by Dakota Lake
“No I didn't notice that.” He looked flustered by the comment, so I quickly changed the subject. “Looks like rain....again,” I said trying to make a joke of it, but he was frowning picking at the small basket in the middle of the table that held the condiments.
“Stop that you're going to ruin it.” I slid the basket aside. “Why did you bring me here, I'm sure it wasn't really for breakfast,” he looked at me like I had something in Chinese. “So are you going to explain about that little incident at school, that you somehow knew about it before it happened and that's why you warned me to stay away from it. Are you going to tell me what's going on or not? How did you know the light was going to fall down before it happened?” I paused but he said nothing. “Stop staring at me like that, you look really weird. That is the reason you bought me in here, wasn't it? To explain yesterday morning. Cause I keep thinking about it over and over but I still keep coming up blank, yet another thing that doesn't make any sense. So start explaining.....I'm waiting,” I sat back in my seat.
A different waitress came back over with my coke.
“Thanks.” I pulled the glass towards me taking a sip from the straw watching Micah. He leaned back in his seat and hung his arm over the back of it, his casual demur had suddenly taken over.
“I can't talk about it. It's complicated, your tiny inadequate mind would just get even more confused then it already is.”
“Really is that so,” I pulled my cell out of my bag. “You know what I don't actually feel like pancakes. I'm more in the mood for one of those chocolate muffins over there in display cabinet a bacon roll with fries. Oh and some OJ to wash it down with and while you're re-ordering that I'm just going to pop outside and ring my brother about the other morning.”
I slid out of the seat, I didn't get far as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me in next to him. He picked my cell out of my hand and slid it into his back pocket.
“Give it back,” I demanded, reaching for it but he grabbed me and pushed me back down in the seat.
“You can't tell Seth. He would go mad if he knew you knew about that stuff, about what I can do, he's doesn't want you finding out yet.”
“What stuff? You haven't even told me anything. But if you don't, I will tell Seth,” Micah rested his elbow on the table turning towards me. He was looking at me considering his options, either that or he was masterminding some elaborate lie he was about to tell me. I leaned in closer to him maybe a little too close I was definitely invading his personal space but he didn't move back.
“Micah whatever it is you can tell me. I mean who else am I going to tell? Cause I'm guessing whatever you're going to tell me isn't completely normal, just like me and the way I can read minds, cause I'm sure that isn't normal,”
He leaned over and slid the glass across the table and took a sip on the straw. He immediately wrinkled his nose shook his head and pushed it towards me.
“How can you drink that, it's awful.”
“I could say the same about those energy drinks you drink all the time. Maybe you should try something normal for once,” I sipped on the straw.
“So are you going to tell me or not or should I start guessing?”
“I'm thinking,” he said, touching the drops of condensation on the glass.
“How about you give me my cell. I'll go outside. Then you ring me and explain everything, that way with me outside you don't even have to look at my face and it won't be completely awkward. Then when you've finished I'll get ahead start on running and screaming like a crazy girl into the woods, cause if you tell me you're going to have to kill me right,”
He smiled and looked at me, it was the first genuine smile I had ever seen Micah do. He reached round to his back pocket and pulled my cell out and handed it to me.
“Don't ring Seth. Okay,”
“Okay,” I took my cell back.
“And there's no need to go outside it's raining and you'd just mess your pretty face up that you spent a ridiculous amount of time on this morning applying paint to and stuff.”
“It's called make-up and I hardly wear any and don't try changing the subject to try and aggravate me so we get off topic, I can see what you're doing.”
He looked at me then back at the glass. “You see too much that's the problem, it's going to get you in trouble. You can do so much more than I realised, there's so much more to you than just reading minds and hearing peoples thoughts. You can get in my head and see the things I've seen, you can access my memories. I don't think there's anyone else like you, you're unique.”
He went silent and moved back in his seat, the waitress that had first taken our order appeared and placed a plate of pancakes in front of me.
“Let me know if there's anything else you need,” she said winking at Micah.
“Thanks.” I replied bluntly, noticing she hadn't looked at me once then she left the table. “I'm all ears,” I picked up my fork and prodded the pancakes. Micah had gone silent again. “So start from the morning I went to school and you told me to stay away from that corridor. How did you know that was going to happen? What did you like read a tarot card or something?” “Tarot cards are you being serious?” he laughed.
“Well I don't know that's why I'm asking you,”
“Not tarot cards, I'm not one of those fruit loop ladies that claims to have the gift, when in fact all they have is an infestation of fleas from the fifty black cats they own.”
“So you somehow knew it was going to happen like you'd already seen it happen. So you can somehow see the future?”
The words sounded strange, I looked at him and he nodded slowly looking at me waiting for my reaction. Even I wasn't sure how to react to that information.
“Whoa wait, how does that even work?”
“I see things before they happen.” he replied quietly.
“Like in a dream or vision?”
“Dreams. When I close my eyes I see the future of people around me and sometimes the lives of others they know. So I try not to sleep that much anymore.”
“Well that explains the energy drinks. How long have you been able to do this? Were you born with it?”
“Since I've been here, I've been able to do it.”
“I knew there was something weird about this town.” I looked at him.
“Yeah,” he replied, looking back at me frowning.
“So, you can see the future. That's pretty awesome,”
“I tell you I can see the future and you think it's awesome, any normal girl would have run out of the diner calling me a crazy lunatic.”
“Yeah but I'm not any normal girl am I, one with mind reading abilities remember,” “How could I forgot. It's the reason I am on high alert around you, I'm constantly thinking you're going to jump in my head. It's weird.”
“Maybe we're both freaks,”
“Nope I thinks that's just you.” he joked nudging my elbow and sticking his tongue out at me. This was a side of Micah I hadn't seen and this new information explained why he was so guarded around me. I would be paranoid too if I thought someone was going to jump in my head every five minutes.
“Well I'll try not to jump in your head anymore, but the last two times were accidents, I'm not even sure how I did it myself. But just to be on the safe side in the future you should just tell me everything without me having to pester you for it, then I wouldn't feel the need to try and read your mind and end up in the sky.”
“What?”
“The first time I got in your head I was falling from the sky looking down at the ground below. When did you go skydiving?” he looked at me with a blank expression.
“A while ago, we should get you to school. I'm going to go pay the bill.”
“Sure,” I said, chewing on a piece of pancake.
Micah hopped over the back of the seat and went over to the counter to pay. He then walked out and went to the truck. I grabbed my bag and followed him.
He didn't say much for the rest of the journey, he complained about a few
holes in the road but said nothing more about our conversation in the diner. I was itching to ask him about it, I had so many questions regarding the subject. Like how often did he get these dreams, was it every time he went to sleep? He'd obviously seen the light falling at school but was I under it when it fell in his dream or was it some other girl?
Had he dreamt about me before?
He dropped me off in front of the school. I could tell I was early as there were only a few other cars here and they probably belonged to the teachers. As I was early I decided to look for my lost hoodie. I checked by the tree where I had sat yesterday, but there was no sign of it. I even checked in lost property but it wasn't there.
Inside the school was quiet and I only passed one teacher holding a coffee. I walked to my locker feeling a bit down about my hoodie, I would probably never see it again. I stood at my locker rearranging books for longer than necessary to pass time waiting for Aimee or Caitlin to show up. I pulled my arm back out from my locker and caught my sleeve on a piece of metal that was sticking out of the hinge.
I was surprised I hadn't caught it before, I touched the jagged piece that was sticking up. I thought about how I had fallen over last night and that now I didn't even have a scratch. I looked down the corridor there were a few people moving around but no one was taking any notice of me, so I opened my hand and scraped the inside of my palm down the piece of metal.
It stung as I expected it to and when I turned my hand over to look at the damage drops of blood rolled down my wrist. I suddenly heard loud footsteps that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Somebody brushed past me and leaned against the locker next to me. I clenched my hand into a fist and hid it out of sight.
His black eyes stood out, it was the first thing I saw before I saw anything else.
“Morning princess,” Cam said tilting his head to get a better view of my face, I was trying my best to hide it in the locker.
“Ruby, you can't ignore me forever.”
“I'm not ignoring you, I'm looking for a book.”
“Well you've had your head in that locker for fifteen minutes, sure you haven't found it yet?” “What do you want Cam?” I asked, annoyed I hadn't noticed him watching me before. “Nothing. I just came over to say hello, like I do everyday and you ignore everyday.” he sounded hurt when he said it.
“Ruby, I'm sorry if I've frightened you. I never wanted to scare you away. I'm not the monster you're making me out to be.”
“I don't think you're a monster Cam.”
“Then why do you look frightened every time I look at you. What's he been saying about me?” I looked at Cam, I was sure he was talking about Mack, but I didn't get why he disliked him so much. “I don't get why you don't like him? You don't even know him,”
“I don't like the way he follows you around.”
“I doubt that I hardly see him. I think I've seen more of you.”
He was looking at the floor frowning. I looked down to see a few drops of blood on the floor that had dripped from my hand.
“Oh yeah, you need to fix that. The hinge, it's a little sharp.”
I picked up my bag and put it on my shoulder, trying to keep my hand out of view. “Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, as his eyes roamed all over me, coming to stop at my clenched fist.
“Let me see that,” he tried to grab my hand but I moved it back.
“It's just a scratch.” I stepped back.
He frowned again and stepped closer, I immediately tried to step back again but he was too quick and caught my hand. He pried my fingers open, my inside palm was smeared with blood but there was no cut, not even a scratch.
Even I was a little shocked at the sight of my smooth uninjured hand. I realised he was looking at me for answers.
“See I told you, just a scratch you can't even see it now.” I shrugged and pulled my hand back. “I need to go, maybe you should fix that encase I have another little accident,”
“Yeah I'll do it now.”
He pushed my locker door in and walked off. I turned around to see Caitlin rushing towards me. “Did you get home okay last night? I tried ringing you but you didn't answer,”
“I know I'm sorry, I fell asleep as soon as I got through the front door.”
“Well as long as you're okay.”
I was waiting for her to ask me about last night and what happened with Mack, but instead she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me along the corridor. “Caitlin, where are we going?” “I need to show you something,” she said pulling me into the library.
“So was it just the library you wanted to show me, cause I've already seen it several times,” I joked. I looked around wondering what it was she wanted to show me. She didn't reply, instead she pulled me over to the computers were a few other students were already seated. She sat down and pulled me down next to her. “Caitlin, what are we doing?”
“You'll see in a minute,” she whispered.
“Okay but why are we whispering?” she ignored me and loaded up the web browser page and pushed the keyboard towards me.
“What do you want me to do with this?” I asked.
“Just type the words Heaven's Point,”
“Heaven's Point,” I repeated.
She nodded and I typed the words out and clicked the search button. I waited for the computer to catch up with my request the internet speed out here was really slow. Different programmes and books with the words Heaven's Point showed up in the results. I scrolled down but couldn't see anything about the actual town. I clicked onto the next page of results but still nothing. “Trust me, I've searched everything. I even tried searching Heaven's Point High but there's nothing, we don't even have a school website. It's like the town doesn't exist. I'm starting to think that guy that works in the town's library isn't as crazy as I had first thought. It's ridiculous, how am I meant to research for a school assignment if I can't find anything?”
“Have you told your history teacher about this?”
“No, not yet, but I have history fifth period and I will definitely be mentioning it. I'm wondering where everyone else is getting their research from? I know Mr. Stewart brings books in from his own personal library for students to borrow, maybe he has something about the town I could borrow. But don't you think it's strange, there's nothing on the web about the town. It doesn't even show up on any maps. It's really bizarre,” Caitlin said shifting in her seat.
Robbie's head popped up and he leaned over the computer from the other side of the desk, I hadn't even noticed he was in here. “Ladies,”
He picked up his bag and walked around the end of the table and came over to us. “Party this weekend, my place, bring a bikini,” he said grinning, leaning on the desk in front of Caitlin.
Caitlin made a disgusted sound. “A bikini in this whether, grow up.” she said smacking him lightly to get him to move as she stood up.
“So you won't want to try out the luxury new hot tub my mom's just had installed then?” “Luxury hot tub. Keep talking,” she said showing more interest.
“I'm planning to do a barbecue, my dad's just had a massive one built in the garden. There will be free food and drink of course. You know the drill. I'll even throw in some extra special quality veggie burgers.”
“I'll need an extra special relish to go with those veggie burgers.” Caitlin said picking at her nail polish.
“I think I can add it to the list of things to get. Is that a yes then?”
“Is Josh going?”
“He's helping with the barbecue and he has been my best friend since kindergarten. So yes he will be there, you already know that.”
“What time do you want me there?” she smiled at him.
“Yeah thought that would do it, why don't you two just get a motel room and get it over with.” he said playfully yanking on her ponytail.
“Robbie, that's disgusting,” Caitlin smacked his hand away. “And you wonder why you can't get a girlfriend?”
“Well F.Y.I. I do have a girlfrie
nd.”
“I don't think the blow up one you keep in your bedroom counts, what's her name again, Nicky or was it Nicola,”
“You can leave Nicole out of this. And my girlfriends name is Feisty Minx.”
Caitlin burst out laughing.
“It's the name she goes by online, I'm trying to convince her to meet with me at the party. We've been chatting for months she's a college girl, up at Copeland Harbour. I think she's the ONE.” He opened the front pocket of his bag and pulled out a flyer and tried to hand it to Caitlin but she was still laughing.
“It's not that funny, loads of people use random nicknames as their identity online.” “What's yours?” Caitlin asked in between giggles.
“Rich Randy Roberto.”
She burst out laughing again.
“You know because I'm rich and I'm....”
“I think we get it,” I said cutting him off in mid sentence trying not to laugh.
He looked at Caitlin then back at me shaking his head. I took the the flyer from him and turned it over. The word PARTY was written across the front with an address and a few doodles around the edge.
“It's just the date, time and my address, but she already knows where I live. Is she okay?” he asked looking at Caitlin.
She was still laughing. The name Randy Rich Roberto had sent her into hysterics. “I'm sure she's fine,” I replied trying not to giggle myself, just looking at Caitlin made me want to laugh.
“I'm going to go, I can't, I can't look at him without laughing. I think I'm going to wet myself. I'll see you in English.” Caitlin said hurrying towards the door.
“Well that was pleasant,” Robbie said looking at the back of her.
I was distracted looking at the little stick doodles around the edge of the flyer.
“Did you do these?” I asked curiously, they looked similar to the ones I had seen Mack scribbling in his notepad before.
“No, that's all Mack. I sit near him in calculus, saw some of his sketches and doodles and asked him to do a quick design round the edge and voila.”
“So you talk to him?”
“A little, he's not in class much.”
