Mr. Linton ignored my protests, slapped the folder shut and waved it in the air. “I can make some of this go away, Hayden. With the appropriate recommendation letter, you could end up looking like a saint. It’ll be easier to get into a decent college.”
Could Mr. Linton do that? Hardly seemed fair to the rest of us who actually earned our good records and recommendation letters.
Hayden grunted. “Even if that file didn’t exist, my grades aren’t good enough. What else do you have? Because there’s this hot girl in my next class—”
“It’s not impossible to bring up your grades.”
Hayden narrowed his eyes at the principal. “You’ll change them?”
“Not exactly. But you’ll be spending your days glued to the smartest girl in school. I'm sure Tessa knows other A-students. Find one to help you.” Mr. Linton curled his lip up. “You’re going to have to earn your own way out of this mess. But I’m prepared to expunge your file if you catch up your credits and make Bs or better the rest of the year.”
Was that ethical? I couldn’t imagine the previous principal doing that.
Hayden hitched his brow. “How long do you need me to watch her?”
“A few days,” Agent Phillips said. “When your replacement comes, you’re a free man.”
“Everyone will think we’re dating.” The last word rolled off Hayden’s tongue like rotten meat, which echoed my feelings exactly.
My upper lip curled. “As if I want people thinking I’d go for a jerk like you.”
Our illustrious principal suppressed a smile. “Trivial issues in light of potential danger are not my concern.”
Hayden folded his arms over his chest. “I can’t watch her all the time because we don’t have any classes together.”
Was Hayden actually considering it? My hands fisted again, my dismay rising. Then, exactly like before, it suddenly dissipated. How I went from rage to relaxed in a matter of seconds was a mystery. Especially when my life could be in danger. Though Hayden wasn’t begging for the protector mission, he wasn’t resisting as much anymore. By that, I mean he wasn’t trying to flee. Maybe whatever quieted my nerves had done the same for him.
“You do as of eight o'clock this morning.” Mr. Linton gave a sly smile.
Hopefully, he hadn’t changed mine. I couldn’t afford anything to throw me off. Not if I wanted that scholarship. I couldn’t depend on my parents to put me through college since their children barely made it on their radar. Plus, they'd lost their life savings when the stock market crashed.
The principal held out a slip of paper and waved it in front of Hayden. “Your new class schedule.”
Hayden snatched the sheet and scanned it. “You can’t do this. Not one class is the same.” He flicked at the yellow paper with his middle finger. “This one is too advanced. I’ll drown in it.”
The panic in his eyes almost made me feel sorry for him.
“You were drowning anyway. Let’s face it: you haven’t exactly been giving it your all. I’d say you’ve made a poor start of the semester.” Mr. Linton sighed. “Make a choice, Hayden. Decide you’re going to do something with your life, then see it through. This is your chance to change things. I can erase the past, to a degree, but it’s up to you to shape your future.”
No one moved. The seconds stretched on while Hayden scowled at the slip of paper. I prayed he would say no. There had to be another way.
“Fine. I’ll do it,” he growled.
My heart sank. If he couldn’t find someone to help him catch up on his classes, I might end up with the dirty job. Ugh. Really, I had better things to do — like set my hair on fire or pull out my fingernails one by one. My shifts at Delia’s Deli didn’t start until dinnertime, which only left the afternoon for my own studies. Still, it’s not as if I could ignore Hayden if he needed help, especially if he watched over me and whatnot.
“Good.” Mr. Linton smiled. “You’ll start by walking Tessa to class but I need a word with her in private first. We’ll send her out shortly.”
Hayden’s chair scraped across the floor and he headed toward the door, giving me a perfect view of his spectacular behind. Agent Philips shut the door then moved to stand next to Mr. Linton on the other side of the desk.
Good. With Hayden gone, I could get down to the important stuff. “So, what’s going on? Is my family in danger?”
She tightened her lips. “We think they’re after you.”
My stomach dropped. “Me? Why?”
Agent Phillips and Mr. Linton exchanged glances. “You really don’t know?” he asked.
I shook my head and wiggled my fingers, hoping to shake off the tension.
“You’ve never noticed anything about yourself, anything… special?” he prodded.
“Not that I can think of. Just your average girl.” My voice rose an octave on the last word.
“Actually, nothing about you is average, and it's time you knew it all.” Mr. Linton sat very still then folded his hands together, his eyes boring into mine. “There are a small number of us with extraordinary abilities. We can do things that, well, defy science.”
I stared, wondering if he might’ve, say, escaped from a mental hospital.
“Agent Phillips, would you provide Ms. McClean with a demonstration?”
“Of course.” She nodded professionally. “Let's start with something easy. Tessa, think of something but don’t tell me what it is. Get a solid picture of it in your mind.”
Without meaning to play along with their psycho game, our long-haired German shepherd that died last year popped into my head.
“German shepherd, huh? I had you pegged for a lapdog lover. The little white fluffy ones that yap a lot.” Agent Phillips smiled smugly.
No way could she read my mind. No way. Then, a surge of calm came over me. Oh, I get it. She’d researched my family, like they had with Hayden, and she’d gotten lucky.
“Good one. Try again.” I pictured some clothes I’d seen last week through the display window of my favorite store at the mall. It would be impossible for anyone to know about that particular outfit I’d been lusting after and couldn’t afford.
“Cute outfit. A bit skimpy for my taste, but it would’ve looked cute on you. That store is a bit on the expensive side though, don’t you think?”
Goosebumps danced across my skin. “How can you know that?”
“We have an array of abilities, ranging from mind reading to telekinesis, but usually a particular talent will stand out. That particular ability is our specialty,” Linton explained. “Agent Phillips excels at reading minds, so images come in sharper for her. She’s a Reader, although the name isn’t entirely accurate since we’re not really reading minds. It’s more like picking up pictures. Sometimes they’re moving, kind of like a video. Then there are Movers who take rearranging matter to a whole new level.”
“You're both crazy." I edged toward the door. "This has to be a trick. People can't see into other people’s heads.”
“One more time,” she said. “After three in a row, maybe you’ll consider the possibility this is real.”
An image of a nearly naked guy snuck into my head, biceps bulging, abdomen muscles rippling.
“Try to keep it G-rated, huh?” Agent Phillips chuckled. “Between you and Hayden, I’m going to have a hard time purging my mind of unclean thoughts.”
I didn’t want to imagine what she’d picked from Hayden’s twisted mind. And anyway, there were more important things to think about. I turned to Mr. Linton, wondering what my stalkers had to do with Agent Phillips and her interesting abilities.
“You think I can read minds too?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered confidently.
I almost believed him. Agent Phillips clearly had some kind of mojo-thing going on. Possibly Principal Linton, too. But me? The idea that I had special powers was too ridiculous to consider so I abandoned it. They had the wrong girl. “What about you? Can you do anything cool, Mr. Linton?”