"c.r.a.p!" I yelled. "I completely forgot about Beck. Can I borrow your cell?"

"Sure."

He tossed it to me and I dialed her number. She picked up and I could hear her thoughts. Ralph was there and she was irritated about being interrupted.

"Beck?"

"Maggie! Maggie, where are you?"

"I'm fine. I was brought home last night."

"Oh my- I can't believe this. You're like a celebrity around here."

"I am?"

Oh, man I hoped not.

"Yes! Of course! Everyone knew about it. Are you ok? Where were you? What happened?"

"Beck, I'm sorry. I can't talk right now police and family and all. I just wanted to call and tell you I was home safe."

"Ok," she said and I could tell she was perturbed but she let it go. "Call me later. Mags, I've been so worried about you."

"I know" I muttered. "I'm sorry. I'll call you, k?"

"K. Love you, Mags. I'm glad you're ok."

"Love you too."

I hung up just as we pulled onto Kyle's street and...oh boy. The street looked like a parking lot. There were cars everywhere.

"What's going on? Fair in town?" he grumbled as he pulled into a spot way away from Kyle's.

"It's kinda for me," I admitted softly.

"What? What do you mean? Oh. Because you were rescued and all. But...this is his parent's right? They're making a big deal over you, huh? They must like you."

"You have no idea."

We made out way down the sidewalk and I was grabbed sideways and lifted as we pa.s.sed the hedges on the edge of Kyle's yard.

"Holy c.r.a.p, Mags! I've been worried sick about you."

"Kyle. Hey."

He put me down and kissed my cheek, especially close to my lips and beamed at me. His hand still held mine and I glanced over to see a confused Bish.

Now who is this Joker?

I pulled away quickly and was. .h.i.t with Kyle's thoughts and wow. I had no idea before how he really felt about me. This was not some crush. He was in love with me, seriously in love with me. And I felt nauseas.

"Wow, Mags. You look awesome."

I wanted to take it all back. To block him from the start and not have listened to his thoughts about me but it was too late.

He had been so worried he'd barely slept while I was away. He was angry at his family for not thinking it was important to keep him updated, because he was my friend. He hadn't even been told that I'd been found until this morning, by his mom. He was mad at me and Caleb for not telling him ourselves. He thought I looked hotter than I ever had and wanted nothing more right this second than to kiss me, like he's wanted to kiss me for two years straight.

I wanted to hurl.

I felt terrible, horrible inside. I hated hurting people and I was hurting Kyle though I never meant to.

"Bish, you remember Kyle?"

"Oh, yeah, man. How are ya?"

"Good, man. How's New York treating you?"

"Awesome," Bish muttered sarcastically and was thinking about finding dad and what the heck I was doing with this boy if I was with Caleb.

"Alright, well everyone's waiting for you, may as well get it over with. Come on," Kyle said and tried to take my hand again.

"I need a second with Bish," I stalled.

"Alright." He smiled. "I'm so glad you're ok, Maggie."

"Thanks, Kyle." He left and I turned to Bish to see his what-the face. "I know, ok. I know. He's Caleb's cousin. I went to school with him. He was friends with Chad and me before all this. It's all very complex."

He grinned.

"Look at my little sister. A player," he laughed.

"Shut up!" I smacked his arm and he laughed louder. "I can't help it if someone has a crush on me."

"Well, you are pretty great."

"Oh, please." I rolled my eyes. "Can we go in now?"

"I'm ready if you are."

It was my turn to grin.

"You have no idea what you're getting into."

I pulled him through the yard to the porch and as the door opened it exploded with light and laughter, blaring thoughts, my name called on lips on minds. Add their concern and relief to that and I was overloaded.

I fainted, right there on the porch in front of everyone.

Twenty Nine Well, fainted is a strong word. Pre-faint is better. I could hear them. It was like I wasn't completely conscious but not completely asleep either. Bish steadied me as I swayed and sat in the rocker on the porch with me in his lap. My head pounded as I rubbed my temple.

"Maggie!"

"Someone get Caleb!" I heard Gran yell. "Back up everyone. She's fine, just got a little overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed?" Bish said angrily. "Why are you calling Caleb? Call 911!"

"She'll be ok, son. I'm Caleb's grandmother. You must be Bish."

"This is not the time for introductions. Why are you all just standing there? Call an ambulance."

"I'm fine, just dizzy," I insisted.

"Maggie," Bish breathed and then I felt Caleb pushing through the throng of people gathered around me as I heard his thoughts blaring to me before I even saw him.

He was angry.

"Guys. I told you before she got here to turn it off," he growled and went to take me from Bish but Bish held tight.

"What are you talking about, turn it off? What?"

"Nothing," Caleb muttered and knelt down beside me to brush my cheek with his fingers and my headache instantly went away. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Just, uh-" I looked up at Bish and back to Caleb, Gran and the others watching me. "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to-"

c.r.a.p. I couldn't even explain myself with Bish here.

It's ok. They know what's going on. My dad and I told them to keep their thoughts quiet when you got here but they were so excited... It's too easy to get overloaded in the beginning. It takes a while to control it but dad said that it's easy once you get the hang of it.

Ok. Will you please take me inside so everyone will stop staring at me.

He smiled and held out his hand to me. I took it but Bish grabbed my other one.

"You need to go to the hospital, Maggie. You don't just pa.s.s out for no reason."

"I'm fine, just haven't eaten anything today. Really, let's go find dad."

"Whatever," he said and threw his hands up like he was giving up.

I turned to see Gran still waiting.

"Hey, Gran."

"Hey, pretty girl. You make a good entrance," she said with a twinkle of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes. She hugged me tightly and rubbed my hair. "It's so good to have you back, safe and sound."

"Thanks. It's good to be back."

"I didn't think you could get much prettier," she crooned and lifted my arms out to my sides. "But my, my..."

I smiled shyly and I'm sure I was blushing.

"Yeah. My, my," Caleb repeated and smiled down at me.

"Yeah. It's...something," I muttered.

"You doing alright?" Gran asked me.

"Yeah, just thinking about the- about everything." I remembered thinking about Gran in my cell. About how she'd been through the withdrawals like I had. She and Caleb were the only ones who had been through anything like that. "I, uh- well, I...wanted to say that what you told me before, I..."

"I know." She shook her head. "You can never understand until you go through it, can you? And I'm so sorry that you had to, both of you." She looked at Caleb and back at me. She swallowed and I winced as I watched her memory of her withdrawal. "But never again. You keep each other safe from now on and all will be well."

I nodded and turned to Bish.

"This is my brother, Bish. Bish, this is Gran."

"It's nice to meet you, Bish." She grabbed his arm, lacing hers through it. "So. New York. I went to New York once."

She pulled him away and I was grateful. I squeezed Caleb's hand as we pa.s.sed through the doorway. After we explained to dad that I was fine we continued on. I was hugged and patted by everyone.

Kyle's parents said they barely recognized me. I wasn't sure if that was good thing or not. His parents, my dad, Peter, me, Caleb and Kyle stood and talked for a long while about it all, missing my ability, the ascension and how the energy ribbons were all around us and how I'd projected my thoughts into them. They all crooned about how wonderful it all was. Dad listened intently with a look of amazement the whole time.

Kyle's mom told me about her ascension and how she thought she had man arms afterwards and hated it. I laughed with her and Kyle's dad went on to tell her he loved her arms.

Dad and Peter followed along with us as we made the rounds. Dad had been introduced to just about everyone before I got there and everyone told me how much they loved him already. He was a hit.

Jen and Maria I hadn't seen yet but Rachel hugged me long and hard.

"Oh, Maggie. I'm so sorry about all this. I'm glad you're safe."

I pulled away to see her crying as she wiped her eyes and in her mind, she felt like they'd dragged me into a crazy life of turmoil and she didn't know how to fix it.

"Me, too."

"You look so beautiful. You always did but... You look complete, now," she said with a hand on my cheek.

"Thanks," I said because I didn't know what else to say to that. "Rachel, have you met my dad yet?"

"No, I was in the kitchen." She held her hand out to him. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Rachel, Caleb's mother."

"Nice to meet you too."

"Maggie is such a darling."