Freak High
Chapter 3: Settling In
"Can't you just pick up the damn syrup bottle like a normal person?"
"Ah, but Masen, none of us is normal. Isn't that the point of Freak High?"
Of course Emmett couldn't actually manage to talk and manipulate his power at the same time so the maple condiment clattered to the tabletop, spilling its contents off the edge and onto his lap.
"Shit! Now I have to change before class. I'm finally going to get to see Rosie again today, and you had to go and turn me into a sticky mess."
"I am sure your girl can do that all on her own," Edward fired back with a smirk at his new friend.
Shut it, Assward was Emmett's internal reply as he left their dorm's shared kitchen and ran back up to his room on the second floor.
Edward was still shocked that he could once again consider someone a friend, but his attitude about a lot of things had changed in the past week since they arrived at Olympic Academy.
Things were rocky at first though. Several students of both genders tried to "explore" their first night here. Since they were no longer under the careful watch of their families, some thought that now might be a good time to establish some independence, which may or may not have included trying to leave the property.
Of course Emmett was the worst offender, attempting to sneak out on three separate occasions in the first twelve hours. Once he realized the futility of trying to get past security, he took out his anger at the situation on their common room, sending CDs and books flying off shelves and crashing into the opposite wall. But Emmett had thankfully calmed down considerably in the last few days. Edward wasn't sure if it was Jasper's influence or the new trust that all of them had reluctantly placed in their pseudo principal.
Since several of the students had such trouble adjusting to being here, Dr. Cullen had felt it prudent to concentrate on individual sessions before starting group classes. In fact, the teenagers had been pretty much sequestered to their respective dormitories since arriving. The only exceptions were escorted trips to and from the offices and laboratories in the main administrative building.
In the beginning, some of the students refused to actively participate in the one-on-one sessions with Dr. Cullen and his team. They were upset at the restrictions and felt the need to assert some control over their lives. Their principal though never pushed them or made demands. Instead, he would spend the time telling the students about himself, his research, and how he hoped to help them. After just a few sessions, it was impossible for any of them to doubt his sincerity.
The enforced confinement also gave students the chance to really get to know everyone who lived in their same building, since they were forced to spend so much time together apart from the opposite sex. At least that was true for the sixteen guys in Edward's dorm.
As psychic powers were revealed one at a time, camaraderie slowly developed among the group. They didn't all like each other necessarily, but each reveled in the knowledge that they weren't alone in their strangeness. The abilities that had always made them stand apart from the rest of their friends and family - and often made them question their own sanity - were embraced within the academy's walls.
For Edward, sessions with Dr. Cullen and the other scientists had already given him more control over his "gift" than he had ever hoped to achieve. He still could not entirely shut off the internal ramblings of those around him, but he had managed to push them deeper into his mind so he could concentrate on verbal dialogue and have somewhat normal conversations for the first time since hitting puberty. Although it took hard work and concentration, he was now able to give those around him some amount of privacy.
"So, anyone else excited to finally interact with the girls today?" Mike Newton asked from his end of the kitchen table. He was one of the students Edward only barely tolerated, and thus usually avoided.
"There's this particular hottie," Mike continued, "with long dark brown hair that I have been fantasizing about since orientation. I may have also seen her in the girls' dorm a couple of times since then, but unfortunately I can never catch the chick in any state of undress."
"You better hope that Dr. C doesn't find out you are trying to abuse your bilocation power like that," another student, Ben, commented.
What an ass.
Edward seconded Jasper's unspoken opinion about Mike, which is why he gave a slight nod of agreement to the idea that appeared next in Jasper's head.
Mike was suddenly weeping openly at the table, unable to fight the flood of emotions being sent his way.
"What Mike? Are you suddenly feeling extremely guilty and ashamed for your poor behavior?" Edward threw over his shoulder as he put his plate in the dishwasher.
He was looking forward to eating lunch and dinner in the main cafeteria starting with their next meal. Although he didn't mind fixing his own food, it would be a nice change to have someone else preparing meals after having mostly frozen waffles, hotdogs, and spaghetti for the past week. Apparently, Dr. Cullen didn't want the students feeling too pampered as they transitioned from their previous homes.
After cleaning up his breakfast dishes, Edward grabbed the backpack that he had earlier deposited by the front door, the same door that had been locked since he arrived but now stood open. Upon exiting the dormitory, he stopped to enjoy the bright morning sunshine and fresh air.
"Now that we have free reign, it seems strange, huh?" Jasper commented as he came up behind his friend.
"Yeah," Edward answered, "I had gotten so used to being lead around by a staff member that it's weird to now have the freedom to find our first class on our own."
"It's like they had us brainwashed or something."
Edward couldn't help but smirk at the irony. "Mike would probably say that you are the one messing with people's minds."
"That's true, but the douche definitely deserved a little payback this morning."
Edward turned his attention to the class schedule they had each been given as the two boys walked across the grassy quad separating their dormitory from the main building where all of their classes were being held.
Since there were less than three dozen students currently enrolled at Olympic Academy, they all had the same schedule: biology, psychology, calculus, history of psychic phenomenon, physics, and linguistics. They were also each expected to attend a variety of physical fitness classes including martial arts and strength training.
Edward knew that some of the students still considered this place a prison or felt shunned and dismissed by their families by virtue of being sent here, but he was beginning to see why the government had refurnished this abandoned boarding school and brought them all together.
Sure, electrodes had been attached to his head several times already, and Edward wasn't sure how he had any blood left considering how many samples they had taken, but he knew without a doubt that the peace of mind he had already gained at his new high school was worth it.
Then again, it was the first school he had attended in over a year. After the voices started appearing in his head, he had begged his grandmother to let him be home-schooled. He knew for a fact – since he could read her mind after all – that Grandmother Masen was afraid the death of his parents had finally pushed Edward over the edge, but she had granted his wish and given him his space. He had even convinced himself that he was content with his diet of music, books, and solitude, until he came here.
The only remaining question was how the agent who rang the doorbell last month had known about his ability, especially considering that Edward had never even told his grandmother the truth. As far as she knew, it was migraines triggered by crowds that drove him into the attic.
He was still pondering that mystery as he took a seat in biology beside Jasper. They were the first ones to arrive in the classroom as most of the guys stopped in the quad to await the girls' arrival. It not that Edward didn't want to meet the rest of the student body, it just wasn't a priority. Plus, being surrounded by lots of people was still difficult for him, the bombardment of thoughts overwhelming at times.
As other students started trickling in, Edward closed his eyes in an attempt to block their minds. Snatches of words and phrases entered his consciousness, but for the most part, Edward was able to successfully bundle everything into a general buzzing sound using the technique Dr. Cullen taught him.
Of course they would all be asking about Masen.
Although he didn't open his eyes, the sound of his own name, even unspoken, pushed into the front of Edward's mind. Apparently Mike was upset that a couple of girls he was trying to flirt with were not so taken with the "Newton Charms," preferring the silent strong type instead.
Edward could also pick up flashes of something else from Mike's mind. Recent memories of surprise, pain, and dented lockers skirted around the edges of his consciousness, but Edward couldn't get a real sense of what happened. Mike was obviously trying to suppress what appeared to be an unpleasant encounter in the hallway.
Edward, my man. Jasper's thoughts drowned out the rest. It would appear you have quite the fan club.
Despite his better judgment, Edward slowly opened his eyes to find a pair of blue ones staring back at him. The face in front of him was coated with too much make-up and surrounded by dyed blond hair.
"Hi, I'm Jessica, and this is Lauren," the girl spoke in a low voice that was probably meant to be sexy but in reality was just annoying. She was twisted around in her seat from the lab table in front of the one that the two boys occupied. The other girl was also leaned over the back of a chair, her right hand extended towards Edward.
"I met Jasper at the airport," Lauren commented as Edward shook the offered hand, "but somehow missed you."
Which is a shame – her internal dialogue continued in Edward's mind – because I could have made you feel real good in the back seat of that bus instead of wasting my time with Tyler. Even Jasper would have been better in retrospect as long as he kept his mouth shut. Southern accents get on my last nerve.
Edward shuddered at Lauren's unspoken comments and was further disturbed when she didn't release his hand right way. Instead, her fingers trailed over his one piece of jewelry, an item bearing the Masen crest.
"That's so sweet that you wear the ring that belonged to your grandfather. Did you know it was originally casted in England?"
Edward didn't respond to her question, but instead ripped his hand away and twisted his face into a scowl.
"Isn't it cool that Lauren that has the power of psychometry? All I can do is locate items through dowsing." Jessica seemed disappointed that she couldn't impress the boys with her psychic ability, but her expression changed an instant later, deciding on a different approach to get their attention. "Then again, I have many other talents that might interest you."
Edward jerked away when he felt Jessica's hand grabbed his thigh underneath the lab table. What is wrong with these girls? he wondered to himself. He wasn't used to this kind of attention from the opposite sex, and it unnerved him.
Prior to his decision to home-school, Edward was a skinny teenager with bad skin and thick glasses. Since then, he switched to contacts, invested in some Proactiv, and bulked up – lifting weights was one of the ways he filled the lonely hours – but he still never considered himself attractive. Apparently, others disagreed.
Luckily, both girls were distracted from their flirting when Emmett entered causing a scene. All eyes tracked the new arrival as he chased a squealing blonde into the classroom. Emmett finally caught his prey right beside Edward and Jasper's lab table.
"Did you really think you could escape me, babe?" their friend asked with a huge grin on his face.
"Not necessarily, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to make you work for it," purred the girl trapped in his arms.
"You weren't playing so hard to get in the broom closet just now."
That comment earned Emmett a slap across the face, but Edward could tell the girl wasn't actually angry. He could also admire her generous curves and striking beauty, but he didn't doubt for an instant that she was well aware of those assets herself.
Still, if this was the girl Emmett has been going on and on about, Edward could at least give her a chance, especially considering that he agreed with her internal assessment of the two girls in front of him, who had thankfully turned back around.
"Jasper, Edward, I'd like for you to meet my woman, Rosalie Hale." Emmett looked smug until said woman punched him in the arm.
"I am not your woman, asshole. I don't fucking belong to you. And if you keep up this chauvinistic shit then you won't get to sample the wares anymore."
Once again, Edward knew Rosalie wasn't really mad, but Emmett wasn't quite so sure. Just in case, he gushed apologies as he followed her to a back table.
Jasper, in the meantime, was staring at the classroom door, seemingly mesmerized. Edward followed his gaze to find the strange girl from the conference room; of course he had since discovered that strange was definitely a relative word around Olympic Academy. She was walking towards them but only had eyes for Jazz.
"You've kept me waiting" was her only comment after stopping in front of their table.
"I promise not to make that same mistake again."
Without even a glance at his friend, Jasper took the girl's hand and followed her to the last empty table in the room, which left Edward in quite the predicament. He could already hear the thoughts of several girls who were considering abandoning their current lab partners in lieu of grabbing the now unoccupied chair on his left. Thankfully, their teacher chose that moment to breeze into the classroom and call everyone to attention.
Just as Mr. Banner was providing the class with his surprisingly impressive credentials, Edward noticed another student slipping through the open door. He didn't play her much attention, however, as he was focusing so hard on blocking his classmates' thoughts so that he could concentrate on the teacher's introduction.
Mr. Banner though stopped his opening monologue a moment later.
"I will excuse your tardiness this one time, young lady, as it is the first day, but I expect you to be on time from now on. Now, please quickly take a seat so we can get started on our first lesson, genetic manipulation."
The girl quickly slid into the chair Mr. Banner had indicated, which meant that Edward now had a lab partner. Since she appeared both embarrassed and nervous, Edward thought he would quickly introduce himself to help ease the tension.
He waited until she gathered her supplies from a book bag on the floor before discreetly whispering, "Hi, I'm..."
Before Edward could finish his greeting though, the girl beside him leapt back dragging her chair with her. From her new position, which was practically in the aisle, she gave him a look he couldn't quite decipher. At first, she appeared simply shocked, but her facial features then morph into a mixture of terror and disgust.
Against his better judgment, Edward opened his mind in order to read hers, but for the first time, he was met with nothing, complete emptiness where her thoughts should be. It was then that he realized this was the girl from the bus who had caught his attention. This was the first time though that Edward had been able to see her eyes. In the brief moments that their stares were locked together, Edward felt something unrecognizable stir within him, a feeling he could quite place.
The girl looked away then and proceeded to hide behind a curtain of hair. She was also grabbing the edge of the table with a fierce determination.
Edward could barely follow the lecture on the possibility of alternating a fetus's cerebral DNA in utero. He was too focused on trying to get a peek at the girl beside him, at her face or her mind – at this point, either would bring him some relief. He was desperate to know why she seemed so repulsed by him. Edward was quickly becoming obsessed with his lab partner even though he didn't know her name.
He wanted to think his fascination came from not being able to know what she was thinking, but it was more than that. He felt drawn to her for some unknown reason. The feelings she invoked were confusing and made absolutely no sense to Edward's logical mind.
He hoped to try an introduction again at the end of class, but his partner flew out of her chair and out of the room before Banner even finished saying "you're dismissed." Edward would have followed right afterwards, but it was unfortunately many long minutes before he could separate himself from the slutty twins.
By the time Edward got to psychology, the mystery girl had planted herself in the far corner of the room, her face buried deep in the textbook. Since all of the desks around her were already taken, he was forced to set by some girl named Tanya, who thoughts about him were even worse than Lauren and Jessica's.
Still desperate to learn more about his lab partner from biology, Edward subjected himself to everyone else's thoughts. After awhile, he determined that her name was Bella, but was surprised at some of the internal comments directed towards her.
Why am I not surprised that Little Miss Mousie has tucked herself away in the corner. What a freak.
Bella seemed more afraid than usual; I hope nothing happened to set her off. Maybe I should try to talk to her again tonight.
I still don't know what the fuck happened in the hall. I don't care how hot she is, that particular brand of crazy isn't worth the trouble.
Shit, I have been totally ignoring Bella. Some roommate I am. Then again, she needs to start spreading her wings more.
I wonder why Mike told me to stay away from that Bella chick. She doesn't look crazy to me, at least not any more than the rest of us. I definitely need to try to hit that the first chance I get.
Edward practically growled at Tyler after intercepting that last thought, but felt slightly ashamed afterwards. He had promised his dorm mates to give them as much privacy as possible. Yet in this case, the need to protect Bella outweighed everything else.
But there was another thought that popped in his own head after hearing Tyler's internal assessment that had nothing to do with wanting to protect the girl. The resulting wave of possessiveness that rushed through his body in that moment truly frightened him, but Edward couldn't deny the thought's existence.
Mine.