Chapter Seven:

Rex hurried down the hall, crashing into people and water fountains on the way. But did he notice? No. His mind was preoccupied.

Melissa had touched him.

He could feel her pain, all the head noise the school gave her, all her denial about the girl with the Focus, her curiosity about him and his life.

Everything.

He felt sick. He had known that when people touched her she could feel their thoughts, but he never would have thought that he could read hers.

And she had read his thoughts.

He knew that she probably found out about his ever going conflict with his dear old man.

He knew she was bound to do something about it.

He never would have guessed that she hadn't found out about his secret.

Never.

He felt sick.

About three minutes later he was sick. When he dragged himself down to the nurse's office he felt weak. He had a huge headache, his stomach hurt, and he had just puked.

Great. Just fine and dandy.

As he walked into the nurse's office he plopped down onto the chair. The nurse, Mrs. Thomas, was on the phone with somebody. She glanced up at him, gave him a quick look over, before muttering into the phone, "Hang on, I've got a sick one. I'll call you back after."

She slammed the phone down on the hook and swiveled in her chair to look at him.

"What happened?" she asked. Mrs. Thomas was young with shoulder length blonde dyed hair and cold grey eyes. Rex didn't liker her much.

"I puked." He answered simply.

"You look pale." She answered. "Let me check your temperature."

She opened a drawer in her desk and brought out a thermometer. She stuck it in Rex's mouth and pushed a button. About ten seconds later she whipped it out of his mouth again.

She glanced down and whistled softly. "101.3" she murmured. "We better get you home."

Oh no. Sickness was weakness!

"No, I feel much better now." Rex cried.

Mrs. Thomas gave him a funny look before mumbling, "Aren't kids supposed to want to stay home these days?" to herself before turning back to Rex.

"Sorry sweetie, its protocol. Over 99 and we got to send you home."

Sickness was weakness, weakness meant spiders!