The Mind Readers (2 page)

Because we were constantly
moving, it made it hard for me to get a job and buy my own car. Heck, I’d be
happy to have my Grandma’s rusty Toyota.

Emily shrugged, but I knew she
was thrilled I was envious. Emily’s desire was to be worshipped and envied by
all. Not that she was a horrible person. No, she wasn’t. At least not deep
down. I was the only one who knew she cried herself to sleep most nights. Both
doctors, her parents were often gone and Emily looked for attention where she
could get it. Of course she’d never admit that dark secret, but she didn’t need
to. I pulled open the passenger door and settled onto the soft, black leather
seat.

I held no illusions. I knew
Emily and I wouldn’t be friends if it wasn’t for my ability. I knew exactly
what Emily wanted me to do, think, say, and because of that, I was her perfect
B.F. We sure as heck wouldn’t be friends if I told her what I was really
thinking, but today that didn’t matter because the sky was clear and the air
somewhat warm for October.
 

I smoothed my fingers over the
armrest as Emily took off. I didn’t bother leaving Grandma a note. She knew
where I was going. At least, she would until I got out of range. At some point,
and I still wasn’t sure where, she wasn’t able to read my thoughts. It was a
realization I’d stumbled upon three years ago when I’d gone off with a friend
without telling Grandma, only to return and find her frantic with worry. The
only time she’d shown she cared.

It was a thrilling feeling of
escape that coursed through my body as we drove out of town toward the coast.
Emily whipped around a curve and I fell into the door, laughing. Excitement
followed Emily wherever she went. It was part of the reason why I had liked her
immediately; she could make me forget that I was a freak. The world was a
movie, and she was the star. At the moment she was pretending she was some hot
spy and being chased by an equally hot guy. Of course she’d never admit how
many times she invented movies in her head and she’d probably kill herself if
she realized I knew.

Still, I could admit the days
with my shallow friend were growing more difficult. There was only so much a
person could take. I brushed aside the depressing thought aside.

“Where should we go?” I asked, a
secret smile playing on my lips.

“Lakeside!” she said.

Lakeside was a diner near the ocean.
Half the teens worked there after school, the other half hung out. There wasn’t
a lot to do in our small town, but years ago the students had quickly taken
over the restaurant as their own.

“So get this, Trevor suddenly
has to study Saturday night.” Emily glanced briefly at me, interested in
catching my reaction. The wind was blowing her hair around her perfect face.
But while my hair was getting stuck in my mouth, whipping me in the eyes and
wrapping around my neck in a chokehold, she somehow managed to look like a
model in a print ad. Ugh, so not fair!

“What do you think?” she asked.

I thought, no, I knew Trevor was
seeing someone else from another school. But I also knew how Emily wanted me to
answer. I shrugged, not quite meeting her gaze. “Maybe his parents are on him
about his grades.” Emily didn’t want to know he was cheating. Most people
didn’t really want to know the truth.
  

“Yeah,” she seemed relieved.
“That’s what I figured.”

Emily couldn’t stand the idea
that someone would dump her. No, Emily dumped boys, boys didn’t dump her. Hurt
them before they hurt her. She was worried that was exactly what was happening
with Trevor. I was no psychologist, but I’d seen enough episodes of Oprah to
wonder if her need to be adored had something to do with the fact that her
parents were never around.

“Still, if he keeps this up, I
just might dump his ass. God, what does he expect? Doesn’t he know how many
people would go out with me?”

She was arrogant, but she was
right. I’d read enough horny teenage minds to know that 99% of the school’s
male population wanted Emily. The other one percent were gay.

She followed the road that ran
along the coast, lurching this way and that with the curves. Thank God I didn’t
get motion sickness. The ocean was rough, the winds and weather making the
waves crest into white peaks that looked like snow. It was a volatile life we
led here on the coast, and more than one fisherman drowned every year under the
unrelenting power of the ocean. Despite the danger, I loved the feeling, the
energy that surged from the waves…that secrecy of not knowing what was there
underneath the water.
 

“I swear Kevin was checking me
out the other day.”

For a moment I thought I’d heard
her wrong. That the roar of the ocean had made me hear something she hadn’t really
said. But no such luck, her thoughts were as clear as my own. My heart
squeezed, even as I forced my smile to remain in place.

She was looking at the road, but
she was wondering what I was thinking. “If Trevor doesn’t get his shit
together, maybe I’ll go out with Kevin.”

My heart thundered painfully in
my chest, my palms growing damp. The urge to shout out
No!
bounced around my skull. But I didn’t move, didn’t dare move
for fear she’d read something in my gestures.

She slid me a sly glance. “You
don’t still have a crush on him, do you?”

Yes.
“No,” I somehow managed to get out, although my voice sounded
strangled.

“I didn’t think so.”

Just like that my good mood
fled. Time to face facts. I’d known she was changing, but most of us were. Half
the senior class was nervous at the thought of graduating and being alone, the
other half were eager to taste freedom. It was an odd year, full of odd
emotions and I’d wanted to ignore the signs that Emily had finally taken a step
fully into the dark side. Mostly, I had ignored her attitude because I didn’t
want to look for new friends this late in the year.

Morose, I rested my elbow on the
window and gazed at the passing scenery. Less than half a year and I’d be gone.
Another year and another new school. I’d been through so many educational systems,
never staying long enough to make true friends, that I’d been desperate when
we’d moved here a year ago. When Emily had taken an interest, I admit my
self-esteem had savored the attention of the most popular girl in school.

I’d had a plan, enjoy senior year
as best I could and try to go out on top. For the last two months I’d noticed
her changing, but had hoped I could stick it out until graduation. But I
couldn’t ignore her bitterness anymore. It was only one issue in a long list
with reading minds… you knew a person’s true self. The self that was so dark
and desperate, they’d do anything to keep it hidden. She wanted me to feel
horrible, less than her, she loved it. Knowing she could get any guy she
wanted, knowing I couldn’t, made her feel special.

Still, I was her friend because for
the most part, we had fun and as pathetic as it sounded, being her best friend
made me feel special. Besides, I didn’t want to ruin this last year. And so we
used each other. Believe me, the irony wasn’t lost. But how much longer could I
take her cattiness? Suddenly, graduating with friends didn’t seem so important.

The gray clapboard sided diner
came into view, perched there on the edge of the sea, looking ready to tumble
down at the first sign of a storm. Emily pulled into the parking lot, gravel
crunching like boney victims under the wheels of her perfect car.

Although school had only been
out an hour, the lot was already half full. And there was Kevin’s black SUV. A
guy I hadn’t even had a chance to start a relationship with because I’d already
lost him to Emily. And that’s how it was; I was friends with girls who were
popular because I knew what they wanted from me. I knew exactly what to say,
when to say it. But while they got the boys and got to be prom queen, I stood
cheering on the sidelines.

I barely listened to her happy
chatter as we made our way up the rickety steps to the front porch. Emily was
so caught up in her own conversation, she didn’t even notice the rat scurry
across the steps. Every time we came to the diner, I was amazed it was still
open. I’d expected the Health Department to shut the place down long ago. But
if they shut it down, we’d have no place to go and that’s why the city left it
alone.

“Hey! Cameron, I need to talk to
you.” Annabeth came rushing across the deck where she’d been serving drinks to
students brave enough to sit outside in the wind. She stuffed a couple dollars
into the apron tied around her waist. Her pink sweater clashed with her red
hair, and she’d never exactly been called gorgeous. Still, she was friendly and
had soft brown eyes and a wide smile that always made me want to smile back. I
liked her the moment we’d met. I’d been a new student and she’d been the first
to talk to me. For that, I’d always be grateful.
 

“I’ll wait for you over there.”
Emily hated Annabeth, not because she didn’t think Anne was popular or pretty
enough. Nope, Emily was jealous because she didn’t like the fact that I spent
time with someone other than her. She was also jealous that Annabeth was a
genius at math and science while Emily could barely pass. I’d tried to explain
this to Anne, but she couldn’t possibly believe the most popular girl in school
would be jealous of her. Of course I couldn’t tell her that I knew it for a
fact.

“What’s up, Anne?” I asked.

We leaned against the railing; I
huddled deep within my jacket. The sun was setting, sending brilliant reds and
oranges shimmering across the waves. When the sun set, the temperature dropped
fast, but I wasn’t eager to go inside.

“I’ve met someone.”

I snapped my gaze toward her,
more than surprised. As far as I knew, Annabeth had never dated anyone. “Who?”

George Miller
she thought right before she said the words. “George
Miller.” A man popped into her mind, an image she’d conjured. Tall and thin,
with dark hair, brown eyes…actually kind of cute, but older than her.
Definitely older and she was nervous that he was older. She didn’t want anyone
to know.

“How old,” I blurted out before
I thought better.

Her round face grew red and I
knew she was wondering why I’d brought up the topic. Frantically, she tried to
decide what to tell me, I could almost taste her nervousness.

Twenty-five
. “Twenty,” she squeaked.

You’d be surprised how many
people lie and how often. It was common, but still, it annoyed me because we
were friends. I nodded slowly, wondering if I should call her out on her lie.
Even a person without my abilities could tell she was fibbing. But I could
sense Emily’s impatience from across the porch. She was about ready to interrupt
and that would hurt Anne’s feelings.

“That’s cool,” I said.

She grinned, relieved I didn’t
say anything more. “Yeah, gotta work, but do you want to meet him? He’s
inside.”

No!
I nodded.
Not really.
What creepy twenty-five year old would go out with someone who wasn’t even
seventeen yet? “Yeah, sure. In a bit.”

She briefly clasped my hands,
her fingers cold. “Okay great! See you in a minute.”

“Can’t wait,” I lied.

I watched her as she walked
inside. Anne was only sixteen and looked even younger. Her mom would freak if
she knew her daughter was dating someone nine years older. What would a man
twenty-five years old want with Anne? Something was off and I couldn’t help but
feel like everything was changing, and not for the good.

“What’d she want?” Emily muttered
bitterly as she came to stand next to me.

“Nothing.” I sure as heck wasn’t
going to tell Emily so she could mock Annabeth.

“Hey, ladies, what’s up?” Trevor
strolled out the door, that arrogant smirk on his face that only the captain of
the Basketball team could get away with. He leaned over to kiss Emily. What an
idiot, he actually thought he could juggle two women and they wouldn’t find
out. Okay, so maybe my opinion of Trevor was influenced by the fact that he
thought my breasts were too small for his liking. Although I’m happy to report
he’d still “do me,” as he’d thought the other day. As if he’d ever have the
chance.

With a huff, Emily turned her
head to the side. She was playing hard to get. She wanted him to beg and plead.
I rolled my eyes. This could get nauseating real fast.
 

“What did I do now?” he asked
with a sigh.

She snapped her head toward him.
“Where were you last night?” She placed her hands on her hips; she meant
business. “I called you, I text’d.”

He averted his gaze and rubbed the
back of his neck. “With the guys.”

Allow me to translate.
With his other girlfriend.

“Playing video games in the
basement.”

Making out.

He smiled his charming smile,
those blue eyes twinkling. “You know I don’t get reception down there.”

He’d turned off his phone.

With a sigh, I spun around,
giving them the privacy they didn’t seem to care about since they were arguing
in the middle of the front porch. I didn’t have to read minds to know this
wasn’t going to end well and then I’d have to pick up the pieces until Emily
got a new boyfriend, which shouldn’t be long. A boyfriend who would most likely
be Kevin. I felt sick.

Taking in a deep breath of
chilly air, I gazed out over the ocean, attempting to calm my racing heart.
You’d think a person who could read minds would be able to get a boyfriend.
It’s not like I was totally disgusting, but I knew some people thought I was
weird; quiet, standoffish and I knew a little too much. It was the same no
matter where I’d lived. Still, being friends with Emily had helped keep the
whispers at bay. No one would dare talk bad about the most popular girl’s best
friend. What would they say about me when I finally had enough and dumped
Emily?