The clock is ticking on the wall is the only thing you can hear in the classroom. Everyone is busy at work scribbling on their papers only looking up to glance at the clock. Only a few of us have already finished our test and have been instructed to sit quietly.

I get bored however just sitting here with nothing to do. I'm in the third row to the front of the desks and no one is near finished around me so I can't talk to anyone. I rest my chin in the palm of my hand and playing with my pen in the other. I let my mind wander while I wait.

My mind goes to the thing I've been trying to stop thinking about most. How I cheated on my history essay last hour. The one my teacher claimed to be the best one he has ever read. The same one he is gonna submit to this historic program for an award. Little does he know, I took my brother's college essay and slapped my name on it. I didn't get mine done in time and I needed to stay at the top of my classes so I cheated. I shake my head as if I can shake the thoughts from my mind.

I look around again to see if anyone new is finished but no there isn't. As I'm turning back around to face the front again the new kid catches my eye. He is sitting in the row next to me but back a seat. I look from the corner of my eye and notice he is gaping at me as if in shock about something. My first thought was “Did I think out loud?” and my heart skips a beat in panic but I realize no one else is looking at me except him. As soon as I finish that thought he averts his eyes.

I face my eyes upfront and think “ ha what if that cute new kid could read minds” I laugh at my joke. I look out the corner of my eye and he has a smug grin on his face with a slight blush. His eyes look up at me as if he is aware my eyes are on him, I look away. I then come up with an idea.

........

I finished my test and have been sitting here trying not to listen in on everyone's thoughts. I shut them out and look down at my desk sketching a picture I saw earlier in someone's mind from their summer trip. I do that a lot when I see something I wanna keep for myself. As I'm concentrating I hear someone’s thoughts that sound strange. This person is thinking so fast kinda like a computer system. I've never heard anyone like it not even at my old school. I don't know everyone's voices yet and some people’s thinking voice is different from their actual voice. I concentrate on that one voice to tell the location. I look over to see who it is coming from. It's that girl who finished her test first.

She is talking about how she cheated on her history essay. I was in that class when that teacher made such a big deal about her paper and to find out she cheated shocked me. Along with the fact of how her thoughts looked like a computer system or something shocked me too. She looks around and she catches me. I didn't even notice I was gaping at her in shock until I saw it in her thoughts I am quick to look away but I still listen.

“ ha, what if that cute new kid could read minds?”

I almost laugh but I catch myself. She thinks I'm cute and ha she said “reading minds”. If she knew I could though she would panic. I grin slightly at that part. She is looking at me again and the way she sees me is different than the way I thought I looked. My eyes slowly rise to meet hers. She looks away instantly and then she grins. An idea popped into her head but before I can hear it she screams my name.

............

“JACOB!” I scream as loud as I can in my head. He jumps and looks at me with wide eyes.

.............

She looks me in the eyes and thinks

“can you hear me?”

I nod yes without thinking.

......(together)......

I'm screwed