Dom's gaze shot to me, and Poorva didn't miss it. She lifted her eyes to the ceiling.
"So, today, our activity will be the round table. Everyone will have an opportunity to speak."
Courtney banged her head off the table.
"Again?" Blake complained.
"Every year, our gifts evolve. We need to reconnect with each other to see where we're at," Ms. Kelly explained.
"Fine." He rolled his eyes.
It made sense that Blake was annoyed. He'd been looking forward to X-block as much as the rest of us, and now he had to endure a 'get-to-know-you' exercise that he didn't even need. He knew us all just by tapping into our thoughts. And he didn't hesitate to use his ability at any and all times. I'd already accepted that as his truth.
"It will take five shifts for all of you to connect," Ms. Kelly instructed. "You'll have four minutes for each session. Keep things to a whisper to respect those around you and ignore me. I'll be moving from group to group, observing."
Courtney let out a loud moan.
Ms. Kelly ignored it and added, "You can begin with the person to your right. Connect hands. Then, when the four minutes are up, the person on the left will rise and move to the next student."
She waited for the anxious shifting to settle, then said, "Begin."
Chapter 12
I turned to my right and glanced at Courtney. She hadn't moved a muscle since Ms. Kelly's directive to begin. I inched over to her and pulled my chair closer. I had to get through four minutes with her and prayed I'd survive it.
"Um, hi Courtney," I whispered. "It's me, Brynn."
I hesitated, not knowing what to do since she hadn't shifted even slightly.
I continued, "I know this is awkward, but I'm glad to have a chance to get to know you a little."
I waited. As each second passed, I became more interested in her and didn't want to lose another moment to see what she was all about.
I reached for her hand that clung to the edge of the table. "We're supposed to hold hands," I said. "Do you mind if I just touch yours?"
Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the table harder.
I looked up to Ms. Kelly, not sure what else to do. She nodded, encouraging me to keep trying.
Maybe if I touched her hand gently, she would be able to see that I wasn't a threat—that I was just as lost as anyone else.
I touched one finger to the edge of her hand.
In that instant, a surge of burning anguish trailed up my arm, scorching every nerve. I cried out in pain.
"Ach." The scream escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Courtney's head flew up, and she stared into my eyes. Fire danced in her pupils, and the burning sensation continued to move through my entire body. I was sure I would explode into flames any second.
Her wild stare held mine without blinking, and she grabbed onto both of my hands. I pulled to release from her grip as pain ripped through my body. Uncontrollable shakes jarred me as I fought her hold.
Then, with a jolt, she released me. I stared into her face, panting from the violent assault.
I shot my gaze around the room, and everyone remained focused on their own partners, unaware of what had just occurred.
"You see me now?" Courtney whispered. "This is my existence."
I nodded in silence.
"And I see you." She gave a slight smile through her tormented pain. "You have good in you." She winced. "Maybe you can be the one to help me."
My eyes widened as I became lost in her distress. She was a victim of her gift—or her curse. It was like a sick hyper-form of Shane's clairsentience. But instead of sensing other people's emotions and feelings, she physically felt them. But whose?
"Time to switch," Ms. Kelly called out.
Disappointment shot through me. I wanted to know more about Courtney and at the same time, wanted to forget what I knew. Her pain was more than I could tolerate for four minutes, and she lived with it every moment of the day.
"I will try to help you," I promised her as I stood and moved to Blake.
As I sat down next to him, I looked back at Courtney. Dom settled into the chair next to her and kept his hands in his lap. He just shared the space with her. He knew.
Shit. I probably wasn't supposed to touch her. Nobody told me that rule.
I looked at Ms. Kelly and caught her eye. She smiled at me as if she were pleased.
Maybe she'd sent me to Courtney first on purpose.
"Hello?" Blake chirped, hands extended to me. "Anybody home?"
"Oh, sorry," I faltered, reaching for him. "That was just really..."
Our hands met.
"Weird?" He finished my sentence.
"Yeah," I said. "Really."
He glimpsed at Courtney and then back to me. "She's got it the worst," he said. "Like, she'd be in an asylum if it weren't for Ms. Kelly."
"Seriously?" I choked.
"Yeah, I mean, look at her. If that's not insane, I don't know what is."
"She's in pain," I stated. "It's not her fault." My annoyance rang out in my voice in response to his lack of empathy.
"True," he agreed. "To the point of insanity." Then he looked deeply into my eyes. "You feel bad for her. You want to save her." He huffed. "It's no use. We've all tried."
His bold statements irked me. He was overly confident for a little sophomore, and l didn't want him in my head.
"Don't be so judgy," he taunted. "I don't mean to be a dick."
"Sorry," I said. "You just seem like you don't care and that you're too self-absorbed to be bothered by her. It's annoying."
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere," he said. "See, once people realize I'm telepathic, they just start spewing truth as a way to get me out of their head." He laughed. "It's hilarious."
"No. It's a violation," I shot. "You need to reel it in sometimes. You know, play dumb. Try to fit in."
My blunt words flew out of me because, hell, he'd read them in my thoughts either way. His skill was strong. I'd have to remember that.
"True. I suppose a social correction is needed now and then. I accept." He pressed his lips together in resignation. Then he blinked with curiosity. "Interesting," he murmured. "You can sense things all around you, like ESP. You're a clairvoyant, but you don't know how to use your skill yet. You didn't realize it was unique."
I huffed, feeling exposed as he read me. So much for him taking my social correction.
"But there's more," he added, scrunching his eyebrows together. "Something stronger. Like a purpose." He focused on me. "You need to tap into it, Brynn."
"What is it?" My eyes widened. "How do I tap into it?"
"I'm not sure. It's something new to the group...." His voice was cut short.
"Time to switch," Ms. Kelly interrupted.
The jolt of the transitions was brutal. It was like being woken from a sound sleep with a blasting alarm. Like the bliss of dreaming, I wished I could stay longer with each person.
I stood to move to my next partner and met his anxious, waiting eyes.
Shane.
I stepped over to Shane, and before I even sat down, I said, "Did you see my text?"
"My phone's dead," he stated.
"Well, I wanted you to know that Poorva drove me to school today. Dom met us in the lot. I just didn't want you to think...."
His hand flew up.
"It's okay. Not a big deal."
"No, it is a big deal if you think I lied to you," I whispered in a firm voice.
He exhaled loudly.
"Just sit," he said.
I pulled back in shock. He was seriously pissed and didn't want to hear what I had to say. Well, fine. Two could play at that game.
I sat down and reached out for his hands. He rolled his eyes and brought his hands close to mine.
Was he serious? He was going to make me take his hands.
Fine.
I grabbed onto them, and in an instant, a rush of electrified chills ran through me, causing every
nerve to tingle. My stomach fluttered, and then a warm sensation flowed through me, calming every muscle.
His eyes closed as his face flushed, the same way mine felt. His palms grew sweaty, and his pulse pounded through his hands, matching mine.
He opened his eyes and pulled his hands away.
"What the hell was that?" I asked, feeling out of breath.
I wasn't sure if I should feel embarrassed or just freaked out. Maybe he had no clue that whatever just happened between us felt to me like the closest thing to an orgasm that one could have while sitting in school fully clothed.
His reddening face told me different.
He'd felt exactly the same thing.
"Um, that was weird," he mumbled.
Then he smirked and reached for my hands again.
I pulled back at first, but then let him take them.
This time, our connection picked up from the warm sensation, and relief washed over me. I wasn't ready for another blast like the first one.
I was curious if anyone had noticed what happened between us, but then I had to wonder if everyone felt it when they touched him. Maybe it was normal.
"Sorry I over-reacted," he said.
"Hmm? What?" I mumbled through my bliss.
"About this morning. I know it wasn't your fault." He lifted a shoulder. "I can feel it in you. I didn't mean to jump to conclusions."
His words morphed into soothing sounds of paradise, and I struggled to snap back to reality. But it was a serious challenge to release the intense feelings of when we'd first connected. I was lost in it.
"It's okay," I breathed.
He chuckled.
"Yeah, that was weird," he added, knowing I was still dazed.
I squeezed my eyes shut in hopes of clearing my head before this became too embarrassing.
He pulled my attention back, saying, "So, you know my skill, sensing other people's emotions and feelings, so now it's your turn to share yours with me." He squeezed my hands gently as if trying to draw answers out of me.
"I don't really know yet," I murmured. "I pick up on things around me, like, I sense things. I'm just not sure to what level, though." I paused. "Blake thinks there's more. Like I have something I haven't tapped into yet."
Shane nodded. "He's right. I feel it, too." He glanced at Ms. Kelly. "And so does she."
Ms. Kelly watched us closely with a knowing eye.
I nearly blushed under her steady gaze, sure she knew what just happened between us. But she only smiled and then moved her attention to the next group.
"Time to switch," she said, a moment later.
Shane's grip didn't release, and I looked at him while pulling gently.
"Later," he whispered.
I tugged again as he released my hands.
Later, what? I wondered. Like, see you later? Or later, dude?
I had no clue and took a wobbly step to my next partner.
Dom.
"You patched up the young buck, I see," Dom said, pulling our chairs closer together.
"I guess you could say that," I agreed. Blush threatened to rise onto my face again, so I cleared my mind of Shane.
"Good of you. Poor kid's too sensitive. Literally." He dragged his chair even closer and reached for my hands. "I hate this activity," he whispered. "I feel like it's a waste of time."
"Seriously?" I gasped. "It's killing me. I'm exhausted," I chuckled. "There's so much energy coming off everyone, I don't even know what to think."
His thick brows pulled together. "Well, that makes me feel even worse. I don't pick up on any of it. Am I doing something wrong?"
I took his hands with mine and held them for a moment. Heat radiated from them, sending warmth up my arms. Then I glanced up at him.
"You seem like you're holding something back," I said. "I mean, I don't know if that's just something I'm picking up from you normally, or if it's something more."
"And you seem to make it worse," he murmured.
"Worse?" I pulled my hands back.
"I mean, whatever it is inside me, it becomes agitated when you're around." He reached for my hands again.
"Is that bad?" I grimaced.
"I don't know. It doesn't feel bad, but it doesn't feel good either. It's kind of an out-of-control feeling." He glanced back at Shane. "What did you feel when you touched him?"
Oh, shit.
"Um, he feels things very strongly, I guess. Like, so much it causes him pain." I hoped Dom already knew that about Shane. I figured he must, so this was safe ground.
"Yeah. He's a pussy." He smirked.
"No." I shook my head. "He's a friggin' warrior."
"Hmff." He shrugged. "What did he feel in you?"
"I'm not sure. And that doesn't matter," I redirected. "We need to pay attention to this." I eye-balled our hands.
He lightened his grip on mine and moved his thumb down the middle of my hand.
"I like how you smell," he said.
"What?" I grabbed the ends of my hair with my other hand and sniffed it.
"No, not your hair products. More just, you." He lifted my hand closer to his face, but I held it from getting too close.
I shot a side glance to Ms. Kelly, wondering if this was getting too weird. Her eyes moved over us and around the room, like nothing unusual was happening.
"I have a heightened sense of smell," he huffed. "It's called clairalience. Ms. Kelly says I can smell things when they filter in from the spirit world. Like messages are channeled to me through scent."
I tugged my hand away from his face.
"Wow. Well, sometimes I smell my grandmother, and she's been gone a long time," I said. "Is it like that?"
He kept hold of my hand.
"That's more like memories being triggered by something unexpected," he said. "Mine is more like I can smell things that are miles away, like a shark to blood. Supposedly, I should be able to learn how to control it more, but for now, it's just a bit bizarre to me." He pressed his lips to the side. "But right now...." He lifted his gaze to me. "I like it."
"Okay, that's just weird," I blurted. "Stop." I bulged my eyes at him for emphasis.
"I'm sorry. I can't help it," he pleaded. "I'm usually sickened by all the scents that overwhelm me. This is the first time, around you, that I've been comfortable."
My shoulders relaxed. Okay, maybe it wasn't a hyper-sexualized thing. Maybe that was just my own twisted spin on it. Sheesh. I needed to get my head out of the gutter.
But then I looked into his eyes, and I swore I saw a hungry wolf. Just like my grandmother always warned me— "Beware of the wolves. They'll hunt you mercilessly." Little did I know at the time, this was the exact scenario she was warning me of.
"Last switch," Ms. Kelly called.
I released Dom's hands and the intense heat left with them. It was clear he bottled a ton of energy within himself, and it escaped from him through the heat he radiated.
Then I turned to Poorva and exhaled with relief. Finally, someone I could relax with.
She smiled too, and we jumped to our seats. We faced each other, knees touching, and held hands immediately. "Holy shit," she whispered. "We have so much to talk about." Her giddy voice made my knees bounce. "Not here, though. Later."
"Definitely," I agreed. "What the fucking fuck? So much just happened."
"I know right," she spat.
Then she sat back for a second and gazed at me.
"Wait," she said, leaning in closer again for a better look at my face. She stared into my eyes, deeper than anyone had ever looked. "You're open," she murmured.
"What?" I pulled my knees together. "What the hell does that mean?"
I blinked, to try to back her off.
She ignored me completely, lost in her revelation.
"Ms. Kelly," Poorva called out. "She's open!"
Chapter 13
Ms. Kelly flew over to us and jumped into Poorva's seat. She took my hands and gazed deeply into my eyes. Before I had time to resist, the bel
l rang, and everyone jumped up.
"It's alright," Ms. Kelly said to them. "Head to class. I'll send Brynn along in a minute." Then she called to them again. "You can begin your research now. Search for clues within the woods and study them with the steps I taught you. Report back next week with your findings."
They filed past us, hoisting backpacks and staring at my face for any sign of what Poorva might have seen. They surrounded her as they left, hoping to get more information.
Being 'open' sounded like a rather embarrassing predicament, and I dropped my eyes low.
"Look at me," Ms. Kelly instructed. She held my hands with light pressure.
I lifted my gaze to hers.
But instead of feeling violated from her looking into my open soul, I stared straight into hers as well.
The essence within her appeared to me and looked nothing like her. She was older and wiser than her outer appearance. It was as if her body was a disguise or temporary housing for something much more powerful than a mere human.
My eyes widened as I saw her true form for the first time.
And she knew it.
She gasped and pulled away, shooting her eyes in a different direction.
"I'm sorry," I choked. "I didn't mean to."
She panted and steadied herself on the chair. "No, it's okay, Brynn. You didn't do anything wrong." Her brow furrowed as she studied me. It was as if she felt in danger.
"I don't know what happened. I just... I just was able to see," I stammered.
"You've seen more than the others," she said. "Your sight is clear. Poorva was right. You're open now."
"What does that even mean?" I begged.
"It means you're ready. Ready to tap into your full power." She hesitated. "And judging by the way you just looked into my soul, your gift is strong. Stronger than any."
I narrowed my eyes as I studied her longer.
"I don't understand what's happening. Who are you?" I asked.
She placed her hands in her lap. "I am an educator. A teacher for the gifted students of this school. And I must hide in this role as the quirky school counselor. It's the perfect disguise, wouldn't you say?"
I nodded, having no idea what she should really look like. Probably a two-hundred-year-old wild woman.
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