Oh my god, she’s secretly a witch and I’ve unknowingly been recruited to join her sect, to do wicked things and take over the world.
But a soon as Alicia swung the door open, all smiles, my breathing settled a bit.
Some say it’s possible to fall in love with someone at first sight. I think that’s what happened with Alicia. There was just something about her; maybe it was the Snoopy t-shirt, polka-dot pajama pants, or the stylish bangs and big friendly eyes.
“Come in,” she cheered, bookmarking her book; Stephenie Meyer’sEclipse. “I was just reading.” She pulled a funny face. “And I’ve already read it a gazillion times.”
Me, too. Already have one thing in common.
Her room was messy like mine back home. Thank God… the last thing I needed was a clean-freak. There was a pink feather boa hanging over a large framed black and white photo of Albert Einstein, the one where he’s sticking out his tongue. Her desk was covered with makeup, tons of bottles, and a big pink tackle box. A pile of books at the end of her bed stood about seven feet tall.
She held out her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Annabelle.”
I shook her hand and swallowed hard, clearing my throat. “You can call me Anna. That’s what everyone calls me.”
Simone broke in, in a hurry. “Well, I’ve got to get home, girls. It’s been a long day. I’m handing her over to you, Alicia,” she said with a small tilt of her head.
Alicia smiled and winked at me. “I’ll take good care of her. That’s what I do.”
“Have a good night, girls, and don’t go to bed too late. School tomorrow!”
Alicia pulled another face, a kind of ‘OMG, someone save us!’ kind of face.
Simone smiled, and on her way out the door, left me with these words, “If you need anything, Annabelle, you can call the front desk at any time. We’ll meet in a few weeks to catch up. You’ll be wonderful. I just know it.”
And then she was out the door, so fast, my stomach sank. I knew I was officially on my own. But what did I expect? That she would hold my hand the whole way? I turned to Alicia who was still smiling widely. At least I still had her. I liked her – she reminded me of Kylie who’s always so happy and energetic, as most ten year olds are.
Alicia hopped on her bed and crossed her legs. Her room was messy but her bed was made. Her bedcover was hot pink, dotted with eclectic cushions; stripes, polka-dots, flowers. “Tell me about yourself.”
Way to put a girl on the spot.
Geez…
I took in my half of the room; an empty desk with a lamp, a small twin bed, a stack of folded white linens and a dark grey blanket, blank walls, and my colorful luggage. “I’m just a simple girl from Illinois,” I said. “How ‘bout you. Where you from?”
“Florida… Tampa.”
I pulled the curtains open to check out our view; hills and sky, the lake in the distance, and a view of the parking lot below, and also a tennis court. To the right, I could see the dome shaped conservatory with its walls of windows… amazing.
“So what’s your thing?” she asked.
I turned to her, confused. “My thing?”
“You know… your thing?! I’m aHealer… that’s what I do. Your special abilities… the reason you’re here.”
Oh that…
“Simone told me all about you,” she went on. “You’re from a suburb of Chicago, and you have a little sister and you like art, and all that stuff, but she didn’t go into your skills.”
I smiled. My skills. I had never thought about them that way. It’s just a weird thing I do, that I’ve always done. I took a seat at my small desk, which was empty save for a pencil holder and a lamp. “I read people,” I told her. “I can read minds.” It felt so weird and amazing to just be able to say that out loud and not feel like a freak.
Her eyes grew wide, and her ruby tipped pig tails stood on end – she was impressed. “Wow,” was all she said.
I shifted in my seat. “I can read auras and detect the slightest body reactions in someone… like now, I can tell you’re excited,” I added with a smirk.
“Hell, yeah.”
“If I can get close enough, I can see thoughts in someone’s mind. I can also see visions through objects, but it can’t be just anything, it needs to be something significant to that person.”
