Out of Sight, Out of Mind

'No,' Amanda said. 'You never do. Maybe you should take a look at me once in a while.'

'Here's my story, Tracey,' Sandie announced. The girls gathered in a semicircle, as Amanda had taught them over the weekend, and Amanda took her place in the center, facing them.

As she started reading, from the corner of her eye Amanda could see Mrs. Devon standing there, still looking a little dazed, as if she'd stumbled into a strange new world. As Amanda read, the septuplets were quiet, and by the time she'd finished the story, they were yawning. With the help of Tracey's mother, she got them into bed for their naps.

As they left the room together, Mrs. Devon continued to look at Amanda as though she'd never seen her before in her life. When the doorbell rang, she seemed relieved to have something else to do and hurried to open the door. Amanda was surprised to see Jenna there.

'Um, is Aman-I mean, Tracey home?'

'I'm here,' Amanda said. She joined Mrs. Devon at the door. 'Come on in.'

Tracey's mother seemed even more surprised than Amanda. 'Tracey, who is this?'

'A friend of mine, Jenna Kelley,' Amanda replied. 'Come upstairs to my room, Jenna.'

As they headed to the stairs, she caught another glimpse of Mrs. Devon's bewildered expression. Amanda wasn't surprised-Tracey probably hadn't had a visitor since her eighth birthday.

'What are you doing here?' Amanda asked as soon as they were inside Tracey's bedroom with the door closed. This was when she noticed that the other girl was carrying a bag.

Jenna wouldn't meet her eyes. She looked past Amanda as she spoke. 'I, uh, I need a place to stay. For a couple of nights. Can I stay here?'

There were twin beds in Tracey's room. 'Yeah, I suppose so. Why do you need a place to stay?'

Jenna shifted her gaze to the other side of the room. 'It's my mother… She's got a bunch of friends there. It looks like she's about to have another one of her parties. Which means I won't get any sleep tonight.'

'Oh.' Amanda looked at her curiously. 'Has this ever happened before?'

Jenna nodded. 'Just last week, and the noise kept me up all night. Sometimes I just go over to the train station and hang out with Slug and those guys. But this time-I don't know, I just don't feel like it.'

'They're probably in jail anyway for trying to shoplift from Target,' Amanda said matter-of-factly. 'You know what, Jenna? I don't think you even like those people. And I'll bet you've never stolen anything in your life.'

Jenna faced her indignantly. 'What makes you think that?'

'Because I don't think you're as bad as you pretend you are. And if you were stealing, you'd probably have more food in your house.'

Jenna's face went white. 'Don't you feel sorry for me. Don't you dare feel sorry for me.'

'Don't worry-I don't and I won't,' Amanda said with feeling. 'I don't want your life any more than I want Tracey's.'

Jenna was taken aback. 'Don't tell me you're thinking about snatching my body!'

Amanda got up and began pacing the room. 'I don't make those decisions.' Her need to confide, to talk to someone, was irresistible. And at least she didn't care what Jenna thought about her. 'It just happens when I feel really sorry for someone. That's how I got inside Tracey's body.'

'Yeah, I read that in your mind, and I still can't believe it,' Jenna said. 'You feel sorry for people?' Her brow furrowed. 'You're still really Amanda Beeson, the meanest girl at school, right?'

'That's why I'm the meanest girl!' Amanda cried out. 'I can't let myself feel sorry for people because I could end up being them! Do you think I want to be Tracey Devon? Or you?'

Jenna's mouth was still open. But the only word that came out was 'Wow!'

'Exactly,' Amanda said. 'See? I'm not the perfect princess you think I am.'

'I never thought you were perfect,' Jenna muttered.

'And you're not the gangster I thought you were,' Amanda added.

'I really was in reform school,' Jenna argued. 'Why were you sent there?'

Jenna looked away again.' I was hanging out with some creeps, and they were dealing drugs. The cops raided the house where we were staying, and someone planted stuff in my pocket.'

Amanda nodded smugly. 'I knew I was right about you. You're a big fake.'

'So are you,' Jenna pointed out.

Amanda shrugged, and there was a long silence. Finally, Jenna spoke. 'Remember when I was telling you about Serena and the hypnotism? How she wanted me to find out if this guy was into her? Well… I don't think she was really interested in him. There's something else going on. I couldn't read her mind, but I got the feeling she has secrets.'

Amanda nodded. 'Yeah, I think she's kind of weird, too.'

Jenna gazed at her quizzically. 'You know what? We kind of think alike.'

'Yeah, maybe,' Amanda said. 'But that doesn't mean we're going to be friends,' she added hastily.

'Absolutely not,' Jenna assured her.

'Good.' Amanda stopped pacing. 'Let's go to the kitchen and find something to eat. And I'll tell Tracey's mother you're staying for a while.'

'What if she says no?' Jenna asked.

Amanda grinned. 'She's going to have to get used to a different kind of daughter. The kind that always gets her own way.'

Chapter Fourteen

THERE WERE NO ABSENTEES in the gifted class the next day, so Serena had a full group to choose from. 'Let's see,' Madame said to her. 'You've seen Charles, Emily, Ken, and Jenna, so there's Tracey, Martin, Sarah, and Carter to choose from.'

Not me, Amanda thought. Somehow she'd have to avoid being with Serena. Who knew what she might reveal under hypnosis?

Madame wasn't giving Serena the choice. 'I'd like you to spend some time with Carter, Ms. Hancock.'

The student teacher had given up asking her to call her Serena. 'Why him?'

Amanda was interested, too. Carter was the one student she didn't know anything about. He never spoke, and she had no idea what his special gift might be.

'We think that Carter has amnesia,' Madame explained. 'He was discovered a month ago, wandering the streets, by one of our teachers. We've tested him, and he seems very intelligent, but he doesn't speak or communicate in any way. We don't know anything about him.'

'Why is he in the gifted class?' Serena wanted to know.

'We thought Carter might profit from being around other special young people,' Madame said.

Serena didn't look terribly intrigued, but she had a question. 'If he doesn't communicate, how do you know his name?'

'We don't,' Madame said. 'We named him after the place where he was found-Carter Street, on the west side. I think he might really benefit from hypnosis.'

'Oh,' Serena said, but she seemed to have lost interest and continued to gaze around the room. 'Actually, I'd like to see Emily.'

Madame's eyes narrowed. 'But you've already worked with Emily,' she protested.

'There's more work to be done,' Serena insisted.

'But-'

'I do have Principal Jackson's permission,' Serena reminded her.

'All right,' Madame said, but there was no enthusiasm in her tone. 'Emily?'