Free The Visitors by Katy Newton Naas Page B

leaders.”
    She nodded, absorbing the information I had just given her. “I think I’m following. What is this gift, exactly?”
    â€œWell, it varies from person to person. Mine, for example, is the ability to read the emotions of people.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “Read the emotions of people? I can do that. You just look at their faces.”
    I smiled. “Sure, that works for some of the obvious emotions. But not always. I can read the hidden emotions that people are feeling. Just by looking at any person, even those people who are standing with a straight face, I can tell you exactly how that person is feeling at that moment. The minute you got off your space travel vehicle, I read every single one of you. It helped me learn about you before you ever said a word.”
    Her eyebrows were wrinkled as she looked down at her feet. “What was I feeling at that time?”
    I thought back to the moment I had first seen her, and remembered the strange effect she had on me and the human whose hand she held. “Honestly, I don’t know. I was distracted by your gift. One look from you, and I was overcome by these strange feelings of…of wanting to be near you. Because I was so wrapped up in the way I was feeling, I didn’t even notice your emotions. And when you took the hand of Luke, I saw the sadness that had been coming out of him suddenly disappear and turn to hope and happiness. All because of your touch. That confirmed the fact that you have a gift.”
    She scowled, and then slowly shook her head. “Luke. Luke, my best friend. Assuming that I believe you about your ability to read people and trust that your readings are accurate, there is another possible explanation for why his sadness would have turned into happiness when we held hands, and it has nothing to do with me having some sort of gift.”
    I was mesmerized by the whirling range of emotions that were coming out of her. “Then what is it?”
    â€œThe thing with Luke is…well, we’re best friends. But lately he’s been trying to be more than friends.” Her face looked pained as she spoke. I could tell this was an uncomfortable subject for her, but I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
    â€œI’m afraid you’re going to have to explain what you mean. What does ‘more than friends’ mean?” I watched her closely as I waited for her to respond.
    She rolled her eyes and laughed a little, resting her head on her hands. “You know what I mean. He has been hinting lately that he wants to be together. Like a couple.”
    I stared at her as I tried to comprehend her words. “What do you mean, together? A couple of what?”
    She slowly lifted her head to look up at me. “You don’t know what it means to be a couple? To be in a committed relationship to another person?”
    â€œI know what a committed relationship is – I am committed to all the members of my society.” As I spoke, a realization set in. “Although I guess I’m not showing that right now, because I’m going against everything Sir Andrew said by talking to you about this kind of stuff.”
    She shook her head quickly. “No, that’s not what I mean. I mean a committed relationship between a man and a woman. Where two people fall in love, and are exclusively together, and not with anyone else. You know, boyfriend and girlfriend. Or when you get older, husband and wife.”
    I knew my stare was blank as I tried my best to process the information I was given. “Jady, I believe there is a gap in my knowledge of your culture on this topic. Those terms of which you speak are unfamiliar to me.”
    Her bewildered look made me feel inadequate, which made me a little resentful. There was so much she did not know about our society – how could she presume that I would know everything about hers?
    Just as I was about to ask her that very