A headache pounded behind her eyes as she watched the others play rummy. It felt like a mallet pounding away at her skull. It was difficult to think straight as the pain ebbed and flowed across her brain. Rummy was her favorite card game, but with the pain making it difficult to think clearly, she had to quit playing. She still enjoyed watching her closest friends try to one-up each other though.

She knew that the others were slightly relieved when she quit playing- she could see the relief in their eyes. They were hardly ever able to win when she played; she always seemed to know what they had. Even now, when she wasn't playing, she knew what they were holding- even without looking at their cards. Their moves were too straightforward; their discards were simple; they went about it as if they were barbarians braining their enemies with a club, instead of the graceful dance of the sword. No Class, the small voice whispered in her head. She smiled behind the book she was unsuccessfully trying to read. Wally- the oldest of them- noticed the smirk and tapped his cards into a neat stack and laid them on the table. "What's the smile for?"

"Just wondering how those Aces are feeling in your hand." She said, seeing a perfect distraction from her headache. She set her book down, her smile widening as he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"What makes you so sure I have Aces?" He asked, his voice hitching on the last word, betraying his bluff.

"Three rounds ago you picked up the Ace of Hearts even though both the Kings and Queens are already on the board." She said, gesturing to the plethora of cards on Barb's side of the table. "You can't be playing them low since Cody has the Two's and Sabrina doesn't need them- she's flashed me her hand multiple times now- so you're not keeping them from her. Hence, you have at least two Aces in your hand. So I reiterate my earlier question: How do those Aces feel in your hand?"

His face was grim and his mouth was set in a hard line, but he didn't say anything else after that, yet when his turn came- after Cody laid down those twos- Wally drew a card and, with a look that said "You Smartass" directed right at her, laid down three Aces. She smiled and picked her book back up, her headache still not appeased; her secret locked behind the unrelenting pain.

Yeah. Let them think I'm reading their cards… instead of their minds. She thought as she leaned over and pointed to a card in Sabrina's hand, mentally nudging her, wanting her to pick up the card Wally discarded. How easy it is to influence what they want. Shape it to be anything I desire. What would happen if I were to go a little further I wonder? Sabrina obediently picked up the card, laying down a run and going out; earning enough points to win the game.

"What do you say to another round?" Wally asked, looking at her, disrupting her thoughts. She was confused for a second as the pain came slamming hard against her mind, scattering her thoughts and making it impossible to think clearly. She stared at the others, not seeing them as the friends they were, her brain taking control. With a wrench, she pulled her scattered thoughts back to her and minutely shook her head. She had to get out of there and get out of there now. She cared too much for these people and she didn't want to hurt them, and she could. It would be all too easy. It was always there, in the back of her mind, waiting for her to get distracted, to let down her guard. She wouldn't- she would run before that happened.

"No thanks Walter. My head's killin' me and it's starting to get too dark to see the cards." She said as she stood from the table. She decided to make a hasty retreat to give herself time to recuperate. She grabbed her book and slapped the table with it, "Well y'all have a wonderful evening. I'm going inside."

"Alright. Night." Barb said, dealing the cards out for another round.

As she closed her door, she smiled, welcoming the solitude of her vacant mind. Peaceful at last. She thought as the crushing headache disappeared; the feeling so euphoric she sighed happily- the sound bordering on sensual. There wasn't a feeling as wonderful as the sweet release of the pain slipping away and her mind becoming in control of itself once again.

As she stripped out of her clothes and climbed into bed, the small voice in the back of her head- it was almost as distracting as the pain sometimes- whispered- erasing the last vestiges of pain like a soothing balm- calming her as nothing ever would. It wasn't so bad; bad headache, sure, but at least you didn't kill anyone… today…