to slip into conversation how pregnant I’m NOT, you’ll make your grandmother feel better.
Trevor’s eyes closed for a moment of silent realization and mortification before he cracked a smile. Consider it done .
I suppressed my laugh, wondering why everyone seemed to have this on the brain, all of a sudden.
We reached the front door. There were no hugs of greeting as Trevor hurried to dredge up the manners he knew his grandmother expected. “Lilith, Archer, this is Maddie Dunn. My…um…girlfriend,” he added, slightly self-consciously. I tried not to let my surprise at Trevor’s use of their first names show. “Maddie, these are my grandparents, Doctor and Doctor Laurence.”
Apparently, I wasn’t on a first-name basis with the Doctors Laurence. I pasted on a polite smile as I shook each of their hands.
Doesn’t she even speak English? His grandmother was still pretty sure I was pregnant.
Geez, I’m making a heck of a first impression.
“Is Laurie here yet?” Trevor asked as we went into the living room. Decades-old, brown furniture decorated the immaculate room. “I didn’t see her car. Maddie and I have some important things we need to discuss with you.”
The flashes of thought from his grandparents made me cringe even before Lilith said, “She decided not to come. The girls shouldn’t be out late. They both have piano lessons on Saturday mornings and Laurie didn’t want them to miss any so close to their recitals.”
A surge of pain went through Trevor as he processed that his own mother wasn’t willing to drive an hour and a half to see her son for the first time in two years because of piano lessons.
I bit my lip. Do either of your grandparents have heart conditions?
Why?
Because I really want to give them a piece of my mind right now .
You promised to play nice!
Okay, okay, okay.
At least Archer seemed apologetic. “I know she was sorry to miss you, Trevor. And she was sorry not to have a chance to meet you.” I could tell she’d made no such comment. Behind him, a magazine slid out of the fan-shaped arrangement on the small table by the couch. It landed on the floor with a loud slap.
Was that you? I asked Trevor. I hadn’t felt him do anything with the magazine.
I think it was Archer. Before I went to Ganzfield, I used to accidentally knock things around all the time.
My eyebrows shot up as I gave Archer another look. Another telekinetic? Interesting.
We settled on the two couches set in an L along the walls while Lilith asked us if we’d like something to drink.
“Water’s fine,” said Trevor. He mentally checked with me, and I nodded. “For both of us.”
Okay, now my not-talking thing was weirding them out.
Once Lilith had returned with the tray of water glasses and made proper-sounding comments about dinner being ready in a few minutes, Trevor cleared his throat, leaned forward…
And suddenly realized he had no idea where to begin.
Just prep them for how I talk, and then let me help .
“Lilith. Archer. Maddie and I met at Ganzfield—the school back east. What I’m about to tell you…well…it needs to remain a secret. Ganzfield is a training facility for people with unusual abilities, like us. Maddie’s a mi—a telepath.”
I felt their skepticism rise and couldn’t suppress my smile.
“She was injured a few months ago and can no longer talk, so don’t be upset if you hear her directly in your minds, all right?”
Lilith frowned. “Young man, this isn’t amusing.”
It’s not meant to be , I said into all of their heads.
Lilith reacted with the horrified expression of a 1950’s monster movie character. Her eyes bugged and her mouth formed a perfect O. Heavens! What would the neighbors think if they found out that we associated with such a strange person?
After a quick shock, Archer stared intensely at me. “What number am I thinking of?”
Pi, of course. I smiled . Which means you’re either a math professor or you’re ready for
Trevor’s eyes closed for a moment of silent realization and mortification before he cracked a smile. Consider it done .
I suppressed my laugh, wondering why everyone seemed to have this on the brain, all of a sudden.
We reached the front door. There were no hugs of greeting as Trevor hurried to dredge up the manners he knew his grandmother expected. “Lilith, Archer, this is Maddie Dunn. My…um…girlfriend,” he added, slightly self-consciously. I tried not to let my surprise at Trevor’s use of their first names show. “Maddie, these are my grandparents, Doctor and Doctor Laurence.”
Apparently, I wasn’t on a first-name basis with the Doctors Laurence. I pasted on a polite smile as I shook each of their hands.
Doesn’t she even speak English? His grandmother was still pretty sure I was pregnant.
Geez, I’m making a heck of a first impression.
“Is Laurie here yet?” Trevor asked as we went into the living room. Decades-old, brown furniture decorated the immaculate room. “I didn’t see her car. Maddie and I have some important things we need to discuss with you.”
The flashes of thought from his grandparents made me cringe even before Lilith said, “She decided not to come. The girls shouldn’t be out late. They both have piano lessons on Saturday mornings and Laurie didn’t want them to miss any so close to their recitals.”
A surge of pain went through Trevor as he processed that his own mother wasn’t willing to drive an hour and a half to see her son for the first time in two years because of piano lessons.
I bit my lip. Do either of your grandparents have heart conditions?
Why?
Because I really want to give them a piece of my mind right now .
You promised to play nice!
Okay, okay, okay.
At least Archer seemed apologetic. “I know she was sorry to miss you, Trevor. And she was sorry not to have a chance to meet you.” I could tell she’d made no such comment. Behind him, a magazine slid out of the fan-shaped arrangement on the small table by the couch. It landed on the floor with a loud slap.
Was that you? I asked Trevor. I hadn’t felt him do anything with the magazine.
I think it was Archer. Before I went to Ganzfield, I used to accidentally knock things around all the time.
My eyebrows shot up as I gave Archer another look. Another telekinetic? Interesting.
We settled on the two couches set in an L along the walls while Lilith asked us if we’d like something to drink.
“Water’s fine,” said Trevor. He mentally checked with me, and I nodded. “For both of us.”
Okay, now my not-talking thing was weirding them out.
Once Lilith had returned with the tray of water glasses and made proper-sounding comments about dinner being ready in a few minutes, Trevor cleared his throat, leaned forward…
And suddenly realized he had no idea where to begin.
Just prep them for how I talk, and then let me help .
“Lilith. Archer. Maddie and I met at Ganzfield—the school back east. What I’m about to tell you…well…it needs to remain a secret. Ganzfield is a training facility for people with unusual abilities, like us. Maddie’s a mi—a telepath.”
I felt their skepticism rise and couldn’t suppress my smile.
“She was injured a few months ago and can no longer talk, so don’t be upset if you hear her directly in your minds, all right?”
Lilith frowned. “Young man, this isn’t amusing.”
It’s not meant to be , I said into all of their heads.
Lilith reacted with the horrified expression of a 1950’s monster movie character. Her eyes bugged and her mouth formed a perfect O. Heavens! What would the neighbors think if they found out that we associated with such a strange person?
After a quick shock, Archer stared intensely at me. “What number am I thinking of?”
Pi, of course. I smiled . Which means you’re either a math professor or you’re ready for
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