Through the windows, I spied Rachel and Peter already snuggled in a booth. They didn’t notice me park or get out of the car. They stared at each other. I saw their lips moving in quiet conversation. Rachel kept stopping to grin at Peter.
I opened the door, blasting the patrons briefly with the frigid air. It caught Rachel and Peter’s attention. They watched me approach both wearing secret smiles. I slid in across from them, the vinyl seat squeaking, and peeled off my hat and gloves. The warmth of the room had my cheeks heating and turning red in seconds.
“Hi, guys. This is a nice surprise. What’s the occasion?” As soon as I said it, I noticed the glint on her ring finger. “Oh, wow…” it came out sounding as stunned as I felt. The rational side of me said it was too soon, but the part of me that saw them together, saw their synchronized pulses, knew it was perfect.
“Peter proposed last night and I said yes.” Rachel’s happiness bubbled from her.
I stood and reached across the table to hug her. She bounced up from her seat and excitedly hugged me back. I grabbed hold of the opportunity. Focusing, I repeated what I’d thought and felt the other times I’d shocked someone. Was she doing the right thing? Was Peter the right one for her? What if I was wrong? I dredged up all my concerns and hope for her, held it tight within me and then let it flow through to her.
The shock jolted us both apart immediately. The intensity of it burned my fingertips. Rachel sat back down next to Peter, snuggling close and laughing about the shock. I sat too, smiling at her, pretending to listen while I opened my sight wide, forcing the full view of the world as I’d seen when I’d shocked Luke. It strained me a bit, but I didn’t let go. This time I really looked. The tiny sparks of all living beings covered the world. I focused in, zooming the view so I could see the occupants of the diner in detail.
Peter and Rachel pulsed in time as usual. I expected Peter to be different somehow to signify his match with Rachel, but I couldn’t see anything unusual. They did perhaps appear a bit dimmer, like their light had faded. I remembered that happening when I touched Luke and pulled back from such a close up view.
While I looked at Rachel’s tiny spark, something caught my eye. Faint pulses rippled out from her. Much like the ripples made by a pebble thrown into a pond they spread outward, passing through all other sparks. It approached Charlene’s spark. Instead of passing through, it bounced off and came speeding back.
Startled, I scanned the sparks, zooming in and out as needed until I identified five uniquely colored sparks like me. The ripples helped me find them because, for those five, the ripples didn’t pass through them. Instead, they bounced off and came flying back. Right at me, not Rachel.
The return wave of the spark midway between Charlene and me reached me. I absorbed it and a wave of dizziness rushed through me. The same first indication of the drain I felt each prior time. I watched Charlene’s wave approach and knew that when it hit, I’d get worse. It made sense now, how I grew weak and sick shortly after transferring my ability. Each hit of return energy knocked me further on my butt. If I’d paid more attention to it before, I would have noticed it when I shocked Nicole and the other girls. But why did it act different when I touched Luke? Why did just one of the five become focused? I still needed to figure out so much. For now, the clock ticked, counting down the time until I’d turn into a shaking mess.
I’d noted all of this in the few short seconds it’d taken for Rachel’s surprised expression to clear. Before she could say anything about my momentary pause I said, “I’m so happy for both of you.”
I smiled while I braced myself for Charlene’s energy wave just minutes away.
“Gabby, when Peter proposed, we both decided we’d tortured you and Scott enough and should get our own place. So as soon as we find something I plan on moving out. I wanted to give you as much time as possible to find a roommate before I actually left.”
With everything happening, this was the worst timing. Would another roommate really put up with Clay the moody dog, or Clay the mute man? I couldn’t blame her though. I knew she missed Peter when they were apart.
Her announcement and the continued strain of staying focused on the lights on such a vast scale for so long took their toll. My head started to pound. Seeing the second wave rushing toward me, I couldn’t help the slight wince when the pounding in my head increased to full force. I clenched my teeth to keep them from chattering.
Thankfully, Rachel still wore her love-goggles and didn’t notice.
“Don’t worry about me. Clay will be there enough that I’ll make him pay the other half of the rent. So, did you set a date?”
Rachel took over the conversation with wedding plans until Peter glanced at his watch and reminded her of their next class. She pouted playfully. I smiled, barely holding back a shiver, and assured her we’d make time to talk wedding stuff soon. The third wave hit me, stunning me. Two to go and they weren’t far off.