SHORTCUTS Read online

  I’d learned a lot about acting from my mom, who could entertain a crowd while drowning in sorrow inside. But now, Mom said life in Divine wasn’t enough. She wanted to go somewhere with a future for her.

  But Divine’s slow way of life wasn’t the real problem: me and my friends were. As our gifts had grown stronger, so had my mom’s fear, hidden so deep down she couldn’t even recognize the emotion for what it was. I knew, though. I couldn’t help but know.

  So, if I was going to be friends with Mia, something would have to be done about the girl’s obvious misery ASAP. Life at home was plenty full of unfixable pain without adding a walking pit of despair at school, dragging me down.

  I opened to a fresh page in my pink journal labeled PRIVATE! With careful cursive, I wrote “M.’s Happiness Prescription,” adding some flourishes. Usually, the idea made me smile. I liked helping people and thought I was pretty good at it. But now, a feeling crawled through me like ants. Not hunger, not pain, not humiliation … what was it?

  Discomfort. That was it. Naming the right emotion felt like putting my finger directly on a faint bruise. I didn’t like ignoring my dad. As a psychologist, he knew stuff, no matter what my mother said, and he obviously didn’t want me to meddle with people without permission. Mia had definitely not asked for any help. I crossed off my doodle and ripped it up.

  If Avery said I needed to befriend Mia, befriend Mia I would. I’d just have to chill on the whole helping thing. No subtle plans, no sneak peeks, no fixing her up fast with shortcuts to happiness. We’d have to make friends like everyone else in the world did. Surely that couldn’t be so hard. Normal people did it every day.

  Avery’s words were flat. “You have to use your gift to fix Mia. Do your sneaky-peeky thing with her and work your magic manipulation on her. Fast.”

  My jaw dropped, and I stared wildly at my friends in Avery’s room, waiting for the punch line. But no one laughed.

  “You just told me I had to stop that! No more interfering in people’s lives!”

  “That was before.”

  “Before?”

  “I’ve never had such a clear vision, Parker. It came on me so fast. I saw she’s homesick, that she’s furious and heartbroken. Something she does at the dance next month exposes us, shows the world our powers … but I couldn’t see exactly what happens, of course. Because my visions suck.” Avery shuddered.

  I scooted closer. “Hey, take it easy. Freakouts happen all the time, right?”

  “This is way more than a few sobs. Mia has some kind of third-degree meltdown at the Halloween dance and somehow puts us in danger,” Avery said. “One giant mess of sadness, regret, and anger. Then things get really bad.”

  “What kind of bad?” Thankful for my friend’s shields, I waited without their emotions to warn me what was coming.

  “I’m talking locked-up-like-lab-monkeys kind of bad.”

  “Here? Not even my dad worries about that anymore. It’s a small town,” I protested.

  “We’re in a small town that happens to have a near-Ivy League university with a top-rated neurology program. The department just got a grant, my mother told me. Want to know what for?”

  Deshawn popped his knuckles. They sounded like gunshots. “I don’t suppose it’s about advanced human abilities?”

  “Close enough. One of my mom’s colleagues found old notes from that fertility doctor, tucked away somewhere in the department. They seem legit. There’s stuff in there about ‘unexpected changes in the fetus.’ My mom couldn’t cover it up in time.”

  “I thought he burned all his notes before he took off?” Ethan wasn’t smiling.

  “We thought so too. Maybe someone stole some of them first. I don’t know. But the notes are there now. And so there’s been some discussion about the drug that caused all the malformations and miscarriages—and us.”

  “It’s not like the doc knew anything about us for sure,” Deshawn pointed out.

  Avery said, “They aren’t talking about psychic gifts right now. That’s a big leap for most scientists anyway. But my mom says that they’ve found cases of super intelligent kids born from similar trials in other towns and want to study them. Savant kinds of genius. We’re the next logical step, if there’s even a hint we’re something special.”

  Ethan shrugged. “Plenty of people already claim to be psychic. It muddies the waters if anyone does try to find us. Why come after us when lots of folks actually want the attention?”

  “Sure,” Avery said, “but enough people in town remember we were part of that whole fertility trial mess, even if our personal files were destroyed. And if they find us, they’ll test us until they prove we’re the real deal.”

  Avery’s point was valid. None of us doubted that the chemical cocktail used by the fertility doctor had done something unusual to us. And apparently, the same or similar drug had been used elsewhere, too. It made me wonder how many babies were exposed to that drug before it was banned.

  “Why not just keep her away from the dance?” Deshawn asked. “Wouldn’t that solve it?”

  “It wasn’t about the dance.” Avery rubbed her eyes. “I think she’ll explode no matter where she is, but it gave us the time frame. Though maybe at the dance we’ll have a better chance at predicting her actions. Or stopping them.”

  Ethan leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “Fine. So Parker needs to work out a happy plan. She’s got that business down.”

  “How happy are we talking?” I asked. “There’s only so much I can do with raw materials.”

  “I’m not saying Mia needs a personality transplant or anything. I think she just needs to start feeling at home here. Accepted. She’s got to let go of whatever bad stuff she’s holding onto, or else they’ll find us. I don’t know how the two are related, but they are.” Avery bit her lip.

  I swallowed. “Even you? I thought with your mom watching your back—”

  “All of us. But there’s one they’ll want the most.”

  She turned her gaze to Ethan.

  He ran his hand through his spiky black hair with a smirk. “Everybody wants me, baby.”

  My fear grabbed me by the throat. Not Ethan. I slapped his arm. “How can you joke about this? She’s saying we’re in danger. That you’re in danger most of all.”

  He shrugged, stretching his arms behind his head. Even with panic beating in my chest, I couldn’t help but notice the muscles bunching beneath his T-shirt. Stupid thing to notice.

  Ethan said, “Avery’s visions are warnings, not promises. We’ve changed things before.”

  “Nothing like this. Nothing this bad.”

  Deshawn pointed at Parker. “Tell that to Kane, who didn’t break his leg and miss his chance to go to State, mostly thanks to you.”

  Ethan learned forward. “Parker, if anyone can make friends with this new kid and make her happy, you can. I have faith in you.”

  His gaze roamed across my face and, for once, no jokes lit his eyes.

  Heat bloomed along my cheeks. I hoped the blush didn’t show too much. “Okay then. To make her happy, I’ve got to know what’s causing the problem. She’s pretty blocked off, but the best treatments for stress or depression deal with the root of the issue, my dad says.”

  “Look at you, sounding all smart,” Deshawn teased.

  “She is smart,” Ethan said.

  The blush burned hotter, but I kept my voice cool. “Helping people with what’s bugging them is like figuring out a giant puzzle. But Mia has mental walls that are hard to get past, and when I have felt her heart … It really hurts. Digging around in there’s going to suck. Plus, her walls could collapse without warning, and I can’t even imagine what that would feel like.”

  Avery offered me a piece of chocolate. “I’m sorry, Parks. As if you need more pain.”

  Deshawn stood and paced Avery’s little room. He flicked the mini-blinds and peered outside, letting in a stream of sunlight. “It’ll be good for you, Mood Ring. You run away from pain or fix it
up real pretty, but one day, you’ll have to face it and deal.”

  “Easy for you to say. Eavesdropping from a distance doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.” I pushed my bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout.

  Deshawn gave a bitter laugh. “That’s what you think. Knowing things that you shouldn’t causes problems all on its own. Why do you think I run track?”

  “Because you’re like a cheetah on speed?”

  He laughed again, this time a much happier sound. “Nah, I love football, and I’m pretty good, but it’s too tempting to listen in on the other team’s huddle. I don’t want to win by cheating, and that could get us all busted, too. But for track, all I gotta do is sprint. Just me, running. Simple. No time to listen to anything but my own breathing.”

  “I never thought about that,” I said, eyeing him appreciatively. I’d always known his heart was gold, but I hadn’t realized just how wise he was for his years. He’d given up football in the peewee leagues.

  He shrugged. “You’ve got to work with what you’ve got. What I’m saying is, if you’d stop being afraid of what you might feel from others, maybe you’ll be happier, too.”

  “I’m plenty happy.” I tipped my head sideways. “Happy is my middle name.”

  He didn’t offer his usual grin. “If you say so.”

  “Well, I say so,” Avery said. “If anyone can help Mia, Parker can.”

  I shook my head. “She’s a tough case.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short.” Avery patted my arm.

  “Is this where I manfully refrain from making short jokes?” Ethan asked.

  I smirked and started pacing. “Focus, y’all. She’s really shy. All kinds of shut down. That’ll make it hard to come up with the right plan for her.”

  Ethan reached over and took my hand. “I’ll help you if you need it. Take it one step at a time.”

  I couldn’t even move. Stay calm, I warned myself. He was just being supportive.

  “We all will,” Deshawn added. His bigger hand covered both of ours.

  “All for one and one for all.” Avery put her hand on top.

  “Weren’t there only three musketeers?” Ethan asked with a quirking smile.

  I tossed my hair, summoning my acting skills to pull visible courage around me like a costume. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. We’re better than some old dudes with kabob skewers for swords. Don’t worry, y’all. I’ve got this. Mia’s gonna love us, and by the Halloween dance, she’ll be happier than a kid with a bag full of chocolate—the good namebrand stuff, even.”

  Ethan snapped his fingers. “The Draconids Meteor Shower is tonight. You should take her to the party at the hill, see if you can work your buddy magic.”

  “I figured I’d use tonight to make some plans first. Last time, the meteors were underwhelming.”

  “The party only happens once a year, though,” Deshawn added. “You could use it as a way to introduce her around. We can all go, watch your back.”

  Avery nodded thoughtfully. “Not a bad idea.”

  “Tonight could work,” I mused. “Super short notice, but that means she won’t have time to wiggle out with a lame excuse. It’d at least get her out of the house and meeting people.”

  “Exactly,” Ethan said.

  “Okay, then,” I said. “Let’s do it. See you tonight.”

  With one last hug to the still-shaken Avery, I headed to my own apartment. Deshawn lived in a nearby subdivision, so he turned right to head out the main door, but Ethan followed me to the left, walking me home even though it was fewer than a dozen steps. He lived two floors up.

  At my door, Ethan stopped me before I could head inside. “It’s probably best if Deshawn and I meet you at the hill. We don’t want to scare her off.”

  “The crowd alone might do that.”

  “Yeah, everyone’ll be there. Maybe she’ll even meet a special someone to distract her.”

  I shot him a suspicious look.

  He lifted his hands up. “Not me. I’m not interested in locking lips with anyone who could destroy me.”

  I crossed my arms, trying not to feel pleased that another girl was on Ethan’s no-kiss list besides me.

  “I’ll still have to figure out what stuff she likes. Do a little detective work. Not everyone puts having a boyfriend or girlfriend at the top of their list, you know.”

  “True. Some people seem to be a natural at it, though.” He lifted one eyebrow at me.

  “Hey, I haven’t gone out with that many people. Unlike some I could mention.”

  “Are you kidding? There’s a daily parade of dudes strutting through this building, hoping to get a chance with the infamous Parker Mills, actress and future sorority girl.”

  I laughed and a lock of hair slid over one eye. Before I could do anything, Ethan pushed it back for me. His palm was warm against my skin before he tucked his hand in his pocket. Had his touch lingered a moment at my ear?

  My head felt full of helium. If I didn’t remember to breathe, it might just float away.

  He took a half step back. “Hey, if I don’t give you a hard time, who will?”

  Just friends. He was teasing, like always. Tomorrow, he’d probably ask out another girl. Still, I couldn’t resist smiling back. “Stargazing. Tonight. I’ll bulldoze my way into Mia’s apartment and sweet-talk her into joining us. I’ll see you at the hill.”

  “Wouldn’t miss seeing you in action, Cupid.”

  I blushed again. I could feel the burn. Stupid blond blush, the bane of my existence.

  “I’m not signing her up for any speed dating yet. I’ll just be hanging out with her, trying to be her friend.”

  “She’s lucky,” he murmured, barely audible.

  My knees went a bit weak. Stay cool, stay cool. His scent of cinnamon gum and fresh-scented soap filled my awareness. I cleared my throat but couldn’t think of any snappy, silly answer. Ethan knew me better than anyone but Avery. So why didn’t he know I’d been dreaming of him for years?

  He leaned back, eyes twinkling. “Problem, Parkour?”

  A new thought occurred to me with a tingling, thrilling dread: maybe he knew more than I thought he did. What if he already guessed I wanted to go to the dance with him?

  “No. Just, uh, thinking,” I managed to say, which was true. My mind was already jumping ahead like a skipping stone, leaving my worry behind. My words came faster. “The dance is obviously in this vision, and we can’t ignore it. Everyone’s talking about it, even you, goober that you are, so maybe my job is to make sure she has a great time there. She said she doesn’t dance, but whatever. The right person could change that in a hot second. And I’ll know it when she sees the One.”

  I imagined Mia smiling, dancing with the perfect date. Yes. My breath caught and a delicious zing twirled in my chest. My doubts faded. This was my thing. It’s what I did.

  Everything would work out fine.

  He nodded, lips easing into a slow smile. “I’m sure you’ll figure things out. If it involves the heart, you’ve got the pulse.”

  Talking dates with Ethan made me twitchy. Too close for comfort.

  “So long as she doesn’t sit home crying in her ice cream all night. That could be the trigger I’m supposed to prevent. Haven’t you seen any horror movies in your life?”

  I continued over his laughter. “But fun, party, dancing—that’s all easy stuff that can boost her mood. And in the meantime, I’ll find some other options, if the date and dance thing doesn’t work out.”

  “It sounds like you’ve got this locked up already. Speaking of dates. Question. Does having a date to a dance really mean so much to a girl?” The question hung between us. He tilted his head, as if observing a new, strange creature.

  All the air froze in my lungs. Why did he want to know? After only the smallest pause, I said, “Depends on the dance. Depends on the date. Depends on the girl.”

  Ask about this girl.

  He held my gaze for an endless moment but said nothing. With his
solid shielding, I had no way to know if he liked me liked me, or if he was playing around, or if he just wanted the inside scoop on girls from a prime source. No way would I risk utter humiliation by asking.

  A door slammed down the hall, and we both jumped. The hushed moment snapped. A slow, devilish grin spread across his too-cute-for-comfort face. “Good to know. Later, Parkour.”

  “Later.” If my voice was faint, surely it was only from exhaustion. Not from a ridiculous hope.

  A couple of hours later, I stood outside Mia’s door and put on my game face. I had this. The girl was going to have a great time. She really, really would.

  “Knock knock!” I called and rapped twice on the door. Mia lived on the same floor as Ethan, but at the opposite end of the U-shaped building.

  The door swung open to reveal a tall woman, hair in an elegant topknot.

  “Hello, Parker!”

  “Dr. Lopez! I didn’t realize you were Mia’s aunt!”

  “Too bad I didn’t know you were coming by. I’d have made some cookies.”

  We both laughed. Dr. Sofia Lopez used to fuss about all the kids in the complex making too much noise but then secretly handed out cookies when parents weren’t around. Cookies had been lacking in recent years, but the woman’s stern expression melted into the same bright smile.

  Dr. Lopez swung open the door. “Come on in.”

  “Thank you! Tonight’s the meteor shower—”

  “The Draconids, yes. The party at the hill has been an annual event since I first started working here.”

  “Then you know Mia’s got to go! Rip that new-girl bandage right off.”

  Dr. Lopez spoke softly, so her voice didn’t carry beyond the room. “I like the way you think. My niece is a sweet girl, but she’s having a hard time.” She lifted her voice. “Mia! Parker’s here!”

  I stepped inside. A vase full of fragrant roses sat on the table, and whatever they’d had for dinner lingered in the air with scents of cumin and roasted corn. My own apartment never smelled so good.

  “She’s in her room—why don’t you head on back? First door on the left.” Dr. Lopez winked.