Pivot Point (18 page)

I’ve been trying to figure out his ability since the moment he walked away from me, finally allowing me to control my own movement again. Taking over a nervous system is an ability I had never heard of either. Is it something that can be learned, like Thought Placement and Light Manipulation, or is it something a person is born with? “Maybe people can do it, but we’ve never met anyone who
would
.”

“So you think he can manipulate mass then, like Bobby?” Laila asks.

“It was definitely manipulation, but I had no idea Mass Manipulators could do
that
.” I free my phone from my pocket. “I should call my dad. This is crazy.”

“No.” Laila’s voice stops my finger just before I hit the call button. “Your dad is going to ask questions. He’s going to wonder how we know him. You’re going to have to tell him about my dad. They’ll take him in.”

“I’m pretty sure my dad already knows about your dad’s drug problem.”

“Yeah, but this has gone further than that. What if this guy does something to my dad because we talk to the authorities?” Her voice is hard and confident, but the look in her eyes is sadness mixed with desperation. “Please, Addie, let’s just see if we can figure out something first.”

After coming face-to-face with Poison behind the stadium, I have no doubt he can make good on a threat. I put my phone away. “Okay.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Duke finally says.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” Laila says. “We all know you’re the type to defend Addie’s honor. Now let’s think of serious ideas, not extreme ones.”

“I
am
serious.”

I reach over and grab Duke’s hand. He tenses again before he relaxes. As he exhales I relax as well. “He didn’t hurt me, Duke. He didn’t even threaten
me
. It was Laila’s dad he was making threats against.” I turn toward the back. “How much money do you think your dad owes him?”

She rolls her eyes. “Who knows? But no matter the threat, my dad can’t produce something he doesn’t have. It would be like trying to pull an ability out of a Norm.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Duke practically yells. “Ignore him?”

“Maybe we should.” I squeeze his hand. “Ignore him and avoid him. And leave his car alone,” I throw back for Laila.

“Yeah, yeah,” she says. “I’ll leave his car alone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find out all we can about this guy. I want to know who we’re dealing with. We’ll do an investigation.”

“I happen to know a whole team of guys who could use a new punching bag.”

It’s weird to see Duke like this. I’m used to his ever-present smile. “No, Duke, don’t. Please don’t do anything to him. It’ll just make things worse.”

He turns toward me and grabs both my hands in his. “We’re going to practice Thought Placement. If you’re ever in trouble, we need to make sure you can let me know.”

“You can do Thought Placement?” Laila asks, which is the same question I was about to ask. “I thought that was nearly impossible if your ability is related to manipulating objects and not other minds.”

He gives an irritated glance back to Laila before looking at me again. “The word
nearly
is used for a reason, isn’t it?”

“I’m not good at doing it over long distances yet,” I say. “What’s the point of telling you I’m in trouble if you’re standing right next to me?”

“We’ll practice. We need to learn each other’s energies. Be in tune with each other.” He puts a hand on the back of my neck and pulls me toward him until our foreheads touch.
We’ll practice
, I hear in my mind. The thought comes in my own voice, but I know he placed it there.

“Gag,” Laila says. “Please practice when I’m far, far away.”

My cheeks go hot, and I back out of his hold. “Let’s not forget that I’m not the only one in trouble here. Laila is in just as much danger as I am. Maybe more, since it’s her father he’s after.”

They both laugh.

“What?”

“Addie, my ability alone puts me at an advantage.” Then her eyes travel over me. “And that’s just the first thing.”

“You think you’re tougher than me, is that it?”

“Know.”

“Fine.” I fold my arms and sink back against my seat. “Whatever.”

“But if you want to give the bad guy the two paths he can take, I’m sure he’ll be impressed,” Duke says with the first smile I’ve seen since we got in the car.

I roll my eyes and try to stay irritated, but his smile makes it impossible. “Funny.”

“She can’t tell the bad guy
his
two paths. Only her own. So she’ll be able to tell him if she dies or not.”

“You two are a regular comedy duo. I think I liked it better when we were all worried about me.”

Duke’s smile disappears. “That hasn’t changed.” He turns back toward Laila. “Okay, let’s find out all we can about this creep.”

“Can’t we just wait until tomorrow?” We’re standing in the dark hall of Laila’s house. Our first step is to get Poison’s number from her dad’s cell phone. His snores echo down the hall.

“No, he’s a more predictable sleeper at night,” Laila says. “Just wait here.” She tiptoes into her parents’ room.

Duke, who’s standing behind me, slips his arms around my waist. “Are you nervous?”

I relax back into him, and his breath tickles the hair on my neck. I can feel his heartbeat against my back. “Not anymore.”

“Good. We’ll fix this. He probably just gets a kick out of scaring people. Especially pretty young girls.”

“I guess.”

Laila comes back out and motions for us to follow her to the living room. The cell phone is in her hand, and she scrolls through his phone book.

“Addie, put his number in your phone.”

“Okay.” I wait, phone ready.

She tells me the number, and I enter it into my contacts attached to the name Freakshow.

“More like Dead Freakshow, if I ever see him again,” Duke says, looking over my shoulder.

I elbow him.

“Okay, I’m going to put this back.” She leaves, and I stare at the numbers on my phone. This all seems so pointless.

“What’s wrong?” Duke asks.

“We have a number, but now what? It’s not like we can call him up and ask him to tell us all about himself.”

“No. But my best friend happens to know how to hack into computer systems. It’s one of the perks of his ability.”

“Really? Who?”

“Bobby.”

I groan. “Bobby? Are you serious? I don’t think we should share this with him. I don’t trust him.” I still haven’t told Duke about what Bobby did to me in my Search. I wonder if I should, if he’ll think I’m overreacting. It’s hard for people to understand how real my “memories” are. Laila’s the only person who knows what Bobby did … would’ve done … to me. The night I told her, she held my hand and asked me if I wanted her to wipe his memories and turn him into a drooling vegetable. I said no, but just the thought made me feel better.

Duke pushes a button on his cell phone, then spins it once before pocketing it. “Well, I trust him. And right now, we could use his help.”

“Right now?” I look at my phone. It’s past eleven.

“Yep, I just texted him. Bobby stays up late.”

Laila walks back out, and Duke says, “We’re going to Bobby’s to see if he can dig up any information on this guy.”

Laila’s eyes dart to mine. “We are?” She searches my face, probably looking for any signs of resistance.

I want to give them, but I just shrug and say, “Yes, I can’t think of a better idea, or believe me I would.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

We pull up in front of Bobby’s house, and my blood runs cold. I’ve never been inside except in my Search. As I stare at the large oak tree in his front yard the memory of Bobby’s eyes boring into mine while we sat in his car comes into my mind. I remember wondering how we had ended up in front of his house in the first place when he was supposed to drive me home.

“My mom wanted to meet you,” he had said.

“Oh, okay.” But no one had been in his house. It was dark, and I felt uncomfortable. “Where is your mom?”

A smile crept onto his face, and he sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him.

My instincts told me to leave, but his green eyes softened.

“Come sit next to me.”

I didn’t want to be rude, and the dance had been fun. I sat down, and his arm snaked around my neck, his hand instantly finding my collarbone, tracing a slow line along it and then lower.

“I don’t think so,” I said, grabbing his hand and using it to remove his arm from my neck, then hanging on to it for good measure.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like me?” His free hand went to my thigh, where his fingers dug into my skin.

“Ouch, Bobby. Knock it off.” I tried to stand, but he held on to my leg and pinned my shoulder with his.

For a moment I was frozen in shock, unable to believe what was really happening. His mouth found mine, rough and uncaring as his hand continued to travel upward. The sound of the skirt of my dress ripping and the feel of his hand brought me out of my shock, and I kneed Bobby hard. Holding together my ripped dress, I ran out of his house, my eyes stinging.

Now, in the car with Duke and Laila, those feelings are back. I try to push them aside as I step out of the car, not wanting Duke to think I can’t handle this. I can handle this. Bobby doesn’t control me. Laila must sense how I feel, because she’s at my side immediately, grabbing hold of my hand.

Bobby opens the front door before we even knock. I don’t like the way his eyes travel over me as if he, too, remembers the Search and enjoys tormenting me with it. But I know he doesn’t remember; only I get that privilege.

Bobby leads us into a back room, which I’m glad isn’t as familiar as the family room we passed. “I got started with the number you gave me. His name is Steve Paxton.” In the corner of the room, computers light up the wall.

“Your house is like a tomb,” Laila says. “Don’t you have sensors?” She waves her hands over her head, but nothing happens. “Bobby,” she says in exasperation, and he points at the wall. She finds a switch and flips it on. When the overhead light flickers to life, the breath I didn’t realize I was holding slowly seeps through my lips.

“It’s after eleven,” Bobby says. “It’s not like I traipse around the house with all the lights on. Especially when I’m the only one home.”

“So, what did you find out?” Duke asks, pointing to one of the screens, where a seedy-looking picture of Poison fills one corner of the monitor.

Bobby sits down at the desk. “Not much. He’s been arrested a few times for enhancers, but that’s about it. What exactly were you hoping to find out about him?”

“If he’s dangerous,” Duke says.

“He seems fairly harmless,” Bobby says.

So does Bobby, but I know what he’s capable of. “Are you sure? Is that the only place you looked?”

Bobby narrows his eyes at me. “I think the police station is a pretty good place to look. But I guess I can check the library to see if he has any outstanding late fees. Knowing you, that would help.”

“You don’t know me,” I say quietly.

“No need to be a jerk,” Laila says. “She was just asking. What about his address? Were you able to find that?”

“Yeah.” He pulls out a piece of paper from the desk drawer and writes down the address, then hands it to Duke.

“Thanks.” Duke slaps him on the back.

My eyes have found the screen again and can’t look away from the image of Poison. My mind goes back to the way he had forced me to step forward, held me there without hands. I don’t understand that kind of power. It’s nothing like my mom’s, who Persuades me to do things. If I try hard enough, and recognize what she’s doing, I can fight against her influence. But with Poison, I hadn’t wanted to move forward, and yet he made me. I was totally at his mercy.

“Did you want to hang out, or are you going to leave with your boyfriend?” Bobby asks. I look around the room and realize Duke and Laila are on their way out. I whirl around and head for the door.

“What did I do to you?” Bobby asks from behind me.

I stop.

“What did you see me do that changed the way you look at me?”

“I saw who you really are.”

“Then why did you come here tonight?” He sounds far away and small.

“Because for some reason Duke trusts you.” I run out of the room and catch up with Duke. He slides his arm across my shoulder and kisses my temple. I cuddle into him.

“So what are we doing now?” I ask.

“Surveillance.”

phe•NO[R]M•e•non
:
n.
someone who thinks his existence is an impressive occurrence

I’ve been staring out the window for the last two hours, even though Laila told me she probably wouldn’t get here until six, just enough time to freshen up and get to the football game. It’s been almost a month since I’ve been gone, but it feels like I haven’t seen her in an eternity.

When a truck pulls up in front of the house, I race out the door. She’s halfway up the walk by the time we reach each other. Neither one of us is a squealer, but we embrace and proceed to jump up and down screaming.

She pulls away.

I point. “You’re wearing sunglasses.”

“That’s because it’s insanely bright here. Crazy story. I stopped at a gas station, feeling mentally tired, and like an idiot I asked the guy behind the register if they had any Brain Food. He looked at me all weird, and I remembered that huge lecture we got before leaving the Compound about not letting things slip, so I Erased a minute of his memory.”

“You did not.”

She laughs. “Totally did. I thought I was going to have to zap the whole store, but there was only one other woman, and she was distracted putting this nasty-looking hot dog into a bun. There was a rack of sunglasses next to the register, so I grabbed a pair and bought them. Hopefully feeling them on my face will make me think more like a Norm.”

I smile. “Have I told you how much I miss you yet?”

“I miss you too. When are you coming home?”

“Come on, let’s get your stuff, and I’ll show you around.” I help her pull out a bag from the truck bed. “You rented a truck?”

“Yeah, sure, me and all my money. No. I borrowed this from that guy who rebuilds useless Norm crap.”