Tzalmon was always annoyed at something, and he did not embarrass easily--he wouldn't mind being naked, as long as people weren't staring at his eyes. "He can already shield it. He knows how, but he doesn't know how. Besides, if I teach him how to close it now, he won't let me read it while I try to find the rest of his talents. Which means I won't know if he's really trying or not. Judging by the attitude he has shown so far, I'm not sure if he's actually going to try or not..."

Tzalmon sounded like he honestly thought that was what was going to happen.

Smiling Professor Angelo looked down at Josh who was at this moment wishing that he could disappear into the woodwork. “well it seems we have two of his talents found, I think I may have to move you two to a privet room so that his broadcasting will not continue disturbing the class.” Embarrassment form broadcasting only made Josh want to disappear feather. what is a privet room? Why would we need it Privet? suddenly josh was hit with a wave of fear. If we are in a privet room together what is he going to do to me? visions of older boys beating him up flashed though Josh’s mind.
“um sir.” Josh’s voice squeaked out. “I would rather not be in a privet room sir.”

"What?" Tzalmon stared at him pointedly. "I'm not going to harm you, if that's what you're thinking. I don't use violence to get my point across--I use logic. Besides..." he stood up and pulled his cloak tight around him, showing that he had absolutely no muscle mass. "I'm thirteen. I'm skinny. I'm short. Do I look like I even could hurt you?"

He seemed to think that a private room would be a good idea.

The thought of a thirteen year old teaching him shocked and stunned josh. Deep down he felt slight anger at such a young kid treating him this way. Forcing the anger down josh gave Professor Angelo a pleading look. Professor Angelo shock he head. “No josh you have to go, that is my order not his.” Slowly josh got up without meaning too. WOW! Hay! Wait a moment! I did not tell you to move feet! this was only the second time that Tzalmon had seen Professor Angelo use this gift, it was one that the students were not allowed to practice and were greatly punished for if they ever did. Slowly walking like a puppet josh went towards the door. OK! OK! I will go just stop making me move! Professor Angelo gave josh a look that said ‘don’t lie to me boy.’ Then josh stumbled, catching himself he continued towards the door.
“ok which way?” josh grumbled. Josh now felt sure that he HATED this class. He wanted nothing to do with this boy and a crazy teacher that could command you to do something and you had to. He wanted nothing to do with powers. All he wanted was to be sitting in a nice quite class room next to Lawrence.

Tzalmon tapped his arm gently with his free hand, seeing as the other was still holding the candle, and walked across the hallway to an unmarked room. He opened the door for Josh, a neutral look on his face. "I am wiser than my years, so please do not judge me because I am so young," he informed him, calmly. "By the way--and I heard this without meaning to--this Lawrence you keep thinking about...that wouldn't happen to be Marleigh, would it?"

That was the only Lawrence he knew of, after all...

"He has power. But, I cannot help him with it. It is the only power I cannot use..."

Suddenly thoughts of the last time he had thought about a boy flashed in his mind. No no this time would be different but still the images hunted him, a kiss stolen in the dark, words whispered and promises made, hands gently holding him close. Then the pain of the boy telling the dean in front of josh that Josh had Raped him, had pushed him to do things that were not accepted at the school. The feel of betrayal at the lies the boy told. They had never done those things, the closes they had done was kiss. Hurt suddenly became anger as Josh remembered that this young boy in front of him could read his mind. you have no RIGHT! as the thought grew in josh’s mind he lashed out at Tzalmon. Fire burst from his hands and skin, a hungry fire that wanted to eat up that with was hurting Josh. The room door slammed behind Tzalmon as Josh’s fire filled the room.

Tzalmon, being experienced with fire, simply set the candle down, raised his arms, and, after a few minutes, quelled the fire. "Control yourself."

The two words seemed to have a very calming effect, because the fire began to diminish. "Relax. I do not care what happened to you in the past. It is not my business to know, but I hear things without meaning to. My apologies. Sit down and relax yourself."

the fire startled and scared him.I did that? No it can’t be, there is no way someone could do that. Is there? What if this happens again, can I control it? How can you control fire? He did! No he didn’t he just controlled emotions. Is that what set it off? How could that be? I have gotten mad before and I never did that? josh’s mind raced with questions and disbelief as he sat down in the chair, the poor little candle now drooped from being half melted from the heat. how do I stop it? It was lackey it was just us in here. I don’t want to hurt anyone else, especially Lawrence. Stop thinking about him. But I can’t, he is the only one who has been kind to me. It’s just the second day! But who would want to talk to me knowing I will only be sent from here next year. That’s not true. down and down the rabbit hole he stumbled. His mind chasing after the last thought.

Tzalmon sat in the chair next to him, patting his arm gently. His hood had been blown back from the impact of the fire. He had smooth, pale skin and slightly rounded, childlike cheeks. He had jet black hair that was slightly spiked, but was slightly long and was tied in a small braided ponytail down the back of his neck.

"You need to control your anger. When you feel like getting angry...you need to think of something soothing. Fire is the most dangerous of all the elements."

“your telling me!” again he thought of his ‘uncle’ and how the picture showed him covered in burns. “so now you know what I can do, how can I stop it?” looking at Tzalmon josh could not understand why he wore the hood. He reminded him of any other kid that went to boarding school; the only different was the eyes. “so what should I call you?”

Tzalmon paused, then noticed his hood was down. He didn't like people staring at his eyes, so he often tried to keep his eyes blocked out by the hood, but since Josh had seen them already he supposed it didn't matter all that much.

"It's all a mental process...first, I want you to try to read my mind. Focus and give it a shot, however you think it might work. Tell me what I'm thinking about."

You should convince Marleigh to think about his power and try to unleash it, whatever it may be.

Slowly josh took a deep breath and then imagined that he was reaching out to touch Tzalmon’s mind with his hand, but not his hand. At first he caught what sounded like a thought then lost it. “I did not catch it I am going to try again.” Again he reached out, this time he knew it was not his own thought. “How am I to make him use his gift if I don’t know what it is?” Josh responded to Tzalmon’s thought. “And his name is Lawrence, it is kind of stupid to call someone by their last name if you know the first name.”

Tzalmon grinned slightly. "Well, I have barely talked to him, so I feel that being informal would be...incorrect?" He shook that off. "Good. Now, I am going to summon some fire. Take note of my mental state and what I am feeling and thinking about."

Tzalmon closed his eyes and cupped his hands in front of him. A fluid sort of flame burst out from his hands and danced in front of him, taking the shape of a ballerina. He left his mind wide open for Josh to examine.

Lawrence was once again quite bored in class. All he wanted to do was get to third so he could sit with Josh. He was barely paying attention to his teacher...

Reaching out with the mental fingers he watched what Tzal was doing. it looks so simple but I know it’s not. How he does that, he is not even angry. he felt a bit embarrassed about getting so angry. it is not like he could stop reading what I was thinking, just because he hit on a sore spot, will he keep it a secret? Josh’s mind wandered thinking of what Lawrence would do if he knew that Josh kept thinking of him. Suddenly he could see Lawrence sitting in the middle of his class. The teacher seemed to be droning on about something. Startled Josh pulled back, falling over his chair as he physical jumped back as well. “What the?”

Tzalmon tilted his head, making his fire-ballerina pause in his dancing. "What is it? Did you have a vision?" he asked, curiously.

The tiny hairs on the back of Lawrence's neck stood up, and he looked around suddenly, feeling like he was being watched...

“I am not sure, I happened to think of Lawrence and there he was. Well in a way there I was. It was like I was not here anymore but I was.” Josh looked up from the ground where he had fallen. “I don’t think I could explain it well enough for you to understand. Maybe if you tried to read my mind? I will think of it again.” Doing exactly what he had done before he found himself in a way floating near to where Lawrence was. The teacher in the room seemed to have taken notices of Lawrence for some reason.
“And what is it that had gotten you attention mister Marleigh?” the teachers voice was a bit shrill to Josh’s ears.

Lawrence scratched his head, looking around. "I thought I saw a fly in here..." he replied absently, looking around for the 'fly.'

Tzalmon frowned. "Hm...that's a lovely power. The ability to see the current actions of another?"

“What?” suddenly his concentration was broken and he was back in the room with Tzalmon. “So you think it’s another power? How many powers can one have?” it was weird to think that only earlier in class he had wanted nothing to do with this boy now he wanted to know everything this boy would tell him.

Tzalmon shrugged. "It's uncertain. I contributed to our professor's research because I am a jack of all trades," he informed him. "I have 'learned' to use other powers, though some only loosely, over many years. I discovered my first power, mind-reading, when I was just an infant. You could have many different powers. I am sure that your friend, Lawrence, has many powers of his own, by the way..."

The bell suddenly rang, before Tzalmon could finish. "You had better get to your next class."

At that moment the bell rang. Looking up josh sighed, then remembered that he had Astronomy next with Lawrence. “I guess we will talk about this next class?” josh said as he hurried out the door. He really was not paying attention to what the other said as he went. He was going to get to see Lawrence; the thought brought a spring into his step.

Tzalmon noticed this and didn't bother responding. Instead, he headed off for his next class.

Lawrence had the same sort of eagerness to his movements. He was hoping he might meet Josh in the hallway before class, even.

Seeing that familiar spot of cheaper clothes Josh hurried over to Lawrence. “I have found out that I can do some odd things.” He said in way of a hello. Falling in step with Lawrence Josh smiled. “May I say that professor Angelo is one odd man? He did not even really teach us anything just had a TA work with me. Man that boy got me so mad.” but then should I be so mean to him? He did help me control the fire when it got out of hand. But then if he had not said what he said I never would have gotten mad at him in the first place. But then he was only trying to help me. But then he also was reading what I was thinking even after I told him not to.

Lawrence's response was immediate. He knew there was only one irritating TA for that class...

"Was it the young kid? Tzalmon, I think? I was assigned him, too, when I had the class...he didn't seem annoying--he was just cold."

Then again, I guess first impressions don't mean very much, do they? Now that Josh could read minds, Lawrence's thoughts were coming on quite clear.

“yah yah it was Tzalmon, he acted almost like he did not care what happened but he was going to pretend that it did. kept reading my mind.” Josh did not know what he was allowed to say about the class and what he was not, but he decided that he could say anything to Lawrence because Lawrence had also had the class. “But let’s not talk about him, how was your class?”

Lawrence perked up. "Oh...oh, it was okay. The teacher was kind of shrill and stuffy, but it was interesting, I guess."

I was really, really lonely, though...

It seemed Lawrence was not a fan of speaking his mind unless it came to something he was used to and was going to be very stubborn about.