays we have astronomy at ten pm in the observatory.  We all have to take our own telescopes and do star charts and things, and there is a really big astral telescope there which allows mystics to see events written in the stars.  Apparently we’ll all get a go using it, but we’ll only see anything if we have mystical abilities!

The letter went on for a page and a half about different things that Sartrina was doing in her lessons, and then started asking Steven about what he was doing at school in the dale and on the farm.  The young farmer hadn’t made any effort to hide his thoughts from anyone, not knowing that he needed to, and as a result Zak and Tallion had heard him read out almost the whole letter. 

He was so engrossed in it that he forgot he was in the library at school, and that he wasn't alone, and when the letter moved on to a more personal note, his thoughts were loud and clear.

I wish you could be here with me at the school Steven, I really do.  I miss being with you so much.  I keep remembering waking up on the sofa with your arm round me last Tuesday morning, and just wish we could be together again like that.

Please write soon, I love you very much

Sartrina

X X X

Zak and Tallion were having very different reactions to the letter, especially when Steven got to the end and saw the kisses under his girlfriend’s name.  His mind ran back to the only kiss they’d shared the previous Tuesday, before they ran from the farmhouse to get Sartrina home in the early dawn.

Zak was surprised and a little bit embarrassed, and had closed his eyes.  He was secretly very happy for his friend, although he was planning to pull his leg about it all something rotten!  He was just starting to work out how to grab the letter without causing too much fuss when he became aware of his soul mate’s emotions.

Tallion was feeling sick in the pit of his stomach.  It was only when he realised that Sartrina had a proper boyfriend that he finally understood his
own
feelings towards her.  To say that he was now jealous was an extreme understatement!  He might have been able to cope with finding out that they had a crush on each other, but finding out that they had an established friendship and had spent a night together the previous week, and then hearing Steven’s thoughts about their kiss and all his follow-on thoughts was simply too much for the heart-broken eleven-year-old.

Without saying a word he picked up the book which he’d laid on the table, and hid his face behind it, not wanting to talk with anyone, not even Zak.  Moments later though, as Zak tried to telepath with him, he jumped out of his seat, went back to the shelf where he’d got the book and pushed it back in amongst the others.  He then went to Mrs Rigg, said he was feeling sick, and ran out of the library as quickly as he could, ignoring Zak’s voice in his head and blocking him out.  He just wanted to be alone.

“What’s up with him?” asked Sam as Tallion disappeared out of the door.

“I dunno.  Maybe he’s feeling ill or something, he never told me if he was though,” answered Zak worriedly. 

All thought of teasing Steven fled from his mind as he felt the distress in Tallion.  The further away he got the fainter it all became, until he couldn’t hear his soul mate’s thoughts at all.  He realised that Tallion must have deliberately gone to the far side of the school to get out of range.

Steven had now surfaced from his beautiful daydreams, and realised that Tallion wasn’t there.

“Where’s Tal?” he asked in a surprised voice.

“He just left without saying why,” answered Sam.  “Are you
so
interested in sheep that you didn’t notice?”

“Eh?  Oh!  Err, well…  Sort of…  Umm…”

Steven’s cheeks went a bit pink and he closed the book with his letter inside and put it on the table.  Just then Mrs Rigg appeared.

“What are you three chattering about?!  You should be reading not gossiping.  If you’ve finished with that book Steven, go and get another one and don’t distract your classmates!”

The librarian picked up Steven’s book, complete with Sartrina’s letter still inside it, and headed back to her desk.  Steven looked horrified, and his mouth dropped open in worry.  Zak couldn’t help a smile curling the corners of his own mouth as he heard Steven’s panicky thoughts about losing his letter, and at the same time saw him trying to hide the reality of the situation from them all.

“So go on then,” he whispered mischievously to his friend, “go and choose another book.  Maybe you need one about marriage?”

Steven’s face was a picture of embarrassment, confusion and shock.  He quickly jumped up, ran back to the farming section of the library, and hid behind the shelves for a couple of minutes trying to work out what to do.

“Umm, what’s going on, Zak?” asked Sam suspiciously. 

The events of the last few minutes had not made a lot of sense to his sharp mind, but it was obvious that Zak knew more than
he
did.  His friend frowned, wondering if he could tell Sam anything.  On one hand he’d love to have a bit of fun with Steven about it, and he’d landed himself well and truly in this mess all by himself.  However, he didn’t want to make it any worse for Tallion, who was radiating a lot of unhappiness to his soul mate from wherever he’d hidden himself.

“Well, I think Steven and Tallion both have a crush on the same girl,” he said carefully, “and they both just realised it!”

Sam grinned, and whispered very quietly.

“You’re kidding!  I would never have expected either of them to want a girlfriend!”

“I don’t think either of them did, particularly,” whispered Zak back, “it just sort of happened!”

“So who is it?  Not someone in our class surely?!”

“Nah, don’t be daft!  It’s someone from the dale who goes to a private school.”

“Oh.  Well that sort of makes sense for Tallion I guess, but not for Steven!” 

* * *

Steven’s mind was racing.  He desperately needed to get his letter back, and he needed to understand what Zak meant about marriage.  Had he let something slip while he was reading?  Zak had a very smug look on his face as he made the comment.  The letter was most important though.  He decided to go and ask Mrs Rigg for the book so that he could check something before he put it back on the shelf.

The librarian was sitting at her desk reading a book catalogue, and glancing round the restless library full of first years, keeping her eye on everyone.  Few people realised it, but her desk in the middle of the room was strategically placed so that she could see almost all the tables between the bookshelves, and the ones that she couldn’t see directly, she could see through gaps between the books.  She looked up as Steven approached with a helpful look on her face.

“Err, Mrs Rigg, may I have that book back for a minute?  I’d just like to check something that I read in it, and I could put it back on the shelf when I’ve finished.”

The librarian’s suspicions were aroused immediately, although she didn’t show it.  She’d been supervising children in the library for enough years to know the real reasons behind all their requests and actions.  When a student asked to put a book back on the shelves, it was usually in order to hide something, often damage to the book itself. 

She picked up the book and let the pages flick over quickly as she scanned for a torn page or some handwriting inside.

“Of course Steven, was there any particular page you wanted to look at?”

She almost didn’t notice the letter between the pages as it flicked past because she’d glanced up at Steven just as she got to that point.  However, she stopped the pages turning, and glanced back at the book flicking back a couple of pages to the letter.

“Ahh, is this what you wanted to ‘check’?” she asked in a rather sterner voice.

Steven was by now bright red, and quite a few students were looking to see what was happening.

“Yes, miss.”

“So you weren’t reading the book, but you were reading a letter instead?”

“Err, yes, miss,” said the young farmer quietly.

“I don’t remember saying that this lesson was to be used for corresponding with your girlfriend, Master Robson, do you?” asked the librarian quite loudly as she scanned the letter.

By now quite a lot of people were listening, and there were a good few sniggers and nudges as people heard what Mrs Rigg was saying.

“No, miss,” answered the mortified Steven, who just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.  Mrs Rigg wasn’t vindictive, but she did want to maximise the opportunity to exert a bit of discipline in order to discourage others from misbehaving.

“Well, your girlfriend has a very creative mind, judging by her letter, maybe she can pass some of it on to you.  Here you are, I don’t want to know any more about your love life, but I do want to see you here for detention every lunchtime next week, at quarter to one.”

The librarian handed Steven the letter first, and then the closed book.  She pointed at the bookshelf where it belonged, and made a dismissive gesture with her hand, shooing the scarlet boy away.  She was sorry that Steven had been first to transgress, but she had to make an example of the first one to ensure the others toed the line.

Steven went and put the book back on the shelf and grabbed another one, a large one, which he could hide behind, and quickly went back to his seat.  Zak and Sam were grinning at his discomfort, but he just opened the book and hid behind it, not saying a word, and feeling slightly sick!

15.  Hard Graft

Tallion didn’t reappear before the end of the lesson, so Zak picked up his school bag and headed off to lunch in the dinner hall.  His friend arrived a few minutes later, and sat down without saying anything. 

“Are you okay Tallion?” asked Sam wanting to break the unnatural silence between them all.

“Yeah, I just felt a bit sick, but it passed.  Maybe I ate something…”

I don’t want to talk about it Zak, please,
Tallion
telepathed to his friend.

We’re not going to have much choice mate.  What happened after you left the library will be talked about for days!

What happened?

I’m sure Sam will tell you…

Less than fifteen seconds passed before Sam couldn’t keep quiet about it any longer.  He related the whole story of Steven’s conversation with Mrs Rigg, almost word for word, and finished by asking him who his girlfriend was. 

Steven, who’d sat there quietly with a resigned look on his face during Sam’s narration of the tale, suddenly looked worried again.  Until this point he’d been comforting himself that at least no-one knew it was Sartrina.

“That’s private!” he grouched.

Sam wasn't going to be put off though, and started to goad their friend into telling them.  Eventually he succeeded, and Steven looked fearfully at Tallion as he told his three friends who it was.

“She’s called Sartrina Whitestone, Sam, and she don’t go ter this school.  She goes to a private school.”

Tallion was looking stony-faced at his uneaten lunch, and Steven with a sudden flash of inspiration, realised that somehow he already knew!  Sartrina hadn’t been kidding either when she said he’d be unhappy about it! 

Zak was cringing, hoping that Sam wouldn’t make any comment about Tallion being in love with the same girl, all the time knowing that Tallion could hear it in his thoughts and already knew that he’d told Sam anyway!

The future baronet pushed his uneaten lunch away, and got up, feeling upset and betrayed.

“See you later,” he said simply, and grabbed his bag and walked away.

“Uh-oh,” said Sam with a smirk, “someone’s jealous!  I think I need to meet this Sartrina to see why she’s knocked you two for six!”

“Not possible,” mumbled Steven.  “She’s at boarding school.”

* * *

The frost between Tallion and Steven didn’t thaw over the next week, in fact if anything it got worse.  To start with, Steven was concerned about it, and tried to make things right between them.  Tallion refused to listen to his attempts to explain though, and eventually the young farmer changed his attitude and started showing off about having got Sartrina as
his
girlfriend.

He also became a minor celebrity amongst the first years because of the incident in the library, which didn’t exactly help.  It had started out with a few people ribbing him, but Steven brazened it out, and in true Robson style turned it all to his own advantage.  A few stories started circulating about what they’d got up to together, and who Sartrina was, and it was clear from the content that Steven had been talking, and embellishing the truth! 

He didn’t seem the slightest bit worried about losing his lunchtimes in detention either!  Zak spent one half of his lunchtime in the library with Steven, and the other half of his lunchtime with a very frosty Tallion.

By the end of the following week, the antagonism between them was so bad that they completely refused to talk to each other, or even sit with each other.  Zak had become their only go-between, trying to be friends with both of them and suffering a lot of barbed comments in return. 

Travelling to and from school each day had turned into a real trial, and even John Turner, who’d been ferrying them about that week, noticed that things weren’t right between them all.

* * *

“Zak, if he’s gonna be such a plonker just because Sartrina’s me girlfriend, then there’s now’t I can do about it.  It’s not as though I’m even seeing her, all we manage ter do is swap letters!”

The boys were walking slowly back to their form room after Steven had finished his final detention.  Zak had been in the library with him for the second half of his lunch break that day.

“I know mate, but you could stop showing off about it in front of him!  I’ve already explained to you that they grew up together, and until her dad died everyone just assumed they’d end up getting married, and he still thinks that way, well,
thought
that way.  You’ve sort of stolen her from him, and he’s struggling with it a bit.”

“She chose me Zak, I didn’t do any stealing!  I’m very pleased she did too, an’ I want her as me girlfriend, an’ he’s just gonna have ter get used to it!”

“Yes, I know, but please try not to mention it when he’s around will you?”

“He stole you from me too Zak!  You were me best friend then he suddenly bewitched yer and turned yer into a wizard and left me wi’ no-one fer weeks, wondering why yer suddenly liked him more ‘n me!”

“He did not steal me from you,” retorted Zak rather hotly, “and he did not turn me into a wizard!  Steven, please, come on you’re still my best mate, let’s not start arguing between ourselves…”

“Okay, I’m sorry, but he did take yer away from me Zak, we did everything together, and suddenly yer weren’t there no more.  Now I’ve got someone special of me own, and he’s all upset about it.  I like having friends too…”

The two friends had stopped walking, and were staring silently at the floor between them.  Zak could hear Steven’s thoughts and knew his friend was struggling with his annoyance about losing Zak as his special friend, and was now feeling as though Tallion wanted to take Sartrina away from him too!  He could understand why he felt threatened and annoyed about it, anyone would. 

He was also getting more and more worried about listening to Steven’s thoughts.  At times like this it made it very easy for him to understand his friends way of thinking, but it was horrible to feel as though he was eavesdropping on him all the time.  He decided that he had to tell him and apologise from not saying anything earlier.  He half-expected Steven would storm off in huff!  He took a deep breath and looked up at his friend.

Steven looked up too, still feeling annoyed with Tallion, and as a result annoyed with Zak.  He could see Zak wanted to say something else.

“What?”

“Please don’t get mad Steven, I should have told you this before, but I just never got chance.  One of my magical gifts is being able to hear other people’s thoughts.  When I’m close to someone their thoughts just come into my head as though they were talking to me.”

For a moment Steven didn’t get it, but then the understanding swelled up inside him like a huge wave.

“You – can – hear – my – thoughts?” he asked, quietly and deliberately.

“Yeah.  I’m sorry Steven, I can’t help it!  It’s horrible listening to what everyone else is thinking.”

“So yer know what I’m thinking and what I’m feeling right now?”

“Yeah.  You’re getting crosser and crosser, and you’re trying to find the right words to say that you hate me and ask me how I could treat you like this!”

“Yeah!  Got it in one!  It now feels like yeh’ve been spying on me as well as everythin’ else!”

“Steven, it’s not like that, really it isn’t.  Please, believe me.”

“An’ I suppose Tallion knows everything that’s been going on in me mind too?  All them thoughts about me an’ Sartrina in t’ library, and every time I read a letter?  Ruddy Nora, Zak!  How could you do this ter me?  Why didn’t you tell me before?!”

Steven’s mind was racing with thoughts and memories of memories and thoughts, wondering what Zak had heard, well, he wasn't too bothered about what
Zak
had heard, but he was
very
annoyed that Tallion had heard his most private thoughts!

“Zak…  I…  No…  I can’t believe you did this ter me, ter yer friend…!”

“Steven, I made a mistake not telling you, I’m sorry, really sorry, but please, no harm’s come from it.  Really.  We’re very careful mate, and we really do try not to listen…”

Steven was exasperated to say the least, and hurt, and disappointed.  He turned away from Zak and closed his eyes.  He knew inside that Zak hadn’t meant to hurt him, but then he realised that Zak could hear those thoughts too, and that annoyed him all over again.  He glanced at his watch.  There was still five minutes before they had afternoon registration.

“I need some time ter meself Zak, I’m sure y’ already know why, seein’ as yer can hear me thoughts!  See you in class.”

“Okay mate, I understand.  I really am sorry.”

“I know.”

Steven walked quickly in the other direction, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible.  He needed to think in private.

“The dinner hall should be far enough!” called out Zak after him, hoping that by answering his friend’s thoughts he wouldn’t make it worse.  He’d guessed right, and Steven stopped, took a deep breath, and then turned round with a resigned look on his face.

“Thanks,” was all he said before he turned away and hurried on.

* * *

Tallion didn’t mention Steven at all on Friday evening at the castle.  He was polite enough towards Zak, and although they shared their minds and thoughts during their magic lessons, it all felt a bit strained.  Barty noticed, but didn’t say anything, assuming that they’d had some kind of schoolboy argument that would sort itself out in time.

He also noticed that Tallion seemed to be putting quite a lot more effort into their physical self-defence lessons than normal too.  He definitely didn’t take it easy on Zak when he threw him to the ground as they practised disabling an opponent.  There were even tears in Zak’s eyes as he endured the pain of a bad fall, but Tallion didn’t say anything and just turned away whereas previously he’d always have apologised and checked that his companion was okay.  Barty also noticed that Zak didn’t retaliate though; behaving the same way he always had done despite getting the cold shoulder.

Zak, for his part, was just biding his time, hearing Tallion’s thoughts, and understanding that he was slowly coming to terms with the situation.  The future baronet was learning a painful lesson that some things in life were beyond his control, despite who he was.  It was not an easy lesson, and to start with Zak’s patience just annoyed him even more.  All the time he could hear Zak’s friendly, normal thoughts, and it irritated him no end.

Zak got some relief from the frost coming off his soul mate when he went to football on Sunday morning, and his mind was finally alone again, albeit still hearing the thoughts of those around him!  At least at football it was all just his team-mates thoughts about tactics and the game. 

He actually found it very useful to hear what his team-mates were thinking, and realised that he could turn this to his advantage during a game, knowing just when they were going to pass to him, and being able to apparently miraculously anticipate other people’s moves perfectly.

He was also finding it easier to play the full thirty five minutes each way, mainly because of his morning and evening running, but also because he was doing sport at school again too.  The football coach was pleased too, and his gamble of putting a much younger player into the side was paying off.  They had a match the following Sunday, and he was hoping that Zak would be able to repeat his performances from the previous year in the under elevens.  So far, he’d managed to display a cool head and an accurate foot.  The last bit was a gift, but the rest wasn’t, and the boy was putting in a lot of hard work, getting fit, and understanding how to work with his new team.

* * *

The third week of term went down as one of the worst weeks of Zak’s life.  True, it wasn't as bad as when he’d injured his leg, or when he got crushed by the kelpie, or when he was almost killed on the way to Mhonarr Castle, but at least during those experiences he’d had friends.  Now his best friend Steven was avoiding him like he had some kind of disease, and Tallion was just being artificial all the time!  He could often hear annoyance against himself in their thoughts because he was still being friends with the other one too!

He repeatedly tried to make peace with both of them, but he was repeatedly rebuffed each time he brought the subject up.  Having endured another week of antagonism from them both, he felt exhausted and deflated, and when they’d finished their magic lessons with Barty on the last Saturday in September, he stared after his departing soul mate in despair as he walked quickly out of the classroom by himself.

“Zak,” asked Barty quietly, “what’s happened between you.”

Zak’s heart sank even further.  He’d wanted to tell Barty and Sir Philip about their ability to hear other people’s thoughts for weeks, but he wanted to do it with Tallion, so he’d kept putting it off until things were right again between them.  However, he couldn’t explain the problem between them without telling Barty about the thought hearing.  He took a deep breath, and was about to speak when Tallion’s voice came into his head.

Don’t tell him!

I have to tell him Tallion.  What’s happened to you?  You never used to be like this.