Talent

by Annie B Matthews

  He reddened. “Yes, actually.”

  She straightened up. “I'm pleased for you. It's nice to be able to do what you love.”

  “There’s that.” He agreed. “How are you two doing?”

  “Oh, you know. Nothing new.” Kelly bit her cheek as though trying not to smile. Libby pulled a face at her, but her friend just tipped her head towards Tom. He was looking at her oddly and she faltered for a moment.

  “Work, work...”

  “Jack?” He offered innocently.

  Libby laughed. “Yes, that pretty much sums things up. No word from mum yet, but dad seems happy enough.”

  Nodding, Tom leaned forward, his arms crossed on the table. “Did you try emailing her in the end?”

  “Yep. No response.” Libby sighed, her mood faltering. “I think she's read them though. I don't know...it's just a feeling I have. I can't explain it.”

  “You can't explain everything,” Tom commented lightly. A bit too lightly. Her eyes narrowed on his face. “The human brain is a weird thing.”

  She glanced at Kelly, but her friend's attention was elsewhere. Making a non-committal noise, she shifted in her seat. It was possible he knew. Or suspected, at least. He was pretty observant.

  “I'm here with the chess club,” he was saying, and she tuned back into the conversation. “So I'd better get back. We should catch up soon.”

  “Absolutely.”

  She watched him walk off into the crowded bar area, wondering.

  A snort from Kelly distracted her.

  “What?”

  “Oh, I'm just being highly entertained by a love triangle over there. The best mate loves the girlfriend, the boyfriend has no idea. The girlfriend knows. She's totally interested.” Kelly laughed. “She's thinking about it. Oops, best mate has just knocked beer onto boyfriend. Off he goes....they're alone at last. Ahh, true love!”

  “Really?” Libby quirked a smile. “That'd be cheating.”

  “Oh please, the boyfriend cheats on her constantly. Now this, this is love. Or very intense lust, at the least. I can tell; she looks like you whenever Jackson's in the room.”

  Libby laughed at that, and they grinned at each other for a moment before Kelly’s gaze flicked over Libby’s shoulder.

  “Hey Abby, Sam.”

  As two girls from Kelly’s music class settled in for a chat, Libby sat back a little. The pub was busy, with the usual battle between music and conversation. She frowned, feeling a bit light headed, and put her hand on the table to steady herself.

  “Are you alright?” Kelly frowned at her.

  She nodded, and forced a smile. “Just tired.”

  After all, she’d been through enough over the last couple of days. It had been an emotional rollercoaster and, even now, it threatened to continue once their trip to the pub had been discovered. As it already had been; she could feel Jackson’s disbelief and annoyance even as she sat there, a mile from where he was and even with her shield in place. It bolstered her a little. She was still her own person, dammit. She could make her own decisions.

  She felt his eye roll. Felt it. It was all she could do not to laugh out loud and look like a complete lunatic.

  Tuning into the conversation again, and recognizing the bands the girls were discussing, Libby joined in to distract herself. It wasn’t until her words slurred that she realized something was wrong. She laughed it off, blamed a string of late nights, but Kelly looked at her sharply. They’d agreed to shield in case the talent picked up on their thoughts, but hadn’t thought to devise a signal to let the other know if there was a problem.

  There was definitely a problem. Libby had been drunk precisely once in her life. This was exactly how it had felt; her head now started to spin, her stomach lurched. The experience had been unpleasant to say the least and she hadn’t wanted to repeat it. This time no alcohol was involved, but she recognised the influence, felt the sickly edge of sensation.

  It wasn’t real. She knew it and tried to hold onto that.

  It wasn’t real. The dark edge was there, that slightly off-key sensation that signaled experimentation. She gripped her glass, concentrating on the cool slide of it beneath her damp palms. There was nothing she could do but ride it out. It was too dangerous to raise the shield. Much too dangerous. Whoever was doing this would be able to tell and then they’d know. Of course they’d know.

  Desperately she looked at her watch. Jackson. Surely he should be here by now? It had been more than an hour. Where was he?

  He was supposed to be here by now. Eyes closed, Libby concentrated on her breathing, on Jackson.

  “Libby, are you alright?”

  “I feel ill,” she managed, her eyes opened and locked on Kelly’s in the hope she’d understand. Her friend’s eyes widened. She glanced around even as Libby struggled to her feet. Her legs felt weak, as though she’d fall at any moment. “Kelly, I need to go.”

  “Oh no.” Kelly’s voice was barely audible.

  “What?” She couldn’t feel anything, except nausea.

  “Nothing. It doesn’t matter now.”

  Supporting her as unobtrusively as she could, Kelly managed to get Libby through to the door. As she glanced back, Libby saw him.

  She stared, watching the slow, arrogant smile that spread over his face. She'd found the talent and he knew exactly who she was. The link between them stretched faintly, shockingly, and she met his gaze in disbelief.

  Urging her away, Kelly hurried her out of the pub and kept her going until they reached the church gate. Only then did she speak.

  “What happened?”

  “I’m very, very drunk,” Libby gripped the edge of the cold stone wall, then slid bonelessly onto the pavement. She giggled. “Oops. I saw him. Kelly. Didn’t…didn’t want to lift my shield in case…” She could hardly form the words. “You know.”

  “Christ, Libby.” Kelly crouched beside her, holding her steady as she looked back towards the pub. She seemed nervous. “I didn’t pick up anything, anything at all, until the end. I’m so sorry.”

  “No.” She waved a hand rather wildly and Kelly jerked back to avoid being hit in the face. “It’s fine. Fine.”

  She knew him now. Trying to focus on the memory of the man’s face, Libby groaned. Her head pounded and she felt unbearably dizzy. She barely heard the car braking beside them, only managed to keep her eyes open long enough to see Jackson, his expression of concern and fury making her smile in utter relief.

  “Jesus. Libby, what happened?”

  “He...she...whoever it is, made her drunk.” At Jackson’s sharp look, Kelly bristled. “She’s not, she had a diet coke. What do you take me for?”

  “Don't ask.” Jackson’s hard tone was a complete contrast to his touch as he lifted Libby gently from the pavement. “Come on Libs, time to go home.”

  “I feel sick.” Her voice was barely audible. She buried her face in his shoulder. “I knew you’d come. You’re so lovely. Do you know that? Lovely.”

  He didn’t respond to that, simply lifted her into the car and settled her on his lap.

  “This is nice,” she yawned, settling close. “All the touching. Isn’t it nice? There’s not enough though. You should know that. Did you know? Of course you know. Mind. Reader. So lovely. Isn't he lovely?”

  “Get a move on, Danny,” Jackson spoke impatiently as Kelly slid into the passenger seat. “A bit of distance would help.”

  She didn’t hear the reply, as she slid into unconsciousness.

  Libby woke suddenly, realizing that she was in bed. Her head was clear. With a sigh of relief, she took a moment to remember what had happened. Jackson must have brought her home.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She turned her head. Jackson sat on her desk chair watching her, his arms crossed over the back rest. His expression was hard to read. He was clearly shielding as she could barely sense anything from him, just a faint glimmer of concern. She bit back a groan.

  “Fine.”

 
“No headache or anything?”

  She shook her head and sat up, resting back against the headboard. She felt better than expected. But then, no actual alcohol had been involved. “No, I feel great. How long was I asleep?”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  Surprised, she shook her head. Checking the clock, she saw that it was only quarter past six. “Wow, was that all? There’s not even a hangover.”

  He got to his feet then. “I wasn’t sure if you’d been drugged or whether it was a mind trick.”

  She caught his hand, pulled him down to sit beside her. “It was a mind trick. I could feel it, but figured I'd better not block in case he realized what I was. I’m sorry I worried you.”

  He just watched her and she felt a stirring of unease.

  “How angry are you?”

  “Let’s not go there.” He leaned forward, pressed his lips to her forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Pulling a face, Libby let go of his hand. “You’re pretty mad, then. Fair enough...but I'm fine. Really.”

  He didn't respond for a moment. “You're coming over to ours for dinner. Mum and dad will need to know what happened.”

  She winced. “Will Danny’s dad be there?”

  He didn’t answer and she sighed. “Great.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes. Libby wasn’t quite sure what to say and it didn’t seem that Jackson was going to help her out. If she could just go back to how it was before the incident at the Arms, it’d be so much easier.

  She stole a look at him under her eyelashes. He was still watching her.

  “Jackson.” She paused, swallowed. She was about to make things a hundred times worse, but it couldn't be helped.

  His gaze shifted, became guarded. “What is it?”

  “I saw him. I know who's doing this.”

  She watched as he digested this information.

  “Explain.”

  “Kelly was taking me out of the pub when I looked back. It was as though the crowd parted for a moment.” She closed her eyes for a moment, fixing the image in her mind. “He was smiling, knowing. He knew exactly who I was. We were linked, Jack. I could feel it. How can that be?”

  He took her hand in his and she relaxed a little at the warmth of the contact.

  “Libby-” Jackson’s voice was filled with confusion. “You were drunk. Are you sure?”

  Libby nodded, still confused by it. She recalled the feeling, the certainty that they had met before. A bit like when she had first seen Jack-

  “Not like that.”

  Jackson spoke harshly, his eyes vivid as he gripped her fingers in his.

  She met his gaze, her heart sinking. “It was the same. We need to speak to your parents.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  He was making tea by the time she got downstairs. Once she’d dropped her bombshell he hadn’t had much to say, but he'd clearly needed something to do.

  She’d insisted on showering before heading back to speak with his parents. She wanted to wash away the traces of the talent's attack.

  “Here,” Jackson passed her a mug before sitting at the table. “We have time.”

  She sat opposite him warily. He was angry that she’d gone with Kelly to the pub, even more so in light of what he’d learned.

  “How long will you be mad?”

  “I’m not mad.” He took a mouthful of tea, swallowed. “I’m furious.”

  Libby shifted in her chair, uncomfortable. She wasn’t thrilled either. It hadn’t once occurred to her that she or Kelly would be targeted, which was pretty stupid. She knew it was that which angered him most, and she could hardly blame him for it when she was kicking herself for the same thing. Under that, the worry about her link with this other talent was unsettling them both.

  Before she decided how to bring that up, they heard the front door open. Her dad called out, made his way into the kitchen. She smiled a greeting.

  “Hi kids.”

  “The kettle’s just boiled. Do you want a cup of tea?”

  “Please.” Eric sat down with a sigh. “It’s been a long day. Did you two have a good day?”

  Busying herself with his tea, she had to think for a moment; so much had happened in a matter of hours.

  “Yes. Kelly and I finished that experiment series at last. We went to the Arms for a drink with the others and then Jack walked me home.”

  “Would you mind if I took Libby home for dinner, Eric?” Jackson asked suddenly. “Mum thinks she’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

  Eric laughed. “Yes, that’s fine. I’m no company this evening.”

  Immediately concerned, Libby turned to face him. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, just busy at work. You know.”

  She did know, but it was a shock to her that she had forgotten. Her mother’s absence had almost become the norm and, with everything going on, she had forgotten. Feeling sick, she passed her dad his drink and muttered something about getting a coat.

  In the hallway, she steadied herself with deep breaths. She fixed her mother’s face in her mind and she closed her eyes. Not forgotten.

  “Are you ready?”

  She had been so upset she hadn’t sensed Jackson approach and all but jumped out of her skin.

  “Yeah.” She grabbed the nearest coat and flung the door open, calling out a good bye to her dad.

  The air was crisp outside. She inhaled it desperately, wanting the cold shock of it in her lungs.

  “Don’t beat yourself up,” Jackson’s voice was low. “You’ve been on a manic journey these last few weeks. Have you heard anything?”

  “Nothing.” She hesitated. “I emailed when the empathy kicked in, but she didn’t reply. And I've sent a couple more since.”

  His expression was sympathetic as he opened the car door for her. “She'll be in touch.”

  “She will if she gets the email I’m writing as soon as I get home tonight,” Libby told him wryly.

  “What are you going to tell her?”

  She glanced over at Jack as she fastened her seatbelt. She intended to fill in her mum on Jackson, as well as the talent manipulating students in the town. If her mum was getting emails, then it was worth trying to shock her into returning.

  “Everything. You know, if I listed everything that had happened today, not to mention the last week, I think I would have had more experiences than other people would have in a year,” Libby commented, staring out of the window. It was dark now and she shivered a little. Time to lighten the mood. “I guess getting drunk and carried home isn’t odd behaviour at our age.”

  “I’ve heard that.” They smiled at each other for a moment before he turned his gaze back to the road. “You’re amazing, Libby. Everything you’ve been through…you just take it on board and get on with it.”

  Self-conscious, she wrinkled her nose. “Everything, except the odd incident, has been exciting really.”

  “The odd incident.” Jackson shook his head. “You’re the queen of understatement, Libs.” He turned into the driveway, drew to a stop outside the house. “Ready?”

  Nerves edged in. Somehow she didn’t think the adults would be as forgiving as Jackson had been.

  He took her hand as they entered the house, a gesture of reassurance that made her even more nervous. When they reached the kitchen everyone was waiting. Kelly sat at the head of the table and her expression was mutinous. Danny stood staring out of the darkened window. Their respective fathers sat at the table. Only Anna moved, quietly preparing dinner.

  “Right, now we can start.” Kelly glared at her brother. “Where have you been?”

  “Sorry,” Libby muttered as she slid into a chair. “Have you been chained there the whole time?”

  Kelly laughed, a short burst that was cut short at a terse glance from Danny’s father.

  “Girls, we can’t keep having this conversation.” He looked at each of them, his expression serious.

  “Okay,” Libby took a deep breath. Last t
ime Kelly had taken the flack and now it was her turn. “But we thought that since a lot of students were heading to the Arms, it would be this person’s perfect chance to try again. We knew the boys would follow us within the hour. We would have waited for them, but they were in detention.”

  She felt Jackson’s reaction to that, even as she saw Danny whirl around to face her, and she winced inwardly. Both Paul and Ian scowled and Anna raised her eyebrows.

  “Again? We’ll be talking about this later, Jack.”

  “Low blow, Libby,” Jackson sounded hurt and she felt a pang of regret. “You never intended to tell us. Why shield otherwise?”

  “We knew you’d follow us after detention. And you did.”

  “Too late, as you said.” Danny pointed out before Jackson could respond. “You were lucky it wasn’t worse.”

  His words had Libby shrinking back, her stomach twisting unpleasantly. She didn’t need reminding of how things could’ve turned out.

  “Enough.” Paul held up a hand. “Let’s hear what happened.”

  “We’d agreed not to look, after you ragged on us last time,” Kelly informed him. “We also agreed to shield so we didn’t tip him off as to our own talents.”

  “Which proved awkward,” Libby went on. “I started feeling light-headed, then pretty drunk. It all happened so quickly.”

  “Less than ten minutes from when Tom left us until you asked to leave,” Kelly agreed. “And you could barely walk.”

  “I don’t remember much, but after a quick nap I was right as rain.” Libby shot Jackson a look and he nodded encouragingly. “There’s something else. I saw the man who is doing all this. I don’t know what it means, but he knows me and...it felt as though I knew him.”

  The stillness and quiet in the room was unnerving. She didn't dare open up to read them. Jackson moved quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder as though offering support.

  “A connection?” Anna’s eyes were wide in surprise and concern. “But that can't be possible.”

  “It wasn't quite the same.” She struggled for the right words. “The recognition was, but the...fascination? That bit wasn't quite the same.”