“Ugh, I don’t do sick, well,” I moaned with self-pity.
He gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry. I don’t either. Maybe you can skip the coffee and get some orange juice instead.”
I shook my head. I hadn’t had any caffeine this morning yet and whether it was just mental, I know I needed one. “Nah. I’ll double fist it, if I have too!”
He chuckled but then frowned. “Well, I was talking to Jemmy all night long, and this morning she asked me how I got her number. She didn’t remember any of our conversation last night, but it was in her phone.”
I frowned. “That’s really weird. Was she…drinking?”
He shook his head. “No, and I texted Remy this morning to apologize for last night again, and he said he had forgotten all about it, but we saw him before we left.”
Chills ran down my spine. “Let’s go,” I said.
“Where?” he asked mystified.
“Let’s go to the high school. You’re going to the office and asking for Rachel.” I explained as I headed towards the parking lot.
“How? They’re not going to just let me see her.” He hedged nervously.
“They are, if you’re William Bell,” I said slyly.
“I can’t cast illusions without Jax,” he sighed.
“Yeah, but you can cast illusions when you imitate my gift.” I stated. “I feel like crap, so I can’t go in there, but you can.”
He paused and looked at me. I knew he was using his gift. “It’s not gone. He’s not blocking you anymore,” he said excitedly.
“I know!” I exclaimed. “I think when I made my connection last night, it made me stronger. He’s not strong enough to handle me anymore.” I paused for a second, excitement building.
“Let’s do this,” he said more enthusiastically. I knew his budding relationship with Jemmy was a motivating factor to getting this done sooner than later.
He started his truck and made his way over to the high school. He didn’t have the pass necessary to park there, but we didn’t care. We were on a mission.
It wasn’t long before I saw Will, Gavin, and Rachel making their way over to the truck. It was slightly unnerving to see them at first. I missed Rachel, and seeing the illusion of Gavin next to Will was pure craziness.
I could see the confusion on Rachel’s face as she slid into the back seat. I turned and looked at her as the illusion was dropped. Anger and panic replaced confusion as Gavin employed the child locks, preventing Rachel from leaving.
“Who the hell are you, and why have you locked me in here?” she seethed as she vainly attempted to leave the truck.
Gavin looked uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, and I looked at her beseechingly. “Hey, Rachel. We’ve met before. I’m Blake and this is Gavin. I’m sorry we had to do this, this way, but I need a favor from you, Rachel, and I know you’re a naturally distrustful person.”
Her eyes narrowed at me as she spoke between clenched teeth. “And that’s a lie and a truth.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “She’s a human lie detector,” I explained to Gavin. I sighed. “Okay, my birth name given to me is Amanda, but I haven’t gone by that name since I was like, five.”
She looked at me with the same distrust, but I also saw the surprise in her eyes. “How do you know that? Who sent you?”
I sighed again. “What I’m about to tell you is a little hard to swallow, but we were once best friends. Jemmy Bell, you, and I used to hang out with each other all the time.”
She interrupted me with a snort. “Not likely. Jemmy Bell is one of Knightstown royalty and I can’t imagine ever hanging out with that pampered princess.”
I grimaced. Rachel was a scholarship teen, and she had become somewhat bitter when she had lost her brothers in a house explosion after her father had disappeared. Honestly, I didn’t blame her bitterness. Knightstown wasn’t a place I would have thought I would have ever felt comfortable had I not come here with the Bells initially. From an outsider looking in, most of these kids acted privileged and had no clue how the real world worked. They never had to worry about whether they were going to eat that day or endure being mocked for the clothing they wore. They drove their expensive cars and were constantly tethered to their newest and greatest technology. Posting their every moment on social media, constantly searching for their next ‘like’ to validate their existence.
“If you focus, you’ll know I’m not lying. We used to be good friends, best friends even, the three of us. Someone decided to mess with me and my connections and turned back time,” I explained adamantly.
She snorted, crossing her arms across her breast. “Another pampered princess. Thinking the entire world revolves around her.” She patted Gavin condescendingly. “Hey buddy, you should get your girlfriend checked out.” She whistled and did the universal sign of crazy with her pointer finger circling her temple.
It was my turn to snort. “You assume I’m a pampered princess and I wasn’t, well not originally,” I cleared my throat. “You had a loving father and three doting older brothers. You lived in suburbia in a middle-class family. You never lived in a trailer park with a cracked-out stepmom that hated you and abused you, along with her boyfriends,” I hissed at her. At her look of shock, I continued, regretting my outburst. “I know you miss your family,” I said more gently. “I know you would trade this in for them, any day, just to have them back. I know your favorite color is black. I know you were saved from death when you snuck out to meet your boyfriend. I know Remington Murphy was the one to find you, and you’re harboring a little crush on him. I know you hate bacon,” I jokingly snorted. “Which I believe is still highly un-American, bordering on communistic.” Gavin stifled a laugh as Rachel continued to stare out the window. She was so stubborn! “Your favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. You love storms, and if it’s nice enough, you open the windows in the room to hear the thunder.”
“So, you’re a stalker.” I could see her inner struggle. I knew she knew all my words were true. “What do you want from me?” she snapped at me.
“I need your help,” I stated simply. “Bridgette Mason just transferred to this school and should be in your Performance Arts class. I was wondering if you knew her gift.”
Something deep inside of me already knew, ever since Gavin informed me that Jemmy and Remy had no recollections of the night before. But my mind was in denial mode. I didn’t want to believe the evil girl that had tormented me for years could possibly be my sister.
Chapter 10
“She’s not,” Rachel stated.
I felt like all hope was lost, and I sunk into my seat with defeat. My body was struggling. I was hot, then cold, and my bones ached to the core.