Chapter 2

Revenge

Marcus and Thian ran from the class the first chance they got. Their pace normalized as they got further from class. Thian knew that Tamora Moon was following him from Physics, but Thian and Marcus didn't stop until they were far away from the rest of the students, who they were really getting away from.
"That was an interesting class, wasn't it?" she asked as they stopped at the end of the corridor by the stairs.
"What's interesting about teleportation?" Thian asked, as if he didn't want to waste his time outside of class talking about class.
"Well that you can do it," she said. "I mean, it's not every day that you see someone doing something strange and highly extraordinary, unless if you count my bathroom mirror."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the only thing I see is my eyes burning bright blue before I do anything when I look in a mirror," she said. "Well, obviously I have to be doing something."
"Can you ever make any sense?" Marcus asked.
"Just watch," she said.
Thian looked at her eyes. They were the color of the gray clouds that were slowly clearing from the sky as blue sky filtered through. He knew they changed colors with the surroundings.
Then he saw her eyes flash behind her glasses, and he glanced back to see if something had shined behind him. He returned to find her eyes burning bright sky blue with such intensity that they could have been white.
I'm in your head, she said, only she hadn't said it. Now he knew what she meant by 'doing something'.
What, you can possess me?
I don't think I can possess anyone, he heard in his mind.
Her eyes returned to their normal color.
"You wanted to know what I was about," she said. "I'm a telepath."
"But you can't do mind-control?"
"Not that I know of," said Tamora.
"Wait, you think she's a telepath?" Marcus asked.
"She was just in my head," said Thian.
"Sick," said Marcus, who Thian sensed didn't trust Tamora at all.
"So how obvious was it that I teleported into class?" asked Thian.
"Pretty obvious," said Tamora, beginning to walk away, "but no one noticed a thing. Just be careful when you teleport, okay?"
Why was she walking away? She had just started talking to him again after a year and she was going to just leave it at that?
"Do your parents know about your powers?"
She stopped.
"No," she said. "I don't think they would understand."
"I'm not telling my parents then," said Thian.
"That's probably a good idea," she said.
"They wouldn't object to selling me to the circus or some laboratory for genetic research," he said.
Tamora smiled at him. "Come on," she said as they reached the stairs. "I'm craving something and I've been itching to try out my powers – see if I can do some of that mind control to get something free."
They stopped at the bottom of the stairs, however. At the wall opposite them, the sole reason for Thian's misery all of his previous sophomore year at Avocado Hills High School stood.
Aiden Blake.
Thian had been dying for revenge for a long time, although he had been depressed at the time. Things had changed and now he had powers and a chance for happiness. He didn't want Aiden to spoil things for him.
Marcus, however, dragged him back into the drama.
I really don't feel like dealing with Aiden, Thian thought. He was sure Tamora heard it.
You realize that you might have the makings of a telepath?
Oh, that's cool, sent Thian, but how long have you been a – whatever the heck we are?
About a month, she sent, since I took a test that I hadn't prepared for enough and somehow ended up going into the teacher's mind for the answers.
What test?
Algebra 2, she sent. I don't usually approve of cheating, but I'm just rubbish at math.
Rubbish? What are you, British?
Marcus was throwing stuff at Aiden from Aiden's own bag, which had dropped to the floor. Thian counted some condoms and lubricant among the things, as well as some of the more conventional school supplies.
"Did you think you were getting action today?" Marcus asked. "Did you actually believe anyone wanted to hear you moan in that high-pitched shriek while groping your hairy back?"
"Stop it or I swear—"
"This is just like sophomore year with the hit list," said Marcus. "Were you going to bring one of them—?"
He paused, looking for the word. Thian immediately visualized Uma Thurman's sword from Kill Bill, where Aiden had struck inspiration gold for his hit list that he'd posted on his online blog. He thought this out loud so Marcus could hear.
"—Katana swords to cut us up with?" Marcus finished.
"You don't even know!" shrieked Aiden, grabbing for his bag.
"Do you want this?" Marcus taunted. "Do you need your condoms so you can have sex? Were you going to rape someone?"
"How dare you!" screamed Aiden.
Marcus smiled and threw Aiden's bag into the nearest, ant-infested trash can. The three of them walked away calmly as Aiden screamed insults and came off as a complete jerk.