Gifted Touch Read Online Free PDF Page A

together.
    Every breath he pulled in smelled like oranges. No, grapefruit. Who wore grapefruit perfume? It made the back of his throat itch.
    “What about your dad?” Rae leaned forward and studied the drawing. “Don’t you ever wonder if you’re like him? I mean, I’m always wondering if I’m like my mom.” Rae suddenly grabbed a crayon and began adding more petals to her freaky flower.
    “He was a sperm donor. That’s it,” Anthony answered. He definitely wasn’t going to spill his guts about how much he wished he could meet his friggin’
    daddy and then go live with him and—Anthony didn’t allow himself to finish the thought. Way too pathetic. Besides, Rae wasn’t even listening. She’d asked him a question, then started coloring away without even bothering to pretend she wanted to hear the answer.
    “Okay. Flower. What’s the deal?” he asked. He reached over and snatched the crayon out of her hand so she’d have to pay attention.
    “I don’t believe that you think of him as just a sperm donor,” Rae said, finally meeting his gaze with her blue eyes.
    “Good for you. Now I’m asking the questions,” Anthony told her. “That flower is not normal. It’s like 33
    out of a sci-fi movie. And is it attacking her—I mean you—or what?”
    “It’s just a flower,” Rae answered. She folded her drawing in half so he couldn’t see it.
    “Bull,” Anthony shot back.
    Rae leaned closer to Anthony, getting right in his face. The grapefruit scent filled his lungs, grapefruit mixed with shampoo, and kind of a warm-skin smell.
    “And sperm donor isn’t bull?” she challenged.
    He didn’t answer. She didn’t say another word.
    And neither of them blinked. Fine, he thought. She wants to have a stare down. Fine.
    Before either of them won the battle of the eye-balls, Abramson gave a couple of claps. “Good work, everyone,” she called from the center of the circle. “I want all of you to bring your drawings home. Take a little time before next group to study them. You may be surprised about what insights occur to you.” Rae jerked her chair back around so it was facing Abramson. Anthony hauled his around, too, the metal chair legs squealing on the floor, then he folded up his drawing and jammed it into one of the front pockets of his jeans.
    “It’s time to go around the circle and hear how everyone’s doing,” Abramson announced. “Let’s start with David today.”
    Anthony obediently looked across the circle at 34
    David, but his thoughts kept circling around to his dad, thanks to Rae and her stupid questions.
    A couple of years ago he’d actually tried to find his father. At least he’d asked his mom some stuff.
    She’d started getting all teary, so he’d backed off and tried doing some Internet searches instead. But he didn’t have enough info to track the sperm donor down.
    “Anthony, do you have some feedback for Julia?” Ms. Abramson asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
    Man, she always knew when he wasn’t paying attention. It was like she had radar or something.
    “I think Julia needs to treat herself as well as she treats other people,” Anthony answered, parroting what Abramson said to Julia practically every other session.
    “I agree,” Ms. Abramson said.
    Anthony suppressed a smile. Got away with it.
    Yeah.
    “Your turn, Rae,” Ms. Abramson went on. “Just tell us how your life is going, what’s coming up for you, anything you feel like sharing.” Anthony turned toward Rae. She sat up a little straighter and folded her hands in her lap. He couldn’t help snorting at the good-little-girl pose, which earned him a head shake from Abramson.
    35
    “Well, I’ve only been out of the hospital a few days,” Rae said. “I start back to school tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. I mean, I love Sanderson Prep.
    I think it will really help me to get back in my old routine and see my friends and everything.” What bull. Anthony managed not to snort again.
    “Any