The Boy Who Read Minds

by Veronica Soliman

  "What were you two doing at the school in the middle of the night?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the situation. The poor, young lady didn’t deserve what happened to her.

  "He said he wanted to study for our test tomorrow. He picked me up. I thought I could trust him." She said, blankly as tears continued racing down her cheeks.

  "I'm so sorry that happened to you." I said, approaching her as she held her hand up to stop me.

  "Please don't come closer." She said as I halted in my tracks.

  "What's your name? What's his name? Perhaps I can help you file a police report."

  "No, please, no, my mom can't find out about this." She said blandly. She stood up and walked to the first-floor window. "You should really ensure better locks on your windows and doors." She said, climbing to the windowsill and looking around. "I think he's gone by now."

  She sat on the windowsill silently as the cool air blew through her long sleek hair. She hugged herself tightly, still shivering. I wasn’t sure what I could do to help her— in not so many words, she had just informed me that she’d been raped and didn’t want to reveal the identity of her rapist.

  "Do you need a ride home?" I asked.

  "No, I was going to walk."

  "How far is your walk."

  "Three miles."

  "Please let me drive you, it’s late and I wouldn’t want anything else happening to you. You’ve been through enough for one night and the streets are dangerous at this hour." I pleaded, standing by the door and afraid for her.

  "What's your name?" She asked, turning to me now. Her expression was unreadable. Obviously hurt and in pain, my heart went out to this girl.

  "I'm Ernest. I'm head of security at this school." I said, unsure of how to proceed with her break-in. I’m certain she had seen me at some point during the past two years, but I’d never spoken to Violet before today.

  "Okay." She responded. "Can you please drive me home? And please don't mention any of this to my mom or report it or mention it if you see me around school." She said, her voice shaky, she was clearly afraid. My eyes scanned the bright red spot on her wrist as she hopped off the windowsill and shut the window.

  "But," I said as she raised her eyebrow at me. I wanted her to not feel the pain she felt, to take it away from her if that was possible. Because I knew that if I had a daughter and something like that happened to her; I’d never forgive myself.

  "Please." She simply said. I nodded in agreement.

  "You do know breaking and entering a school at midnight is illegal right, Violet?" I asked as we approached my car.

  "How do you know my name?" She suddenly asked, stopping in her tracks to stare at me.

  "I know all the students at this school. It's part of my job description."

  "Do you know who my boyfriend is?" She suddenly asked, a look of absolute devastation and fear spreading across her face. I knew who he was, but I didn’t want to scare her more than she was already. She said they had planned on studying for a test tomorrow, meaning he went to Rosemond also. But I would keep my word and respect her wishes, playing dumb for her safety.

  "If he doesn't go here, then I don't know him." I finally said after a few moments of contemplating what to say. She seemed to calm down, her shoulders visibly dropping. I mentally high-fived myself for not damaging her more tonight than that disgusting person had already done to her.

  “He doesn’t go here,” she confirmed. I nodded in agreement, sighing. She wanted to keep his identity a secret, I didn’t understand that. She gave me her address as she sat in my car, silent as a rock, while I drove her home. I could tell that the events of tonight were all she could think about, she was still shaking; the trauma that would follow her was enough to make me sick. I also knew she wouldn't want anyone to touch her for a while; I knew this because something similar had happened to me when I was younger.

  I wanted to write up that scoundrel and turn that report in to the police, but I couldn't without her permission. I just didn't understand why she wanted to protect him after what he'd done to her. If she’d ever wanted help turning him in, I knew the security footage of room 405 would be saved and ready to send that man to prison. However, I didn't want to hurt her further and therefore, I would obey her wishes. This was a secret that I would take with me to the grave if that’s what she wanted.

  Chapter 32:\ The L Word

  Amy

  I put on a bit of lip gloss as my doorbell rang. My heart skipped a beat as I fluffed my voluminous blonde hair one last time before quickly running down the stairs. I saw that Bailey had opened the front door and was now talking to my date for the night: Tyler. I walked over to her, slightly tugging at my shirt as I smiled at him.

  "Bailey, thanks for getting the door. My date's here!" I exclaimed excitedly as I pushed past her. She smelled funny, sort of like expired raw meat mixed with a very strong scent of perfume. She’d smelled like this a lot recently; I would need to ask her what new hobbies she’d been up to.

  "I liked Aaron better." She said to Tyler, her voice a couple octaves too high as a weird smile formed on her face. She looked at Tyler with an odd expression on her face and a glint in her eye. I quickly left, placing my hand on Tyler's arm as he led me to his car and held the passenger door open.

  "No offense, Amy, but your sister is weird." He said as I sat inside his car. He quickly rushed to the other driver’s side and sat inside.

  "Why?" I asked, slightly annoyed that his first words to me weren't complimenting the appearance that I had spent two hours working on.

  "When she opened the door, she asked me if I preferred pepper or salt. Then, she asked me what my favorite part of a pig was. She said she was really into pig feet,” I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Bailey usually didn’t ask people such weird questions, I wanted to defend my sister, but Tyler continued talking, “she’s got weird shifty eyes— kind of scary, not going to lie." I raised my hand to stop him from talking about my sister, he pulled out of the driveway.

  "Can we not talk about pigs and feet tonight, please." I said, opening the window to lesson my sudden urge to barf. The cool air glided smoothly against my skin; I felt calmer.

  "I'm just saying Amy, she's really strange. Anyway, what about your parents, I still want to meet them." He said as I felt my heart flutter inside my chest.

  "Tyler," my expression softened as he made a left turn. "I haven't heard from them in almost four months. They must be really busy, but as soon as they get back in town, I’ll definitely plan for you to meet them!" It was odd that I hadn’t gotten so much as a text message from my parents, but I just assumed it was an extra-long business trip. All of our bills were paid on time each month anyway, so there wasn’t anything to worry about.

  He didn’t respond after that. We drove silently for a couple minutes until conversation flowed smoothly between us like it always had. We'd been together for almost three months now. I felt really strong feelings toward Tyler. He made me shy and jittery, but also, he made me feel comfortable and well, loved. He consistently made me feel special, whether it was his actions or his words. I wasn't sure if three months was too soon to tell someone you love them, but I'd rather him know now instead of wondering if he felt the same way.

  I'd learned that I needed to tell everyone that I love how I feel about them because they could easily be gone in a blink of an eye.

  Tyler parked in front of a boardwalk, a short walk from the beach itself. I smiled as he led me there, holding my hand and kissing it. I felt like a princess. I wished our short walk lasted forever.

  "You look beautiful tonight, Amy." He said, we were both blushing as we walked hand-in-hand to the restaurant. It was beautiful at this hour— the sun would be setting soon and the yellow Christmas lights that were wrapped gently around the restaurant.

  "Hi, I reserved a table for two, under Tyler." He told the waiter at the front of the restaurant. He led us to a table in the back, it was outside on the wooden patio and it was fac
ing the ocean. It smelled so lovely, the cool air flying through my blonde hair.

  "Wow, this is beautiful." I said, my eyes sparkling as I stared at Tyler. The man I was in love with.

  "You're beautiful." He grinned stupidly as I mirrored his smile on my face. His fingers laced through mine and he kissed my knuckles. Any standards I had set, Tyler had met and exceeded.

  "Welcome to Baha Baha, my name is Rydin, I'm your server tonight. What can I get for you? Drinks?"

  "Water for me, do you want anything Amy?" He asked me, his look of concern filled his features as he stared at me, the same twinkle in his eye. I wondered if he was worried about the price of the drinks here. I looked right back at him.

  Did he love me too or was I imagining things? Was I rushing things? It had only been almost three months and for the first few weeks I thought he couldn’t stand me.

  "I'll also have water." I said as the waiter jotted down some words on his keypad and walked away.

  "I've never been here before." Tyler said. This was a super high-end restaurant. Beach-side and only the finest, freshest fish were served. It must've taken him at least a week to find a reservation this soon. Did he do all that because he loves me? The thought made me blush.

  We talked for a couple more minutes, regarding what seafood we wanted to order. Then, the waiter arrived. I ordered the lobster and Tyler ordered the salmon. The hefty meal arrived, the plate was giant and there was so much food on it. We talked and laughed for about two hours before Tyler paid for the meal and we left.

  "I'm so full, I need a nap." I laughed as Tyler held my hand and walked with me toward the beach. The waves tossed and hit the shore every few moments as the cool night-time sand roamed under my feet.

  I loved the smell, the vibe, the feel of Tyler's arms around me. I relished in the scent of his cologne. We stopped to lay down on the sand as he balanced himself with his hands behind him. I decided to join him and sat beside him resting my head on his chest. I listened to his rhythmic heartbeat as we sat in silence, sounds of the calming ocean surrounding us as the sparkling stars smiled down on us.

  "I love you." I blurted out, my voice was small and weak. It could barely be heard, and I wondered if he had heard what I said. By the spike in Tyler's heart rate, I knew he heard it. I felt my cheeks heat up.

  "What?" He asked, sitting up further. I leaned away from his chest to meet him eye to eye. It was already out there, there was no taking it back now. I took a deep breath, nervously staring at his curly brown hair as I repeated it.

  "I love you." I said as a wild smile filled his features. It made me happy when he leaned forward and kissed me, but he never said it back and I was afraid I’d done something wrong.

  Chapter 33:\ Trapped

  Violet

  It had been 3 months, twenty-eight days, and seven hours since the strange headaches that connect Aaron and I had begun. We had done everything together.

  Homework. Together.

  Going to school. Together.

  Cooking. Together.

  Spending time with family. Together.

  It was as though we had become one person, incapable of doing our own thing since now our lives were somehow intertwined. I didn't dislike this situation, but I didn’t love it either. I wished for space more often than one should have.

  That was the current situation that I was in. His parents had gotten used to the fact that I was at his house all the time. They didn't question it anymore and he never talked about them when I asked if they cared. If we had to be stuck together, we can be together, but separate.

  My mom also didn't really care since she was cheating on dad with Ethan anyway. I didn't care much to know the details. And my dad was nowhere in sight for the past few months. I understood that Dr. Dooley was always busy, he’d only stopped by three months ago to argue with my mom, then he’d left.

  Aaron was growing on me now. His crude jokes, I’d gotten used to. His obnoxious dimples, I liked. He grew even more attractive every time I saw him, which was far too often. It was strange, but I guess that's what happens when you spend every waking minute of every day for three months with the flirty fella.

  It was December now; the first semester had ended, and our winter break was almost over. A few more days until it would completely come to an end. I kept Aaron at arm's length, and he tried to lessen that distance every time.

  "What do you want to do?" Aaron asked, stretching across his upstairs desk-chair as he stared at me on his bed. I was doing some reading assignments for class. He had been also, but he finished his and was now reading a book on the second story of his bedroom. I really liked the top floor of his room, the books that were there were really good fiction novels that his parents had gifted him.

  Something I'd come to learn about Aaron was that he was surprisingly smart. He could’ve been an absolute genius, if he had set his mind to it and put in the effort. For example, we had a biology quiz a couple weeks ago. We literally studied for the same amount of time and in similar manners, yet he ended up with a ninety-eight, while I got a ninety-three. It didn't make sense.

  Not just that, he was also really good at problem solving. I could easily imagine him as an engineer in the future. And upon my discovery, Aaron became pretty cute in my eyes. What can I say, intelligence is attractive.

  In addition to his genius, Aaron also had a love of cooking. He made the best meals I had ever had; his pasta, his shrimp, literally anything he touched tasted incredible. Some people just had that gift, of which, I was not one of them. The only downside to this obnoxious soul-bond was the fact that he made me go to the gym with him four times every week. I had honestly thought he maintained his physique by doing nothing, I hadn't realized the amount of work it took for him.

  Learning all of this made me realize, just a little bit, what all the fuss had always been about Aaron Paul. He was a stud with many, many great qualities— if only other people sat down with him long enough to realize that he was more than just a pretty face.

  Some lucky girl will be happy to have him someday.

  "I'm still reading A." I said, turning my attention back to my laptop screen.

  "The story ends on a cliffhanger, and the historical background is inaccurate." Aaron said, looking at me from the upstairs area of his room as he hung upside down. After a few moments of ignoring him, he stood up and climbed down from his bookshelf-slash-mini-living-room upstairs. He placed both his arms on either side of me and leaned forward. "Let's go do something fun, Vy."

  I looked up, annoyed at Aaron’s constant need for attention. I’d gotten used to it at this point. It was a strange comfort to have each other around all the time. I'd miss it if, and when, we ever separated. I glanced at his hands on my shoulders and he immediately removed them and climbed back upstairs. He looked at me as he hung off the side again, upside down as he swung back and forth, his hands reaching for me each time.

  “Violet, I’m bored,” I ignored his statement again, trying to focus as he flipped down and began bouncing on his bed beside me. I attempted to continue reading; it was my last assignment for winter break, and I was determined to finish it today. Aaron stopped jumping on his bed and flopped beside me; he laid on his stomach, resting his head on his elbows as he stared at my screen.

  "You're that far from the end?" He asked, annoyed.

  "You're that annoying." I quipped, giving him the side eye as he smirked.

  "Fine. I'm going to go make some cereal, do you want any?"

  "No."

  "You sure?"

  "Aaron."

  "V.”

  “It’s Violet.”

  “Five.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Roman numerals,” he responded as I cracked a smile.

  "Leave already." I rolled my eyes, turning back to look at my screen as he hopped off of the bed, tossing a pillow at my face before he left the room. Finally, a moment of peace and silence. It didn’t last long because someone knocked on the door a few se
conds later.

  "Violet! Hi sweetheart! I wanted to talk to you." A super bubbly voice said outside Aaron's bedroom door as I glanced up at the unwelcome distraction.

  "Mrs. Paul. Hi, I didn't know you were here this week." I responded, realizing I wasn’t going to get anything done and shut my laptop. I smiled at Aaron’s mom as she took a seat on Aaron’s fluffy brown sofa.

  "Yes, well, I get a week's vacation. Anyway, can I speak with you, dear." She asked me like I actually had a choice.

  "Sure," I sat up, "what's up?"

  "It's about Aaron." She smiled warmly, leaning forward. I assumed it was.

  "What's up?"

  "I'm really happy that you two are together, but don't you think it's a bit much to be together all the time? I mean, I'm really glad you're the one he's dating because, I don't know if you can tell, but he's so much happier than he was before. But I don't want you two to grow dependent on each other.

  My first relationship was like that and we broke up because we weren't our own people. We had basically morphed into one person and it made us both feel lost after we broke up. We were always feeling alone together, and it had to stop. So, I'd suggest you guys work something out to give each other some space so this relationship can last." She smiled at me, having talked to me like I was a child. “And don’t get me wrong, I’m only telling you this because I like you Violet. And you make my son very happy.” Mrs. Paul said, standing up and adjusting her shirt.

  I wasn't sure what to respond to that. I wanted the exact same thing she was talking about. I wanted my space.

  Would it be wrong of me to tell her that Aaron and I aren't dating? Would it be wrong of me to tell her that her son is obnoxious at all times and I wish I could get a second to myself.

  "Mrs. Paul, I really appreciate the advice. But…" before I could say anything else, Aaron barged into his room, his mouth full of Honey Bunches of Oats as he sat on the brown sofa that his mom had just been sitting on.