Chapter 7

The next day at school I look for Sky everywhere but, again, the girl has an uncanny ability to blend in. Of course, I bump into her when I'm not even looking.

'Hi, Zed,' said some girl.

'Oh, hi,' I muttered back. Did I know her? I felt like I did. Then I see Sky trying to hide behind Tina. So, she's still afraid of me. Great, just great. I have to make this right.

'I didn't get a chance to congradulate you, Sky. You made an awesome save.'

I'd spent all of last night - well in to the small hours of the morning - thinking of how to win Sky over. She didn't seem like the type for grand gestures and overdramatic declarations of emotion, or atleast I sure as hell hope she's not. Instead I decided to be nice. I know, excellent plan really: I though of it all by myself, I don't know if you can tell.

'Yeah, I though it was pretty unbelievable.'

'I'm telling everyone you got lucky,' I tease her, using her twisted bag strap as an excuse to be nearer to her. Coincidentally it also told ever male in this school that Sky was mine. Not that that was my intention: of course not.

'And I say I had a little help,' Sky stares at me clearly wondering if I'd taken happy-pills. Didn't she realise how wonderful it was that we'd found each other? She must.

But then why didn't she tell me? I've spoken in her mind before.

Quickly, I jerk my thoughts away. Sky must not have realised, I mean, she was drowning at the time.

'You're rumbled, Zed: we all know you didn't bend the ball like you usually do.'

'I was just lulling Sky into a false sense of security. Next time I won't be so easy on her.' I hold up my hands. Maybe if I play nice with Sky's friends I'll earn some soulfinder-points.

'No way. Zed Benedict, you built up this image of the meanest guy in the year and now we know you're a sucker for little blondes looking all dewy-eyed and defenceless.' Zoe declares, grinning like she'd just figured out the solution to world hunger. Well, she's not far off the mark: since the moment I've realised she's my soulfinder, I'm definitely a sucker for Sky Bright.

'Zoe! Don't make me out to be dumb!' Sky snaps and I mentally grin. She's cute when she's angry.

'Miss Congeniality shows her temper! I knew you had to have one somewhere.'

I see Sky's irritation growing and prepare myself to watch the show, 'You'd be like that if you had to live with looking like I do. No one takes me seriously.' Sky's eyes flash dangerously as she jerks her chin up, defiantly meeting Zoe's amused gazed.

Note to self: don't mention her vulnerable appearance. Got it. Like a good soulfinder I manage to remain emotionless, right until I burst out laughing at her fierce expression.

'So I'm a joke, am I?'

'Sorry, Sky. It's just you looked so fierce when you said that,' Tina says apologetically, always the peace-maker.

'Yeah, really scary. Like Bambi with a Uzi.'

'And, just so we're clear, none of us think you're dumb. Do we?' Tina rushes to reassure her, the best friend I'd predicted she would be.

'Definitely not.'

'But I have to agree with Zoe,' I interject, at least attempting not to openly laugh. We'd already started off on the wrong foot, I didn't want to do anymore damage, 'You don't do mean as well as me. Maybe I should give you lessons. Be careful, won't you?'

Swiftly I brush my hand down her arm before retreating. I needed to touch her. I still don't understand my emotions so I'm guessing Sky's just as confused. I figure I'd give her some time to get her head around it, around me. Then we'd live happily ever after like Mum and Dad always said. Because even though I was an angry guy with a bad attitude Sky Bright is my soulfinder and I'll be damned if she runs off because of it.

Later in the day it's the baseball game against Aspen High. I show off a little, using my gift to anticipate the swing of the bat. Through the whole game I'm conscious of eyes on me in a way I've never been before. I'm used to attention - with a family as abnormally large as mine with such unique names blending in was never really an option. But this is different because the eyes I feel on me aren't the judging gazes I'm used to but Sky's. Between pitches I keep looking around for her distinctive mess of blonde hair but I can't find her.

Halfway through the game I hear Mum's voice in my head telling me to cool it I'm drawing attention to myself. I keep myself in the moment. My pride won't allow me to actually be bad but I can take just being good for the last half.

I work on fading in, becoming just another player when I know I could have been the star. Familiar resentment bubbles up in me but I suppress it. Now, it's not just my family's safety at risk, it's Sky's too - my soulfinder's - and for her I'll be average if that's what it takes to keep her safe.

Sky disappears before I can find her. Again. This has to stop; doesn't she realise how amazing it is we found each other?

A tiny insecure part of me asks, doesn't she want me?

Scowling I concerntrate and am rewarded with a vision of her walking home. Alone. In the dark. Does the girl not listen to anything I say?

Immediately I run to where she'll be cursing myself for not protecting her better. I'm her soulfinder, dammit. My vision can't be allowed to happen.

Her slight form walks in the direction of her house, bathed in shadows. Only her height tells me it's her.

'Sky!' She jerks round, trying to hit me with her shopping bags in fright which I deftly catch.

'You almost gave me a heart attack!' Sky shouts, her blue eyes blinking up at me.

'Sorry. I thought I told you that you should take care walking home alone after dark.' I remind her sternly, my mind flinching away from the thought of harm coming to her. I won't let her be hurt.

'You mean some boy might jump out and give me the scare of my life?' She raises an eyebrow at me and I almost smile.

'You never know. All kinds of odd people in the mountains.' Just ask the family of crazy justice-seeking Savants.

'Well, you've certainly proved your point.'

'Here, let me take that,' I prise the shopping bag out of her hand hoping my gentlemanlyness will pay off, 'I'll walk you home.'

'No need.' Like hell I'm letting her walk in the dark alone, even if I hadn't had that vision.

'I want to.'

'And you always get your way?'

'Nearly always.'

Sky hadn't said yes but she didn't stop me from walking with her either so I counted it as a win. I'll take what I can get from my temperamental soulfinder.

'So when were you going to tell me you're a savant?' The question had been nagging at me ever since she'd spoken in my mind. I understood the need for secrecy but she could have told me: I'm her soulfinder. She can tell me anything.

'A what?' Sky blinked at me like I'd asked her why she didn't tell me she was part-chameleon.

'You must realise how amazing it is.'

'How amazing is what?'

'I see. You're punishing me for being a jackass. But you have to understand I didn't know it was you. I thought I was warning some ditzy stranger to prevent her being knifed.' I try to reason with her, desperate for her acceptance. I know I'd been nasty but we're soulfinders: surely she could forgive me my knee-jerk reaction.

'What are you talking about?' Sky pushes my hands away.

'I had this premonition a few nights before we met at the ghost town - you get them too?' I tack on at the end, absently. She's not got any gifts I've witnessed which rules out something requiring heaps of control like Yves', 'You running down the street in the dark - a knife - screams - blood. I had to warn you - just in case it would do any good.'

'Um…Zed, thanks for worrying about me but I'd better get back now.'

'Yeah, as if that's going to happen. Sky, you're my soulfinder, my partner - you can't just walk away from me.'

'I can't?'

Those two words cut me deeper than I thought words could. How could she say that? A terrifying thought entered my head: did she want to leave, to never see me again?

'You must have felt it too,' I retort desperately, 'I knew as soon as you answered - it was like, I don't know how to say this, like the fog lifting. I could really see you.' Gentilly I stroke her cheek with my fingertips, hoping if I show her my sweet side she'll accept me as her soulfinder, 'Do you know what the odds of us finding each other are?'

'Whoa. Go back a little. Soulfinder?'

'Yeah,' I smile. I pull her closer to me, undeniably glad Sky has finally realised the truth, 'No half life existence for us. It's taken me a few days to get over the shock and I've been waiting to speak to you so I can break the news to my folks.'

'Zed, I've not a clue what you are talking about. But if you expect me to…to…I don't know what you expect, but it's not happening. You don't like me, I don't like you. Get over it.'

'Get over it?' This isn't how it's supposed to be. My soulfinder's supposed to love me and maybe actually want to be with me, 'Savants wait all their lives to find the one and you think I can get over it?'

'Why not? I don't even know what a savant is!'

'I'm one.' I hit myself angrily in the chest. I needed to hit something and it definitely wasn't going to be her, 'You're one. Your gifts, Sky - they make you a savant. You must get that at least.'

'Can I have the shopping bag, please?' Sky steps away from me reverting back to a polite stranger. I don't like it: what happened to the angry girl who called out the meanest guy in school?

'What? That's it? We make the most astounding discovery of our lives and you're just going to go home?' I stare at her in disbelieve. A part of me hope it's Sky's twisted idea of a very unfunny joke but I can see from the serious glint in her eyes that this is real. My soulfinder doesn't want anything to do with me.

'Um…yes. Looks like it.' Sky replies, confirming my worse nightmare.

'You can't!'

'Just watch me.'

'Sky you can't ignore this! You're mine - you have to be!'

'No. I. Don't.' Sky retorts to my desperate pleading before slamming her front door. Leaving me out in the shadows cursing how I'd treated her. Had my nasty attitude cost me my soulfinder?