For a moment, the absurdity of my situation hit me. I was talking to a voice in my head. If not for all that I'd already seen, I'd be worried about my sanity.
If Drake had been standing in front of me, there's no way I'd have been this transparent and vulnerable. But our unique way of communicating made it so much easier to trust him—after all, he was just a voice in my mind. Talking to him was like thinking—just as natural.
As the day wore into night, we kept up a steady stream of dialogue, discussing everything from our favorite food and favorite color to our deepest fears and most secret hopes. Through his memories, I saw the many foster homes he'd grown up in and the church with towering angels in a magical garden.
I showed him different assignments I'd been on and the countries I'd traveled to. We talked about Hawaii and surfing and art and college.
Even in moments of silence, his thoughts swirled into mine like vanilla and chocolate ice cream melting into each other.
With him, I felt the same comfort and familiarity as I did with Luke. They both had a protective quality that made me feel safe, but Drake did not inspire any brotherly feelings at all. Quite the opposite.
I'd always assumed that for chemistry between two people to ignite, they had to be physically present with one another. After all, didn't their pheromones have to sniff each other out or something?
But with Drake, even just mentally, science and magic combined to create something new and wonderful. The warmth of those new feelings spread through my body as his deep voice seduced my mind and heart.
Within twenty-four hours of near non-stop communication, Drake and I had created a bond that I'd never found with anyone else, even after years of friendship. This is the power of the mind, the power of thoughts—and the power of emotions.
***
Drake stayed with me throughout my classes the next day. He helped keep me awake after being up for two days, and nearly got me in trouble a few times with his smart-ass remarks about my teachers, fellow students or classes.
By the time I arrived at Luke and Lucy's suite after school, I was dead on my feet.
Lucy eyed me up and down and brewed some coffee. I curled up on their overstuffed chair and listened as Drake told me a story about Father Patrick, a man I couldn't wait to meet, based on what I knew so far.
Luke threw a pillow at me. "Yo, Sam, where are you?"
I realized I'd ignored them again. It was time to introduce them to Drake. "I'm sorry. Um, remember that mystery boy I told you about? I'm talking to him right now."
Lucy nearly dropped the coffee pot. "Shut up! Seriously? When did this happen. You can't just let random guys into your mind, Sam."
Right, like this happened every day. There goes Sam, the mind whore.
I explained about how we connected and our night and day together.
Lucy sat on the couch across from me and handed me a mug of coffee. "No wonder you look like something a dog spit out."
"Gee, thanks, you're sweet."
Luke poured a cup for himself and sat next to Lucy. "So he's here, right now? Can he hear us?"
"Yes, he can hear what I can. He's basically hearing my thoughts, not so much you. But don't worry guys, I've spent hours and hours talking with him, exploring his mind. I know we can trust him."
Lucy frowned in disapproval. "He could be playing you, Sam, trying to get into your mind to hurt you. With everything that's happened recently, do you really think it's a good idea to let a stranger in like this?"
"If you can't trust him, then you have to trust me. I know him—yes, even after only one night, I know him. He can help us, and with everything that's going on, we need the help."
Lucy's eyes widened. "You're in love with him. Oh my God, Sam, you're in love!"
Heat flooded my face. "Stop! We are close, and I'll admit to some... feeling." Oh my God, this was such an embarrassing conversation to have with him listening.
He chuckled in my mind, and I wanted to mentally swat him, but that just made him chuckle harder.
"Let's just see how it goes, but for now, you don't need to worry. He's not a spy and he's not trying to hurt me. He wants to help."
I stared them both down, and while they didn't fall into immediate trust with Drake, they were willing to try.
I did a mental victory dance. "Okay, let's focus. Something's going on here, and we need to figure out what it is. It's time to create our own assignment. You in?"
Lucy stood and stretched. "You know I am. We obviously can't sit by and do nothing."
We both looked to Luke.
He grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Seriously, do you even have to ask?"
I smiled. "Okay, here's the plan. I'm going to go back to the studio and dig through the rubble in Mr. K's office to see if I can find any clues. I just have this sense that in our last class together he was trying to tell me something, and I need to figure out what. Luke, see if you can dig up any dirt in Higgins's office, and Lucy, you're the interrogator. Question students, faculty, even Higgins if you can. Also, scope out the clinic and figure out who's lying. We'll meet back here tonight to compare notes."