Hidden

(XIII.)

Media: Focus by Ariana Grande

Dedicated to: @BarbaraJeanScott.

Big, special THANKS to those of you still reading and voting for my book. You guys are awesome.
*****

Satisfaction.

That's what Jess felt right now.

It was a true reward to incessant hard work of psychic trials. Looked like this stay-in-room grounding was a good thing. She could say her few abilities were a little enhanced. Even mind reading was no longer much of a problem. Although it was against her ethics to pry into the minds of her family, she couldn't help but practise with Zoe and Phyllis' thoughts when each had come to check up on her. And she'd regretted it.

They didn't think too well of her.

However, since her dad had once told her, "Never pay attention to people's opinions of your ideology", she didn't dwell on what she'd known nor let it faze her.

Actually, something else bothered her. It was two weeks to normal school resumption date and she still hadn't found out which new school she'd be attending. And she hadn't asked. Yet.

Maybe being holed up wasn't so good, after all.

A knock on the door broke into her thoughts. She put aside the long-forgotten book in her hands she'd picked up to read two hours ago, and got down from her bed to answer the door.

"What is it?" she grumbled irritatedly. All traces of good feelings evaporated at the sight of the person standing in her doorway.

"Did your mother tell you about the test?"

"Nobody has told me anything, except to check on if I've set fire to the house or escaped my room."

"Well," he straightened himself, "you have a test this afternoon."

She glanced at the wall clock opposite her queen-sized bed. "It's eleven already. How many hours do I have left?" Before he answered, she read his mind and frowned.

"Precisely three. I'm sorry for the late information." Mike grimaced. "I should've let you know yesterday but I assumed your mother mentioned it to you when she stopped by at your room."

"Well, apparently, I don't think she had her daughter's academic success in mind when she came over. She was only thinking of my rebellion. Now," she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, "what school are you guys throwing me to? I hope it's not a public school."

"No." He smiled slightly. "It's a private advanced school. Your mother and I put your intellectual skills into consideration. You'd be perfect there."

"Okay. So, does this school of yours have a name?"

"You'd find out during your test." With that, he left with a smile still on his white face.

Jess glared at his retreating back.

Five hours later...

"Are you done?"

"Of course." She clicked on the 'Submit' button and waited for two seconds for an affirmative response.

Then, the screen changed to a webcam image of a man in nerdy glasses. He'd shown up minutes before she'd begun the test after logging into the site. "I have received your submitted test, Miss Snowden." A slight frown marred his forehead. "You finished a three-hour test in barely two hours. Quite impressive in speed, I'd say. I hope you got ninety-five percent of the answers accurate, because that'd decide if you're fit for our school."