I Know What You're Thinking

Chapter 6

My mind calms down as I walk home. I didn't feel like catching the bus home today. 

I stop obsessing over who the other mind-reader is and begin to think more clearly.

We go to the same school.

I'll find him again at some point.

Wait a second.

Is he you?

Are you him?

Are you the other mindreader?

Maybe.

I reach my front door and in my usual fashion, trip over. I bump into the door, expecting it to be locked, but to my surprise it opens. 

I steady myself. Someone must be here. I look in the garage. There are two cars.

Dad's car and another one I haven't seen before.

Dad must be home.

Mum isn't.

I read the thoughts entering my mind. Half of them are dad's, half of them belong to a new person.

I creep up the stairs, it's silent inside. I walk towards my room, then my mind realises what the thoughts are saying.

I am repulsed. These thoughts are disgusting. Revolting.

I take a deep breath and then walk down to the other side of my house. My parent's door is shut. I take another deep breath and knock loudly on the door.

The whispering inside stops instantly. I am filled with confidence, where it came from I have no idea. "I'M COMING IN." I yell and push the door open, my eyes shut.

"CORDELIA PIKE!" My father yells. 

"GET OUT!" A woman screeches. 

I'm filled with anger. "NO, AND I'M OPENING MY EYES SO COVER YOURSELVES." I yell back and open my eyes after a few seconds.

My dad looks livid. The woman lying next to him looks more ashamed than angry. Ashamed at being caught. 

She's ashamed at being caught with a married man.

She's ashamed because it was his daughter that caught her.

"Dad. You are disgusting." I spit.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING YOU BRAT!" He yells.

"I KNOW THAT YOU'RE CHEATING ON MUM!" I yell back.  

"Cordelia?" The woman asks, quietly.

"What?" I snap.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

"You'd better be." I growl.

"DON'T YOU TALK TO ANNETTE LIKE THAT!" Dad yells. Annette looks sad.

"Don't cheat on mum then." 

"Don't sass me young lady."

"I'll sass you all I want because you are cheating on mum with some lady." 

Dad swears at me. Annette pulls a dressing gown on.

"I'm going to go. I'm so sorry Cordelia." She apologises and then picks up her clothes off of the floor, before walking away. I hear the front door open and shut.I hear a car start and drive away. Dad glares at me. I glare back at him.

After about ten minutes of silent death stares, he speaks.

"Don't you dare tell your mother about this." 

"Watch me." I announce, then turn and run away. Dad chases after me. 

There's something he doesn't know. 

I heard mum's thoughts. She's here, opening the door. I run to the front hallway just as she opens the door.

"WHAT ON EARTH?" She screams as soon as she's inside. Dad tries to look casual.

"Hello." He smiles.

"DON'T YOU DARE. I SAW ANNETTE! SHE TOLD ME! HOW COULD YOU DARE CHEAT ON ME? AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU? YOU ABSOLUTE -" Mum stops shouting and takes a deep breath.

Dad looks a little bit sheepish but he also looks angry. 

Very, very, very angry. 

Mum starts to yell again."HOW COULD YOU DARE CHEAT ON ME, AFTER ALL I DID FOR YOU? I STOOD UP FOR YOU WITH ALL OF THE THINGS WITH THE POLICE, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?" 

"I COULD HAVE STOOD UP FOR MYSELF." Dad screams.

"HOW? HOW COULD YOU HAVE PROVED THAT YOU WOULDN'T GROW AND SELL MARIJUANA ANYMORE? HUH?" She has tears streaming down her face now. She speaks quietly. "I showed them that you were sorry, I showed them that you regretted it, all of it. I gave them every cent you made, to show how sorry you were. That was all me. And this is how you thank me?" She sobs. 

I back away. Now I know. I know what happened. I know why we moved. I know all of that. 

I shut my door behind me as I enter my room, and curl up into a ball.

My dad grew marijuana. Where? 

Realisation hits me.

In the shed. He never let me in there, told me it was because he had so many expensive gardening and woodwork tools he didn't want me breaking.

I had believed him.

I had always believed him.

How could I have been so naive?

I can hear my parents yelling. I can hear their thoughts even louder. 

I'm sick of reading minds.

I hate it.

I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT!

What's the good in it?

I didn't find out my dad was growing an illegal drug in our garden shed.

I could have saved mum a whole lot of trouble if I had known.

What's the point of reading minds if I can never help anyone.

I can never fix anything.

What's the point?

In anything?

Is it nice where you are?

Can I come?

I don't want to deal with reading minds anymore.

Maybe it'll be better if I find out who that other mind reader is.

They'll understand.

They'll be the one person who understands.

I need to find out who he is.

I HAVE to find out who he is.

Or else, I fear my brain will continue to spiral into madness, and one day, i'll crumble.

A/N

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- blue_budgie52