I Know What You're Thinking

Chapter 12

I throw my door open and speed-walk up the steps to my front door, ignoring my mothers questions and concerned thoughts. I reach the door, barely paying any attention as I turn the nob. It opens. I storm through the front hallway and am halfway to the stairs when I glance at the lounge room. 

It's ransacked. Everything is broken and there are holes in the walls. The lights are smashed.

My speeding mind clears just enough for me to remember a crucial detail I missed a few seconds ago. The from door was unlocked. My mother never leaves the front door unlocked.

"Dad." I didn't realise I actually uttered those words until I hear my mother say in a strangled voice beside me,

"You think he did this?" I turn to face her, hurt and anger as sitting there, clear as day on her face. I don't blame her.

"Who else would have?" I say, exasperated.  

"I don't know Cordelia, what about the person who tried to kill you this morning." She says, her sharp tone a perfect match for the expression on her face.

"How do you know about that?" I demand, before I have a chance to stop myself. I'm not thinking right because alarm bells are sounding in my head - if she saw the note she saw what else it says about me.

"When the police find a note saying someone tried to kill a daughter they sure as hell tell the mother." She yells, then says, softly,"You knew about the note? You didn't tell me?"

I don't reply and she takes my silence as an answer.

"Right. Ok. I've tried Cordelia but if you don't talk to me i'll find it out on my own." She snaps and I flinch. "WHAT IS IT YOUR HIDING FROM ME?!" She screams and I feel awful. She's already had to deal with my idiot of a father and now she has this daughter she's convinced is keeping a horrid secret from her.

I guess I am.

"Nothing. I'm sorry." I say, looking down. Submissive and sorry.

"You know as well I as I do it sure aint nothing missy. Go to your room while I sort this mess." She demands and I walk up the stairs, tears falling down my face. My whole life, the only thing that never changed was my mothers attitude towards me.

She's always expected the absolute best from me. She was kinder after Dad left but I guess thats over now. It's my own fault I suppose but I can't tell her about my mind-reading. 

Though it seems she suspects something anyway so I don't think I'll have to hide it for much longer.

I sit at my desk, unsure of what to do when a familiar voice fills my head.

Are you sick or something? I jump.

Sorry I didn't mean to scare you.

It's fine.

Where are you today? Luke rephrases his original question.

Home. I don't know if i'm going to tell him about the bus.

You ok?

Fine.

If you say so. Just making sure nothing happened is all, what with your hopsital trip. Something in his tone makes me tell him what happened. He's silent for a few seconds after I finish my story. 

That...... is crap. Are you ok?

As ok as I can be knowing I am currently supposed to be dead. Luke goes silent again.

You there?

Yeah sorry. I just.. - these people, they know you're a mindreader Cordi. I try to ignore the way my brain reacts when he calls me by my nickname.

Yes it appears that they do. They also want me dead.

Who knows you're a mindreader?

Yesterday I would have said only you, today I'm not so sure.

We'll figure out who knows, and we'll stop them. Yet again, I try to ignore my brains reaction - this time to the repeated word in his sentence. 

How? Not like we can go to the authorities.

We'll figure it out. Sorry I can't keep talking this maths teacher is being a pain.

His voice vanishes from my mind, and I try to sort out what has happened, putting it in a mental list.

- My father cheated on my mother

- He supposedly left

- I found another mindreader

- Dad came back and took everything of value

- I fainted

- Luke and I discovered that we can somehow communicate telepathically

- I was on a bus, the bus driver was drugged and almost drove me off a cliff

- I found out he was meant to drive me off that cliff

- The police have a note saying that i'm 'truly capable of' something....

- We got home and realised the house was ransacked.

That's a nice list. Beautiful- truly. Oh and the person leaning over my bed saying 'I need help Cordelia, you're the one who needs to fix this' should be added in there somewhere. Also the fact that my mother knows I'm keeping a secret of some description.

Not only do I need to attempt to pass Year 12 with the constant orchestra of everyone else's thoughts, I now also have to do it without getting murdered.

Doesn't my life sound great?

A/N

Sorry there isn't too much in this chapter - I more just felt I needed to have something between the bus and what happens next.

Thank you so so much for reading!

Have a good day!

- blue_budgie52