Gifted Connections 1

“So,” Taylor looked at me in consideration. “He showed you his. Want to show us yours?”

I looked at their expectant faces, popped a fry in my mouth, and shook my head. “Sorry boys, I’m not participating in show and tell today.”

“Uhh, no fun,” Mike groaned.

“We’ll find out sooner or later. Sooner, probably than later,” Taylor stated. “When it comes to our gifts, they get spread around rather quickly. The teachers like to talk, and they really don’t do it behind closed doors. Either you are weak and a level two or three, or you’re really strong like a level eight or nine,” he was staring at me closely like I would reveal it by my expression. He didn’t know I had a great poker face.

“Why can’t she be a ten?” Ben asked shrewdly as he looked at me.

“I’m guessing she’s a one or a two,” Tamara said snidely. “Maybe she can make flowers grow or run really fast. If she were anything worth talking about my dad would know. Will would have told him.”

Somehow, she had made her way down the table and I hadn’t even noticed.

“You know, Tamara, as the president and founder of the school, my dad doesn’t share everything with your father,” Jax stated, not even bothering to look her way.

“It’s so cute how you’re defending her now. Did you tell her that I was your first girlfriend, the first girl you had sex with, and no matter how many times you stray, you always come back to me?” Tamara said slyly.

“Shut up, Tamara,” Jemmy sighed, her tone droll. “Jealously isn’t really pretty on anyone. Just let it go and move on.”

My phone vibrated at that moment and I looked down at it, tired of this conversation already. I wanted to leave but I didn’t want her to think she could run me off so easily and I really had no muscle strength to do so at the moment.

Jace: Any news yet?

Me: You know you would be the first to know if I had heard. :-P

I checked my email once more and saw that I did have a new email:

Dear Ms. Blake Thomas,

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your admittance to Knightstown Music Conservatoire. We ask that you arrive to your first class promptly at 7:15 a.m. in room 301 with Dr. Greg Allen.

I didn’t read the rest of the words. I had read enough. I quickly took a screenshot of it and sent it to Jace. I really meant it when I said I wanted him to be the first to know. He had pushed me into getting back to music. He helped inspire “Rumination,” and he had helped me get this opportunity in the first place.

Seconds later I received a text back from him.

Jace: I knew you could do it! I am SO proud of you!

Me: Thank you! Without you, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity or the fire to succeed.

I dropped my phone back in my bag and I turned to Jax and Jemmy, not caring that they were still in a heated debate with Tamara.

“I got in,” I stated with a huge smile.

“You got in?” Jax looked confused for a moment before understanding dawned in his eyes. “You got in!” He stood and picked me up and started twirling me around.

“You got in!” Jemmy squealed as she joined us, sandwiching me between the two of them.

We looked like fools and we looked crazy, but I didn’t care!

I was on cloud nine for the rest of the day until I entered my last class of the day: performing arts, a.k.a. gift training. The problem with starting school after it started for everyone else is you had to play catch up.

I had no such problems in my academic classes, in fact, I was pleasantly surprised that I’ve already read the book for my AP English Literature class. My first assignment for that class was already done. It was also the only class I shared with Jax. I had seen him and Jemmy in the halls a few times after lunch, but I only had the one class with Jax.

I knew immediately upon entering my performing arts class, that is was no ordinary classroom. When I opened the door to the room, I noticed it was long, but narrow; glass windows were in front of the class room with two additional doors, and it almost looked like an arena of sorts down below. There were two rows of seating in the room and I took the seat to the far left-hand corner.

I was glad I was warned that my class may be a mixture of ages, mainly preteens and teenagers, because I would have left to check if I was in the right classroom. I only saw two other students around my age. I recognized them immediately as people that were in my phys ed class. When they saw me, they made a beeline towards me and sat down.

“Hi, I’m Rachel,” the girl stated. She was average looking with her straw-colored hair and brown eyes. She was average build and height. All around average.