LS: The Beginning (9 page)

“Does she major in Physics?”

“Yeah, she's studying the same course,” Julie said.
I didn't see the use of the long sentence; a simple
yes
would have been okay
.

The lecture became boring and so I leaned back, running my fingertips through my hair and decided to hear what people were thinking. Most people agreed with my view of the lecture being boring, however
a certain direction was quiet. I had no doubt it was Lisa, therefore I turned to look
at her. She’d been gazing at me but unlike most
girls, she didn’t look away when our eyes met. She made a face that was so
difficult for one to read. She was
smiling but at the same time glowering. She looked so beautiful. It seemed
as if she grew more gorgeous every time I saw her. She wore red top and black pants. I sensed she was definitely in a bad
mood; I’d never seen her in black.

Julie leaned close to my ear.

“Do you know David broke up with Lisa after last night?” she asked.

“Are you serious?” I asked grinning.

“Yes, I am and why are you smiling?” she demanded.

“Because I would never have imagined it.”

“Well, David said she’s a freak, and she had almost burned
his tongue the other night.”

“Ouch, that must have stung like a bee.”

“Yeah,” she replied. 

I remembered Lisa kissing David, but could this be
true? If it was, it’s emphatically not her fault. I hadn’t kissed any girl
yet with my icy tongue, and so I wondered if I was going to face the same
fate.

The lecture lasted for two hours, followed by the practical section which was a further hour. I wanted to sit with Lisa during
practical but I had a lot to say and I believed it was going to waste our
time in the lab.
There’s time for everything
, I thought as I entered the lab.

Also, I didn’t want to sit with Julie. Thus, I stood at the threshold and searched for Sharon. When I saw her, I went and sat beside her.

“Hey. I know we haven’t met in person. I’m Stephen …” I said

“Wilson,” she completed. “I’m Sharon Foster. You must have gotten
my email?” she rhetorically asked.

She was remarkably beautiful. Her smile was alluring, as were her luscious lips. After seeing her from behind, I knew
she'd be pretty and I was definitely right. It seemed like any girl I came in contact with had a close relationship with beauty. She possessed a soft charming
voice, like the voice of a singer.

“Do you come from around here?” I curiously asked.

“Yes. I was born and raised here. Your cousin and I attended the same
high school.”

If they actually did, then why did she get my email from my
personal teacher when she could have gotten my phone number from Stacey?
I read
her mind to find the answer: it was because they weren’t
on talking terms.

“Why have you girls stopped chatting?”

Her eyes widened.
How did he know? Maybe Stacey told him
, she thought looking confused. 

“She fell for the only guy I liked, and he chose her over me. Since then,
we haven’t spoken.”

How could a guy refuse a caramel beauty like her?
Although, her adversary, Stacey was a tough match. If I was in the guy's shoes,
it would have been a very difficult decision to make. I'd have probably
chosen the girl with a better personality, because their beauties were evenly matched.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“It’s been a long time. I don’t hold any grudge against her.”

“That's nice to hear.” I glanced at my wristwatch. “So, what were we told to do today?”

“We were told to do a pulley experiment,” she said as she showed me the
equipment in front of her. I actually knew the lab work, but I was
looking for an excuse to hear her melodic voice.

“I see thanks. Let’s get to work then.”

She smiled and went on with her work. There was something strange about Sharon; although I could read her mind, it seemed like she didn’t have much to think about. She was mostly quiet and just focusing on the task in front of her. Even though I’d been called a whiz kid at my former school, I never loved studying that much.

I glanced at Lisa as she worked alone on her project. The news had definitely spread out that she was a freak. Her facial expression didn't reveal much, but she seemed cool; most girls would have been perturbed.

Julie, on
the other hand, had her eyes and mind fixed on me. Her eyes
looked so lovely; the black spots were insignificant, allowing the blue and white colors to radiate.
Only a guy with incredible self-control could withstand such looks.

The practical session was finally over and I saw the relief on everyone’s
face – except Sharon, who loved working close to me, or maybe just working.

I walked over to Lisa’s seat to take her for lunch, hoping she'd give me a good response. Arriving at her table, I met a somber face instead of a frown.
Thank goodness she isn’t angry,
I thought as I approached her.

“What do you want from me?” she asked. “Since I met you, my life has been a
mess.”

“Please, give me a chance to explain,” I said.

I saw the fury building up in her body as her eyes turned red, I reached for
her hand and touched her. The feeling was like no other; her skin was so
soft and hot. I felt sudden warmth spread through my body for the first time in my life.
It was like a neutralization reaction; she was the acid and I was the base.

“All right, you can explain – but it won’t make any difference. I’m already
cursed,” she said as she calmed down.

“Trust me. It will,” I assured.

Ironically, I viewed my powers as a blessing while Lisa viewed hers
as a curse. I could recall the day Lisa and I telepathically chattered: she had
sounded happy about her special abilities, but now everything's changed. Maybe it was because she’d lost the guy that meant the world to her, while I'd lost nothing. I wished I had the power to turn back the hands of time
and make Lisa happy by not touching her. But then she'd still be in a relationship, which I didn't want.

“I don’t know how we got these powers,” I said. She grimaced,
expecting to hear something better. “The first thing we need to do is accept
it as a gift and learn to deal with it.”

“We?” she asked. “I’m not accepting anything. I would have checked with the
doctor but my parents forbid me to do such.”

“Can’t you see we have much in common? I’m not allowed to visit the doctors
as well
and once again all we need to do is to learn how to control them.”

“You keep saying
we
. There are no
we
in this. I am suffering, you’re not.”

“Yet,” I completed her statement. “We should go to
the cafeteria to get something to eat. We’ll discuss this over there. The lab
will soon be occupied by other students.”

“I'm sorry but I don’t eat anymore, thanks to you. My taste buds have gone MIA.”

“Same here, so, you see, we are going through the same physical changes.
We’ll just talk and pretend not to notice the tray in front of us.”

Lisa stared at me for a long minute; she was hesitant to follow me to the cafeteria, but finally stood up and we strolled towards the door. On
our way, people kept staring at us, thinking:
This guy doesn’t know what’s
good for him
.
I bet he's thinking he's with the most beautiful girl in college. Wait until she kisses you.

Only a few people were uncritical about Lisa and me walking
together:
I really admire his courage. I wish a guy could do the same for me.

“Can you hear that? They feel pity for you. Please just leave me. I’m no good
for anyone.”

“Please, never say that again. I know what’s best for me: you.” I’d already pronounced the last word, and couldn’t take it back. It was very inappropriate, considering this was our first real discussion.

Meanwhile, Lisa seemed stunned and glanced at me with a curious
look. I really wished I could read her mind. If I could, I would have exchanged
reading everybody’s mind for hers.

We reached the cafeteria in time to secure an empty table. Lisa bought
chips with sausages and I left to reserve the table we’d spotted. I bought a similar
meal,
but with two bottles of water. As I turned to go join her, my eyes
met with Julie’s and Stacey’s, and they waved at me indicating I should come join them. This was the second time I had to make a decision whether to stay away from Lisa,
but I couldn't be beaten twice
.
I pointed towards Lisa, letting them know I was having lunch with her.

As I strode past their table, I heard Julie
whisper to Stacey, “Why is he living in denial? Why can’t he admit he’s attracted
to me?”

“No worries, I’ll find out if he is,” Stacey said.

As I approached Lisa, she met my face with a subtle grin. It was the very first time I saw
her smiling, except from when we first met and when she was with David, but still it looked new to me. Her eyes were brightened and her teeth were gleaming white between her luscious lips. She
was certainly the most beautiful being to walk the face of the earth.

“I can see you have a girl crushing on you. I still don't understand why you waste your time
with me.”

I'd forgotten she could hear from a great distance, and then it occurred to me she must have also
heard the discussion Julie and I had during lectures, about her being called
a freak. At least my feelings toward her hadn’t been voiced.

Answering her question wasn't an option, because she would definitely know how I felt toward her if I
did
. Though she had supernatural powers, she was still a lady, and they were good
at knowing stuff like that.

“I believe these gifts can be understood and controlled.” I changed the topic.

“One thing though, Steph: why can’t I read your mind?” Lisa asked
,
finally
looking interested.