Defiance (Significance #3)(11)

"You're wide open," Caleb mused. "Is that a good idea?"
"I think so," I replied and smelled the coffee from the cup in my hands. I made a noise of delight at the heavenly aroma, causing Caleb to laugh and lead us to one of the tables in the middle. "I decided yesterday that I would have known all Donald's thoughts, his tricks and all the councils' plans for me if I'd just opened up. I can't be closed off. I need to know what's going on. I'll just try to keep a hold on it."
"I agree, I just want you to be safe."
"I'm safe. I'm ok."
He nodded and rubbed my leg under the table as he watched me devour my honey bun with a dimpled smile. We were soon joined by Lynne and Kyle.
"These are nowhere near as good as Rachel's, ok?" Lynne spouted even as she scarfed half of hers in one bite. "Just let it be known."
I smiled. "So does anyone know what they have planned for today?"
Usually, the first full day here we race," Kyle said matter-of-factly.
"Race?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said through a mouthful. "They have all these races we do, games and stuff. The three legged dog, the cherry picker, the rat race."
"My love," Lynne said sarcastically, "will you please explain all that and don't make us beg you."
"But I like it when you beg," he said low and chuckling.Caleb came to the rescue. "Did anyone ever tell you you're completely inappropriate?"
"They have. And you know, I had a little talk with myself about it. It turns out, I'm cool with it."
We rolled our eyes while Lynne acted like that was the most comedic line ever delivered. Then Kyle explained.
"Ok, uh…the three legged dog is where two people tie one of their legs together and then run. The cherry picker is where they fill a tub full of cool whip and toss a whole bunch of stemmed cherries in there. You have to pick them out with your teeth and not get any cream on you. And the rat race is the most fun." He grinned.
"You've never played," Caleb told him. "You have no idea if it's fun or not."
Kyle continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "It's where they blindfold the men, the imprinted men, and we have to try to find our significant mixed in with everyone else. But the kicker is that they get Barcelona over there," he pointed to a tall, thin man all by himself in the corner, "to charm us so that we can't sense each other until the game is over. And…we can only touch each others' hands."
"That doesn't sound so hard," I said, thinking that I knew exactly what Caleb's hands felt like.
"You'd think that, but it's harder than it seems. And whoever the guy picks has to be his date for dinner that night, even if it's not his significant."
I grimaced. "That doesn't sound good at all."
"It's a camaraderie exercise, to get us to all keep in touch with each other and not form cliques or stay within our family the whole time. It's supposed to make us mingle. Usually they do silly dances that night, like the Waltz and the Shuffle, so it's fun and not weird, you know?"
"Hmm. I get it."
"But I doubt they'll let their precious Visionary play our games," Kyle sneered.
"On the contrary," Donald said from behind us. We all turned to see him standing there, a pretty, but older, blonde on his arm. "The council could devise its own version of the rat race just for Maggie." He looked at me and smiled. I tried to read him and once again I got nothing. No thoughts, no memories, nothing…but malice. I felt it all over him. He hated me. And for some reason I couldn't read his thoughts, but the rest was loud and clear. He hated my guts. And not just mine, he hated the Jacobsons as a whole.
"Come on, dear," the blonde said. "I'm hungry." 
"Very well, Priscilla. Maggie, I hope you enjoy this exercise and take it to heart," he said with a hard voice.
I smiled a genuine smile. "I plan to. Thank you."
He bristled at my kindness and walked over to the coffee bar.
"Kill 'em with kindness, sister!" Lynne said triumphantly. She reminded me so much of Beck. I missed her. I nodded to her and then looked to my left as we were joined by another couple.
"Philippe, right?" I asked. He and his wife both looked surprised.
"Yes. And this is my lovely wife, Marcella," he said, his accent was thick and gravelly as raw sugar. I smiled wider when she waved and went right back to her breakfast. When he turned to his wife and said something in French, they both bowed their heads to me and I was grateful that they at least listened yesterday and hadn't done a full on show.
I bowed mine in return and saw the spark in Philippe's eyes, but he quickly recovered.
She's so humble…she's so human…
I pressed my lips together.
"Are you reading my thoughts, Visionary?" he asked, the corner of his mouth rising. "It's alright. I wasn’t trying to embarrass you. Anyone who has nothing to hide shouldn't mind if the leader, the one who's here to help us all, can read their thoughts or not, right?"
"Hmm," I mumbled. "I doubt that most of the people in this room would agree. I'm not trying to read your thoughts," I told him. "It kind of…chooses who it wants to read or not when I'm wide open this way."
"I understand. Don't worry, you have an ally in me," he whispered conspiratorially and then leaned forward. "Caleb! How are you?"
"Doing pretty good, Frenchy," Caleb goaded and put an arm around my shoulder. "Doing pretty good."
"Ah, you Americans." Philippe shook his head. "So chipper and happy." Caleb laughed and they bumped fists. Does everyone do that around here? "Marcella doesn't speak much English, but she said she'd love to have tea later."
"Um…sure," I replied. "That sounds good."
"Everyone, please, your attention!"
We turned to see the big, burly council guy again. His gray hair was coiled into a perfect sweep and his eyes were just as gray. His eyes swept over everyone and stumbled over me before moving away quickly and going to something on the back wall as he gulped.
Oh…Is she reading my mind right now? Is she going to get a vision for me? What if she finds out about that time I gambled away a whole paycheck in New Zealand and lied to my family and said I was mugged. Oh, crap! I just told her! She can read my thoughts! Visionary, please forgive me. Don't condemn to a life of solitude for my sins.
He was begging me, speaking directly to me knowing I could hear him and everyone else was just staring at him waiting for him to finish his announcement. I gripped Caleb's hand for a second and then stood. The man's eyes bugged as I made my way to him.
"What's your name?" I asked softly once I reached him.
"Paulo," he answered in a low voice. "Paulo, my Visionary."
"Well, Paulo, I'm Maggie." I held my hand out to him. He took it, but didn't move. I had to do the shaking. "I know that I'm the Visionary, but I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to change the way we do things from now on," I said where only he could hear me. "I had a vision of your people…"Then I realized that everyone needed to see, not just Paulo. I turned to the room and started to say something, but the look on Marla's face stopped me. She had something up her sleeve given by her gleeful smirk. I had to be smart about this. I focused on the room.
The first thing I felt was Caleb's anger. He was reading everything through me, and could see the look on Marla's face as plainly as I could. I swept over the faces with my gaze. Every time I found a malicious looking person, someone who wasn't wondering what I might say, but looking on with an anticipation that made me shiver with anxiety, I focused on them extra hard…
And got nothing.
I got random thoughts from others in the room, but it was as if every Watson member of the family was blocked to me and I wasn't able to tap into their thoughts…like Marla.
Holy wow, I was such an idiot! Of course Marla would give each member of her family my blood. She already tested her theory at the club alley that night in the limo. She knew that her thoughts were safe with my blood in her veins, and she had something planned for this week, that I was certain.
She gave all the Watsons my blood so all of their thoughts would be out of my grasp. So I'd have no idea what they were going to do. Dang! Blindsided again.
I kept my head. I smiled and turned back to Paulo. "Go ahead and make your announcement."
"Alright," he said shakily and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Everyone, sorry for the delay. Uh…I just wanted to start the games for today."
Don't give up so easily, Maggie.
I cringed and took a step back when I heard the voice in my head. I looked around, but couldn't figure out who it was coming from.
Things aren't always as they seem. Pay attention. You're smart enough to figure this out, to stop this from happening.
What? I'm not giving up. I thought back, though I was sure he couldn't hear me.
"Maggie?" Jen asked and took my arm. "What's the matter? You look spooked."
"I don't know. I heard something…uh, someone." I raked my fingers through my hair, still feeling the weirdness from it being so short. "I can't figure out who it is and they're being very cryptic. I think Marla's playing tricks."
"Don't let her get to you. It feeds her ego."
"I'm not trying to." Caleb joined us and he didn’t look any happier than before. "You heard?"