Free Speak No Evil-Gifted 6 by Marilyn Kaye Page A

unless you want to. That’s what I do. I mean, if I had to hear everyone’s thoughts all the time, I’d go crazy. But I’m OK with it now.’
    Tracey agreed. ‘It’s like Madame says – we need to figure out ways to use our gifts well.’
    ‘That’s right,’ Madame said.
    ‘No,’ came a quiet voice from the back.
    Everyone turned to look at Sarah.
    ‘I’d give anything to lose my gift,’ Sarah said.
    Amanda thought Madame looked very upset. The teacher’s lips tightened, and she folded her arms across her chest. She seemed to be gathering her thoughts and choosing her next words carefully.
    ‘Class . . . I want you to listen to me. I know there are many times when your gifts may seem like burdens – or curses, even. But they’re not, you know. Each one of your gifts is a blessing.’
    ‘Yeah, that’s what I think,’ Charles said. ‘It makes my life a lot easier.’
    ‘It’s not just that, Charles,’ Madame continued. ‘You were given these gifts for a reason, and we don’t really know what that reason is. But they’re not to be wished away! They have a purpose, and our goal is to discover the purpose. You’re here to learn, not to give up.’
    ‘It’s not like you have a choice, anyway,’ Martin commented. ‘You can’t lose your gift.’
    ‘But if we could —’ Ken began.
    ‘No!’ Madame interrupted, and Amanda was startled by the tone of her voice. This was unusual. She always let the students have their say. And her voice was almost shrill. ‘You can’t! It would be like losing your heart – your brain. This gift is part of who you are. You must cherish it, even if you can’t understand it! Ken, I know you care about people, and with your gift you can help them. Amanda . . .’ She practically glared at her. ‘Amanda, if you could stop thinking about your gift as a personal inconvenience, maybe you could help people too!’
    Amanda couldn’t remember ever hearing Madame sound so emotional. It was weird. And how dare she pick on Amanda like that! Strong, conflicting emotions filled her, and she didn’t know which was stronger – her pity for Madame’s distress or her anger at being singled out.
    Pity must have been the stronger one, because suddenly she was looking at the class through Madame’s eyes.
    ‘Madame, are you OK?’ Jenna asked.
    Quickly, Amanda blocked her thoughts so Jenna couldn’t read them. Not that Jenna would even try – Madame was an expert at blocking Jenna.
    ‘I’m fine,’ she said. She glanced at robot-Amanda, who had taken out her make-up bag and was now examining her face in a mirror. Sometimes she wondered why others were so easily fooled by the robot version of herself. She wasn’t that vain.
    The whole class was watching her expectantly. Amanda-Madame pulled her shoulders back, held her head high, and hoped she was doing a good imitation of Madame’s erect posture. It was time to have some fun!
    ‘Now, class, we’re going to test the level of control we have over our gifts. We will begin with Tracey. Tracey, make yourself invisible right now.’
    ‘Um, I can try,’ Tracey said. ‘It doesn’t always work.’
    ‘Just do it!’ Amanda-Madame snapped.
    Tracey didn’t seem very happy about the order, but she obediently closed her eyes and scrunched up her face, as if she was concentrating very hard. Seconds later, she vanished.
    ‘Very good,’ Amanda-Madame pronounced. ‘Now come back.’
    Nothing happened.
    Jenna spoke. ‘She doesn’t have as much control coming back as she has disappearing.’
    ‘Obviously,’ Amanda-Madame said. ‘Emily . . . Look into the future and tell us when Tracey will reappear.’
    Emily stared at Tracey’s empty desk for a moment. ‘Tracey will be back before the bell rings,’ she predicted.
    ‘All right.’ The fake teacher turned to Charles. ‘Charles, we know you can make things move. I want to know how precise your gift is. Please move my desk fifteen centimetres to the left.’
    Charles looked