Gifts

Hello, Reader. I am James Parker. I am sixteen years old with two sisters and a newborn brother. Rose, Tessa, and Nathaniel. Rose is seven and Tessa is three. I have black hair and gray eyes, Rose has red hair and green eyes, and Tess has red hair and blue eyes. Thane has blond hair and blue eyes. Our parents are Jessica and Daniel Parker. My sisters get their red hair from our mom. Mom has blue eyes and dad has green eyes and blond hair. No one knows how I got black hair and gray eyes but I think it might be from a distant relative. We all have gifts except Thane but that is because he hasn't developed it yet. He's too young. Dad has the ability to transform, Mom has the ability to make things grow (which my mom calls nature, I call it grow), Rose can teleport, and Tess can make water do what she wants it to. I can mind-speak. Boring compared to my family's gifts but that's how it is. Again no one knows how I got that gift.

For the first time, Rose and I will be going to an in-person school today. Rose is so excited she won't stay still. I don't have an opinion. Yet. Dad drops us off and heads to work. He is a cop while Mom just stays home. It takes a minute but we find where to line up for our classes.

"Hello, I'm Elizabeth Miller," The girl in front of me says. She has green eyes and black hair.

"Hi, I am James Parker." Not sure what else to say.

"I like your eye color. It's unusual. My eye color is strange in my family."

Green? Unusual? "My dad has green eyes. No one in my family has black hair and gray eyes as I do." Too much info?

"Strange. No one has black hair in my family but I have it."

"Distant relative?"

"No idea. Yours?"

"Don't know." She was about to say something else when the bell rang and everyone went inside. I think about what she said throughout the class. She is odd in her family like me? Hmm. When it was recess I looked around and found she was coming toward me.

"Care to continue our conversation?"

"Yes."

"I think my oddity is because of my gift," she said thoughtfully.

"Gift?"

"I can mind-speak."

She can too? "So can I."

"Care to try?" I reached my mind outward. -Sure-

>Glad to be able to talk to someone in mind-speech< I agree with her there.

Out loud I said, "It's not that useful."

"Sure it is! We can talk during class."

True but not a good idea because then we won't be paying attention to what we are supposed to be learning.

"Do you have siblings," I asked curiously.

"No, you?"

"Yes, I have three"

"All boys? Or all girls?"

"Two sisters, one baby brother."

"Do both your sisters come to school here?"

"Rose does but Tessa is too young."

"What are their ages?"

"Rose is seven, Tessa is three, and Nathaniel is two weeks."

"And yours?"

"Sixteen. You?"

"Also, sixteen." I thought about this for a second. While I was thinking someone else came over and started talking to Elizabeth. I didn't pay attention until my name was said.

"What?"

"I said, James, this is Simon and his girlfriend Jennifer. Si, Jen, this is James."

"Nice to meet you both," I said politely.

"Liz, are you going to the party tonight," Jennifer asked, smiling at me.

"What party?"

"Si's party."

"Yeah, it's my birthday today. Ridiculous, you forgot," Simon said, in mock exasperation. Since they weren't talking to me I started easing away. I should tell you what they look like. Jennifer has blond hair and violet eyes and Simon has black hair and gold eyes. Both are odd.

"James can come too," Simon said, seeing me leave.

I stopped. "I don't know if I can come."

"James, these two have the same gift as us," Elizabeth said. They can mind-speak? Interesting.

"Wait! James can mind-speak?" Jennifer asked, curiously.

-I can-

"That's great!" Why is she saying that enthusiastically? I looked at her confused.

"Jenniffer, Elizabeth, and I talk during class. To help one another on things we don't understand," Simon explained.

"Oh."

"So will you come to the party?"

"I will have to ask my parents."

"Do you have a phone?"

"Yes."

"You could call them at the end of school. That way we can just go straight to Simon's," Elizbeth suggested. It's a good suggestion but I'm not sure. Should I? My parents might not mind but I can't predict the future.

"My mom is picking Rose and me up. I will ask her then." It was settled. Then we went and played with the other kids. Sharks and Minos was a fun one. If you got tagged you had to join the shark or the person who was it. The last one to get tagged got to be it the next round. I got to be it once. All the other times I got tagged. At the end of the day, I waited with Rose for Mom to get us. -Rose, I am going to ask Mom to go to a party with some friends-

She looked at me. "She'll say yes. She wants us to have friends."

-Did you make any?-

"Yes. Her name is Susan. She has to go to the dentist today but I am planning to ask Mom if she can come over tomorrow." Good. I am glad she found someone. I didn't like the thought of me making friends and her not. I can see Elizabeth, Simon, and Jennifer waiting for me. Mom finally pulled up.

"Mom, can I go to a friend's party?"

"Now?"

"Yes."

"You can. I am glad you made some friends. Put your bag in the back so you don't have to carry it. Call me when the party's over. Come on Rose, let's go home." Rose got in and Mom drove away. I went over to the group. -Let's go- We walked to Simon's house. He is rich! I did mean that. I meant his house is huge!

"Welcome to me casa," Simon said, with a grand gesture. Jennifer smiled while Elizabeth shook her head. >He always acts like he owns the place. Though it's his parents who own it< I smiled. Interesting.

"Si, do you have to act so ridiculous?" Jennifer asked.

"It's my home."

"Your parents own it!"

"So, let's go into the pool," he said pretending he didn't hear her.

"Agreed," Elizabeth said.

"Wait! James, do you have a nickname you would like to be called?" Jennifer asked.

"Jem."

"I would rather be called Jen."

"I would like to be called Si," Simon said.

"Liz or Lizzy is fine with me," Elizabeth said. >I like the name Jem by the way<

-Thanks- We all went to the pool and Si cannonballed into it splashing us all. We in turn jumped in and splashed him. -His family owns this whole place?-

>Yes< Hmm. My phone started ringing. I got out of the pool and grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Jem!" Rose sounded like she was panicking.

"Rose? What's wrong?"

"The house is on fire!"

"Where's Mom, Dad, Tess, and Thane?"

"Tess is right here with me and I have Thane in his stroller next to me. I don't know where Mom and Dad are!"

"Okay, I will be home soon." I hung up and turned to my friends. "I need to go home." Or what's left of it when I get there.

"Why?"

"I just need to leave." Go to my scared sister and calm her down.

"I will drive you," Si said. He has his driver's license? Oh well, I will be getting mine soon. He drove me until I told him to drop me off a block from my house. I don't want him to see what has happened. "Are you sure I could drive you all the way?"

"No thanks. I would rather walk." Which I did until I saw him pull away, then I ran. I found my sister standing by herself. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Dad is talking to the police, he came out of the house after I called you. Mom did too. She is at the neighbor's house. She has Thane and Tess with her."

"I thought you didn't know where they were?"

"I found them."

"What started it?"

"Me."

"Huh?"

"I was trying to show everyone that I could start the fire in the fireplace. But I dropped the match and it lit the curtain on fire. I ran to get everyone to leave the house." She started to cry. I hugged her. Oh, Rose.

"Your seven, Rose. You shouldn't touch matches. That is why we don't want you to start the fires."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Do you think Mom and Dad will be?"

"No. They will be glad that we are all safe." I can't actually tell what they will think but I know they will be happy that we are alive. I wish my gift showed me their thoughts.

"I'm sorry."

I sighed. "Come on, Rose. Let's go join Mom." We walked to the neighbors. Mom was holding Thane and holding a bottle of milk to his mouth. Tess was staring out the window but when I came in she ran to me. Why are my sisters coming to me? Mom is here but she is crying. Oh great. "Calm down, Tess. We are all okay."

"Jem, I am sorry," Mom said.

Wait what? "Sorry for what?"

"For making you leave your friend's house."

"They were okay with it" Especially when I tell them why I had to leave.

"Rose, next time don't touch matches."

"Are you mad at me?" Rose asked.

"No, and neither is your father. Let's all get some sleep and talk about what we will do tomorrow." We all went to the rooms our neighbors gave us. I stayed awake. I thought about everything that was going on. Why didn't Tess use her gift to put out the fire? I will ask in the morning and after about thirty minutes I fell asleep. A house that was like Si's appeared except it belonged to my family. I saw myself teaching Tess and Rose how to swim. Mom had her legs in the water and had Thane on her lap. Dad was splashing her and she was laughing. We were rich and happy.

I woke up and looked around. It was still dark out. I don't know how long I slept. But I wished I didn't wake up. It was a good dream. I want it to come true. I went downstairs and saw Dad in the kitchen.

"Hey, Dad."

"Jem."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We are getting a lot of money because the house burnt down."

"Are we rich?" Or should I be asking why they are giving us money?

"Yes. I can't wait to tell your mom." Rich? Did my dream show me the future? Did I develop another gift? So many questions and no answers.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I think I have a new gift."

"What is it?"

"Future sight."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just dreamed of us being rich."

"Possible." Dad says this when he is trying to figure out a problem. Everyone in the family has only one gift. If I have two it would mean I am even odder than I was before. I sighed. Looks like that is going to be the case.

"Jem, I want you to try looking into the future. What do you see?"

He wants me to do it on command? I'll try. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to focus. Instantly a vision came.

Mom and Dad were thinking about extending the family. But they just want to adopt someone. Or two.

I pulled myself out of it. Not wanting to see more. "I saw you and Mom planning to adopt some kids."

Dad's eyes widened. "I am planning to ask her to adopt some kids. When we have a place." Okay, looks like I developed another gift. Dang. "Jem, looks like you are getting the gift my great-grandfather had."

"But I thought you said you didn't know where I got my gift from." Or did he just pretend he didn't? Seriously, too many questions.

"I did some research and found that my great-grandfather had the ability to mind-speak and see into the future. He also had another gift."

At least that was an answer to one of them. "What was the last one?"

"Time travel."

Oh wow. "Do you think I will develop it?"

"Yes."

Oh great! Three gifts? I will be even odder. My friends will think that I am weird and they might stop talking to me! I won't tell them. Then again they might not do this. So maybe I will tell them. Okay, I admit I have different feelings about this."I think I will go to bed. Night Dad." I went back to my room and tried to understand everything. Three gifts? Thanks, great-great-grandfather. Why couldn't it show in…I stopped. I don't want my sisters to be odd like me. No! I will deal with it. I fell asleep. I didn't dream about anything. Good.

In the morning I went downstairs and found Mom making breakfast. But she was doing something I had never heard her do before. She was humming. I don't recognize the sound but it's something new. I sat down and watched her. I don't care what people think I wasn't being creepy. After a few minutes, she looked at me. "Morning, Jem."

"Morning, Mom."

"Your dad told me about your new gift and the money. Let us know when you develop the third gift, okay?"

"Okay. Mom, I am not going to use them all."

"I know. There isn't much reason to." True. Time travel will be a pointless gift.

After six days we got a new home and I developed the third gift. We all are happy and that's all that matters to me. I don't use all three gifts, I only use mind-speak. When I told my friends about the house they were glad the fire didn't hurt my family. I told them about my new gifts and they didn't stop talking to me. So that's good news. Now that we have a place big enough they come over a lot. I also have two new sisters. Kira and Mayla. They're twins and are six years old. They love chasing me around. I don't like that I'm their role model but there isn't anything I can do about it. Besides I really don't mind. Well, that's my story. I hope you liked it.