Chapter Two
I walked into the Jacob Burns Law Library and smiled. I didn’t come for the books, I had brought my own. No, I came for the silence. There weren’t many people in the library; classes didn’t start for another two weeks. I made my way to the back picking up a few thoughts from some readers that were just the lines from the books they had opened in front of them. I sat down at the end of the stacks and unzipped my backpack pulling out two books. One of the books I had read a dozen times, Pride and Prejudice, the other was a text book that I was looking over for a class. I set the text book down on the carpeted floor next to me and opened P and P to the beginning, almost not really needed to look at the words to read it.
“She could help us, I’m sure of it.” The voice was low and smooth and came from the other side of the shelf. At first I didn’t give the voice a second thought, I just kept reading. Then it caught my attention, “She is like us, she has abilities.” My heart rate picked up as I slowly pulled books from the shelf at eye level. I pulled down about five books until I could see the small group sitting at one of the study tables a few feet away. Caleb was there. I sat very still and listened.
“If we approach her and she doesn’t want to help us, she could compromise everything, we aren’t supposed to include anyone else on this. She could turn us in.” Another voice from a boy with his back turned to me said in annoyance.
“She wouldn’t do that.” Caleb argued, he was the only one standing in the group but he was leaning low over the table. He looked to his right at a forty or fifty something year old man who had dark hair and blue eyes. His mouth seemed by default set in a frown, but his eyes were contemplative. He had his arms folded across his blue button down silk shirt covered chest. There was a girl with short blonde hair sitting across from the older man. I could only see her profile, but she was skinny with blue eyes and a perfect tan. There was a pretty Mexican girl sitting next to her with black curly hair and a scar along her jaw bone. She was wearing cargo pants and a black shirt with her feet pulled up onto the chair. The only thing I could tell about the boy with his back to me was that he was blond and muscular. He was wearing a green jacket and light wash blue jeans.
The blonde boy spoke again, “How do you know that Caleb? She could be working for the government for all we know. She could be a spy!” He had raised his tone from a whisper to a half shout.
“Shhh, that’s ridiculous Kwest. Professor Stobbs you can’t think-” Caleb argued pulling a chair up and sitting next to the Mexican girl. I put my sweaty hand on the shelf to keep the books from falling over into the empty space I had created
“No, no Kwest proves a good point Caleb, we can’t trust her yet.” The professor said unfolding his arms and leaning forward on the table, “Veronica, Hailey, what do you two think?” But they didn’t get a chance to answer. I had been putting too much weight on the shelf and one side of the shelf fell down causing a loud thump. Caleb’s eyes snapped to mine immediately and I gasped. I leaned back against the wall then grabbed my books, shoved them in my back pack and stood. My heart was pounding in my chest, I looked up and the group was all standing in the isle blocking one of my escape routes. Caleb whispered something to the professor who looked at him and nodded; that’s when I ran.
I ran along the wall through the stacks and into the criminal law section of the library. I could hear some nasty thoughts about me from the librarian as I whipped past the main desk and to the door. I didn’t look back until I was outside and across the street. Caleb was coming out the door followed by the rest of the group and they all looked around. I quickly turned and walked to the other side of the fountain and sat down, hidden by the statue in the center spurting out water. My heart was still pounding and I was breathing heavy from the running. It was warm outside and a bead of sweat fell down my forehead. I wiped the sweat from my head ignoring the thoughts that weren’t mine swirling in my head, or trying to at least.
I pulled my I pod out from the front compartment of my backpack and jammed the ear buds into my ears. My breathing was evening out, but my heart wouldn’t stop ramming against my ribs. Had I been discovered? My hands were shaking as I scrolled to find a song, I ended up on a Kansas song by accident. I sat by the fountain for a long time, mostly trying to figure out what I had heard. No matter how many times I went over the conversation I couldn’t make sense of it. There were so many different things they could have been talking about, but I couldn’t deny the nagging feeling that I knew exactly what they were talking about.
I checked my phone again and, like before, there mere no messages and no missed calls. My parents had officially cut me off from them when I announced I would be leaving for college and not getting married to their hand selected suitor. I had used the last bit of my savings to pay for the first semester at GDub, as the University was more affectionatly known as.
The sun had already set by the time I managed to pull myself together and walk back to the Aston. I half heartedly smiled at the door attendant and pulled the door open for myself to which he responded with a smile, and a …well isn’t she a nice girl… The line of students had disappeared leaving the lobby empty, except for a bored looking girl sitting at the check in desk. I walked across the lobby floor to the elevator and pushed the up button with more force than necessary. I rode alone to the fourth floor, when the doors swooshed open I stepped out into the hallway looking through my backpack for my keys. I found them swimming at the bottom and pulled my backpack back on before continuing to my room. When I turned the corner I gasped and stopped because Caleb, Kwest, Veronica, Hailey and the Professor were standing out side my door.
“Miss Kaplan.” He said in a formal tone, “We’ve been waiting for you.” I didn’t say anything, just stood a few feet away from them, still hearing no thoughts, just words, “You ran away last time and didn’t give us a chance to talk. May we come in?” He asked inclining his head towards the door. I shook my head then broke out at a run for the elevator. I pushed the down arrow a few times screaming in my head at it to hurry up. Caleb rounded the corner first and I ran for the stairs but he grabbed me before I was half way there.
“Let go of me!” I yelled in hopes that someone would hear.
“I’m sorry.” He answered and then I blacked out.
When I woke up we were all sitting in my apartment living room except for the Professor who was staring at me, “Caleb is right, you are one of us.” He said to no one in particular. He was looking at me almost as if he was looking inside of me, seeing things that no one else could. I already felt dizzy from whatever they had done to knock me out and my head was throbbing, but when he looked at me like that all the hair on my arms stood straight up.
“I really don’t know what you are talking about, untie me, and let me go!” I said groggily, realizing I was tied up to a chair.
“She’s telling the truth.” Caleb said, “She really doesn’t know.”
"How can you tell?" Kwest asked disbelieving.
"Hey eyes." Caleb replied.
The Professor’s face held a look of fascination and pity, “What was it like, growing up and not knowing what you were or why you could hear things you knew you shouldn’t?” I didn’t answer; I didn’t know what to say. I was confused and afraid of being discovered, although I felt I already had been. I didn’t know if I should play it off like I didn’t understand or go along like I knew more then I really did, “You didn’t think you were the only Reader in the world now did you?”
“Reader?” I asked feeling even more confused now.
“Yes, Mind Reader.” I had never really thought of what I could do as Mind Reading, so it was weird to hear him say it like that. I shook my head, pretending not to understand him.
“You don’t have to lie, and you don’t have to be scared,” Caleb said, “We’re Readers too, just like you.” I looked into Caleb’s face, into his clear blue eyes; eyes that seemed so full of understanding and honesty. That’s when I made a decision that changed my entire life.
“Is that why I can’t hear any of your thoughts?” I asked uncertain, and everyone in the room sighed, like a weight had been lifted. The Professor smiled and nodded at Kwest who stood and untied me.
“Welcome to our little club, Miss Kaplan.” The Professor said, “You have so much to learn. We will be meeting tomorrow at eight a.m. sharp in the library. Don’t be late; I’m sure you have a lot of questions.” And with that they were gone.
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Yeah, here is the second chapter..I appreciate the critiques
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