* * *
Every time Elle looked at me, which seemed like a lot more than usual, I felt color creep up the back of my neck. I was sure this must be obvious to everyone.
If it makes you feel any better, not to anyone but me.
Thanks.
Not that I know why I should make you feel any better. Do you have any idea how exhausted I am? Do you have any idea how long that girl stayed awake last night thinking at the top of her brain waves about what an awesome kisser you are?
She said that?
Karen subtly flipped me off and I grinned.
Neither of you is focused on this plan at all.
She meant the plan we had come up with over breakfast. A plan which I didn’t really want to focus on because a) it was dangerous and it sucked, b) it relied way too much on Anderson which was dangerous and sucked, and c) it might not really help anything and for as dangerous as it was, that really sucked. So excuse me for wanting to spend my time thinking about kissing Elle which was probably also dangerous, but totally did not suck. And it seemed like it didn’t suck for her either.
Commence idiot grin, Karen thought. At least try to cover that or something.
The guard came in, followed by the instructor and Anderson. I noticed right away that he was back to shuffling when he walked. I studied him carefully as the instructor started in on us, and saw that the tick was back as well. Then the next round of defense exercises started.
Anderson thinks it worked!
He “thinks” so?
It worked. That’s what he believes, Karen clarified. He’s thinking that he can still hear their orders, but he’s not compelled to obey them.
And the tick? The way he’s walking?
He doesn’t want to let on that anything’s different.
Huh. That’s smart, I guess. Well that’s great. Bet Elle’s happy.
She’s gone completely non-verbal. There’s a lot of making out with you imagery I really don’t need. I had no idea it would get so messy when you guys finally got together.
You say that like you thought it would happen.
Well yeah. You’ve both liked each other for, like, ever.
Wait, you knew she liked me? And you didn’t tell me?
What kind of friend would I be if I did that?
Um…helpful?
Totally caught off guard, I found myself jerked up out of my chair. It took me a second to realize that there was no one there. At the front of the classroom, Anderson was smiling at me. And then I wanted to get up on my desk, scratch my armpits, and make monkey noises. Really, really badly. I shook my head at him. This was so not even funny.
I found I couldn’t sit back down. I took hold of the back of my chair.
He’s thinking you’re a big ape, Karen thought to me, and Elle should see you as you really are. But you’re okay, just focus. Concentrate.
I was trying to concentrate, but resisting him made it feel like he was ripping into my brain. I broke out in a sweat, my heart rate sped up, and then it was like I could feel the blood moving under my skin.
Karen, he’s trying to make me shift.
He can’t do that, Ethan. Her mental voice was calm, sure. That’s your Talent. You’re in control of that. You’re always in control of that.
But I wasn’t sure that was true. I could see it now, the image of the ape in my head, the same way I’d see a form I wanted to morph to. Only I couldn’t do animal forms. But I could feel my body gathering itself, preparing itself to change.
“All right, Anderson, let Ethan go.”
And just like that it stopped and I was released so suddenly that I dropped to one knee before I could catch myself. I climbed back into my chair, panting, exhausted, sore, and glared at Anderson.
He shrugged.