Accordance (Significance #2)(44)

“Don’t touch me,” she begged, “I have a daughter and I have to think of her. Please, don’t touch me.”
In her mind she was sorrowful. Finally, she had confirmation that she was going to imprint and now, that was all taken away. She couldn’t let him touch her because then she’d imprint and the vision would come true. She’d leave Maria motherless. Otherwise, she thought the trade off was worth it. To have your significant, to know real love and be completely happy, even if for a short time, was so worth it to her. But that dream was shattered now in her thoughts. She was going to die…just old and alone.
“Jen,” I soothed and scooted to her, pulling her into a rough hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“Wait,” I heard Bish mutter behind us. “You’re saying that Jenna and I…we’re going to…imprint?”“In the vision you were imprinted,” I said softly.
“Bish,” Jen said softly looking at him unabashedly. Her tears ran down her face but her eyes spelled her feelings for him. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I want it, like nothing I’ve ever wanted before but I can’t leave my daughter without a mother. If I never touch you, then we won’t imprint, and if we don’t imprint, then the vision won’t come true, right, Maggie?”
“I don’t know, Jen. I’ve been able to stop them before so I guess so.”
“How did you stop them?” Bish asked.
“Well…there was a girl at the club we went to. I told her not to go home because her apartment was going to be broken into. She was going to beaten almost to death.”
“But how do you know that she didn’t go home?” Jen reasoned. “Or that she wasn’t hurt in some other way that night? Maybe you see what’s supposed to happen and you can’t stop it.”
“Well, I can’t be sure. I never saw her again.”
“How do you now that I’m not going to be kidnapped tonight,” Ecstasy asked. “Maybe that’s why you couldn’t see my future. Because I don’t have one. Maybe I’m supposed to die and even though you told me about it, something’s still going to happen, like that movie ‘Final Destination’.”
“This isn’t a movie,” Bish growled.
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, don’t. Jenna-“
“Bish, please don’t. I’m going to bed.”
Caleb helped her up and then me. She and Caleb hugged each other fiercely, almost like they were saying goodbye but neither of their minds wanted to voice it. She sniffed and smiled sadly at me. We stood and watched her go. Bish started to follow but I stopped him.
“Bish no, she’ll freak. She needs some time to think.”
“I won’t touch her. I just want to make sure she’s ok.”
“It’s hard on her, Bish. She’s wanted to imprint every since she was a little girl. She’s known about it her whole life and thought she never would. Now she found out that she could, but she’ll die. Just don’t, not tonight.”
He exhaled and I felt the pain from it through him to me.
“It’s probably just as well. She’s too good for me.” His mind reeled past a lot of stuff I’d seen before, of his childhood, how he thought he was worthless, but he spoke again before I could protest. “Is that why I’ve felt so weird around her?” He looked at us. He looked at Caleb’s hand locked in mine as he spoke. “Why I felt so protective and fuzzy around her?” 
“You feel some of that stuff before the imprint,” Caleb explained. “You always feel something for the person.”
Bish nodded and slumped into the chair Jen had vacated in defeat.
I turned to Ecstasy.
“OK, let’s get you situated on the couch.”
“It’s not like I can sleep anyway. I’m just going to stay awake and wait to see if you stopped the vision or not. See if someone’s going to sneak in and grab me.”
“We’ll keep a watch out,” Caleb assured her. “I’ll make sure the alarm is set before we go to bed.”
“Well, I’m not thrilled to be the guinea pig to see if you can stop a vision but I guess I don’t have much choice. You got any booze to lighten the mood?”
“How old are you?” Bish asked, leaning his elbows on his knees.
“Eighteen.”
“Then, no, we don’t have any booze.”
“Nark,” she muttered as she made her way through the door to the kitchen.
We followed her but I turned to look at Bish.
“Are you coming?”
“In a minute.”
I nodded and we went to make up the living room couch for Ecstasy. Caleb explained to her where everything was and that he and I were right in the next room. She nodded and sat down numbly on the couch. She was trying to put up a big front but in her mind, she was scared.
“It’ll be ok,” I told her. “I’ll get you some clothes.” I brought her some jammies and some clothes for in the morning. “Alright, our door will be open if you need anything.”
“Ok.” Caleb started to turn the lamp off as we went by. “Please leave it on,” she pleaded.
“Ok.”
I didn’t even speak to Caleb. Just threw on one of his t-shirts and climbed in bed. He pulled the lamp string and climbed in with me after changing and I latched myself to him, begging for sleep to find me quickly.
I woke several times during the night and so did Caleb. I felt like a mother hen watching over Ecstasy, who conked out so deeply that she never even cracked an eye at us as we kept getting up to check on her. Even after she spouted that she’d get absolutely no sleep.
In the morning, I woke with a start. I ran into the next room to find the couch ruffled and empty. Caleb ran in too and went to the door to check the alarm but then I heard her singing in her head, in the shower.
She was singing the words to Sesame Street which made me chuckle. Caleb said he needed to go for a quick swim to clear his head for the day so I went to greet Rachel and everyone else in the kitchen. Bella was lounging at Dad’s feet, chewing on some bacon.
The coffee smelled heavenly and Rachel had made honey buns today. I smiled in thanks to her. Then, for some unknown reason I hugged her and kissed her cheek.
She smiled brightly and kissed mine back.
“Thank you, honey.”
I scratched Bella’s head as I passed and went to sit by Dad and Bish. Bish still looked grim but everyone else was oblivious to what we had seen last night. I laid my head on Bish’s shoulder and nibbled my honey bun. We had to figure this out. I couldn’t loose Bish.He took a big sip of his black coffee and I could taste the bitter taste in my mouth from it as I heard his thought.
Are we going to talk about last night?
I shook my head no.
“Not right now,” I whispered.
He pulled his arm up and over me to lay it on my shoulders. I lifted my knees to press against the table edge as he continued to sip his coffee and look at nothing on the wall.
“I’m glad to see you two made up. I was thinking it was going to be a warzone all day long.”
“No worries, Dad,” I assured him.
“Good.”
“We need to get a move on,” Peter said and I saw him pat Rachel on the bottom, making her smirk as he passed her behind the island counter to get more creamer.
I giggled and Dad gave me a funny look. I just shook my head but then my jaw dropped as Ecstasy shuffled into the kitchen. The purple in her hair was gone and she had brushed it out straight. She had no makeup or eyeliner. She looked so different, like a completely different person. She fingered her hair and shrugged bashfully when we all continued to gawk.
“I washed out my hair color. Temporary.” She looked at me. “Thanks for the clothes.”
“No problem, Ecstasy.”
“And you can call Lynne, my middle name. If I’m starting over anyway, I may as well get rid of that ridiculous name right?”
Everyone chuckled in agreement with her.
“That’s a very grown up outlook, Lynne,” Rachel said and directed her to the huge plate of honey buns.
“Rachel makes the best homemade honey buns,” I told her.
She shrugged and went to grab one.
“I usually don’t eat breakfast,” she took a bite, “because I’m not ever…oh my gosh!” She looked at Rachel. “These are the best things I think I’ve ever had!”
“Thank you.”
“Can I have two?” she asked tentatively.
“Of course, honey.”
“Thanks.” She grabbed another one and came to sit beside me. “So…” she began.
“We’re leaving soon,” I told her.
“Good,” she muttered under her breath.
Jen came in then and accepted the good morning kiss from her dad. She glanced our way and tried to smile. Her mind said she wanted to try to be normal. She wasn’t mad at Bish and didn’t want him to be upset, or me. So she smiled sadly at us and then sent a small wave as she went back upstairs with her honey bun. 
Bish never moved but his breathing changed when he saw her and when she left, he sighed. I rubbed his arm under the table.
I looked over at Lynne and saw she had icing drip on her chin and she wiped it on her hand and then grimaced and looked around for a napkin.
“I got it,” I told her.
I focused just like Caleb and I had on the beach that day. I pushed forward the thought for the napkin to lift from the counter. I also had to tack on a bad thought to go with it. The first one to pop into my head was the vision I saw last night. I winced but went ahead and when I saw the napkin lift from the holder I smiled. Bish’s arm tightened on mine in surprise and Dad’s eyes rounded. Peter and Rachel watched in fascination too but it was Lynne’s reaction I enjoyed the most. She watched it stoically as it made its way in the air down the length of the table. Once it reached her she grabbed it and wiped her mouth and then took another big bite like nothing at all had happened.