Chapter Five

"This is Ricky- he plays lead guitar, and writes most of the songs. Janice and Kenny are over there- second guitar and drums- and Leo plays the keyboard, and does all the special effects."

Gabrielle listened as each person greeted her, subconsciously memorizing the slight differences in their voices. Janice and Leo were easy- their voices were both high-pitched and whiny, but the others voices were low and soft- but Ricky seemed to talk strongly, while Kenny soughed in a barely-audible whisper.

They were in a basement. Though the room was finished- there was carpeting on the floor- the space was musty, and it reeked of mildew. The couch emitted a slight odor, and sagged underneath her, submitting to her weight and succumbing to its own age. The dust in the air tickled and irritated her nose.

Gabrielle unzipped the large, heavy case at her feet. There had been several basses in the music room at the mansion, but she had chosen this one because of its unique shape- while the other ones flared out at either the top or the bottom, the body of this bass was in the shape of a rectangle. Dr. Spear had said it was called a 'Spirit Bass.' Whatever that meant. She plugged it into the amp where Elf had indicated, pulled the strap over her head, and waited.

She felt someone scrutinizing her. "Awesome bass." Ricky consented. She nodded her head to acknowledge his allowance, feeling she had earned some sort of honor.

"We're going to start out with the easiest song, Field of Broken Dreams." Gabrielle listened intently as Ricky played the bass-line on his guitar, Her fingers diligently mapping out the various shifts and motions of the song. She discovered she liked the lilting, yet momentous beat of the song. She could get used to doing this.

"Alright, let's start playing."

"Are you sure?" Janice sounded surprised. "You've only heard it once."

Elf snorted. "Believe me, she has it memorized." Gabrielle heard Janice shrug, and Kenny's drum sticks clicked together.

The guitars started playing, and Gabrielle fallowed their lead. While they were playing doubled notes, her part kept the beat along with the drums. Elf started singing a haunted, mournful tune. Satisfied that she could continue to play the bass easily, she began listening to the guitar parts, the way they mingled and swept upwards, and marveled at how they sounded so perfect together, so right. And the bass-line joined together with them perfectly, giving the song depth and feeling. It was a euphoria Gabrielle had never experienced before- being a part of something.

All too soon, the song was over. The last notes, caught in the sound boards of the instruments, echoed and slowly faded away, but Gabrielle could hear the song, pulsing in her veins, and pounding against her skull, trying to break free. The euphoria was gone though- all that was left was a slight memory, and the longing to hear the song and again be part of the music.

She became distracted by someone moving towards her. Ricky took her hand in a business-like shake. "Welcome to the band."

"Thanks. Um, can we do that again, please?" His laugh was deep and short as he moved to his guitar and strapped it over his shoulder.

It was midnight, and Gabrielle sat in the corner of the music room, thinking again about the band meeting and the music. Her bass rested in her lap, where she felt it belonged. Her fingers silently moved over the patterns on the fret-board, bringing her a slight ghost of what she had felt earlier.

Most people would say the reason she felt so connected to the music was that she was blind. But she knew the other's had felt the same way that she had- though they had played the song many times, they still marveled at the way everything fit perfectly together, at how they were finally apart of something. She realized the feeling never dimmed- nor did the need for it. Music was the most addictive drug, one taste, and you're hooked forever. She knew she had to join the band now.

"Hey, there."

"Dereth? It is very late." Dereth rolled his eyes. Well, duh. Don't state the obvious.

"I know. I wanted to hear how your meeting with the Phisheads went."

The exasperation in Gabrielle's voice was point and almost tangible. "They're not 'Phisheads' Dereth. And it went very well. I'm going to join."

Dereth's heart sank. He had hoped she would decide to not join the band. The concept that she might be apart of something that he could never join made him very sad, because it made her even more unattainable then before, sealing their separation with a searing crimson wax.

But she seemed so happy now, where before she was simply morose beyond reason. How could he fight such happiness, just because he had not brought it to her himself?

"I'm glad you had a good time." He almost added that it made you happy, but decided that would be too much. He began walking towards the large double-doors.

"Dereth?"

He turned, hopefully, in time to see Gabrielle shake her head. "Never mind." He nodded once, though he knew she could not see it, and stalked away.

Gabrielle inhaled the cool, early-Autumn air. It was the second Saturday of September, and, unfortunately, the day that Dr. Spear had picked for the mansions very first Parent day. She felt that such a nice day was being wasted on such a mood-shattering topic, and wished that it had been stormy, a setting far more suitable.

She could hear the other students in the sitting room-she was still waiting in a wing for her parents to arrive- happily away with their parents, taking care not to talk about anything psychic, as Dr. Spear had warned them the night before that some of the parents –Gabrielle's and Ken's- did not realize that this was a prep school designed especially for the needs of psychics.

Of course Dr. Spear and Elizabeth had more then hinted that this would be a choice time to reveal Gabrielle's secret to them, but Gabrielle had adamantly refused. She knew that her Mother would find some way of turning Gabrielle's gift into a disability, to force her to act completely dependant.

A long series of elaborate chimes rang in through the halls, signaling that someone was at the door, mingling with the sounds of Elizabeth going to answer it.

Ah, thought Gabrielle. Here's the witch now.

"Sorry we're late. I had set up an appointment at the hair salon this morning, and the girls were running behind. You know how these things are." Her voice, as always, was thick, bored, and drawling; practically dripping with feigned interest.

"How do you do?" Gabrielle's father's voice was, as ever, oddly high-pitched and coy. It was no secret that his wife had married because of his money- He knew it, she knew it, everyone knew it. Unlike her mother, Gabrielle's father knew perfectly well that Gabrielle was far from helpless- fat lot of good it did her, though. He wouldn't stand up to his gold-digger wife for anything.

A quick intake of breath indicated that Gabrielle's position was no longer hidden. She had been spotted. She heard the sharp reverberation of neck-breaking high heals hitting the solid oak floor, and prepared herself for the incoming.

"Gabrielle, baby! Have they just left you here? And where's Seth? Oh, I knew it was a terrible idea to send you here."

Gabrielle knew it was no use to try to argue with her. Instead, she tried to tell her mother that the rest of the families were in the sitting room visiting with Dr. Spear and Elizabeth, but with a sniff, and a muttering sounding suspiciously like "peons", She insisted that they would rather talk to her in private.

All the way up to Gabrielle's dorm room, her mother insisted upon holding her hand and doting upon her- "Don't run into the suit of armor, dear"- failing to realize that Gabrielle managed to lead them up to her room without walking into a wall.

She stopped in front of her room, pausing to pull her key from her pocket.

"What is it dear? Why have we stopped?"

"Stop worrying, would you, mother? This is my room."

Gabrielle paused as she heard Dereth approaching from down the hall. She felt a strong feeling of safety when she knew that he would be only one room down from her. She would not be completely alone with her parents.

She felt a slight shock as her parents acknowledged Dereth's presence. She imagined the dismayed look that must have been displayed on there faces along with a slight smirk from Dereth as he realized what trouble he was causing.

The lock clicked as she turned her key, and the door opened with an ominous creak. She walked into the room; not bothering to turn on the lights, even though she knew her parents needed them. She wanted to emphasize that her blindness gave her certain advantages over the seeing.

"Gabrielle? Where is the light switch?"

"Oh, sorry, Dad. I've forgotten. I don't need light, you know." She was sure not to let to much sarcasm show in her voice. She reached out her hand until it met with a long, thin chord hanging directly over her nightstand, and pulled. "Is it on?"

"Yes, thank you."

She heard her mother searching through the things on her dresser. She resisted a strong urge to yell. Why did she think she had such a right to go through her stuff? "mom, please don't move my things. I have it all in a special order so I know where it is."

"Oh, right." Gabrielle wondered if her mother would ever move things on purpose, just so she could help Gabrielle find them later. She wouldn't put anything past her. Already, she could feel her mother's 'need to be needed' feelings seeping through her bones, wearing her down. This was the reason she had left home for the mansion in the first place, to get away from that.

Gabrielle could imagine her mother's glee when the doctors told her that Gabrielle would be blind. She liked to imagine that her mother had begun to realize what a wasted life she had led, and had clamped onto the first thing that would give her life meaning. Well, I'm sorry, Mother, but I refuse to be the driving purpose of your life.

For at least a half an hour, Gabrielle tuned out her mother's droning's about people at the country club, thinking longingly about the new book that had arrived in the mail the other day, until something her mother said brought her out of her stupor. "What did you say?"

"I said that we are going to take you home today. Your father and I realize that you must be having a terrible time here, but are just too stubborn to admit it. Isn't it wonderful?"

Gabrielle gathered the bedspread in her clenched fists. No, this could not happen!

"No! I'm not going back!"

"Dear, it's ok, I'm going to take care, of you, just like old times. Remember…"

"I don't want you to take care of me. I'm happy here, I'm not going back with you!" The emotion in her voice revealed her fear. They couldn't take her back, not now, not when things had been going so well…

"It's not open for discussion. I'm your mother, you'll do as I say." Where before she had spoken as though to a child, Mrs. Thompson's voice was now stern. She would not give up so easily.

"Dad?" Gabrielle pleaded. She knew it was of little use, but maybe if she could get him on her side….

He hesitated momentarily. He was torn between making his little girl unhappy and angering his wife. Inevitably, he was more cautious of angering his wife.

"Listen to your mother," his voice was quiet, almost regretting.

"You see? Even your father agrees that you need…"

Gabrielle exploded. " I do not need you! I have never needed you, and I am not going back with you!" She stood up and ran from them, heading for the sitting room. At the top of the grand staircase, she collided heavily with Dereth.

"What's the matter?" He bent down to collect her sunglasses, and looked up at her face. Her eyes, cloudy as ever, were red and shining. "Are you crying? Whatever they've said, remember, they'll only be here for a few more…"

"They're trying to take me away!" She moved quickly away from his stupefied frame, not even bothering to take back her glasses. He stood there, frozen by shock, and then began to fallow her down the stairs into the sitting room.

Dr. Spear was standing in the middle, obviously through with telling either a good joke or a hilarious story, as all the people around him were laughing openly. Dereth felt an immediate pang of jealousy, remembering his own mother, but quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. There were bigger issues at hand.

Everyone in the room turned as Gabrielle shot through the doorway in the direction of Dr. Spear's voice, Heavy sobs now freely escaping from her chest unchecked. She didn't seem to realize that everyone else was also in the room. Her classmates watched her, as though they were in shock- this was the girl who never allowed emotion to get the better of her, the one who never lost control.

"They're going to take me back home." Elizabeth hugged her firmly, whispering word of comfort, and Dr. Spear walked slowly over to Gabrielle. He put an arm around her heaving shoulder. He spoke softly in Elizabeth's ear, nodded, and led Gabrielle out of the room.

Dereth turned his attention to Elizabeth, curious as to what she would tell the others. "Well, then," She said uncertainly.

Edward Spear slowly ascended the West wing staircase in the direction of Gabrielle's room. He had left the sobbing girl in a spare bedroom on the bottom floor with Dereth after assuring her that he would get the whole thing straightened out.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, Edward leaned against the banister and listened to the voices carrying from the room- it was not difficult, these people either didn't know or didn't care that others could hear them.

"I don't care if she doesn't want to go, Harold! She is my daughter, she'll do as I-"

"But Pooky-" Edwad began walking towards the room, suddenly dreading the iminent encounter.

"Don't you 'Pooky' me. I know you've always been her favorite, undermining my authority and going behind my back, giving her what she wanted, when clearly it was for the worst. You know as well as I do that she can't live on her-"

"Ma'am, I would sincerely beg to differ." Edward had rounded the corner into the room, bringing into view the owners of the voices.

One was a roundish women wearing a revealing mini-dress that was clearly too young for her. Her hair was a platinum-blonde color that was betrayed by mousy-brown roots, pulled into a playful bob, and her face was covered in Mounds of pancake make-up that still revealed the wrinkles and frown-lines that formed miniscule roads and highways all across her face. He noticed her wedding ring was also quite large.

The other was a short, thin man in a navy business suit. tiny spectacles adorned his weary face, and he seemed to almost tremble in his armani. He reminded Edward of a fearful mouse, and his wife was undoubtedly the cat.

The womens face worked itself into an easy sneer. "Yeah? and what do you know about it?"

Seemingly, a great deal more then you,but Edward let his thoughts remain unheard. Instead, he asked them to kindly step into his office on the first floor. Thankfully, they both remained quiet on the way down, giving him a chance to probe their personalities, and try to discover the best way for him to convince them to let Gabrielle stay at the mansion.

Of course, he was almost positive that if they knew what gifts Gabrielle had, that they would wish her to stay and cultivate them. but he wanted Gabrielle to tell them on her own. If she couldn't tell her own parents, how would she be capable to accept them herself?

He decided it would be more useful to probe the women first, for it seemed she definately wore the pants in the relationship. The man didn't seem to have a problem with letting Gabrielle stay at the mansion, and even if he did, Edward was sure he would have been able to sway him. Already, he knew the man was not strong of character.

Edward sat down in the comfy computer chair behind his desk. He motioned towards two seats across from his, but Mrs. Thompson vigorously shook her head-having made getting her way a sort of an artform, she was as determined as possible to make Edward feel uncomfortable, and the man would not take a risk as to defy his wife so boldly.

Edward had learned much about Mrs. Thompson during the short walk from Gabrielle's room to his office, significanlty increasing his already lengthly list of reasons to dislike her. She was a gold-digger at the simplest meaning of the word: She had no love for her husband, she married him simply upon his wealth. In fact, the man had attempted to court her in college, but being the snide women she was, she denied him- until he struck gold in the stock markets. What was worse then that, however, was that her need to be needed was so great, she used Gabrielle to make herself feel important, though suffocating the girl, pretending that Gabrielle needed her, therefore giving meaning to her own pathetic life. Despicable.

But it did give him an idea of how to have her allow Gabrielle to stay at the school.

"Gabrielle tells me that you are going to take her home today."

"That's right. just as soon as we can pack her things." She did not try to hide the smugness in her voice. She said it as though she had triumphed over something.

"Why?"

"Well, she needs me." She emphasized the word 'needs', as if it were painfully obvious, and she was just playing some sort of game.

"I'm sorry, madame, but I beg to differ." He almost laughed. The look on her face clearly stated that she was not used to being contradicted. People had always put up little, if any resistance to any of her demands. She looked thrown off for a moment, before saying, with fake politeness, " Oh? how so?"

"Gabrielle has lived at the mansion for a little over a month now. We have taken fieldtrips into the city, and has even joined a musical band, all with almost no assitance from anyone else. I think that has earned her the right to stay here- not that she should need to earn the right. If anything, I think she is far more capable then the rest of us. and besides," He added as an afterthought, "She has Seth."

"Is a dog supposed to replace someone's mother? She always depended on me before. Am I supposed to believe that she can suddenly take care of herself now?" Her frustration became more and more apparent, punctuated by each silabyl. Edward could smell a tantrum coming on.

"It seems to me-and we all do respect- that you have tricked yourself into believing that Gabrielle needs you, to make yourself feel needed-"

"How dare you! I think I know my daughter better then-"

"It appears not, madame. I think it is you who cannot get along without her."

"Howard! are you going to sit back and let him talk to me like that?" Her voice was whiny, and her face was contorting into a look that reminded Edward of a five-year-old who didn't get a chocolate bar at the grocery store. As she spoke to him, Howards face took on a look of fear. He glanced back and forth between Edward and his wife, but remained silent. Edward was enjoying this.

"Madam, if you really love your daughter, you would allow her to have this experience. come on," only slightly goading," prove me wrong."

She looked at him warily, then grabbed her husbands wrist. "We're leaving." and walked briskly out the door.

Edward was not worried about them taking Gabrielle away. He knew Mrs. Thompson would not prove him right. He thought, for a moment, about advising her to look into public charity, but dismissed the idea, thinking it would be too much.

After a few minutes, Gabrielle walked into the office, closely fallowed by Seth. He could not see if her eyes were still puffy, as she had replaced her sunglasses. "Are they gone?" She asked cautiously.

"Yes."

She groped her way into one of the chairs. Seth balanced his head lightly on her knee as she stroked his ears. "I hate her. Why does she have to do this?"

"Ahh, Gabrielle, I know sometimes people can be a bit trying, but you should never hate them. Pity them. Her life has so little value-or at least she thinks it does- that she has to use you as her reason to be. Sympathy is all that we can rightly give those without confidence."

Gabrielle sat for a moment and considered the depth of what Dr. Spear had said. Pity? for her mother? She didn't know if she could do that. but then she thought of how terrible it must be to feel that you were worth nothing. She stood and left.

Dereth heard Gabrielle's parents walking towards the front door. How could anyone treat Gabrielle this way? He was filled with a searing anger. He watched as the women reached for her jacket while yelling at her husband, and had a terrific idea.

"Howard, I don't understand how you could just sit back and let that terrible man talk to me like that! I mean, grow some balls, why don't-" She stopped and looked at the coat-rack. She was certain that it had been a few feet towards the left of where it was now. She reached for her coat again. The coatrack moved! "Howard!" She squeaked.He looked, taken aback at the change in the tone of her voice. She reached for her jacket again- and the coat rack again changed position.

"I watched something on the discovery channel about this- this place must have a poltergeist!" His voice was almost as high and squeaky as his wife's.

"Oh, howard," She said, trying to sound confident, "There's no such thing as-" The chandelier above their heads began to shake and vibrate. Forgetting their jackets, they both ran out the large oak doors.