Page 58 of Gifted

“I wasn’t feeling well. Hey, I’m sorry about breakfast. You really don’t like me, do you.”

Once again he looks uncomfortable. Once again I wonder what could possibly be wrong with me. Well, besides the fact that I’m clearly nuts.

“Not you. Look, I have to go. I didn’t think anyone was here.”

“Hey, wait!” I call after him, sorry to see the meeting end so soon. No, not sorry. Why would I be sorry? He hates me. Curious maybe. That’s normal at least. “We haven’t formally met. I’m Rebecca.” I hold out my hand, but he doesn’t take it. In fact, his obvious recoil upsets me yet again. “It is me.”

“It’s not personal. I just don’t get close to people.” He moves for the exit, and I can’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t let him leave. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Your light is on,” I lie.

He glances at his dark room, staring for a moment before shaking his head. “I have to go.”

“Wait! You’re Daniel, right? I’ve heard them talking about you.”

“Yeah, they love to talk about me.”

“Is what they say true?”

He swallows, and I notice the way he tugs on the sleeves of his jacket. It’s a strange reaction for a heartless demon. “Mostly.”

“What happened to your face?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?”

Heat spreads up my neck and into my cheeks. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this. I can’t seem to stop them.”

“You should work on that,” he says, and disappears before I can embarrass myself more. I would have too because clearly I’ve lost my mind.

Private counseling sessions can’t come soon enough, and I’m relieved to see Anna in her chair. I close the door and move to my seat with a strange urgency. “I want to learn to control my visions. I’m tired of being a victim of myself. I want to control my thoughts and emotions too.”

She studies me with a faint smile. “All valid goals. We can certainly work on them. Let’s start with the visions. What are you thinking when you have one?”

“I’m usually not thinking. It just happens.”

“Okay, so let’s begin there. The next time you touch someone, concentrate on what you want to see.”

“Good idea. I have some friends who’d probably let me practice on them.”

“Perfect. Just be careful and patient. Prepare yourself and your friends for the possibility of missing your target. Are you referring to your suitemates Ben and Laura?”

“Hmm… no. I’m closer to Sara, Matthew, and Connor. I’ll ask them.”

“Sara Price? She’s a nice girl.”

“Yes, she is.”

“What about Daniel Mueller? Do you have any opinions of him yet?”

Random. “Um, well, we just met, but I guess I don’t understand what I’ve seen so far. I tried to be nice and he pretty much blew me off.”

Anna nods, but I can’t read her expression. “He does better on his own, and he knows it. Don’t take it personally.”

“He said the same thing. I don’t get people like that. Why would you want to be alone? Especially when we’re so different from everyone else. I came here hoping for friends and findingpeople to identify with. Maybe people would be nicer to him if he didn’t act like he was better than the rest of us.”

“Is that how you perceive him?”

I shrug. “He definitely had a chip on his shoulder. You should have seen the way he jumped away when we accidentally touched at breakfast.”

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