something. I can’t. I’m too stupefied to speak. What is it with this mark? Why do we all have it? And why do I even care? I should go back to class. Leave the ghost, the spitting steam pipes and these two weirdos behind.
“Yeah, I know, totally strange, right?” Jake says. “But it means something. I’m sure of it.”
“He’s right,” Sasha says, turning back to me. “It means we’re all connected. That we all can do things.”
I know I must look like a total idiot, standing there with steam shooting out behind me, my mouth hanging open but no sound coming out.
“I…I…can’t do anything,” I finally manage to say.
“I think you can,” Sasha says.
Then I ask, although I already know the answer and because lately I seem to be a glutton for punishment, “What can you do?”
She smiles, her white teeth a smooth contrast against her olive skin. “This.”
Then, to my horror, just like she did in the hallway, Sasha disappears. I spin around looking for her and when I get back to my original spot, she’s there again.
“You,” I start to speak, shaking my head in disbelief even though I know what I just saw. “You can disappear?”
She nods her head, smiling like I’d just complimented her. “I can disappear from one place and reappear in another.”
“It’s called teleportation,” Jake offers.
“Jake’s got it, too.”
I turn around so fast I almost fall, but Sasha’s hand on my elbow keeps me steady. Jake looks around, for what I have no clue. He reaches out suddenly and grabs one of the pipes from the ceiling. I gasp, expecting any moment to either have more steam spewing throughout the humid space or water to spray all of us. Neither happens and Jakeproceeds to bend said pipe until it’s in the shape of, what else, an M.
“Jake’s superfast and superstrong,” Sasha informs me.
Too strange. I can’t handle it. I jump at the sound of Jake dropping the pipe to the floor and move away from both of them. “What are you?”
Jake slips his hands into his pocket. “I think the better question is, what are we?”
“I’ve got to go,” I say, turning away from them, from whatever this is.
“You can’t go,” Sasha says, pulling on my arm again.
God, I’m sick of people pulling on me these days. I yank away with more force than I mean to, but it’s okay because I want her to know I’m serious. “I can and I am. This is…It’s…” I can’t seem to find the word.
“It’s weird. We know,” Jake says, lifting one of his hands from his pocket to scratch his head. His hair’s too long for a boy, touching the collar of his shirt and curling over.
“But the thing is, we’ve known for a few months now. Ever since we turned fifteen, to be exact. My birthday is in July,” Sasha adds.
“Mine’s is August first.”
They both look at me like I’m supposed to chime right in. But my mind’s moving awfully fast so I already know where this is going. “I turned fifteen July 31st.” If they were saying what I thought they were saying, which was that these freaky powers came when they hit high school, then I was definitely not connected to them. The first time I heard a ghost I was in elementary school.
“Hmm, a summer baby thing.” Sasha’s biting her bottom lip.
“No, it’s more like a creepy thing, for psycho people. I’m leaving.”
I’ve taken about five steps when Jake’s voice stops me.
“So, you’re saying there’s nothing weird happening toyou? There’s nothing you can do that nobody else can, that nobody else should be able to do. You can tell us, Krystal.”
I shake my head. I couldn’t tell them, just like I couldn’t tell Janet or anybody else.
“We’re not here to judge you. We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Sasha sounds so calm, so matter-of-fact, like all this was as normal as summer vacations and hideous prom dresses.
Then I’m whispering; it’s familiar as it rolls through my mind and out of my mouth before
“Yeah, I know, totally strange, right?” Jake says. “But it means something. I’m sure of it.”
“He’s right,” Sasha says, turning back to me. “It means we’re all connected. That we all can do things.”
I know I must look like a total idiot, standing there with steam shooting out behind me, my mouth hanging open but no sound coming out.
“I…I…can’t do anything,” I finally manage to say.
“I think you can,” Sasha says.
Then I ask, although I already know the answer and because lately I seem to be a glutton for punishment, “What can you do?”
She smiles, her white teeth a smooth contrast against her olive skin. “This.”
Then, to my horror, just like she did in the hallway, Sasha disappears. I spin around looking for her and when I get back to my original spot, she’s there again.
“You,” I start to speak, shaking my head in disbelief even though I know what I just saw. “You can disappear?”
She nods her head, smiling like I’d just complimented her. “I can disappear from one place and reappear in another.”
“It’s called teleportation,” Jake offers.
“Jake’s got it, too.”
I turn around so fast I almost fall, but Sasha’s hand on my elbow keeps me steady. Jake looks around, for what I have no clue. He reaches out suddenly and grabs one of the pipes from the ceiling. I gasp, expecting any moment to either have more steam spewing throughout the humid space or water to spray all of us. Neither happens and Jakeproceeds to bend said pipe until it’s in the shape of, what else, an M.
“Jake’s superfast and superstrong,” Sasha informs me.
Too strange. I can’t handle it. I jump at the sound of Jake dropping the pipe to the floor and move away from both of them. “What are you?”
Jake slips his hands into his pocket. “I think the better question is, what are we?”
“I’ve got to go,” I say, turning away from them, from whatever this is.
“You can’t go,” Sasha says, pulling on my arm again.
God, I’m sick of people pulling on me these days. I yank away with more force than I mean to, but it’s okay because I want her to know I’m serious. “I can and I am. This is…It’s…” I can’t seem to find the word.
“It’s weird. We know,” Jake says, lifting one of his hands from his pocket to scratch his head. His hair’s too long for a boy, touching the collar of his shirt and curling over.
“But the thing is, we’ve known for a few months now. Ever since we turned fifteen, to be exact. My birthday is in July,” Sasha adds.
“Mine’s is August first.”
They both look at me like I’m supposed to chime right in. But my mind’s moving awfully fast so I already know where this is going. “I turned fifteen July 31st.” If they were saying what I thought they were saying, which was that these freaky powers came when they hit high school, then I was definitely not connected to them. The first time I heard a ghost I was in elementary school.
“Hmm, a summer baby thing.” Sasha’s biting her bottom lip.
“No, it’s more like a creepy thing, for psycho people. I’m leaving.”
I’ve taken about five steps when Jake’s voice stops me.
“So, you’re saying there’s nothing weird happening toyou? There’s nothing you can do that nobody else can, that nobody else should be able to do. You can tell us, Krystal.”
I shake my head. I couldn’t tell them, just like I couldn’t tell Janet or anybody else.
“We’re not here to judge you. We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Sasha sounds so calm, so matter-of-fact, like all this was as normal as summer vacations and hideous prom dresses.
Then I’m whispering; it’s familiar as it rolls through my mind and out of my mouth before
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