Chapter Three
The Plan
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While the stranger, I hadn't even asked his name-
"It's Donovan!"
-while Donovan got comfortable on the couch in the games room I tugged Fletcher into the kitchen. He was looking pretty pissed that I had invited an unknown into our house.
"You have no idea who he could be working for," Fletch hissed. He was leaning against the stove, his arms folded.
"He can read minds, Fletch. Whoever he's working for will now know everything that's been going on in my head for the past week."
Fletch paled. "You're certain he's a mind reader?" he asked, looking worriedly towards the games room. We could both hear the sound of the television; Donovan was watching sports and cheering very loudly for one side.
I cocked an eyebrow. "He knows an awful lot about what's been going on in my mind for a Normal human."
Fletcher sighed. "Okay so we have to trust him because we can't keep anything from him anyway."
I nodded and we both turned our heads toward the games room as Donovan began booing noisily.
"I wonder why he picked you out..." Fletch mused. I shrugged. Whatever Donovan had in mind must have something to do with what I took part in during my spare time. My 'hobby'. Stealing.
Upon the end of the game, football I discovered, Donovan ambled into the kitchen where Fletch was now cooking his specialty, Spag Bol. Fletch stiffened, his face scrunched into a frown, when he sensed the boy walking in.
"You got something to hide, eh?" Donovan chuckled and picked up a banana from the fruit bowl. Fletch scowled but said nothing.
I was finishing my English assignment, comparing Emma and Clueless, at the table. Fletch, who could practically quote any movie, was a great help with this kind of thing so I completed my work near him. He was always willing to help out. So it took me a while to realise that, while peeling his banana, Donovan was staring at me. It was Fletch who noticed first.
"Avert your eyes, kid," he muttered, thwacking Donovan on the back with a dishcloth.
"Hey! Watch who your calling 'kid', Humphrey Fletcher."
Fletcher went bright red with rage and embarrassment. I stared at him, mouth opened wide.
"Humphrey?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't stop the trickle of amusement leaking into my tone. Fletch had said he'd only ever had the one name. He'd been adamant about it. I snorted loudly and then my laughter burst out. Fletcher put down the cloth and rolled up his sleeves menacingly.
"You are so dead, kid. And then you are leaving in a trash can. I don't know what you want from Kay but you ain't getting it."
Donovan scrambled away from Fletch, a wide grin on his face. "It was just there at the front of your mind, screaming to be told, Humphrey" he said hurriedly, backing away.
Fletcher leapt at him and they both fell out of sight into the next room. I sighed and picked up my pen, my brief entertainment break over. Over the sounds of scuffling I focused on my next paragraph; which movie appealed to me more? Tough question. Try neither.
"Stop cheating!"
"I can't help reading your mind! Stop thinking about what move you're about to make!"
The shouts interrupted my thoughts and I shut my book with a bang. Using my mind I imagined a sheet of plaster between the two guys. I couldn't see them but I heard a yelp from Donovan along with a thud of a fist hitting a wall. I smiled cheerlessly.
