Penumbra

2: Tessa

"No way," Tessa laughed, "there is no WAY you did that."
Kaden poked his head out from his bathroom.
"I'm telling you it's true, Tess, I shapeshifted into professor Chiron and gave Mark detention!" Kaden smiled.
"And he actually believed you?"
"Of course! I'm very convincing."
Kaden walked out of the bathroom in his training clothes in preparation for Danger Room training.
"That shirt looks a little tight, Gray." Tessa smirked, but she wasn't complaining. Tessa lay back on her boyfriend's bed and groaned.
"I don't want to train. I want I just want to stay here and hang out with you."
Kaden flopped down beside Tessa and wrapped her in his arms.
"Well, we could always ditch training and stay in bed..." The shapeshifter smirked and pressed his lips on Tessa's. She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss when Kaden's door flew open. Tessa looked up to see a distraught Imogen.
"Kaden, I have to talk to you right now - oh, hey, Tessa" upon seeing Tessa, Imogen stood a little straighter and smoothed down her skirt. Tessa nodded in the blonde girl's direction, still a bit dazed from Kaden's kiss.
"Hey, Imogen, what's up?" Kaden furrowed his brow and sat up on the bed. Imogen glanced at Tessa and then back at Kaden.
"Oh, um... It - it's nothing... It can... wait."
Tessa could pick up on Imogen's nervousness. Why the hell did she need to talk to Kaden of all people?
"Are you sure? It seemed like an urgent matter when you came barging in here. Without knocking I might add!" Tessa laughed, trying to ease the tension. Imogen and Kaden locked eyes, a look Tessa knew all-too-well.
Imogen was establishing a telepathic connection.
After a few moments of intense staring, Kaden went white in the face and looked from Imogen to Tessa.
Attempting to regain composure, Kaden stammered, "well, we better get to the Danger Room, huh?" He laughed uneasily and left the room with Imogen in tow, leaving Tessa alone.
Do they think I'm an idiot? Tessa thought. She obviously knew that they had had a telepathic exchange; she'd seen Imogen in action a hundred times before.
She got up off the bed and jogged down the hall to see Kaden and Imogen speaking in hushed tones. But upon seeing Tessa they quickly changed the subject.
"What are you two chatting about?"
Tessa asked nonchalantly.
"Uh... Imogen was just telling me what homework I had in calculus," Kaden answered, putting an arm around his girlfriend.
Tessa raised her eyebrow, nodded, and walked silently.
Something tugged at the corner of Tessa's mind. Since when are Imogen and Kaden so close that she could just storm into Kaden's room without knocking? Tessa looked up at Kaden and then Imogen. As the two of them walked, they were exchanging facial expressions, as if they were having an intense conversation despite the silence that otherwise brooded over the hallway. Kaden and Imogen were clearly having a telepathic conversation.
"What are you two thinking about?"
Tessa quizzed, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, uh... just calculus stuff. We didn't want to bore you." Imogen shrugged.
"Well, why don't you link me up? I'm pretty good at math," Tessa raised her eyebrows at the pair who exchanged nervous glances.
"Actually, I can only link two people up at a time," Imogen replied. Tessa gave an 'oh really?' look to the blonde. She seemed to remember that the week before, Imogen had linked up Dale, Mark, and herself so they could talk during class, but Tessa decided not to bring it up. She looked up at her boyfriend who seemed to be lost in thought.
"So!" Imogen broke the silence. "Who are you paired to fight with in the Danger Room, Tess?"
Tessa smirked. "I'm fighting Reese. I believe you know him, Imogen."
"I've seen him around," Imogen laughed. "Cute, but not my type."
As if on cue, a tall blond boy came walking down the hallway.
"Who's not your type?" Reese asked, putting his arm around Imogen.
"Oh, I was just telling Tessa about a cute guy I saw on campus." Imogen grinned.
"Oh yeah?" Reese responded.
"Yeah, he's tall, blond, very handsome, and he's got a real cute butt-"
"Ok, nasty, please stop before I vomit." Tessa said covering her ears.
"Oh, come on Tess, don't you remember what it was like to be young and in love?" Kaden chuckled.
"I am young and in love. But that doesn't mean I go around grabbing your ass," Tessa frowned.
"Well, maybe not in public..." Kaden winked at Tessa.
"Hey, watch it Gray." Tessa nudged Kaden.
"Yeah, hands where I can see them, pretty boy," Reese interjected,
causing Kaden to throw his hands up in a mock-surrender. Tessa laughed along with her boyfriend, but when she looked up at him, something seemed off. Whatever Imogen had told Kaden had visibly shaken him, and Tessa was going to get to the bottom of it.