Gifted Connections 01

by S M Olivier

  “Why did she stop hitting you?” he asked.

  “I made her. I did it again. Am I a freak?” I asked softly.

  “No!” he exclaimed. “I’m telling you if you would only hop on a bus and meet me I could show you that we aren’t alone. I have a feeling you have a rare gift, but you’re not a freak.”

  “It’s not that easy,” I muttered angrily. “The last time I tried to leave with munchkin, the wicked stepmom had the cops called on me, and her new crooked lawyer boyfriend made them believe I was a liar and threatened to send me away again.”

  “If you would let me know where you are… I know people. We may be able to help you,” he said insistently.

  I snorted. “I thought it was you that was the secretive one. I bet the powerful one and the protective one doesn’t know you can talk to me, do they?”

  “Well…” He seemed hesitant. “The last time I had this connection, I was tested over and over again. We all were. Times have changed, but… Big Brother’s been focused on this girl. He’s never been this single-minded, but he will understand where I’m coming from. He can help us. He can help you.”

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to trust this…How was your game and your test?” I asked trying to change the subject.

  “I know what you’re doing,” he laughed huskily.

  Not for the first time, I wondered what he looked like; I bet he was cute. He had a great voice.

  “We won, and I think I passed my test, but barely. This special girl in my life has been keeping me up lately.” There was a flirting tone in his voice.

  I blushed. “Does that line work with all the girls?” I said tartly. “Well, Philander, I’m tired, and I need to get some sleep.”

  “Sometimes,” he laughed heartily. “I should get some sleep too.”

  “Night,” I smiled.

  “Night,” he replied. “Beautiful?”

  “Yes, Player?” I asked sleepily.

  “I’m glad you’re okay, but I’m really worried about you.” he said softly as I drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 5

  I was around four or five, and I was sitting in a stark white room. There was a window on one side of the wall with a two-way mirror. I knew I was being watched; I knew we were being watched. I looked tiny in my white uniform and white sneakers. My curls looked sleeker, more manageable like someone had taken the time to style it. On one side of the table, a somber-looking older boy was sitting clutching one of my hands. He had dark hair, was extremely tall (although he was only older than me by three or so years) and looked like the world rested on his shoulders.

  On the other side of me was a boy around my age. His eyes were twinkling with laughter, but you could tell he was stressed out. He handled most situations with laughter and jokes. It annoyed his brother to no end. He was cute in a round sort of way; his baby fat still clinging to his frame.

  “Again! Amanda! Again!” a voice yelled at me from an intercom above me. “Try to focus and ask Jax to hop on one foot.”

  I tensed and immediately the older boy squeezed my hand.

  “I can’t,” I cried. “I’m tired!”

  “We will sit here all day if we have to; just do it one more time.” The harsh male voice said once more.

  “She can’t!” the older boy cried out. “Please, Dad. Let her rest. We can do it again tomorrow.”

  It felt like we sat there for a long time. I had bowed my head and started crying again. Finally, the door opened, and a nurse dressed in grey extricated me from the boys.

  “Where are you taking her?” The older boy jumped up with his fist balled up.

  “Relax Jace, we’re going to try something else,” she chided him as she pulled me behind her.

  “No!” both boys cried out trying to tug me away from the woman.

  “Jace! Jax!” I cried frantically. “Please don’t let her take me!”

  I woke up in a cold sweat. What the hell was that all about? Why were Mr. Jace and his brother in my dream? Had I been a part of the institute that Mr. Jace had talked about? I wanted to chalk it up as a dream, but somehow it felt more like a memory. What was it all about? How am I just now remembering it?

  I looked at my watch and groaned. I had another thirty minutes to sleep, but I knew sleep would elude me, so I decided to jump in the shower and get my day started. I grabbed my clothes, determined not to have a repeat of yesterday.

  In the shower I let the hot water wash over me as I replayed the dream repeatedly in my head. What did they want me to do in the dream? After my shower, I brought out my make-up kit and took special care to hide the angry welt on my cheek. I added mascara and eyeliner today as well; I normally didn’t bother with it, but my face looked too washed out.

  I really needed a day to sleep in, but there was no end in sight. I was working for the next two days, and I knew I wouldn’t be getting out any earlier than midnight. Hopefully, I would make good money to make it worth it. Tonight, was wing night which was generally a good tip night. Tomorrow night was half price burgers, but they had specials on their beer; I frequently made good money on those nights.

  Maybe on Thursday I could go to bed early. I didn’t have anything planned for afterschool so maybe I could go straight home after picking up Ella and crash.

  I finished getting dressed in a black Henley that wasn’t as baggy as my normal attire, and a pair of military camo pants, threading a black belt through the loops of the pants since the waist was too big; I laced up my combat boots before leaving the bathroom. I grimaced as I dressed, looking at the welts and bruises on my body. June couldn’t come fast enough. I needed to start looking at apartments on the better side of town; someplace that was willing to rent to me without credit and no references. I could ask the owner of the trailer park for a reference letter, but I doubt he would. He knew without my money he wouldn’t be getting any from Heidi.

  Then there was the trivial problem of Heidi signing over guardianship to me. I would be eighteen in three months, and I wanted it done before then.

  I went back in the room and pulled out a Tupperware bowl, mixing the tuna packets, mayo packet, pepper, and onion powder together before I placed the mixture on bread slices. I slid the sandwiches into some sandwiches bags. I threw a sandwich, applesauce, pretzel, and Yoo-hoo in my bag and Ella’s lunch box. I had ditched my lunch box years ago, but Ella’s little friends still packed their lunches in lunch boxes, so she wanted hers in one too.

  I set out a new outfit for Ella; she would need a pick-me-up after last night. I laced up her new sneakers, grinning as the bottoms lit up. She adored them so much. Her friends had light up sneakers, and it was hard for her to see her friends constantly keeping up with the trends. When I could, I got her the newest and latest things. The number of deals I found at the thrift store was surprising.

  I could care less about the trends; I gave up long ago, and I wasn’t out to impress anyone. If I were being honest with myself, I would admit I missed the days of wearing cute, girly outfits, but I didn’t like drawing attention to myself— intentional or unintentional.

  I gently woke Ella up and sent her into the shower. She was grumpy this morning, but I didn’t get on her as I normally would. She came back into the room, withdrawn. I showed her the outfit I had picked out for her and she brightened up some. She slid on her new clothing, and I took a brush through her long hair and pulled her hair back into a single ponytail.

  “You ready?” I asked her.

  She stomped her feet as she looked in the full-length mirror attached to the closet door, her eyes lighting up when the shoes lit up. “Yes, these look better than Bree’s. Hers are all scuffed up and pink. She likes pink. She wears pink all the time. Pink’s boring.”

  I laughed and took her hand as we left the bedroom. She didn’t like Bree because Bree constantly picked on her, and because she hated pink. I turned to lock my door but remembered the lock was broken. I needed to figure out a way to fix that sooner than later. I didn’t want Tom getting
any ideas.

  As if I conjured him up from my thoughts, he was sitting in the living room dressed in one of his three-piece suits sipping on a cup of coffee.

  “Want any?” he asked kindly, but I knew he was up to something.

  I narrowed my gaze at him. “No thank you. We have to get to school.” Although I had every intention of stopping at the little coffee shop by the school. I may even buy one of those energy drinks for later.

  He stood up and stalked towards me. “Ella, wait for me outside,” I told her firmly.

  She went to protest, but she saw the look in my eyes and nodded with a mutinous look before going outside.

  He stopped within inches of me. “What did you do to your mom?” he hissed angrily.

  I looked at him in confusion, but stated coldly, “Stepmom. You heard her last night as she was beating the crap out of me, and I have no clue what you are talking about.”

  He scrutinized my features. “She’s insisting that I pull up the legal guardianship paperwork so she can sign her rights over to you, but you are only seventeen, so that’s impossible. What did you do to her?”

  I was shocked as I blinked up at him. I only suggested it to her; I never thought she would actually do as I asked. Suddenly, I knew I needed to talk to Mr. Jace. There are a lot of things happening lately, and I had a feeling that he would know what was going on; especially after the dream I had last night. “Then you should date it January third. I’ll be eighteen then.” I said before turning on my heels and leaving.

  I couldn’t wait until music class to see Mr. Jace, and I knew his scheduled lunch period was my own. I decided to head over to his class instead of going to the cafeteria.

  I was glad to see that he was in there, eating his lunch and grading some papers. He heard the door swing shut as I came into the room. A beautiful smile lit his face, and I felt that flutter once more.

  “Hey Blake,” he said jovially, then frowned as I got closer.

  By his darkened look I had a feeling he saw the mark on my face.

  “What happened?” he asked as he reached out to my face.

  “My psycho stepmom,” I admitted, knowing he was as shocked by my admittance as I was.

  “This isn’t the first time?” he asked as his jaw clenched. “And where was the boyfriend?”

  “Watching,” I informed him. “But that’s not why I’m here. We’ve met before, haven’t we? We were at the institute together. It’s Jax who talks to me when I’m frightened or sad, isn’t it?”

  He looked shocked for a moment. “You’ve been talking to someone? For how long?”

  I looked at him hesitantly, knowing I was outing Jax as well. I sighed. “Over seven years now. You can’t be angry at him. He didn’t know how to broach the subject with you. He almost seemed like he didn’t want your father to find out.”

  He nodded, but I saw a tick in his right jaw. “My father is somewhat of a power-hungry man, and back when the institute was established, they would often take children and test them once their gifts seemed to manifest. Sometimes they would test us, unconventionally, to try and push us to our limits. My father has revised his stance on the methods of testing now, but he still advocates for pushing people until their true gifts are revealed.” He seemed hesitant to divulge all this information to me, but he must have seen that I wouldn’t be leaving here until my curiosity was assuaged.

  I sat gnawing on my bottom lip as I tried to comprehend it all. “So, your brother can read minds? What can I do? What can you do?”

  He smiled dryly. “No, Jaxson can’t read minds, but it is believed if the gifted has a connection with someone they will be able to communicate with them. Jax has the ability of illusion. He can push images on people and make them believe they are really experiencing them. I am an empath. I can feel people’s emotions and push emotions on them. As far as what you can do, we were never told exactly what it is. You were kidnapped before they found out much, to my father and some of the board member’s chagrin.”

  Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed with all this information. I was kidnapped? Was I crazy? There are others that could do things like I could? There are so many things I wanted to find out. I felt like I fell into a rabbit hole. One answered question led to a million unanswered questions. “Who kidnapped me?” I asked quietly, dreading the answer.

  He shrugged as he took my hand. He must have felt my rising panic. With his gift, I almost felt like he was cheating. Like it was an invasion of my privacy. “I was only eight when it happened, but, from what I could glean I think it may or may not have been your uncle. When they found you, you were in the foster care system. Even back then Jax was able to sense you in his thoughts and I could feel your presence. It was through us that you were found to begin with. Shortly after you came to stay at the institute a man who was working there took an interest in you. He had a low-level gift, but it was believed he could assist the children in the institute nevertheless. Rumor had it, he was your mother’s brother and he had been looking for you; when he saw the opportunity to take you, he did.”

  I could feel the beginnings of a headache, and I felt nauseous. Was my whole life a lie? Who was I?

  He softly started to rub his thumb on my wrist, and I started to feel calmer. I looked up at him with accusing eyes. “You’re using your gift, aren’t you?!”

  I jumped up and moved away from him. I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to cry. Before he could see a single tear drop I turned and ran until I reached the sanctuary of the bathroom.

  As I laid on the cold, tiled ground, fighting the need to get sick, I let the tears fall. As if my life wasn’t complicated enough, I now had to deal with this.

  “Are you okay?” his soft voice reached me.

  “Go away, Jaxson,” I muttered angrily.

  I heard him gasp. “So, you know?”

  “I know too much, but not enough,” I said belligerently. “By the way, your brother may be a little upset at you for not letting him know you’ve been in contact with me.”

  He said an expletive, then sighed. “That’s him now.”

  Then he was silent.

  I decided to skip school for the rest of the day. I was an emotional wreck and my exhaustion probably didn’t help. The library in town had a nice reading nook tucked into the back of the building; it had oversized bean bags and was dimly lit. I decided to ride the bus there and take a nap. I was relieved to find the reading nook empty when I arrived. I set my messenger bag beside me and pulled out a textbook so it appeared like I was studying. I then set the alarm on my phone and fell asleep.

  I woke up feeling physically better, although emotionally I still felt raw. I scrubbed a tired hand across my face and stretched as I stood. I looked down at my phone and saw that I missed several calls. I had quite a few text messages from a number I didn’t recognize.

  I opened it up.

  Unknown number: Hey, where are you? J

  Unknown number: You weren’t in my class, and the other teachers haven’t seen you. J

  Unknown number: If you don’t respond soon I’m swinging by your place. J

  I sighed and texted him back.

  Blake: I’m fine.

  Unknown number: At Ella’s school. Want us to pick you up?

  I was angry at his audacity but replied.

  Blake: Sure. I’m at the library in town.

  I gathered my things and left the library to wait out front. I didn’t have to wait long before his sleek, black Audi pulled up in front of the library. Ella was clearly excited as she sat in the back seat. I could see he wasn’t alone; one of his friends from the bar the other night was sitting in the passenger seat.

  “What’s he doing here?” I asked without preamble as Mr. Jace got out of the car to let me slide into the back seat.

  The man in question gave me a smirk. He was wickedly handsome in a rugged way. I thought Mr. Jace was tall at six feet plus. But this man was huge and built like a brick house. His hair fell to his shoulders, much like a skat
er’s, in a honey blond color and his eyes are a blue-grey color.

  Mr. Jace cleared his throat and said, “I had to stop at your stepmom’s and decided I shouldn’t go alone. Remy volunteered to come along.”

  I snorted. “I’m sure that went over well.”

  He grinned as he put the car in drive. “Actually, it did. I convinced your stepmom that your sister should start taking lessons with me five days a week. She seemed reticent until I said it was a part of a scholarship program and she wouldn’t have to pay anything. She said somethings that I found…interesting.”

  “Really! I get to learn how to play the piano?!” Ella asked excitedly. “Can I Blake? Can I?!”

  I sighed knowing she would despise me if I denied her, but I wasn’t sure I wanted Mr. Jace to ingratiate himself further into my life. I felt like he still had so many answers to questions I had, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for them. It was like if I denied the truth it didn’t exist.

  I shrugged, not even able to feign a smile for her. “If that’s what you want.”

  “Yes, please.” She could barely sit still with the excitement coursing through her.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as I realized we were headed out of town.

  “Back to my place,” Jace replied. “I have a few people meeting us there.”

  “Like who?” I asked warily. “I have to be at work in two hours.”

  He looked pointedly at Ella. “Maybe you can call out for tonight.”

  “I can’t just call out, I need the money,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “Whatever you were going to make, I’ll match it, plus twenty percent,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.

  “I’m not anyone’s charity case,” I said resolutely. “I’m going to work.”

  “It’s not a safe environment,” he said with equal stubbornness.

  “You act like I don’t know that. I’ve been surviving just fine for the last seven years. I can continue doing so. No one asked for your help,” I seethed.

  Ella’s small hand clasped mine. “Please, Blake, let him help.”