Connected

Jade

Me and this Zayden kid sit down at a table. "When did you first start?"

"What?" God, this Zayden is so clueless. 

"Reading minds, how old?" I give him an exasperated sigh to let him know that he is making me lose my patience.

"Five. I was five when I noticed it." he says. 

I raise my eyebrows. "So was I!" We'll definitely have to figure this shit out together.

"Yes." Zayden says. I stare at him. "Yes yes that is good. Because. We. . .we are the. . .same! Yes. Yes. Yes."

I stare at him some more and shake my head. God, this fucker's awkward.

He seemed to just not know what to do with himself, as he flailed his arms around while speaking, not paying attention to the fact I wasn't listening to whatever the hell he was saying. Rolling my eyes, I decide to have an actual conversation with him. I suppose I will actually need a few friends in this new college experience. "What's your schedule?" I reach towards my boot where mine is folded up inside and grab it out. 

Zayden stumbles a bit looking for his. "Erm, right here!" he pulls out an already stained and ripped sheet of paper. 

Jesus. 

He shoves it over for me to read. Apparently he can't even read. 

I scan through it. It's mostly just general studies. Maths, science, the basics. He also has botany and environmental studies, so maybe he has some idea of what he wants in his future.  I then think back to my schedule, which I have memorized. We actually have one class together! College level algebra.

"Algebra." I say, nodding towards the sheet.

He looks up.

"We have. Algebra. Together." talking to Zayden is fucking exhausting.

"Oh, oh, cool." he doesn't look to pleased. I suppose I can come on as a little intimidating. Just a bit.

The rest of orientation day goes by just as you would expect. No more discoveries of mind readers or anything like that. Thank God. I don't think I could stand to meet any more people like Zayden, if that's what they're all like. If there are  more. 

Are there?

We need to find out. All my life I've struggled with fitting in. And sure, Zayden and I aren't exactly twins, but this thing, this mind reading thing is something. If there are more like us, it would be extraordinary.

I don't exactly know why or how I got this ability, or anything about it, really, but I do know that if there is two of us, it means I'm not just some freak. At least not a loner freak. I really do want to find more of us. 

But how?

Come first day of actual college, I meet my dorm-mate for the first time. She's already strung fairy lights all over the room  and everything smells like Rosemary and herbal remedies. I scrunch my nose and chuck my stuff on the bed.  

"Hi, I'm Izzy, your new roommate!"  she skips over to me, a huge grin spread on her face as she sticks out her hand. I look at it for a moment before shaking it. A flowery bracelet and lilac painted nails.

"Jade." I say blandly.

"Ooh, that's a pretty name!" Izzy flutters around the room like a butterfly, hanging up 'cute' curtains and sticking vases all over the place.

"Thanks." Why oh why is she so bubbly?

I go through my classes. Try to get to know some people, but I'm not exactly friendly. What can I say, I get annoyed easily! All I'm really looking forward to right now is seeing Zayden again. We need to get on this mind reading thing. Maybe we can refine our skill, learn to communicate with each other through our minds, and finally find others. It'll be tough, especially if Zayden keeps up this loopy act.

I sigh and move on through my classes.