Chris and I are sitting in a coffee shop on Union Turnpike. In front of me is a caramel latte. Chris ordered a Pepsi. In the middle of the table, on a saucer, lie two untouched donuts generously covered with powdered sugar.

  Chris drums his fingers on the flat surface of the table, and it gets on my nerves. Just like his thoughts.

  "Stop thinking!" I snap and reach for the infamous donut.

  "A person cannot stop thinking," Chris replies with undisguised irritation in his voice. "People do not think only when they are asleep. You should stop reading my thoughts."

  "And do you know what that fat guy over there is thinking about?" I change the subject.

  Chris looks at me questioningly. I sigh tiredly, because I hear things like this almost every day.

  "He is thinking about what a ‘sweet little girl’ is doing in the company of an ‘isolated individual.’ And that guy walking with a tray has decided to hit on you."

  "To do what?"

  "Oh my God!" I snort. "He wants to drag you into bed."

  "Shit!" Chris thinks, and I know exactly what. Then he speaks again. "You have an amazing gift, Anna. I do not understand why you want to get rid of it. You can do more than an ordinary person. With your gift, you can succeed in any field. I heard you today at the lectures. You answered almost all the questions. You immediately made it onto the professors’ favorites list. You can find the man of your dreams and… um…" he lowers his eyes shyly, but still says it out loud, "you can give your boyfriend unimaginable pleasure, because you will do everything he thinks about. Ha! I wish I had your gift!"

  Chris sounds exactly like my friend at school did when I told her about my ability. Soon, of course, I regretted it, because Sarah began to envy me. We argued because of it. And after the holidays, our friendship ended, along with my peace of mind, because Sarah told everyone about my unusual ability, and my classmates started bullying me, running experiments, testing “how fast you can mentally piss off a miracle of nature.”

  And one day they prepared a trap for me. There was a boy at school, the most handsome and popular among everyone else. Like many girls, I fell in love with him, which Sarah, of course, knew at the time. He never looked my way. He seemed to care only about sports trophies and people’s attention. And suddenly he started courting me. He did not think about his friends. He really handled his task skillfully and got me into bed. I lost my virginity with him, along with the respect of others. And most importantly, I began to hate myself and my gift.

  I will never forget what he was thinking about right before he came. Never.

  "Anna?" Chris snaps his fingers in front of my eyes. I really did wander off into the past.

  "Sorry. I remembered an unpleasant moment from my life."

  "Did I remind you?"

  "It does not matter anymore… but it is exactly because of that incident that I do not want to have this damn gift or power or whatever it is. I do not even know what to call it."

  Chris does not understand, and that is why he sighs sadly. If we become friends, I will tell him what happened to me. But not now. I have known this guy for only a few hours, and it is too early to trust him.

  So, there are three of us. Me, Chris, and that magician-like guy. One question torments me. How did we end up in the same city, at the same university, and in the same major? Chris and I are from different states, as it turned out, and we had never met anyone like ourselves before. And now… all in one day.

  "We need to find that magician guy," I say.

  "And why look for him?" Chris replies resourcefully. "Tomorrow morning he will be at the university. We will corner him somewhere and talk."

  Our conversation is interrupted by a phone call.

  While Chris talks to his mom, announcing loudly with his tired, "What do you want, Mom?" I head to the restroom to put on some lip gloss and also to get a break from the stream of incoming thoughts. Other people’s thoughts. Damn it. How do you learn to control this?

  The big guy presses me against the wall so hard that I cannot move. His black hand is under my chin, gripping my throat tightly. It seems I asked for trouble.

  "This is our territory, boy," the girl declares. "You will show your ‘tricks’ to your buddies back in your yard. Here, you are just an empty talker."

  I feel myself heating up. The big guy is sweating but enduring it.

  "Where does it say this is your territory? Why should I obey you?" I risk asking.

  "Dakota, I cannot!" the big guy growls, writhing in pain. I am heating up like steel, radiating heat. My skin glows with incandescence. The big guy squeezes his eyes shut, tears streaming. "I feel like he is about to explode."

  I can, but that would be my death. I am not an idiot.

  "Take him outside," Dakota orders.

  The big guy lifts me like a dandelion and throws me through the door into the street.

  After flying down several steps, I land face-first in the grass, and a second later a downpour crashes down on me. My body cools, and I lose consciousness.

  I wake up in my bed. An alarm clock rings in my ear. I look at the time. Exactly seven. So, what happened? I sit up and scratch the back of my head. I remember three people attacking me, me trying to defend myself and heating up like metal. Then the rain and… that is it? What did I do the rest of the time? Sleep?

  I jump out of bed and look for yesterday’s clothes. I must have gotten home, undressed, and gone to bed. I am wearing only underwear and a tank top. Where are my clothes? I look into the open closet, then at the hooks on the door, then slowly scan the room. No sign of clothes. The room is clean. I do not see any traces of dirt either.

  "Son, are you up already?" Mom enters the room.

  "Mom? When did you arrive?" She pulls me into a hug, and I, stunned, shower her with questions. "You were going to come next week. What is the rush?"

  "I should be offended by your questions. You did not miss your mom at all."

  "Of course I did… um… I am just surprised."

  "I wrapped things up earlier than planned and came back. Come on." Mom, out of habit, starts closing cabinet doors and straightening the sheet to make the bed. "Breakfast is on the table."

  "Mom, where are my clothes from yesterday?"

  She straightens up and smiles gently. I love her more than life itself.

  "I threw them in the washing machine."

  "Mom, did I come home late yesterday? Drunk? Dirty?"

  "I hope I never see you drunk," she says sternly and throws a blanket over the comforter. Then she turns and orders me threateningly to come eat.

  Got it. I am unlikely to learn anything from Mom.

  An hour later, I am walking down the street in an unknown direction. I turned down Uncle Bill’s offer to drive me to Saint John’s, wanting to be alone with myself. I walk, staring at the asphalt in front of me. The weather today is not sunny, damp. But there is not a single sign of yesterday’s downpour. Not even one tiny puddle left behind. Everything around is dry. Even the lawns have not been watered yet. Out of curiosity, I squat down and run my finger over the ground. Dry. After rain, it is usually damp.

  A day of oddities, I think, walking along Madison Street past the public library. It is still closed. Opens at ten. And what exactly do I want to find there anyway?

  I feel like smoking. I find a quiet, deserted spot, put a cigarette in my mouth, snap my fingers, but instead of fire, electricity runs through my entire body. I double over, and the cigarette falls to the ground.

  "What the hell!"

  "Hey, need help?" a passing guy shouts.

  I pick up the cigarette and say, "Got a lighter?"

  I appear on the Saint John’s campus by lunchtime. My body is shaking. With horror, I realize this is what it feels like after drugs. When I was sixteen, I used. But not yesterday. I could not have taken anything. I quit. That is one. And second, I was unconscious. Which means someone pumped me full of that crap. Someone who knows I was addicted.

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  I hear noise. A crowd has gathered on campus. People gasp, girls scream. I run over to look and freeze. In the center of the circle is only one guy, but the poor bastard is being thrown from side to side as if beaten by something invisible.

  Today started with me being completely sleep-deprived from emotional overload. I tossed and turned until two in the morning, and then I had nightmares in which I lost my gift. I am terrified of losing my superpower, to the point my knees shake. And until morning, the thought would not let me go that by getting involved with Anna, I am putting what I have at risk.

  However, when Anna sat down next to me at the very first lecture, I realized the time had passed, and if I stepped aside now, she would think I was a coward.

  Bad luck follows me everywhere. To get three books, you have to stand in a ridiculously long line at the library. I have been standing for forty minutes already and have moved only a few steps. I stand there yawning and think, this line is just to get a pass, and then I still have to find the books. Am I going to be stuck here all day? No, I do not like that prospect.

  Just in case, I warn the guy in front of me that I am stepping out to the restroom and leave the stuffy room. I do not need a pass to borrow books from the library, damn it. I make sure no one is around, walk through the wall, and end up in an empty aisle between the shelves. That is it. Now I can quickly finish this and get out of here. I find the required literature and leave the same way I came.

  In the main building, Anna corners me. Today she is wearing less pink and more lilac. A high, long ponytail bounces in time with her steps. I feel warm, tender feelings toward her. I smile.

  "So where is he?" she asks irritably, ruining my good mood.

  "Who?"

  "The magician. Are you sure he studies with us?"

  "Of course," I say confidently. "Yesterday he was sitting in the front row. I remember him well. He probably decided to skip classes."

  "Fine. Get me books too, please." Her gloomy face brightens, she smiles. Then she blows a strand of hair off her face. "What? I do not want to stand in line."

  "Did you see how I did it?"

  Anna shrugs.

  "No. But you are so happy you cannot stop thinking thoughts praising your heroism."

  Right. I forgot.

  I promise Anna I will do it within an hour. I sling the heavy backpack over my shoulder, and we part ways.

  During the next lecture, I slept peacefully like a baby while people around me gnawed on the granite of knowledge. So when I head to the restroom, I feel broken, with no desires left except one. To sleep more. I enter a stall to relieve myself. A dull headache is already pounding in my temples.

  A message arrives on my phone. WHERE DID YOU DISAPPEAR TO, SLEEPYHEAD? I AM WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE.

  I flush the toilet and go to wash my face. My body does not want to obey. If someone pushed me now, I would crumble into tiny particles all over the tiles. And on top of that, Anna wants something from me.

  I go outside. The midday sun hits me straight in the face from the left, making me squint and unable to spot a familiar silhouette. I decide to walk toward the alley, and if Anna is not there, I will call her.

  Entering the shade of the alley, I realize that even on the hottest summer days there is coolness here. My eyes open in relief, but I see no one within sight. I take out my phone, search for Anna’s contact, but I do not manage to press call because I hear a piercing scream. A cry for help. Sleep vanishes instantly. I run toward the voice, which I recognize as Anna’s. I see some asshole holding her by the elbow and pulling her away from the university wall.

  "Anna!" I shout.

  She is too far away, so I strain all my tired muscles to reach her in time. And then I suddenly stop, staring in amazement at what is happening.

  The rat-faced guy is roughly dragging Anna, and the next moment he is thrown aside. Anna falls on her soft spot. But the miracles do not end there. An unknown force, or whatever it is in such cases, lifts her attacker, punches him in the jaw and under the ribs. I see blood, but I do not see who is hitting him. For some time, I watch with my mouth open at… damn it, I am even afraid to name it.

  Meanwhile, a crowd gathers and marvels at the miracle.

  I approach Anna and offer my hand.

  The guy who tried to drag Anna away lies on the ground, writhing in pain. Something kicks him in the stomach, the crowd gasps, and that is the end of it.

  Anna grabs my hand and pulls me away from the scene.

  "Did you see that? Did you see it?" Anna is excited. As we walk, she fixes her hair and the crumpled folds of her dress.

  "I saw it."

  "Invisible man. Definitely one of us."

  "Another one," I add.

  We turn the corner and decide not to show up at the university anymore today.

  "An anomalous phenomenon occurred yesterday in New York, in the area of the private Saint John’s University," the voice from the television announces. I freeze to listen. "Contrary to meteorologists’ forecasts of dry and warm weather in September, a heavy downpour hit the borough of Queens…"

  "Heard that?" my neighbor smirks. "How lucky we are. I did not even get caught in the rain."

  "Because we were in Brooklyn, idiot!" the second neighbor snaps at him.

  I silently grab my jacket, sling my backpack over my shoulder, and leave the room. On the way, I analyze what I heard. What could have caused such a natural phenomenon? Yesterday, there really was no hint of rain. Just like today. It is no secret that a cyclone can pass by, but on TV it looked different. As if the sky had torn open over Saint John’s, breaking its integrity, and dumped an enormous amount of water onto the ground. In Queens itself, the rain was so light that residents probably barely noticed anything.

  "It is because of us," I think irritably and turn toward the exit.

  Just meeting Krista almost drove me insane. My brain still refuses to believe that what I saw yesterday has any explanation at all. If I were not “gifted” myself, the road to the asylum would have been paved with honey.

  Yesterday, after escorting Krista to the allowed gates of the campus, I went back to my place and, ignoring my studies, swallowed sleeping pills to fall asleep and forget. That is why I overslept today. And I would not have gone to lectures if not for her.

  Krista is sharp-minded, beautifully built, gorgeous, and possesses an incredibly magnetic force. After meeting her, I do not want to seem happy, but I feel it myself. In truth, I should avoid this girl, but I want to see her again, want to ask her something else she did not manage to tell me before she touched my cheek in farewell. I am interested in absolutely everything. Her life priorities, favorite music, hobbies, school awards, and, finally, her childhood. It is a painful topic for both of us, but it is exactly what unites us, makes us whole, because not every child can live with a gift.

  I decide to ask Krista out on a date today. Then we will have a chance to talk and build a closer friendship.

  I walk through the gates, waving my pass at the guard, but I do not intend to enter the building. I pass empty gazebos and head toward the alley when I hear a ringing voice. A girl from my department is loudly yelling at some guy. From where I stand, I cannot make out the words, but irritation is clearly growing in Miss Powell’s voice, as our lecturer used to call her.

  I turn toward the sound.

  "You are not handsome enough to be rude to me!"

  "If you do not like me, doll, feel free to shoot yourself!"

  "That would be too much honor!"

  "Baby, if you put on heels and wag your tail, then be so kind as not to spit venom, but show what you can do in bed!"

  I feel my nerves tighten. Why does she not leave?

  I move closer, but they do not notice me. They do not see me because visually, I am not here.

  The guy grabs Powell by the elbow and pulls her toward him forcefully, sneering.

  "I know a nice little place where no one will bother us."

  "Drop dead!" the girl shrieks, struggling.

  For a second, she suddenly freezes, staring at the guy’s face in astonishment, as if he said something, but I heard only his idiotic laughter. And after that, I barely understood anything.

  Her scream, "Help!" sets me in motion. I know I am invisible, but all the better. I shove the girl aside and swing at her attacker’s face. The guy goes limp immediately. I lift him and hit him again in the jaw and under the ribs. He feels pain but understands nothing.

  Students run in from all sides. The guy curls into a ball, clutching his bloodied lip, then gets up and slowly walks forward, searching for danger. I trip him, and he falls. The crowd stands in bewildered silence.

  "Bitch!" he screams in a чужой voice. "What did you do, you scum?"

  I do not let him finish and hit him in the stomach. That is enough for him. I decide to leave. That slimeball is no longer a threat to the girl.

  I walk, and green grass bends under my feet. If people were not so focused on the beaten guy, they might have noticed how an invisible man was leaving. That is, me.

  I bet it will be hard for us to stay unnoticed here, because they do not know enough about this. What will happen if our superpowers become the center of attention? Journalists are our enemies. Despite my bad premonitions, I still convince myself that everything is fine for now. I do not want to part with my peaceful life, and I think Krista does not either. It is time to talk about this.

  Krista. I need to find her.

  I cannot imagine how to survive the rest of the day. Everything weighs on me. I spent an hour and a half in the library, and afterward I had no desire to return to lectures. All because Mathias did not show up in the morning.

  I do not know what is happening in my soul, but after yesterday’s events, I feel like crying. Can a guy really make such a strong impression on the very first day of meeting? Stories about love at first sight no longer seem absurd. Mathias will not leave my head. How? How can I not think about him? Every word of his left an imprint on my heart. His voice, soft and insistent, flowed like music into every cell of my brain, so that now I would recognize it anywhere.

  Why could I not fall in love a little later?

  A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. I pull away from the window and go to open it. On the way, I remember that my roommates promised to come back no earlier than six. And now, if my phone is not lying, it is only three.

  Mathias stands on the threshold. With a quick motion, I pull him inside before the grumpy concierge catches us.

  "How did you manage to get into the campus?" I ask in surprise. I cannot hide my joy and smile widely.

  "Did you forget what I can do?"

  "You are crazy!" I laugh.

  "I really needed to see you."

  I stand there with my mouth open, confused and excited. A tremor fills my soul. It is a normal desire, but inside, birds are singing. I step closer, and our bodies lightly touch.

  "It must be something very important if you decided to sneak into my room."

  "Yes," Mathias whispers hoarsely, and a fine shiver runs through my entire body.

  I see his lips part, and I cannot think about anything else. What if I take the first step? Will it look frivolous and stupid?

  "In that case…" I take another step, press myself against his stomach, and reach for his lips. Mathias is very tall, so he has to bend down to catch my kiss. I place my palm on his slightly stubbled cheek, catch the scent of his cologne, his skin, his hair. I cannot stop.

  "I want you," I whisper into his ear and immediately get an answer in the form of a hot kiss. I pull his T-shirt off and step back, admiring his muscular, hairless chest and firm torso. An animal hunger awakens in me. I get rid of my sweater and appear before him in a lace bra.

  I feel how my appearance makes Mathias lose his head. He quickly grabs me and, without stopping the kisses, leads me to the bed. I lie down, he hovers over me. He begins to caress me from my earlobe, slowly moving to my neck, then lingers in the hollow between my breasts restrained by white underwear, and continues his way down my stomach.

  With each exhale, a moan escapes my chest, as if my soul were leaving my body.

  "Mathias." My fingers dive into his thick dark hair. I cannot think about anything else at that moment. I feel a cool, wet tongue slide over my skin somewhere near my navel. He plays a little with my piercing. We smile at each other and breathe heavily with arousal. In that moment, I feel truly alive. Breaking away, Mathias rises again to my lips, parting them, pressing closer. I arch under him to accept his heated, strong body.

  Mathias moves carefully, teasing me, feeling my breath falter under his lips. His feverish whisper strips me of all self-control, and I cry out. He groans.

  I relaxed so much that I could not imagine anything interrupting this blissful moment. We hear female laughter, and the next second Kristina enters.