First Visions: Second Sight Book One

Chapter Fourteen

Kate and her mother spent most of the day holed up in the den and the kitchen since both rooms obscured them from the reporters loitering in front of the house. Thankfully, by the afternoon all the reporters had cleared out. Kate hoped a more stimulating event than a psychic working on a kidnapping case would take her out of the limelight as soon as possible. When her mom got home, Darlene made it clear to the reporters present that they wouldn't be talking to anyone about the case. After a couple of hours, Kate had plugged in the house phone briefly, but disconnected the line again when it began ringing off the hook. She wanted to scour the Internet to see if other stories were being published, but her mother insisted it would be better to remain in the dark. Who knew what type of skewed facts had been given to the press?

The highlight was when her mother had called Jared and tore him a new asshole. She demanded to know why Kate's name and picture were plastered all over Franklin. She could tell by her mother's end, Jared was contrite, but her mother was hearing none of it. Before she hung up, she said something like he'd be lucky to own the clothes still on his back once their lawyers got through with him.

Her mother looked on the verge of a stroke, which prompted Kate to diffuse some of the tension in the room. "Mom, maybe I should be flattered I was in that paper. A lot of girls I went to high school with aspire to be. I mean their goal is to be the page six half-naked pin-up, but a girl has to start somewhere."

"Ha-ha, but tell me seriously, are you alright?"

"Of course this is far from ideal, but there's nothing I can really to do about it now. I'll deal with the fallout and hopefully move on after laying low for a bit."

Her phone chirped. Kate felt nauseous as she read the text message from Julie. Is it true what the papers are saying? I thought we were best friends! How could you keep something like this from me?

Kate looked over at her mother. "Julie just sent me a message. She's mad I didn't tell her about all the psychic stuff. What should I say?"

"Tell her the truth. Maybe she'll understand why you felt like you had to keep it secret," her mother advised. Instead of messaging her back, Kate decided to phone her and air things out.

Without a greeting, Julie said, "I don't even know why I'm picking up."

Kate continued on despite the chill in her friend's voice. "Julie, please don't be angry. I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Well, why the hell haven't you? I have to find out from everyone else that my best friend is psychic."

"I'm sorry. I was embarrassed by the whole thing. I didn't want you to think I was a freak," she said meekly.

"Not good enough, Kate. It's insulting you think so little of me that you assumed that's how I would've reacted. Every time someone brought up the old story about you, I defended you and told them to back off."

"I wasn't sure how anyone would react. I didn't let a single person know the truth, not even my mother. I had the vision of Matt and then they kept coming." Kate persisted, "You don't know how hard it's been not only keeping it a secret, but witnessing people's memories and thoughts. I've seen things that'll haunt me the rest of my life."

"I knew you didn't want to talk about the whole Matt thing, so I left it alone. I never thought in a million years you were lying and still saw things. I just don't get if it was hard on you, why didn't you come to me? I tell you everything."

It was true, Julie did share everything. Even things Kate wished she kept to herself—like the time Gage drunkenly suggested to Julie they ask Kate if she'd be interested in a three-way make-out session. Vomit.