ExtraNormal (28 page)

We walked in silence to the car. Jesse didn’t speak again until we pulled up to our usual corner. “So were you able to think of anything?”

“I’m not sure,” I whispered. “Probably not.”

“And we only have until Wednesday?”

I looked down at my hands and nodded. “I don’t think they’ll let me go to school tomorrow. Just work.”

“Where we’ll have to keep our distance?”

I thought about that. If this was about the Stones, and they were reading minds and manipulating people, they would already know about our relationship. But if they were just innocent school teachers, and some mystery person was calling the shots, then they could very well report me to the Nreim authorities. And I still didn’t have any proof that they were guilty of anything.

Jesse didn’t need to wait for my answer. He put his hands to my face, pulled me close, and touched his forehead to mine. “Will you open another stream?”

I looked into his pained eyes—less than an inch from my own—and threw out a stream that slipped easily into his head.

he streamed. Then he drew me closer still and placed his lips onto mine, sending my senses into a tailspin. I wanted to stay in the car forever, wrapped in Jesse’s arms, a stream open between us. But one of my parents could come around the corner at any second. I forced myself to pull away. Drank in the image of his intense eyes. And staggered from the car.

I ignored my parents and went directly to my room, where I resumed my slow and painstaking search for the name ‘Dr. Hutchison’. It took until four o’clock in the morning to review each of my records of the Stones’ classroom lectures. My hunch had been wrong. Neither of them had mentioned Dr. Hutchison. But I just knew that I’d heard or seen his name somewhere. I started again with the news clippings. It took close to an hour to rule that out.

Then it hit me. I opened the file Geery had sent on Everett.

There it was. On his birth certificate. I bolted upright, staring wide eyed into the black night. Dr. Ronald Hutchison was the attending physician at Everett’s delivery.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I turned on the lamp on my nightstand, jumped from the bed and stepped towards my closet. I reached a wall and turned back in the other direction, once again pacing my little prison cell of a bedroom. But this time I didn’t mind.

 Dr. Tom visited three medical facilities—all affiliated with a medical doctor who later delivered Everett Anderson.

And someone had gone to great lengths to cover that information up. I stepped to the window and looked out at the rising sun. Everett
was
involved. Just like I’d always suspected.

 CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

My excitement ended abruptly when I realized that the evidence was basically useless. Just puzzle pieces—ones Geery could have figured out if she’d kept at it. Information the person who’d sent the original files probably knew. And they didn’t even make a complete puzzle. Maybe the files were just an encrypted warning—so that I’d know to stay away from Everett. But I had to believe there was something in the message that could prove criminal behavior on someone’s part. Something that only I could figure out.

I heard noises down the hall—Mom preparing for work. School would start in an hour. I considered trying to convince Dad to let me go. The clock ticked loudly on my time with Jesse. Just two mornings from now I should be boarding that transport. Tomorrow would be spent in preparation. But sadly, I knew the school wasn’t where I would find my answers.

I sat on the edge of my bed and sent out a stream to Jesse. The chances of him receiving it were slim, but it was worth a try. The communication tunnel easily found him. I waited, hoping for a response. But it eventually dropped.

I could have slipped inside. Taken a good look at all his hopes and fears and dreams. Every one of his memories. His thoughts about me…

But that wouldn’t be right. I wished I could be confident that others would have the same respect.

Next I pictured my old school where Geery would be in class and opened a stream. I streamed.

I listened while Geery made an excuse to the teacher in our native tongue that her mom was streaming about a family emergency.

she streamed.

I streamed. Lies were a risk few students were willing to take, since they could be sensed so easily.

 I gulped, weighing the consequences of dumping all this on Geery. But I hardly had any choice. I continued.

I streamed.

There was silence for just a moment. Then a gasp.

I fingered the thread wrapped around my wrist and wondered again if I should be endangering Geery this way. But I was running out of options. I continued,

I went to the kitchen while waiting for Geery and fixed myself a plate of carrots and sunflower seeds.

Mom came out, dressed in a blue newscaster outfit that hugged her curves more than seemed appropriate for a mother. “Are you all right?” she asked.

I nodded and opened the fridge.

“Did you learn anything new yesterday? At the school?”

“I…don’t know.” I picked up a pitcher of vegetable juice. “Not really.”

“Going home won’t be so bad. You’ll get back to your old routine in no time.”

I didn’t respond. My life on Nreim seemed so long ago. If it weren’t for the bracelet on my wrist I might think it never happened. I couldn’t imagine returning to it.

Mom waited several moments for a response, then gave up, said goodbye, and slipped out the front door.

I popped a handful of sunflower seeds in my mouth.

Geery’s voice came into my head.

I pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table.

I streamed.

I slumped back on the chair.

 I was speechless for a moment. Processing it all. There had to be something.

I drummed my fingers on the table. More accidents had to mean more conspiracy—someone trying hard to cover a trail. But it still didn’t prove anything. I streamed.

I could feel my pulse quicken as the idea took shape.

I hesitated, thinking, and put my head on the table. I hated to keep using Geery like this. But couldn’t think of anything else to do.

Then I jerked up in the chair.

I put my head in my arms. My finger tapped at the table anxiously. I felt compelled to do something besides just wait for Geery. Dad came into the kitchen in his bathrobe. I kept my head down and watched out of the corner of my eye as he chopped up a head of cabbage. Added some shredded carrots. Then sprinkled it with raisins. Such a gross breakfast. If nothing else, I would be relieved to get back to our supplements so that I wouldn’t feel hunger every few hours.

Dad sat across from me with his salad. With my head still down I listened to him crunch on the cabbage. Geery still hadn’t streamed back by the time he rinsed his bowl in the sink. I looked at the clock on the wall. School was starting. I thought about Jesse, driving to school without me. And Lacey, looking for me at our lockers. Maybe talking to Christian. Serena and Camille would come by on their way to class. They’d probably wonder where I was. Agree I’d been acting strange. Everett would probably be there, stirring up some kind of trouble. Whether it was his fault though, I couldn’t say.

Eventually I went to shower. Just in case I found an excuse to go to school. I was toweling dry my hair when Geery’s stream came.

I responded.

I wrapped myself in a towel and went down the hall to my room.

I looked into my closet, selecting a shirt.

Geery sounded incredulous.

I stepped into some shorts without answering. I only knew there’d be a trial.

I froze with my leg in the air.

I continued dressing, pushing the phrase out of my mind.

I sat on the edge of the bed.

Geery didn’t respond.

Still no response.

Geery’s voice was uncharacteristically timid.

I streamed.

She groaned. Waited. Then eventually continued streaming.

I thought this through. Getting a piece of skin didn’t sound easy, though it might be satisfying. But there was one big problem with the suggestion. I streamed.

Geery didn’t respond.

Geery sighed.

<
Essentially
?> I streamed.

Geery sighed.

Geery paused for a long moment. she finally streamed.

What if I did get caught? They’d lock me away in some dark cell for the rest of my life. Maybe execute me. But there were worse things. Like giving up on Jesse. I tried my best to sound convincing.

Geery let out an exasperated sigh.

I tried to ignore her condescending tone.

Geery smirked. Loudly.

My face grew warm.