We waited and Mr. Blake turned his back right on cue. Me and Tyler turned to each other and leaned in closer like Jenna and Matt, and kissed, a long, wonderful, warm, wet kiss. And a minute later Mr. Blake is yelling and kicking the four of us out of his class and sending us to the office.

We all started walking to the office something that happens at least once a week. The thing is it isn’t always our fault. We have like two minutes to go across the school, not easy when stopping at your locker and sometimes when you don’t even stop at your locker it’s still hard to go across the school. We walk in the office and the secretaries just stare and whisper. Probably something like ‘here come the troublemakers again,’ something like that. Sometimes I hate this and when I have to tell my mom she doesn’t ever seem to understand.

“Miss. Ember, Miss. Kendzler, Mr. Kores, and Mr. James why are we in here this time” questions Vice Principle Lendlar. I tell her how Tyler and I were kissing while Jenna and Matt were and we got caught. “Well maybe it’s because you know it’s against the rules and you do it anyways, making yourselves seem like sluts.” Vice Principle Lendlar was one big slut herself so I had no idea why she would be calling us sluts. She had boobs so big they had to be plastic, her nose must have had some kind of surgery, and so did her lips just to make them in a perfect pout, and her skin was flawless. She wore the tightest clothes I had ever seen, Stilettos to tall to be wearing at school and not trying to impress some guy. I mean everything she did seemed so stupid, sometimes I thought maybe she was trying to prevent us to become like her.

“Yea, yea whatever I have heard it all before.” I said a little pissed off.

“Well if you know so much then you wouldn’t be getting in trouble every week; right Mr. James?” She says talking to Matt who was sitting in the corner staring out the window.

“Well maybe if you extend the passing period a little you wouldn’t be having everyone be so late,” Jenna says as I read her she seems pretty upset. “I mean two minutes to get across campus, it isn’t easy. But you wouldn’t know that, you sit in here all day probably playing games like solitaire on your computer.” Now Jenna isn’t one that usually talks back but right now she was being pretty feisty.

“Miss Kendzler, what would make you say something like, that, you never talk in here and now all of a sudden you say this.” Vice Principal Lendlar was so surprised Jenna said that. I was kinda surprised too.

“Well, maybe like me, she’s tired of getting in trouble for something that we think is stupid. We get in trouble every week and all of it’s for being late, or talking in class, or not using the extra time we have for studying, or doing homework, or something stupid like that. Otherwise we aren’t bad students, we get good grades, we turn in our homework on time, we join after school activities, and we still ALWAYS seem to get yelled at, and it NEVER fails,” exclaimed Tyler angrily. I never thought Tyler had it in him to finally say what we all have been thinking.

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” said Vice Principal Lendlar. I turn around and what do I see, my brother, Mason standing at the door sleeves rolled up, he knew he would get in trouble for that but he was already in trouble anyways he was telling me in his thoughts when he realized I was reading him he was thinking ‘Lani get out of my thoughts’.

“Mason what are you doing here?” I asked. He walked right past me to Vice Principal Lendlar.

He answered like he already knew what she was going to ask, well he probably did. “Mrs. Zemblanski caught me on Facebook when we were on the laptops. I was already done with the assignment in class and had nothing else to do,” Mason said to Vice Principal Lendlar. The only reason he knew was because he saw it in his mind. I had Mrs. Zemblanski two years ago she was so predictable and I don’t see the future.

“This is your third time this week Mr. Ember; I ought to call your mother.” Vice Principal Lendlar said agitatedly.

“Sure, go ahead call her, I don’t care. Suspend me if you want, better than staying here in this hell hole. Oh and when you call her tell her I say hi she’ll be glad to hear from me.” Mason was sure being a smartass, Vice Principal Lendlar would for sure suspend him, but what she was thinking was totally different.

“Mr. Ember you are going to get in a boat load of trouble if you keep talking back like that,” Vice Principal Lendlar said.

“Okay fine, whatever.” Mason replied.

“Mason just stop, you know mom will be pissed if she finds out you got in trouble again” I said butting in.

“It’s not like you’re a perfect angel, your no better than I am Lani, and you know that. Mom wouldn’t be too fond that you’re making out with your boyfriend in the middle of class.” He said glaring at Tyler.

“Leave Tyler out of this, mom wouldn’t be too happy to know that you’re sneaking behind her back and staying at Sienna’s house on the weekends. You know she’s just using you. You’re smart, and popular, and she’s as dumb as a brick, she has a D in Math and a C in English. All she cares is having you do her homework for her, and you know it, you just won’t admit it to yourself. Give it up I know more than you,” I said upset that he was bringing my boyfriend into this.

“One day I’ll know more than you Lani, you’re not always right. I can already see it, I’m gonna be bigger than you, smarter than you, stronger than you, but you wouldn’t know.” Mason said upset.
“You know what, we’ll deal with this after school, there are things I want to say but I can not say them here,” I said grabbing my bag and walking out the door. I passed Mason, glaring at him putting in the thought ‘I can’t believe you,’ and walking out not looking back.

The rest of the day didn’t go so well, Tyler was tired of getting in trouble all the time with me so we broke up. After school when I was driving Mason and me home, Jenna calls saying Tyler’s at the Coffee Bar with Elena and he just asked her to be his girlfriend. I CAN’T believe him, what a jerk, how could he. I know he’s not my boyfriend, but to rebound just like that.

I turn around and start driving to the Coffee Bar, when I get there he’s sitting at a table with Elena, I walk in order a coffee, I go over to his table slap him and poor the coffee all over him.

“I can’t believe how big of a jerk you are, you’re such a little bastard. You’re a coward, I get in trouble all the time but I have bigger problems than you would NEVER know about, and if I told you, you would call me crazy. So why don’t you tell me the real reason you broke up with me? The reason you’re sitting here with your new girlfriend.” I said glaring at Elena “Jenna told me.” almost in tears I started walking away and he grabs my shoulder.

“Wait Lani, I can explain,” says Tyler

“You don’t need to,” it was taking all my power to not cry. I took his hand off my shoulder and held it in my hands, and see Mason walk in to ask what was taking me so long. I thought to him ‘I’ll be out there in a minute,’ he could tell I was upset. So he walked back out to the car.

All of a sudden my best guy friend Cameron walked in, he’s like me too, he has these powers to read minds and to inflict pain on people. The only thing that is the problem with us is when two people with these powers are together they can’t read their thoughts they can only have thought conversations. So together we are just normal people. He sees me and I try to smile and ask ‘what are you doing here’ through thought conversation.

‘I was just going to ask you the same thing. Jenna told me what happened. Are you ok’ Cameron asked. Jenna knows about Cameron too, she has said Cameron and me should get together because we understand each other, where as Tyler and me never would. It isn’t like I haven’t thought that before.

‘Not really’ I said, I realized I was still holding Tyler’s hand. I let it drop from mine. All of a sudden Tyler starts keeling over in pain. ‘Are you inflicting pain on Tyler, Cameron’ I ask.

‘Yea, he has no reason to hurt you, he’s already hurt you enough’ Cameron says. I run over to Cameron and give him a hug.

“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear.

‘Can I ask you something? I have a friend and he likes this girl but he doesn’t know how to ask her out. What would you do?’ Cameron asked.

‘Well I would love it if the guy would just come out and tell me he loves me and asks me out. Does that help at all?’ I ask.

‘Yes that does help’ Cameron replies. He looks into my eyes and whispers in my ear, “I—Love—you,” I cover my mouth in shock.

‘Really’ I ask.

‘Yea, really, do you love me?’ He asks.

I say out loud, “Yes, I do,” I gave him a hug.

“Then will you be my girlfriend?” asked Cameron

“Of course Cameron,” I tell him. “Well I gotta get Mason home. Kay? I’ll call you later.” I give him a kiss on the cheek and start walking out, but then Cameron grabs my arm.

“Let me by you a coffee you will actually drink. And maybe after you take Mason home will you go over the beach and we can go surfing?” asked Cameron.

“I can’t, Mason can’t be home alone” I reply with a sad expression.

“Mason’s fourteen; he can stay home by himself. Please?” begged Cameron.

“Okay honestly, I can’t surf. I’m sorry,” I said frowning at my own stupidity.

“It’s ok you can learn from watching me, or maybe we can go over to um I don’t know, maybe uh, get Jenna and see if she wants to do something like hang at your house or her house,” Cameron suggests.

“Fine, I’ll ‘call’ you when I’m almost home. Kay?” I ask.

“Okay,” Cameron says with a smile.

I walk out to the car, and Mason’s sitting there. “What took you so long? You didn’t even get anything,” Mason says when I get into the car.

I turn down the radio as I backup. “Sorry I was talking to a friend” I say with a twinkle in my eye. ‘I love you Jenna’ I sent in a text hoping she would understand what I loved her for.

Half an hour later I send a thought to Cameron ‘I’m almost home, let me call Jenna and then you can come. Kay? I will tell you when she’s here.’

I pull into the drive way and get out with Mason right on my heels. I get my key out of my purse and walk in. Mason and I run upstairs into our separate rooms. I put my stuff down and grab my phone out of my purse. I dial Jenna’s number and wait while it’s ringing.

“Hey Lani, I was just waiting for you to call. So what’s up?” Jenna says answering the phone.

“Hey Jen, well I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house Cameron might be coming over,” I tell Jenna.

“Well of course. So what’s happening with you and Cameron? Any romance goin’ on now that you and Tyler are over?” asks Jenna.

“Well—,” I start saying as Jenna cuts me off saying:

“OH MY GOD, I knew telling him you and Tyler broke up would give him a chance to ask you. Well I’ll be there ASAP,” she said hanging up the phone. I walk out of my room and knock on Mason’s door.

No answer, I knock again. No answer, I open the door and Mason is sitting on the roof with the stereo blasting. I walk out his window and sit on the roof with him.

“When I was a little younger than you and we would play hide-and-seek, or you would piss me off, or I was tired of everyone, or just needed a place to think, or sit, or a place with quiet where no one could bother me, I would come onto the roof and just sit there and maybe bring a CD player or my IPod and listen to music to calm myself down. And when I need to talk to someone I would call Cameron up and he would come sit with me talk about our powers and how no one could understand what problems we have. Not just with our bodies but with our powers getting stronger, feeling like outsiders all the time ‘cause we couldn’t tell anyone this amazing secret and had to bottle it up. When we got mad we couldn’t control ourselves we just let out all our rage, we yelled and screamed and never seemed to be able to control it. Cameron and I helped each other learn to control our feelings, learned to control our anger. And Cameron has always been there for me and I will always be there for you to help you with anything.” I said.

“Why are you telling me this? You don’t care about me,” Mason asks.

“Mason I know you, you’re like me and I’m always there for you no matter how much you piss me off. I don’t know what but I can tell there’s something running through your mind and I just want you to know that I’m here to talk if you want.” I say to Mason

“But you’re not gonna like what I’m gonna say, and if I do tell you it will hurt you. But, I saw something about you and Jenna and it’s not gonna make you happy in any way. It’s not like she’s deciding this is gonna happen it just is. I know everything she’s gonna say and everything you will say. It’s because you two are different and you just don’t understand each other I think it’s mostly she doesn’t understand what it’s like to be one of us. She doesn’t understand what it’s like to have the power we do, and Mom does, and Cameron does,” says Mason

“Okay, you don’t have to tell me but let’s call Cameron and have him come over. Kay? It would be good to have someone like us over, maybe we could watch a movie,” I suggest.

We stand up and walk in his room through the window. Mason jumps down from the window sill and turns off the stereo, he turns around and walks out of the room with me.

I send a thought to Cameron ‘Well you can come over now Jenna is on her way’ and like on cue the doorbell rings. I run down stairs and answer the door Jenna is standing there waiting. “Come on in” I said inviting her in.

“So is Cameron coming?” asked Jenna. Ten minutes later the doorbell rings again and in walks Cameron.

“Hey, so what do we do now?” Mason asked.

“Isn’t there that new teen dance club where you have to be like thirteen to like twenty? Why don’t we go there? I mean Lani you’ve been talking about how there aren’t many people like you, that’s untrue. I’ve seen the people, I’ve met them and talked to them, and some of them live right under our noses and you wouldn’t believe it. The club is special for people like us but ‘normies’ can go too,” suggested Cameron.

“Well I don’t know guys I mean I’m not one of you and then you’ll meet new people who understand and I’ll just be an extra wheel you don’t need,” said Jenna.

“Jenna, I always need you. Why would you say that?” I asked.

“No you don’t, that’s the thing, you can do anything better than anyone I know can and you still feel helpless and you’re not,” said Jenna.

“Well maybe I am, the only one I can truly talk to about my problems and they will understand is my mom, Mason, and Cameron, you don’t understand how it feels to be a freak. You don't understand how it feels. You could show the world how amazing you are but if you do you’ll look like an even bigger freak." I said.


“You aren’t a freak Lani, I accept you for who you are. Isn’t that enough, for your best friend to accept you flaws and all?” she asked

“It is, but it’s just that I want people, not just you, everyone to see my true colors. To see me for who I really am. I feel like no one knows who I really am besides my family, Cameron, and you. Four people, four people, that’s how many people know what kind of person I really am. Of everyone else only four people really know me. That’s not enough, I feel alone, like I’m no one. You don’t know what it’s like. You just don’t know!!!!” I exclaim

“You know what, you’re right I don’t know, cause I’m not one of your super-powered best friends, scratch that I’m not even your best friend so it doesn’t matter now, just forget about me. Kay?” said Jenna. She grabbed her jacket, grabbed her purse and stormed out my front door.

“I’m sorry if I said anything to upset her. Do you think you guys will be fine?” asked Cameron.

“It doesn’t matter I’m not her friend,” I said. “Now let’s go to that dance club, I might meets some new best friends. Let me just get changed and we’ll go. Kay?”

I run upstairs and change my clothes I get my short black dress. I run down stairs put my heels on and run out the door. Cameron and Mason were already in the car, Mason was sitting in the back seat.

I get in and Cameron starts driving. Fifteen minutes later I look out the window, the building was brick and the windows were so dark I couldn’t see inside them. I walk into the building and it’s dark and multi-colored lights swinging back and forth everywhere like searchlights. The music blaring in my ears from every angle, I see a few people I know. I turn and see Sienna.

“Mason, your little stupid girlfriend is here. Why don’t you ask her to dance with you and have her use you more?” I say.

“Oh shut up,” Mason said. Sienna see Mason and me and starts walking toward us with a drink in her hand. She smiles, and one of the girls stops her to try to talk to her but she tells her to hold on a minute.

“Hey Lani I didn’t know you were an anagnóstis myaló?” said Sienna.

“What the hell is an ana-whatever-it’s-called?” I asked.

“It’s called an anagnóstis myaló, it’s Greek for mind reader. Here this is how you write it in Greek,” said Sienna. She takes a pen and a napkin and writes down a bunch of Greek symbols that I can’t read and spells out αναγνώστης μυαλού.

“Wait! How did you know I can read minds?” I ask.

“Every anagnóstis myaló can, and anyways your with Cam,” Sienna explains.

“But I thought whatever we are were stronger, faster, and smarter than ‘normies’, you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed,” I say.

“We all have some kind of cover, yours is just the normal gal, mine is the dumb, stupid, pretty, blonde girl. My intentions with your brother wasn’t to use him or that’s what you thought at least. See my mind reading powers are very powerful I can read Mason’s mind, your’s, Cameron’s, that guy serving drinks, I could actually read every person’s mind if I really wanted to. Also I’m not stupid by any means.” She writes a college equation and without a calculator without showing math she rights down a number.

Cameron’s eighteen and is going to start college next year he checks it.

“The answer is correct,” his face in amazement.

“ I see the equation in my head and automatically know the answer. So what’s your power? I already know Mason’s,” asks Sienna.

“Well, I just read thoughts emotions, stuff like that.” I say.

“That’s impossible, you can’t just be a reader, you must be a new one,” said Sienna.

“No, I’ve had this gift since I was born,” I tell her.

“Impossible, no one is born with these gifts, there’s only one person in a life time that can and they aren’t just readers. You must be mistaken this person is born with more than just reading powers, and they are more than just anagnóstis myaló. They can do more than just what we can with our two powers mind reading and our special gift, they can train their body to do whatever they want but they are born with all those powers just some of them are not awake. When they are born they have about four or five powers, mind reading and a few other powers, maybe persuasion, future telling, shape shift, something like that,” she insists

“Well I was born prematurely by like four or five weeks. Maybe if I am that person then I could have just not developed my powers all the way,” I say to Sienna she looks surprised. “What?”

“Hold on, come with me,” she says grabbing our hand and pulling me with her. She runs down a staircase with Mason, Cameron, and me following close behind. The downstairs looks nothing like a club would. It’s bright and there are rows upon rows upon rows of tall bookshelves.

The girl that I thought was a completely stupid blond ran down two rows of shelves and stops. She uses her finger scanning the column of books. Her finger stops on one that has the words το ισχυρό ένα in big giant lettering and pulls it off the shelf she puts the book on the table and starts scanning through it whispering to herself.

“No this can’t be, it’s impossible. Nobody can be a to ischyró éna it just can’t be.” She stops talking to herself and turns toward us. “We must go talk to my father immediately. He must know who you are and why this must be a mistake.” She grabs about ten books all that say something about το ισχυρό ένα on the spine. She hands some to Cameron, then Mason, and then me. We walk up the stairs and she goes up to the DJ playing Written in the Stars. Sienna whispers in his ears and he presses a few buttons and a door opens behind him. Everyone starts cheering and clapping.

“What’s going on Sienna? Why is everyone cheering?” I ask.

“It’s not every day this door opens to see my father he opened this place up just for people like us. It’s very rare that this door opens up for us.”

Behind the door was a long white hallway sealed by another door. As my brother, boyfriend, and I walk in trailing behind Sienna the door closes behind us. As I look back all I see is white, white walls, white door, white tiles, and white ceiling. Sienna opens the door and walks in and so does Cameron. Mason and I are trapped here outside in the vast white hallway. I try to get in but whatever is in front of the door wouldn’t budge.

“Why can’t Mason and I get in?”

“Because you were not invited in by the one person that would approve. My father must check you somewhere else without giving you two permission to come in. There is a door to your left and to your right. The one on you left is for boys the one on the right is for girls. Mason and Lani you must separate here and you will be able to see each other after you are done. I watch Mason open the door on our left as he walks in the door shuts behind him. I open the door to my right and walk in before I close the door I look behind me and look at what I may leave behind me.