Psychic Chapter Nine: Sonya In the point of view of William Months had passed. School had been let out for winter break. Rexburg was now completely covered in ice and snow. April, Grayson, Lindsey and I were standing outside with Drake. "Well done, everyone." he said in his deep voice. "I've taught you all I can. You have all come a long way in learning how to control your combat psychic powers. The only thing left to do is practice what you know. That is the key to mastering control." We all nodded. Then Grayson threw a snowball at my face. I flinched and almost fell over. "Sorry." Grayson said, obviously not sorry in the least. "I thought we were done being serious." Grayson had a goofy grin spread across his face. Drake smiled a little, and then the five of us erupted into a snowball war. I took a giant handfull of snow and stuffed it down Grayson's shirt. He howled in a high pitched voice. "Cooooollld!" He turned to me with a snowball in each hand. I turned and ran. The first one flew over my shoulder. I turned back and waved my arms at him. "You missed, Grays-" I was cut off when the other snowball hit me in the face. Grayson cheered. "Got him right in the shnoz!" He said, pumping his fist in the air. I cleared the snow off of my face just as I saw Grayson get pelted with many snowballs at once. "No fair, April! You shouldn't use your powers!" He said after falling to the ground. I turned to look at April. She had a sweet, innocent smile on her face, and about a dozen snowballs hovering around her in the air. I ran and stood next to her. "You're definately on my team." I said to her. She turned to me with a mishevious look on her face. "Every man for himself." she said, winking at me. I smiled and shook my head. "Aw, you wouldn't throw a snowball at your own boyfriend, would you?" I asked. April's smile grew wider. I stopped smiling and ran. The snowballs flew over me, but none of them hit me. I should've guessed. I dove at the ground and picked up a handful of snow and mashed it together. Then I flung it at an unsuspecting Grayson. It hit his shoulder with a white puff. He turned to me in surprise. I heard Drake's deep voice in my head. Only this time it was loud, like he was shouting. It scared me. I had never heard him shout before. Everyone froze. All the snowballs around April dropped to the ground. Drake seemed to be listening. He slowly turned his head to me. "William," he whispered. "Do you have your matchbook?" I swallowed hard. I answered telepathically. Suddenly, the thought scared me. He beckoned me to follow him. "The rest of you stay here." Drake commanded. I got up off the floor and silently followed Drake. I glanced at April. She looked worried. I tried to smile. I thought to her. Grayson asked Drake. He was obviously disappointed about not being asked to come. Drake responded. I could feel the disappointment radiating off of Grayson. I glanced at him and shrugged sympathetically. Grayson nodded. he thought to me. I smiled. I kept looking back until I saw April safely inside. Then I turned to Drake. I asked Drake in my mind. he answered, searching the woods with his eyes. I looked out there too, but I couldn't see anything. Suddenly, Drake grabbed my arm and started to run. It was a little hard for me to keep up with him. We ran through the snow and bushes, ducking under the branches of trees. Suddenly, Drake darted to one side. I almost fell. Then I looked up and saw it. A dark figure running through the trees a little ways ahead. A wave of fear rushed through me. Who was that? Was it a psychic killer? Was I running after a murderer? My mind screamed for me to stop and run away, but I kept running with Drake. Then Drake screeched to a stop. This time, I did fall over, but I quickly jumped back up. Drake thought to me. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened it up. Twelve little matches poked out. I plucked one of them out and held it, ready to ignite the flame. Drake pointed out into the darkness. He said. I struck the match and my mind instantly connected with it. I held the flame in the air, my hands cupped a few inches away from it, like I was holding it there. I spread my hands further and further apart as I made the flame grow to the size of a basketball. I held the flame above my head. I coudn't see anything, but I knew Drake could. He let in a sharp breath. Then he darted away. I gasped and tried to follow him, but he was already gone. I was alone in the woods, with only my ball of fire for a light. Suddenly two pairs of footsteps approached me. I took a step back. Drake's voice entered my head. I asked. Drake walked back into the range of my light, accompanied by a black haired, crystal eyed girl. Her skin was almost as pale as Drake's. She was very beautiful, but nothing compared to April. "William." Drake said out loud. "This is my sister, Sonya." I nodded. I could now see the family resemblance. "Hi." I said breathlessly. I was still winded from running so fast. Sonya laughed. "What, are you the bearer of the sun?" she asked me. I realized I was still holding a giant fire above my head. I shrank the fire to the size of a baseball and brought my hands back down. Sonya held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, William." she said. I shook her hand and smiled. "Pleased to meet you, too." I replied. Then I shivered. "Now can we get out of here?" I asked Drake. "The others are probably worried about us." Sonya nodded. "And it's really cold." she added. As we walked back home, Drake turned to Sonya. "Why did you come here? I told you everything was under control here. You should have stayed in The Society." "Nice to see you too, Brother." she said. "I came because I wanted to, end of story. Besides, you could use all the help you can get. I'm not going to loaf around in The Society while our people are in danger." Drake sighed exasperatedly and put his hands in the air in defeat. "Right. I know better than to argue with you when you've made up your mind." He muttered. Sonya smiled and nodded. I smiled too. They behaved a lot like brother and sister. I saw the trees beginning to clear, and heard the little river than ran through our backyard. We were almost home. Soon, I could see my house through the trees. I put out my fire and ran the rest of the way. Drake and Sonya followed. As soon as I walked in the door, I was attacked by a beautiful girl. "Are you alright, Will? I was so worried something horrible might happen to you! What happened?" I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "False alarm. It was just Drake's sister." April lifted her head up. "Sister?" She asked. Drake and Sonya walked inside. Grayson took one look at Sonya and fell off the kitchen counter he was sitting on. When he picked himself up off of the floor, he looked like he had just seen an angel. He said nothing. That was a first. Sonya smiled apologetically. "Sorry to have scared you all." she said. "I was just worried about my brother and wanted to help him. I wasn't sure this was the right address, though, so I wanted to make sure. I should've known better than to sneak up on my brother, though." She smiled at Drake, and Drake smiled a little back. Lindsey suggested we all have some hot chocolate, so as we waited for the hot water to boil, we sat in the living room and talked. Soon, Mom and Dad came home from their date and sat and talked with us. Drake introduced them to Sonya. Grayson sat in the chair next to me and just stared at her silently. I almost pitied the poor, lovestruck guy. I found it quite funny. I sent him a telepathic message. I said. Grayson seemed to come out of a trance and looked the other way in embarassment. I almost laughed. Soon after, April's Nana called her and said it was time to come home. I walked her to her car and kissed her goodnight. As I walked back inside, I heard Sonya talking. "What an adorable little girl!" I heard her say. "And she's a psychic, too?" "That's right." Mother answered. "William has taken quite a liking to her." I could hear the smile in her voice. I came back into the room as Lindsey began handing mugs of hot chocolate to everyone. Mother turned to Drake. "So where are you staying, Drake? And will Sonya be staying with you there?" she asked. Drake swallowed. "The Society has allowed for me to live in a hotel in town. Sonya will stay with me there." he said. Sonya nodded. "I also came to warn you all." Sonya said seriously. I have come with a message from Timothy Burbank." Dad, Mom, and Drake all sat forward. The rest of us sat in confusion. "Timothy Burbank is the Chairman of The Society." Sonya added, noticing our confused looks. "Mr. Burbank says that he has reason to believe that the Psychic Killers are moving this way." Dad was the first to react. "How long will it take them to get to this area?" he asked. Sonya shook her head. "It's difficult to say." she answered. "It could be anywhere from a week to several months." "A week?" I asked in alarm. A cold, damp fear rose up in my stomach. I set aside my hot chocolate, suddenly not in the mood for it anymore. It was hard to imagine that a group of killers was making their way to Rexburg. It seemed unreal. Rexburg was such a quiet little city. How could this happen? I pulled myself upward, then let myself drop down. Then pulled myself upward, then let myself drop down again. I was doing chin-ups. With all that was going on in my life, working out seemed like relaxing. Christmas vacation gave me a break from my homework. The first trimester was over. In two weeks, I would start school back up again, this time, taking a new set of classes. I was a little disappointed that I would lose the free hour I had aquired for my fourth hour, but it was probably for the best. I dropped down from the chin-up bar and began pedaling on a stationary bike. I glanced in the wall-sized mirror to my left and gasped. "Grayson! Don't sneak up on me like that!" I said, beginning to pedal faster. Grayson, who was leaning on the door frame, belted out a laugh. "I was wondering when you were going to notice me!" he said. "What are you up to?" "What does it look like?" I panted, looking away from him and trying to focus on my pace. Grayson was quiet for a while, then he walked into the room. "Why are you suddenly obsessed with exercise?" he asked. I shook my head, trying to clear my sight of my shaggy, brown hair. I needed a haircut. "Not suddenly. I've been doing this for years." I muttered. Grayson nodded. "Last time I saw you, you were just a scrawny little thing." he said. "That's why." I breathed. Grayson laughed. "Well, I've gotta say, Willy, you really have bulked up since the last time I saw you." he said. I nodded, but I wasn't really sure if he was complimenting me or not. "Of course, I'm sure I could still beat you in a wrestling match." he added. I glanced at him. He was grinning. I sighed and stopped pedaling. "Sure, Grayson. Whatever." I said. I grabbed a towel that was hanging on a wall and draped it over my head, wiping the sweat off my face and neck. "Yeah, I don't need to work out." Grayson continued. "With this kind of build, I could take on just about anyone." he said, gesturing to himself. I rolled my eyes. A few years ago, I would have challenged him on the spot, but since then, I had learned to keep quiet. Just then, we heard the doorbell ring upstairs. After a few seconds, we could hear Mom's voice. "Why Drake! And Sonya! How good to see you! Come in! Don't stand out there in the cold!" Grayson's face lit up. I almost laughed. We went upstairs and saw Drake and Sonya sitting in the front room. Drake nodded to us. "Hello, William and Grayson. How are you today?" I nodded and came over to shake his hand. "Pretty good, Drake. Yourself?" I asked. I reached over with a smile and shook Sonya's hand as well. Drake nodded. "Cold, but well." he said. I laughed. "Welcome to Rexburg." I said sarcastically. Grayson just stood in the front room entryway, staring at Sonya. I came over and nudged him with my elbow. "Well, I just got finished working out, so I'm going to shower and make myself look presentable." I said with a smile. "I'll tell Lindsey you guys are here." Drake nodded, but Grayson didn't budge. I started up the stairs when Grayson suddenly swiveled around. "Hey, Will! Wait!" he said. I turned back around. "Uh, yeah?" I asked. Grayson seemed to freeze for a split second, but then he said, "How about we arm wrestle? It's been a while since we've tested our strength against each other!" I stood dumbfounded on the bottom step. I had never beaten Grayson before in my life, but now when I looked at us, I could probably take him on. I had been working out for the past couple years, and from what Grayson had said earlier, I didn't think he had. "Maybe later, Grayson. I should probably shower." I said cautiously. I was still nervous that he would beat me in no time flat. He might not have been working out for a few years, but he still had the build of a refrigerator. "Sure, whatever, Will." Grayson said smoothly, despite the intense look on his face. "I understand if you're too scared." I made a face. It took a lot to push me over the edge, but Grayson had become a pro. He knew just how to push my buttons. I sighed. "Fine, but let's make this fast." I said. "Don't worry, I will." Grayson replied. Sonya and Drake smiled. Things like this obviously entertained them. I could also tell that Sonya was amused by Grayson. We all went into the kitchen and Grayson and I sat opposite each other at the table. I held out my hand, resting my elbow on the table. Grayson took my hand and stared at me intensely. "One, two, three!" Grayson counted. At three, we began to push against each other's hands, trying to overpower the other. At first, it seemed like neither of us were moving. Then I slowly began to move Grayson's hand closer to the table. This obviously took him by surprise and his face turned red as he struggled against my hand. I grinned. I was finally going to beat Grayson! For the first time in my life, I was going to win. Then I realized something. Grayson must have challenged me because he wanted to impress Sonya. As much as I wanted to beat Grayson, I didn't want to humiliate him in front of the girl he liked. I sighed, then I began to slowly inch my hand the other way. A gleam lit up in Grayson's eyes as he realized that he might win. He pushed harder against my hand, but I kept control, slowly but surely moving my whitened knuckles closer to the table. Until finally, I relaxed, letting Grayson slam my hand down on the table. He shouted triumphantly. I laughed a little. "Woo! I still got it!" Grayson cheered. "Better luck next time, Willy!" he said. I rubbed my now aching hand and smiled. "Yeah, Grayson. You still got it." I stood up to go upstairs. Drake smiled a little at me. he thought to me. I smiled at him. I asked, letting only an inkling of sarcasm into my thoughts. Drake smiled wider. Sonya laughed. "Way to go, Grayson! You're really strong!" she said. I could tell that she knew what had happened too. She smiled at me gratefully, and then went on cheering for Grayson. Grayson puffed out his chest and grinned. I made my way up to my room just as Lindsey opened the door to her's. "Is that Drake downstairs?" she asked. I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. You missed the whole show, though. Grayson just beat me at arm wrestling." I answered. Lindsey rolled her eyes. "So what else is new?" she asked sarcastically as she went downstairs. After I took my shower and put on a light blue polo shirt and jeans, I came back downstairs. The family was in the living room playing Monopoly with Drake and Sonya. Since Drake and his sister had nowhere else to go, my mother had invited them to spend the Christmas holiday with us. Grayson looked clearly upset. "Looks like I have to mortgage all of my property just to land on Boardwalk!" he said. Dad laughed. "If only I had this much money in real life." he said. The others laughed. I had never seen Drake laugh before, but he looked truly happy now. He had a giant smile on his face. I smiled too as I sauntered over to them. "Who's winning?" I asked. Grayson folded his arms in frustration. "Your dad, now. I was, until I kept landing on his property." The others laughed. CJ trotted in just then. he asked. I rubbed his furry head. "Maybe later, Buddy. It's freezing cold outside! Plus, we're going to put up the Christmas decorations soon." I said. CJ wagged his tail. he said. I smiled. "I like them too." I answered. We watched as the others finished their game. Then it was time to decorate the house. I helped Dad carry the boxes of decorations from the basement to the living room. Sonya, Lindsey and Mom decorated the tree as they talked and laughed with each other. I hung the stockings by the fireplace, with care, of course, and then helped Dad, Grayson, and Drake as we strung the Christmas lights on the outside of the house. "Be careful, boys!" Mom kept saying. "Don't fall off the roof!" Grayson laughed. "Come on, Aunt Lynda! I'm really careful!" Then he pretended to fall, making all the girls squeal. At the end of the day, we all sat around the fireplace in the living room, drinking hot chocolate and admiring the Christmas tree. "Drake and I have to thank you all so much!" Sonya said, beaming. "We have never had this much fun during Christmas time in our lives!" Drake nodded in agreement with a smile. "Well, you two are always welcome in our home." Mom said gratiously. "We are always glad to have company, and you two have been such a help to us! We had to repay you somehow!" she said. The rest of us nodded. Sonya and Drake looked truly touched. Christmas day. Grayson woke me up by jumping on my bed. CJ yelped in surprise and leaped off the bed first thing. "Wake up, Willy! Man, you sleep like a rock! Everyone's waiting for you downstairs!" I groaned and lifted myself out of bed. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a dark blue sweater. Then I followed CJ down the stairs. Everyone else was in the living room. There were tons of presents under the tree. My mom smiled. "There you are, Sleepy-head! We were about to start without you!" she said. Lindsey laughed. "The best gift he could get for Christmas is more sleep!" she said under her breath. I smiled as I sat down with everyone else. Dad reached under the Christmas tree and handed presents out to everyone. Lindsey had received clothes and accessories, of course. CJ got a new frizbee, some treats, and a milk bone. Mom got cooking supplies, Dad got some tools, and my parents had bought some warmer clothes for Drake and Sonya to wear. Grayson was especially happy about receiving some electronics he could draw electricity from, and a slinky. I got some clothes, a wrist rocket, and a box of snack food. After all of the gifts were opened, Drake and Sonya stood up. "We have some gifts for you as well." Drake said. "All of you have been very kind to us ever since we got here. We had to give something in return. Lynda." He walked over to Mom and handed her a present. It was a pair of very beautiful earrings. She stood up and gave both of them a hug. To Dad, Drake and Sonya gave a mystery novel. My dad liked to read. They gave Lindsey a pretty ring, to which she blushed as she hugged both of them. Grayson got a taser. "Whoa!" Grayson said. Then he paused. "Um, why?" he asked. I suddenly felt uneasy. I didn't think it was a good idea to give him anything even remotely dangerous. "You can amplify your electrical abilities." Drake explained. "I thought it might help your aim." Grayson's face lit up. "Oh yeah! Thanks, dude!" he said, giving Drake a high five. He reached out to give Sonya one too, but blushed as soon as his hand came in contact with hers. Then Drake approached me. "This," he said. "is for you." He handed me a little box. I opened it, and found a cigarette lighter. Had this gift come from anyone outside our psychic circle, I would've been confused. To have this come from Drake and Sonya however, was a very thoughtful gift. I smiled. "You guys are the best." I said. I looked at the shiny metal lighter. It had designs of dragons etched into it. It was pretty cool. I put it in my pocket. Just then, the doorbell rang. Mom got up to answer it. We heard her voice down the hallway. "Why hello there! Of course! He's right over here!" We all turned to see who it was. A wave of happiness rushed through me when I saw who it was. April had on a wool sweater and hat. She was holding a small box. "Oh, sorry for interrupting your Christmas." she muttered. Dad smiled. "Not at all, April! The more, the merrier! Come in! Come in!" April smiled and came to sit down on the couch next to me. I gave her a big hug. "Merry Christmas, Angel." I said. April gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I got you something." she said, holding out the neatly-wrapped present. I smiled and opened it. Inside was a shiny, expensive-looking watch. "Wow! April! This is amazing!" I said in awe. I hugged her again. Then I jumped up and picked up a present from underneath the Christmas tree. I came back and gave it to her. "Your gift kinda makes mine seem inadiquate, but I hope you like it anyways." I said. April opened the gift and gasped. I had given her a jeweled necklace with earrings to match. "They're beautiful!" she said. She jumped up and hugged me again. I could see the others exchanging meaningful glances. Mother looked thrilled. Grayson rolled his eyes. I took the necklace and had April turn around so that I could put it on her. Then she helped me put on my new watch. So I got to spend Christmas with all the people I cared about the most. Definately the best Christmas ever.