text: Daisy Graham The Perfect Spy 
   
   
     
                                             Chapter 1 
   
   
  She saw it on the news. " Number 17, Hartley Road, Trowbridge burned down earlier this morning. The four members of the Carlton family have all died. Police have ruled out arson. " Maggie was staring at the tv screen long after the item had finished. Finally, she gingerly pulled herself off her second hand sofa and went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea in slow, robotic movements. She heard the door on the third knock, and went to open it. 
  " Are you deaf or something Maggs? Hey, are you all packed, the train leaves soon. You don't want to stay at uni, do you? " 
  " No, Claire". 
  " Shall we make a move, then?" 
  " Yeah, wait a sec, I just need to get my head together" 
   Oh great. I got the last two tickets and we're going to miss it. She hasn't even paid for hers. 
   
  Maggie's eyebrows shot up. " Oh right, I'll pay you at the station. " 
  Claires eyes opened wide in astonishment at Maggie, but she quickly looked away, embarrassed. 
  " You're doing it again Maggie. I don't know what you're doing but please don't do it." Her voice was quiet, subdued and she couldn't meet Maggie's eyes. Maggie knew Claire was aware of her friends "gift" but even entertaining the thought aloud would destroy the very foundations of their friendship. To aknowledge the truth would mean Claire would be sacrificing everything she was taught about the world by her restrained, religious parents; and Claire subconsciously knew their friendship wasn't worth that sacrifice. What Claire wasn't aware of was the relentless, everlasting struggle Maggie went through to ignore everyones thoughts, especially the people closest to her. But keeping that mental forcefield up, requires a lot of stamina and sometimes it can slip, just for a second, and someones every thought and whim is catapulted into Maggie's brain. Oh well, everyone has their burden to bear, she thought optimistically. 
   
  On the train, Maggie sat staring out of the window at the trees and buildings rushing past. She wished she was outside, running, no thoughts, just the biting wind against her face making her eyes sting and the knowledge she didn't have to stop for anything. An odd thought, but it wasn't like someone knew what she was thinking, and was going to give her an indulgent but slightly wary smile, before looking away. She'd caught herself doing that many a time, and mentally chastised herself for being so creepy. 
  " Uh, Maggs, can you please decide on an expression and keep it, cause you look like you're in a silent movie", Claire said, smiling. 
  Maggie blushed deeply, a humiliating tendency, and laughed, maybe a little too wildly for a small train carriage. A thin middle aged man looked up from the Observer he was reading, and set his lips in a thin line, frowning slightly, before reverting his attention back to his article. 
  Maggie was bored, and although most of the time she wished she hadn't had this wonderful gift bestowed on her, it provided a tremendous source of amusement in certain situations. So she let her "ears" drift around the carriage delicately, listening for something to make her day and bring a smile to her lips. She always felt like a naughty schoolgirl doing this, but she reasoned that if this was her burden to bear she should at least get all the fun she could out of it.  
   If she confronts me again, I have to tell her. I don't care what Nadine says. 
   
   Martin better remember to take the chicken out the oven tonight. 
   
   I wonder who would win in a fight. Spock or Chubacca? I reckon Spock with those ears. 
   
   I just gotta get through today. I'll think about it again tomorrow if I have to, but I can't give up today. I can't do it to Mum.  
   
  This last one was from a boy of about 17 in a black Nickleback t-shirt  and converse, his eyes troubled. Maggie felt a strong desperation to help him somehow. She was only a year older and she had known people like him. Angry, confused, looking for a way out. Maybe he wouldn't do anything today, or tomorrow, or ever. But Maggie wouldn't forgive herself if she did nothing, and heard a week later on the news, that he  had 
    done something. She would feel helpless, like she'd had an opportunity to prevent something awful happen and she hadn't taken it. That feeling was all too familiar. This morning... the news... family of four... 
   I'll kill 'em. If she tries to leave me, I'll bloody kill 'em. All of 'em. Burn the whole bloody place down. She's my wife. We're a family, and if she thinks she can break us up, I'll show her she can't. What will everybody think? They'll think I'm the one messing around again. " Harry Carlton is a failure to his family". That's what they'll think. Not gonna happen. Oh no. 
   
  Maggie was snapped out of her reverie by the train pulling up and the sight of the boy, Ben she thought his name was, walking off, his hoodie pulled up over his head to shield himself from the rain. Instinctively she leaped up, shoved a bewildered Claire aside, and ran after him, elbowing through the crowd, until she grasped his shoulder on the platform, and spun him round roughly. He jerked back in alarm, and yelled "What the hell are you doing, you psycho!?" 
  Now Maggie was face to face with him she was at a loss at what to say. Please don't kill yourself? Don't want to freak him out anymore though. He was already turning to walk away. It was now or never. 
  " Ben?" 
  He turned back round warily. " How'd you know my name?" 
  " I'm a friend of your mums. Sort of. I know you're struggling at the moment." 
  " Has mum sent you to spy on me or something!?" He was definitely getting angry. 
  " No, no, I just have a premonition sort of thing, actually I don't, I'm not weird" Maggie lied," I just want you to know that however you feel now will pass, I promise, and before you do anything, think about your mum and how much she loves you." 
  Maggie exhaled slowly. Ben still had that angry look frozen on his face, and for a crazy second she thought he would hit her. But slowly his face unfroze and sagged, in a resigned way, and he attempted a lopsided smile.  
  "Right. I hear you. I'm trying." 
  " I know. Just keep trying, Ben." 
   
  Claires face was a mask of confusion, trying to cover up irritation, but failing. She could only stare questioningly at Maggie. 
  " I knew him."  
  " He didn't seem to know you, or was yelling in your face his normal greeting?" 
  All Maggie could manage was a "Ha ha".  
  They walked to the bus stop in silence, but of course that was something Maggie very rarely got, and she had to grit her teeth against the bombardment of Claires mental monologue. 
   What the hell is going on with her? She's always been odd but this is just getting ridiculous. It's like she read my mind this morning and that's not the first time I've felt that. And what was with assaulting that random boy who obviously didn't know her? Everyone says I should ditch her and maybe they're right but we've been friends for ages. Oh my God, she could be reading my mind right now! 
   
  Claire darted a nervous look at Maggie, and giggled. Maggie smiled distractedly back, and said in her most innocent voice " You gonna let me in on the joke? " 
  Claires visibly relaxed and muttered " It's nothing". 
   
   
   
   Publication Date: May 17th 2010 https://www.bookrix.com/-graceland222