Camhanaich // A "Twilight" Parody Revision

CHAPTER NINE: THOROUGHLY AND ASSUREDLY IN LUST

     "Umm, no; I'm not through with you yet," I stated sassily.

     Maverick looked irritated with my response (too bad) as he gained more momentum; Speedy Gonzales, this one, but at least he was paying attention to the road this time. ...Or maybe he was always paying attention to the road? ...I can't fucking remember but whatever, it's not like it's all that relevant anyway, the information.

     "Proceed," he said with aggravation in his tone.

     "You told us earlier that you'd been stalking us," I started. "And, then, you mentioned that you found me because of the thoughts the rapists had. So, I've got two questions regarding that." I paused. "Three questions, actually. One, how did you manage to lose sight of me when you were stalking us? Two, what exactly were you doing as you were searching for me; like, were you just checking everyone's minds until you saw me in their head or something? And three, how does mind reading work exactly, apart from the obvious?"

     "Because you're a slippery snake; I looked away for two seconds. I tried sniffing you out, to catch your scent, but that didn't quite work out in my favor, though it did get me to the general area you were in; that's when I started focusing more on people's thoughts. Lastly, it has limits; I have to be near the person to hear their thoughts but if I know that someone, I can hear them from further away. And, unless I'm focusing on what they're thinking, it's all idle chatter; I only process a few words, here and there."

     "...What about your siblings and parents?" Chrysanthemum quietly interjected. "Can they also read minds or do they, individually, have their own special... talent, unique to just them?"

     "Only I can read thoughts," he answered. "But yes, my family has their own particular talents, some in similarity to mine, that being a... "superpower", while others are more... realistic, like self-control or simply just being physically stronger."

     I hummed. "How come I'm the only exception to your power? Why do I get to keep my privacy while everyone else's minds get invaded?"

     He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

     "Oh." I was disappointed by the answer. "Well, that's frustrating."

     He snorted. "You're telling me."

     "...Is it possible that Iris is an exception for others like yourself, too?" Chrysanthemum asked. "Like, uh, other abilities focused on the mind? Do you think they'd have trouble, too?"

     He hummed, intrigued by the thought. "It's plausible."

     I agreed with him. "Yeah, I don't think this is just some kind of fluke either."

     Chrysanthemum sighed. "Yeah, I was kind of hoping it'd just be a... good theory to put a pin in, but yeah, you're... you're probably right; it does feel like a possibility."

     It was silent for a split second.

     "Speaking of theories," Maverick began. I groaned. "No complaints; I answered questions from the both of you, so, now, it's my turn to have questions answered."

     For the first time, since getting into the Subaru at the restaurant, I looked away from him. Immediately, I realized just how fast the motherfucker was going. "Goddamn, you're a speed demon!" I glanced at the backseat; Chrysanthemum didn't look terrified but she did look a bit concerned for our safety. "Seriously, how are we still alive?!" He was going pretty fast earlier but Jesus Christ and Satan, he was hitting impossible speeds.

     "Do you always drive this recklessly...?" Chrysanthemum asked nervously.

     "Yes," he admitted. "I always drive this fast." He dismissed our concerns. "It's fine. I haven't crashed yet and I've never been pulled over." How, though? Do traffic cameras not exist? Does physics not work with the vehicle or something? Was it magical too? Those are questions I should've asked. Or things I should've pointed out.