Time Change (bxb)

Four

Time P.O.V

There appeared to be a whole lot more to the boy who was dating Jordan or had been. I'm not entirely sure of their current relationship status, but most people don't stay with cheaters, or they shouldn't.

Was it creepy that I was watching him at his locker, yes most definitely. Initially, I was only planning on observing him for a couple of minutes. I had done it over my confusion of the lack of information on this guy. Everyone kept mentioning Lainny, Tim, and Jordan, but this guy, Marcus, hasn't been mentioned more than a handful of times. I understand that everyone is stuck up on the whole Lainny part, but I was more curious about him.

And boy, did I not regret trusting my gut. I had only been observing him minutes before I managed to witness his secret. I have become keen on noticing small things, little things that most people would look past as nothing unusual. That was how I figure people out. It also helped that I could read the unfiltered thoughts of those I focus on or am near. They never know, and I manage to walk away with more than they would feel comfortable with.

But I was glad that I didn't push to get into Marcus's head.

Like everyone else, his thoughts and subconscious were on the borderline of my mind, waiting to be heard. Some filter in without any push on my part, and others I have to seek. The only difference is I think he would have noticed someone poking around his thoughts. I knew that this school contained a few sorcerers, magic wielders, whatever they would like to be called. I don't bump into them a lot.

They stuck together; I knew that much. It made this guy stand out a bit more than the others. He didn't seem to associate himself with that group, more like the lone-wolf of the sorcerers. This was both a good and a bad thing. It was good because he didn't have any other magic wielders following him around, the more there were, the more likely my secret would get out into the magic community. I've spent too long hiding my own secrets for them to be spilled by messing with the wrong species. However, his introverted-ness could pose to be a problem. I wasn't daring enough to search his mind, the only thing I'd get are the stray thoughts that come to me. There wouldn't be a best friend or close pal that would know all his secrets.

Of the hundreds of kids who attend this school, he is one of the few who could notice what I was doing. That is if I let myself get caught, which I most definitely would not do, at least, not on purpose.

I think I should have just walked away then and there, better to stay out of it if it involved a sorcerer, after all, I've already done what I originally set out to do. I don't have any real reason to go after Marcus. I should have just went about my day, finding my next victim somewhere else, somewhere safer.

But there was that annoying voice in the back of my head, my own, urging me to learn more about him. Something about him piqued my interest. Up to this point, I have always trusted my gut. It's kept me alive to this day, so why would I turn my back against my inner voice now?

I'd have to admit though, the little prank of his with the ice was actually kind of funny.

I couldn't help but sigh as I forced myself to walk down the stone sidewalk, entertaining myself by counting cracks that have been formed with age. The distance between the school and my home wasn't actually that far, but it did take a few minutes. I could have taken the bus, and have time and time again been encouraged to do so, but I prefer to be anywhere but trapped on a metal death trap with the actively wild imagination of children who had the shortest attention spans, which is why I only ride the bus if a flood is coming. Extreme weather was the only reason I'd get on a bus. Since the weather today was nice, I see no reason why I can't walk and avoid the bus.

It was also a poor excuse to stay away from home for as long as I can.

As loving as my adoptive family was, it never truly felt like a home to me. At least, not my home. My birth parents' house wasn't home either; that was just a house full of fake love and arguments. My adoptive parent's try, they have given me everything I'd ever need. I was their only adopted child.

They adopted me after having their first child, thinking he was going to be their only blood child. They ended up having more children anyway, but they never seemed to think once about putting me back into the system, which is something I would be grateful for until my last breath. I might not have been in the system long, but with my age, I'd be put in a group home until I'm eighteen. They both treated me like their own, like all the others, and my siblings did the same. It was more than awkward during the moments I wouldn't call them mom or dad. I know it hurts their feelings when I don't acknowledge them as parents. I can't force myself to do it, though. Something inside me won't let myself call them anything but their names. It doesn't help that I can feel their disappointment when I muttered their actual names instead of the two they were desperate to hear.

It was moments like that that my mind reading was a curse instead of a gift.

The disappointment would begin to suffocate me to the point it would feel like I'm drowning.

Family get-togethers are always awkward because I never seem to fit in those types of situations. It was probably because my adoptive family's relatives never seemed to involve me in anything. They pushed me aside, showering my siblings with love and affection, but me with a cold shoulder. I understood it, though. I wasn't actually related to any of them. It only made the reality of my adoption more prominent. I wasn't related to them, nor would I ever be.

While walking home, cars would pass by, flashing me with sudden thoughts only to disappear seconds later. It was annoying at most because it happens too quickly for me to actually do anything with the thought. At most, those sudden thoughts do is cause headaches.

Aside from the cars, that was why I enjoyed these walks—a temporary escape from people, from thoughts. I didn't have to worry about being a mind-reader when there was no one around to read.

But that peace would end when I got home, to a house filled with people.