the air, and she took a moment to look up and out in the vast interior of the arena. There were ads scrolling along electronic billboards, and the noise level was near deafening just from all the people talking and milling around. She was abruptly glad she’d remembered her earplugs. “Hey, I think we made it in time for the opening act. Look, they’re uncovering equipment at the front of the stage.” Julie pointed, but Emma was too distracted to pay attention.
“Julie, they know I’m here.” Emma stumbled into her friend’s back when Julie finally halted. “They don’t have to see me.”
Julie swiveled around to look at her. “Um, seriously?”
“Yeah,” Emma replied, nervous. “I can feel them, too.”
“Holy shit, that is so cool.” Julie breathed, gesturing to the folding chairs right next to the stage. “I think those are our seats.” Julie began making her way through the people. “And, wow. I thought maybe it was just a burst here and there that you got or something, like a bad phone connection. You’re saying that you can feel them all the time?”
Emma nodded. “I mean, it’s not like television or anything. It’s more like having a stray thought in the back of your head, and if I concentrate, or one of them concentrates, it comes into focus. And I know things without knowing I know them, you know?” Emma explained, sitting down with relief. She really wasn’t used to wearing shoes this high.
Julie stared at her then sat down too. “That is so weird. I mean, it’s cool, but it’s weird, too. Isn’t it weird knowing they can, what, feel you? See you?”
“Yes, exactly.” Emma was relieved that Julie was finally getting the idea. “That’s why I didn’t want you to tell anyone. I’m not used to this yet. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to it. And I have no idea how Jake and Duncan feel about it. It’s not like we’ve actually had a conversation.”
“So, you can’t, like, talk to them in your head?”
“No,” Emma replied. “At least not yet.”
Julie frowned. “What do you mean?”
Emma sighed. “Remember how those kids at school acted when their parents tried to separate them?” Emma asked. Julie nodded. “I have the feeling that it was physically painful for them to be away from each other. And remember, Duncan, Jake, and I haven’t actually met. What happens when we touch each other?”
Julie pursed her lips. “I have no idea.”
Emma nodded grimly. “Exactly. What will happen? I mean, the kids’ marks didn’t even manifest completely until they were touching. What does it mean that mine are completely formed and we haven’t even met? I’m a little scared, to tell you the truth. And I’m connected to two people, not one.”
“Oh man, it’s like the most freaky blind date ever.” Emma looked at her friend then laughed.
“Yup.”
* * * *
“Duncan, she’s out there,” Jake said urgently, grabbing the other man’s arm and dragging him closer to the wall.
Duncan nodded. “I know.”
“You know?” Jake said, running his hand through his hair distractedly. “Of course you know. How could you not know?” he muttered.
Duncan smiled and pulled Jake into a hug. “Dude, you have to calm down. You’re freaking me out.”
Jake sighed, looking up at his friend. Duncan was wearing his tight leather pants and boots and a sparkly T-shirt that hugged his body. He could tell that Duncan wasn’t as cool as he pretended, but he was an excellent performer. His hair was mussed, probably from running his fingers through it, and Jake realized that Duncan was trying very hard to be calm as he pulled his friend closer. Jake took a deep breath, willing himself to chill out. “I’m not used to performing in front of billions of people, Duncan,” he said apologetically.
Duncan nodded. “I know.” He tucked his face down into Jake’s hair. “Why don’t you see if you can find out where she’s sitting? I can feel her here, and I know
“Julie, they know I’m here.” Emma stumbled into her friend’s back when Julie finally halted. “They don’t have to see me.”
Julie swiveled around to look at her. “Um, seriously?”
“Yeah,” Emma replied, nervous. “I can feel them, too.”
“Holy shit, that is so cool.” Julie breathed, gesturing to the folding chairs right next to the stage. “I think those are our seats.” Julie began making her way through the people. “And, wow. I thought maybe it was just a burst here and there that you got or something, like a bad phone connection. You’re saying that you can feel them all the time?”
Emma nodded. “I mean, it’s not like television or anything. It’s more like having a stray thought in the back of your head, and if I concentrate, or one of them concentrates, it comes into focus. And I know things without knowing I know them, you know?” Emma explained, sitting down with relief. She really wasn’t used to wearing shoes this high.
Julie stared at her then sat down too. “That is so weird. I mean, it’s cool, but it’s weird, too. Isn’t it weird knowing they can, what, feel you? See you?”
“Yes, exactly.” Emma was relieved that Julie was finally getting the idea. “That’s why I didn’t want you to tell anyone. I’m not used to this yet. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to it. And I have no idea how Jake and Duncan feel about it. It’s not like we’ve actually had a conversation.”
“So, you can’t, like, talk to them in your head?”
“No,” Emma replied. “At least not yet.”
Julie frowned. “What do you mean?”
Emma sighed. “Remember how those kids at school acted when their parents tried to separate them?” Emma asked. Julie nodded. “I have the feeling that it was physically painful for them to be away from each other. And remember, Duncan, Jake, and I haven’t actually met. What happens when we touch each other?”
Julie pursed her lips. “I have no idea.”
Emma nodded grimly. “Exactly. What will happen? I mean, the kids’ marks didn’t even manifest completely until they were touching. What does it mean that mine are completely formed and we haven’t even met? I’m a little scared, to tell you the truth. And I’m connected to two people, not one.”
“Oh man, it’s like the most freaky blind date ever.” Emma looked at her friend then laughed.
“Yup.”
* * * *
“Duncan, she’s out there,” Jake said urgently, grabbing the other man’s arm and dragging him closer to the wall.
Duncan nodded. “I know.”
“You know?” Jake said, running his hand through his hair distractedly. “Of course you know. How could you not know?” he muttered.
Duncan smiled and pulled Jake into a hug. “Dude, you have to calm down. You’re freaking me out.”
Jake sighed, looking up at his friend. Duncan was wearing his tight leather pants and boots and a sparkly T-shirt that hugged his body. He could tell that Duncan wasn’t as cool as he pretended, but he was an excellent performer. His hair was mussed, probably from running his fingers through it, and Jake realized that Duncan was trying very hard to be calm as he pulled his friend closer. Jake took a deep breath, willing himself to chill out. “I’m not used to performing in front of billions of people, Duncan,” he said apologetically.
Duncan nodded. “I know.” He tucked his face down into Jake’s hair. “Why don’t you see if you can find out where she’s sitting? I can feel her here, and I know
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