Marilyn Kaye - Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Later, lying in Tracey's bed, Amanda thought about her own home, her own parents. Being an only child, she always complained that her mother and father made too much of a fuss over her, watched her too closely, and wanted to know everything about her. She was a star at home, which was nice, but it could also get a little tiresome-there was such a thing as too much attention. Surely there had to be a happy medium between what she had and what Tracey had.

The next day, Friday, started off as a typical Tracey day. The bus doors closed in her face and she had to walk to school. That made her late arriving at homeroom for roll call, but no one even noticed.

In Tracey's English class they were reading Romeo and Juliet, and Amanda had something she wanted to say, about how Romeo should have felt for Juliet's pulse and then he'd know she wasn't really dead and he wouldn't kill himself and she wouldn't kill herself and they could live happily ever after. But no matter how many times she raised her hand, the teacher didn't call on her, not even when she flapped her arm wildly in the air.

It was at lunchtime that she realized what was going on. She was looking for a place to sit, an empty table. As she looked around the crowded, noisy cafeteria, she realized that she had accidentally paused right next to her own special table where Britney and Sophie and her other self were gathered. She was close enough to touch, but nobody insulted her, not even Amanda herself. That was when she knew she had become invisible.

She hurried out of the cafeteria to go to the restroom and confirm this in a mirror. How strange it felt, to be looking at yourself and seeing nothing. And how long would it last?

She left the restroom and ambled down the corridor. It was kind of cool, to stroll right in front of a hall monitor and not be asked to show a pass. She could walk right out of the building and no one would stop her. But where could she go? In a way, it was too bad that she wasn't a gangster like Jenna. She could do a lot of shoplifting in this condition.

She decided to stop at the library and pick out some books. But on the way there, she passed the principal's office. The door was slightly ajar, and she heard Madame talking to Mr. Jackson. She sounded upset, and Amanda paused to listen.

"I don't like this arrangement at all, Mr. Jackson. We have discussions of a highly personal nature in that class. My students will not be comfortable talking in front of a total stranger."

"Serena won't be a stranger for long," the principal countered. "And they'll learn to be comfortable with her. To be perfectly honest, Madame, I'm not comfortable with the way you conduct that class. I realize your students are, uh, unusual, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have the usual classroom experiences."

Madame's voice rose a notch. "But surely you can understand that their special circumstances require an element of privacy!"

"What exactly makes them so special, Madame?"

There was a moment of silence. Amanda wished she could see Madame's expression.

"You know I'm not at liberty to discuss the details of these children," she said finally.

Mr. Jackson made a grunting noise. "All I know is that two years ago you showed up here with a letter from the superintendent of schools, a mandate authorizing you to start a special class, with very little information as to what kind of special students would be invited to join the class. Obviously your students are not particularly brilliant, nor are they mentally challenged. All I can see is the fact that they have problems."

"Gifts."

"Yes, I know that's what you call them. Others might call them delusions. All I know is that someone believes these kids have-" he paused, as if he was searching for the right words "-unusual capabilities. Strange powers or something. Mind reading, fortunetelling. Am I correct?"

Amanda couldn't hear Madame's response. Maybe she didn't respond at all, because the next sound Amanda heard was the principal's long sigh.

"And I know that you are not required to share all the information with me. But whatever bizarre gifts these kids have, I think you're becoming overprotective of them, Madame. Perhaps a little… possessive?"

Madame replied to this. "I have to be possessive. They need to be protected."

"But protected from whom? From other students? From teachers? From me? Surely you're not suggesting that they're in danger here at Meadowbrook?"

"Danger can come in many forms, Mr. Jackson. My job is to prepare these students to defend themselves." Her voice rose again. "No, it's more than a job-it's a mission. I'm trying to teach these children how to cope. And you have no authority over me!"

"If you're going to yell, Madame, please shut the door." Madame obeyed quickly, and Amanda didn't have enough time to slip inside before the door closed. Too bad, because this was getting interesting. Madame certainly took her job seriously. And Amanda still wasn't completely sure what that job was.

She forgot about the library and roamed the halls looking for something else of interest to listen to or observe unnoticed. When she saw Katie and Britney with hall passes, she followed them to the restroom. At least she could catch up on the latest gossip.

She watched longingly as her two friends went through the ritual that they always performed after lunch. They emptied their makeup bags into sinks and then scrutinized their faces in the mirrors to see what elements were in need of repair. And, of course, they gossiped.

But it was a shock to hear what they were talking about today. "Amanda is really getting on my nerves lately," Britney said.

Amanda was stunned. Britney turned and looked around the restroom. "Is anyone in here?"

Katie moved over to the stalls and looked under the doors. "No one's here."

"I just had a feeling someone was listening to us." Britney resumed the conversation. "Amanda just thinks she's all that, you know? Okay, so she got some new red ballerina flats. Did she really have to keep telling us how much they cost?"

"She does that all the time," Katie said. "It's like she wants to make sure we know she's got more money than we do. That is so uncool."

Amanda was aghast, and completely bewildered. What was the point of getting new things if everyone didn't know they were expensive? She'd always thought her friends were impressed by the cost of her clothes.

"And the way she was making fun of Shannon's shirt, the one with the flowers on it, just because her mother embroidered the flowers herself," Britney continued. "Just between you and me, I thought it was kind of cute."

"So did I," Katie said.

So this was how her good friends talked about her when she wasn't around! Just then, her other self came into the restroom.

"Guys, I forgot to show you," she said. "Look what I got at Sephora yesterday."

Amanda felt like she was watching a home movie as this Amanda opened her bag and pulled out a little case. "It's a makeup travel kit, with everything you need all in one place. Look, it's even got little brushes and everything. It was super expensive, but I just had to have it."

"Oh, I love it!" Britney exclaimed.

"It's so cute!" Katie gushed.

Two-faced creeps, Amanda thought. Another girl came into the restroom, and she took advantage of the open door to escape. With nothing else to do, she headed to the gifted class.

She was the first student to arrive, but Madame was there with the student teacher.

"I'd like to start the hypnosis sessions today," Serena was saying.

"I'm sorry," Madame said, though she didn't sound sorry at all. "I've got a complicated lesson plan. There won't be time today."

Serena smiled. "Mr. Jackson said I could take the students individually out of the classroom and work with each one in the empty room next door. So it won't disrupt the entire class."