My first thought was that I was glad I hadn’t worn the white t-shirt I had considered that morning. My second thought was that I was pretty sure that the solution all over me wasn’t dangerous. And my third thought involved inflicting bodily injury on Nell Massler.

“What’s going on over here?” Ms. Lacusta was instantly standing over me, annoyance crashing off her in overwhelming waves. I tried to tune it out, but in my current state of anger and embarrassment, it was hard to control or block anything.

“She seems to be having a little trouble with the lab,” Nell replied in a smug, laughter filled voice.

Ms. Lacusta’s face remained expressionless, but she turned to look at me.

“Miss Vaughn? Would you like to tell me what happened?”

I swallowed hard. I was in a no-win situation. I wouldn’t make any friends by implicating Nell; at the risk of sounding like a five-year-old, no one likes a tattle tale. On the other hand, I sensed that the teacher already knew what had happened. I could feel the challenge in Nell’s gaze, and I kept my eyes steady on hers as I answered Ms. Lacusta.

“I was filling the wells, and I needed the dropper. I went to reach for it, and I guess I lost my balance.”

Ms. Lacusta reached over to brush some shards of glass from my jeans. “Are you cut anywhere?”

I moved cautiously and checked my hands, which had taken the brunt of the fall. “I don’t think so. I don’t feel anything.”

She sighed and shook her head before offering her hand to pull me to my feet. “Would you like to go to the nurse? Nothing that we were working with is dangerous, but if you’d like…”

“No, thanks, I’m okay.” I didn’t particularly care for school nurses.

“You cannot finish the school day in those clothes. You’re soaked.” Ms. Lacusta pursed her lips before gliding to her desk to scribble a note. “Here. Take this to the office, and they will see that you can get a change of clothing.” As I began to pick my books and notebook out of the mess of wet and broken glass, she added, “Please have the custodian sent down to us as well.”

I barely made it out of the classroom before hot tears ran down my face. Nell’s hostility, both the outward expression and what I heard her think, stressed me to the point of exhaustion. I was still shaking from the fall, and the intensity of my anger meant I was hearing minds even more clearly, a confusion of noise that made me hold my head.

I managed to stagger around the corner, out of sight of the Chem classroom. Somewhat hidden from the main walkway, which was mostly empty at any rate, I collapsed against the rough stucco wall and slid down to the cold concrete. A sudden breeze made me shiver; the air was warm, but my t-shirt and jeans were both sodden and cold against my skin.

I just needed a moment to recover, away from the speculative minds and mean-spirited glee that abounded in the classroom. I had to calm myself before I went to the office. I hugged my arms tightly to my ribs and focused on the painstaking process of rebuilding my mental walls.

I hadn’t gotten very far when a shadow fell upon me, blocking the little bit of sun that shone through a gap in the walkway roof. I felt Michael Sawyer before I saw him or heard his concerned voice.

“Tasmyn? Are you okay?” Panic tinged his words, and I picked up some of the fleeting images in his head—he thought I’d been attacked. Well, he wasn’t that far off.

I blinked up at him, not quite able to speak yet. He sank to his haunches next to me, laying a hand on my shoulder.

A zap of electricity—or something very like it—ran through me, and I jerked my head up, my widened eyes meeting Michael’s bright green ones. For a moment, his thoughts were so clear that I couldn’t distinguish them from my own.

She’s hurt, who did this? Need to get help—can’t leave her—call 911—

“No!” I managed to choke out one word. “No. Don’t call anyone—I’m okay, just shaken up—it was an accident…” My voice trailed off as Michael’s face fell into lines of confusion.

“How did you…?” he began as mortifying realization dawned on me.

I had just broken one of the first rules my parents had taught me. I’d reacted to and answered Michael’s thought, not his words.

My heart pounding, I mentally scrambled for a logical explanation, and I remembered what my father always told me. People will believe the simplest rationale for something they can’t understand. Maybe if I just pretended that it never happened, he’d forget about it.

“I’m okay,” I repeated. “It was just an accident in Chemistry, and I ended up wet. I’m going to go call my mom and ask her to bring me some dry clothes, but I just needed to take a minute.”

Michael’s hand tightened on my arm. “What kind of accident? What’s all over you—are those chemicals?” And how did she know that I was thinking of calling someone? Lucky guess… maybe…

I concentrated on his spoken words. “Yes—whatever we were using for our lab. Nothing dangerous, though. Just—” I pulled my soaked tee away from stomach,“ —wet.”

“How did it happen? Did you drop something?”

I shivered again and drew my knees against my chest, moving carefully so that Michael wouldn’t take away his hand, still on my arm. “Kind of. I had some help. Nell knocked me over and I ended up on the floor in the middle of lots of glass and liquid.”

Another shock surged through me and my mind jumbled again. Nell… what the… what’s wrong with her… I’ll take care of Nell, she won’t mess with her again… she looks so pale, is she really okay… get the nurse… Images from Michael’s thoughts flashed into my throbbing head. I screwed up my eyes and dropped my forehead down on my knees, trying to dull the pain. I needed to separate what he was thinking from my own mind, but at the same time, I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to pull him in closer and savor the connection.

Going to get help…

“No, don’t go!” I burst out before I could stop myself. “Don’t leave me here.”

Michael frowned down at me. “I didn’t move.” He released my arm and brushed my hair away from my face. “But I think we should get you to the nurse. You’re shaking.”

“I’ll be all right in a minute. I’ll go call my mom.” I pushed up to my feet, and Michael took a step back. His thoughts were whirling suspiciously, and I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Can you make it to the office?”

I nodded, still staring at the ground. “I think so.”

“See you at lunch?”

I ventured a glance up. “Are you sure you still want me to eat with you?”

He didn’t answer me right away. I couldn’t read his expression, and his thoughts were so jumbled that it was hard to get a fix on them, either.

Then he reached out and touched my cheek with the very tip of his finger. With the vaguest ghost of a smile, he answered, “Of course. I’ll see you then.”