The Zeuorian Awakening Read online

  “I’ll come over after practice. That should be enough time for you to get your chores done.”

  “Tyler, I—”

  Lexi froze when he leaned over and pressed his soft, moist lips to her cheek. A cold chill ran down her spine as the newspaper skyrocketed up toward the sky. She jerked her head back to keep him from kissing her any longer. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Count on it,” he said.

  Lexi didn’t say a word. Instead she slammed the door and ordered Angie, “Let’s go.”

  “You should give him a chance.” Angie sped down the road. “He’s so cute and totally into you. Come on; let’s go to the beach tomorrow.”

  “No way. I’m not going anywhere with him.” Lexi huffed. “Have you forgotten I’m still changing and I have to worry about revealing myself to the others just waiting for me to screw up? You saw how everything moved while I was talking to him. Who knows what’ll happen if I spend more than a few minutes with him in a bikini.” She touched her cheek where he’d kissed her. “Anyway, I’m not interested in him.”

  “You’re so full of it. I know you’re into him. You don’t have to keep avoiding him if you just tell him about what you can do.”

  Lexi crossed her arms over her chest. “I already told you, I’m not going to tell him my secret.”

  Angie’s radio turned off when her cell phone ringed. “You’re not off the hook that easily. We’ll finish discussing telling Tyler after I take my call.”

  Lexi slouched down in her seat as Angie spoke to her father, pushing Tyler out of her mind and focusing on watching cars on the road in the reflection of the rearview mirror.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about the others looking for her and wondered how they knew she lived in Brookings? Her parents had kept her close to them at all times and homeschooled her. They never talked to anyone other than Irene about her at least she thought that until speaking to her Watcher.

  “Who’s that?” Angie asked, pointing to a 4x4 truck flashing its high beams at them.

  Lexi eyed the truck as it drove onto the shoulder of the road, next to the passenger door and honked. She peered inside the driver side window. Dillon. Damn. He must’ve seen her drive away and chased after her.

  She waved to him and mouthed, “I have to go home. We’ll talk later.”

  Dillon rolled down his window as Lexi did the same. He leaned outside as far as he could while steering the truck. “Are you going to Neal’s party?”

  She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, “I can’t. Sorry.”

  “So you’re not going to the party with Tyler. I saw you two talking outside of Sam’s.”

  “No. I’m definitely not going anywhere with him.”

  “Really?” A grin spread across his face. “So are you interested in working on your English paper after school with me?”

  “I don’t know if I—”

  “Lexi, look.” Angie pointed toward a car broken down on the road. It partially blocked their lane and the shoulder. Dillon’s truck was headed right for it.

  “Dillon, watch out,” Lexi screamed.

  He slammed on his brakes and swerved in their direction to avoid the car. Angie swerved between two cars in the left lane and almost rear-ended the car in front of her.

  “Slow down gradually,” Lexi said.

  “I can’t,” Angie shouted when the brake lights in front of them came on. She tried to swerve into the right lane, but Dillon blocked them. She slammed on her brakes, but it was too late. They were going to hit the car in front of them.

  Lexi knew what she had to do. She raised her hand and focused on pushing the car forward enough so they wouldn’t ram it. Her body shook and her muscles ached as sweat dripped down the side of her face.

  The car slammed on its brakes and swerved in front of them, edging toward the center line. She tried to stop the car from crossing into the opposing traffic lanes, but it flipped into the air and spun a couple of times before it landed upside down, facing two oncoming cars.

  No, no, no. Lexi lifted her trembling hand again, blinking to clear the sweat stinging her eyes. She focused on the two cars and tried to force them to stop in place.

  The front of the two cars crumpled in as if they hit a wall. Their back ends lifted into the air and slammed hard onto the ground. The cars bounced up and down, but remained in place.

  Another set of cars were headed toward the three stationary cars. Their brakes lights flipped on, but they were too close to stop in time before hitting them.

  Lexi lifted her hand and focused on trying to push the cars to keep them from hitting the three stationary cars. Her hand shook and body waivered, threatening to collapse. Nothing happened.

  She tried again, but to no success.

  She tried a third time and her head slumped forward as darkness enveloped her.

  No. She can’t pass out. She shook her head, fighting to stay awake and lifted her hand to stop the cars from colliding. But it was too late.

  One by one the cars slammed into the three cars stopped in the middle of the road. She winced at the sound of tires screeching and crashing of metal against metal.

  She couldn’t believe she made all those people crash just to save Angie and her from getting into an accident. She had to help them. “Stop,” she said and gripped the door handle.

  Angie slammed on the brakes. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going to see if they’re all right.”

  Taking several deep breaths, Lexi threw open the passenger door and leaped out. She ran toward the wreckage, but Dillon appeared out of the darkness and grabbed her.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. “You look like you could pass out.”

  “I’m fine, but I don’t know about them.” She pointed at the cars. “I should do something to help them.” That was the least she could do after causing the accident.

  “No, you need to get off the highway before a car comes around the corner and hits you.” He pulled her to the VW and pushed her into the passenger seat. “Angie, park on the shoulder. I’ll check on them,” he said and slammed the door shut.

  Angie didn’t debate him and pulled onto the side of the road.

  Lexi’s hands trembled as she squeezed them together. She watched Dillon visit each of her victims. Some he helped out of their cars and others he just talked to. After the ambulance arrived, he ran back to her.

  “How’s everyone?” she asked.

  Dillon took her hands, beet red from squeezing them together and bent to one of his knees in front of her. “They’re all fine. No one was badly hurt. They were lucky. It could’ve been worse.”

  Yes, it could’ve been a lot worse. They could’ve died and it would’ve been her fault. Maybe she was a danger to everyone. That would explain the reason her Watcher’s father wondered if she could be dangerous. He already suspected she would end up hurting someone.

  “You’re not dangerous,” she heard her Watcher’s voice echo in her mind. “Anyone could’ve caused the accident.”

  How could he be so sure? Not everyone could cause several cars to collide by simply lifting their hand. The extent of damage she could cause was limitless compared to the average person. She couldn’t help wondering if that could be the reason others were after her.

  10 SHAKEN TO THE CORE

  The next day Lexi stood by her locker and several doors next to her shook, clanging and rattling. She took a deep breath and focused on the locker doors. All the while she prayed and hoped they would stop moving. Her head ached and hands trembled as the shuttering metal slowly halted.

  She leaned against her locker as her head spun and legs struggled to hold her body weight. It was getting harder to keep her growing telekinesis under control. Maybe she should’ve stayed at home and hid until she learned to control her telekinesis better. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about hurting anyone or exposing herself to those who were searching for her. Perhaps she should go home now.

  “You don
’t have to skip school,” her Watcher said. “Keep calm and nothing will happen.”

  That was the second time he answered her thoughts. He must be telepathic. “So do the others have powers too? Should I be blocking my thoughts from them?” She bit her lower lip. She’d never considered how dangerous it could be to think about her abilities.

  “We really shouldn’t be talking,” he said, “especially in a crowded room like this.”

  “No, wait.” She was determined to find out something—anything—about the people searching for her. She bombarded him with questions: “Why are they looking for me? Is it because they think I’m dangerous? Do they want to use me or kill me? How do they even know I exist?”

  Before he could respond, Dillon approached her with a smile from ear to ear. He enveloped her in his enormous arms and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey gorgeous,” he said.

  A row of locker doors flew open and slammed against metal in unison, causing one loud ear piercing bang. She couldn’t even go two seconds without making something else happen.

  She unraveled herself from his arms. “Dillon, I told you to stop hanging all over me and keep your distance. I’m bad luck.”

  Actually, she was terrified that something worse than the locker doors opening would happen if he kept hugging her like that.

  Dillon gave her a sympathetic look. “You’re not bad luck. The pileup was an accident. See.” He handed her the local newspaper. “I bought this just for you as proof not even the news believes you had anything to do with the accident.”

  She wondered why Dillon would be so concerned about showing her no one thought she had anything to do with the accident. Could he be her Watcher?

  After listening to his mind, she knew he couldn’t be her Watcher. Nothing in his present thoughts indicated he had any idea she could read his mind or move objects. He wanted to use the newspaper to convince her to talk to him. Nothing else.

  Lexi quickly read the article. “A sudden gust of high winds hit a car traveling on highway 101 Wednesday evening. The driver had slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting another car in front of her when the wind flipped her car over. Several other cars crashed trying to avoid hitting her. It’s the worse pileup reported in Brookings with over thirty cars involved and fifteen minor injuries.”

  Lexi chewed on her lower lip. Nothing in the story suggested that anything out of the ordinary had caused the accident, unless a gust of wind causing a car to flip would be counted as unusual. Nah. She shook her head. Brookings had at least two or three stories about large diesel trucks being flipped over from the high winds.

  At least now she didn’t have to worry about anyone figuring out she caused the accident, especially Irene.

  She hadn’t told Irene about the accident or her Watcher helping her. If she had, Irene would’ve made her stay at home and stop talking to him. That was the last thing she wanted to do since he could tell her who the people were looking for her and why. And he may also be able to explain why she was changing. But she won’t be able to question him if Dillon continued to hang all over her.

  She shoved the newspaper back into his hands. “It doesn’t matter what they think. I know what I did and I say I’m bad luck.”

  “I don’t care if you are.” He hugged her again. “I’m not going to stay away from you.”

  Damn, there went her excuse to keep him away. She let her arms drop to her side as he gave her a long kiss on the cheek.

  “Hey dude.” Neal stood next to Dillon. ”I need your help. I locked my keys in my car and I left my homework inside.”

  “You don’t ever do your homework,” Dillon said with a suspicious tone to his voice.

  He glanced down the hall and Lexi turned to see what he was looking at or rather who. Tyler stood by a row of lockers with a group of football players. His eyes were locked onto her, watching her every move same as he had done for the past day since the accident.

  Actually, now that she thought about it, he’d been watching her ever since she started high school her sophomore year.

  “Tell your master, nice try,” Dillon said and turned his back to Neal while facing Lexi.

  “What’s that about?” she asked.

  “Tyler is up to his usual.” Dillon shot Tyler at dirty look. “He’s doing everything possible to keep me away from you since he knows better not to fight me.”

  “So it’s true, Tyler told every boy in school to stay away from me or he’ll beat them up?”

  “Yeah, it’s true.” Dillon’s expression took on a graver appearance. “I have to warn you Tyler isn’t what he appears. He’s a spoiled rich kid, who has grown accustomed to getting whatever he wants in life. Frankly, some way or another, he generally does get what he wants no matter what. It’s almost uncanny how he does. However, on a rare occasion he won’t and when that happens, he becomes determined and almost obsessed trying to get it.”

  Her eyebrows lifted up. “So, what are you trying to tell me? Is he some kind of obsessed psycho who’ll force me to go out with him?”

  “I wouldn’t call him a psycho.” Dillon laughed. “A sneaky, manipulative bastard that will lie, cheat and steal to get what he wants, but not a psycho.”

  She couldn’t help wondering if Dillon was trying to make Tyler out to be some sort of jerk so he could have a chance with her, but then threatening every boy in school to stay away from her was a manipulative maneuver or was it?

  Tyler had been watching her for the past two years, but never pushing her to go out with him until she transformed. Now he was trying to keep boys away from her. Why? So he could have her to himself or prevent them from discovering what she could do and exposing herself to the others looking for her.

  Could Tyler be her Watcher?

  But if Tyler was him, he wouldn’t talk to her in public or do anything that would tip off the others he was protecting her? Then again, pretending he liked her would provide a good excuse to get close to her while keep everyone away as she developed her abilities since girls and sex rate high on teenage boys favorite past time.

  The crowd of football players surrounding Tyler walked away and he smiled at her. This would be the best time to determine if he could be her Watcher.

  “Dillon, do you mind talking later?” she asked, hoping to get rid of him. “I have to go study for a test.”

  “No, not at all.”

  He gave her a peck on the cheek and headed down the hall. Once he turned the corner, she waved to Tyler and motioned for him to join her. A cat-ate-a-canary grin spread across his face as he strolled over toward her.

  “You wanted to see me,” he asked with a seductive voice, oozing with sex as he slid his arm along her lower back.

  The trophy case glass cracked and large pieces of glass shards fell to the ground. She jumped away from Tyler as her heart pounded against her chest. Oh, she hoped this was a good idea.

  Tyler pointed to the boy standing next to the trophy case. “You better run before the principal sees what you did.”

  He thought the boy had broken the glass. She glanced at the other students standing in the hall. It seemed everyone else assumed the same as him. Oh, thank heaven. Lexi wiped a bead of sweat from her neck. No one realized she had done it.

  “So what did you want to talk about?” Tyler turned back toward her. “Are you reconsidering your dating policy?”

  Lexi rolled her eyes after listening to his thoughts. She better question him where it would be hard for him to hit on her just in case she was wrong about him being her Watcher. “I’ll tell you after we eat lunch. I’m starved.”

  Without waiting for him to respond, she rushed toward the cafeteria, flung open the large double doors and headed toward a line waiting to order. Tyler grabbed her wrist and stopped her from moving any farther.

  “Why are we stopping?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

  “I wanted to wait until the line dies down.” Tyler motioned toward a group of students holding trays in their hands. “Come on, l
et’s stand over here.”

  He escorted her to the far side of the room away from everyone and pressed her back against the brick wall. She wiped the sweat off her forehead as the large window a few feet from her shook.

  Oh, this wasn’t going as she hoped. She needed to question him before her telekinesis got out of hand, but what should she ask him? She pondered over possible questions and settled on the one he couldn’t avoid answering that would quickly prove whether or not he could be her Watcher.

  “Why do you always watch me?” she asked. “You’ve been watching me ever since I started school here.”

  Tyler took a step closer to her and gazed into her eyes. “’Cause I like you and have since the summer before you started school.”

  “How could you have liked me before then? I was living in California and homeschooled. My parents didn’t let me talk to anyone. So I don’t see how we could’ve possibly met before I started school.”

  “You don’t remember hanging out with me during the summer while my father prepared your parents legal documents?”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t recall ever meeting him before starting Brookings high, but apparently they knew each other the summer her parents had died. That meant he also knew her parents.

  Could he be her Watcher? Only her Watcher would’ve known her parents since they wouldn’t let her talk to anyone except for Irene.

  “So you don’t remember sitting with me while my father helped the DA with your parents’ case?” Tyler asked.

  She started to shake her head and stopped. Wait a second. What did he say? He said his father helped the DA, like in the district attorney? Her jaw tightened and every table in the room shook. “My parents didn’t die in a car accident?”

  One of his eyebrows lifted. “A car accident?”

  “Irene told me they died in a car accident.” Her body trembled. “Are you saying they died of something else?”

  She knew it. They couldn’t have died from a stupid car accident. Her father was an excellent driver. He drove for NASCAR before starting his engineering firm that specialized in designing high performance racing cars, but could it be possible they had been murdered?