Extra Perceptory



Updated every Thursday.

Tuesday, April 1

Installment F

It was a long day of studying and homework, but I finally dropped, completely exhausted, onto my bunk.

It's been weeks since I've written Amman.

I pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing.

***

Dear Amman,

School is dull. I've made a lot of new friends, but even more enemies. So far my record is a week without anyone pushing me into a girl's bathroom or shoving my lunch tray into my chest. Ashley Gates and Lena Hunther try to walk with me everywhere I go. Lena's great at scolding and Ashley loves to shove back.

One day, during lunch, a girl grabbed my tray and shoved it in my face. I was covered in food, but the girl talked about it like a personal victory. The next day, Ashley went to talk to her about it. I didn't see anything happen, but everyone tells me it ended in Ashley unzipping the girl's uniform, and shoving all of her food down the back plus a glass full of ice water, and then zipped it back up after she was done. I haven't had any trouble in the lunch room since then. The most I got today was a few disapproving stares in the hallway, which is a major improvement compared to last week. I have only my new friends to thank for that.

Lena is great. She really is an all out pacifist. I still haven't told her that I know Mira, but I'll save that for a dramatic moment. For now, I'm teaching her everything Mira taught me about psychic meditation. I can't believe it, but Lena actually has the ability to manipulate other people. Lena can actually take control of someone else's mind and body! That's the hardest power to control, usually people don't develop it until they're an expert in all the other fields. So, naturally, I help Lena to calm herself, stop her headaches, and control her powers.

Yet I'm overcome with depression whenever I do. Either I need to get over the fact that she has a boyfriend, or it's a side-effect of spending so much time in someone else's mind. I wonder what Mira experienced when she taught me?

I'm lucky for Mira's training. I can't even begin to describe how much it's helped me get along and cope here in Psy Academy. I think she knew how much of an edge she was giving me, so I'll be sure not to abuse it.

That reminds me. . .

Also, Mira wrote me. I don't know if she told you, but she's being promoted. Lena was telling everyone about it a few hours after I read the letter. I thought it was pretty funny listening to it all again. Either way, Mira's going to be a Psy Brigadier General! She'll be working at the Marshal offices, with all the other generals. That's great news for me, it'll really help to know a kind hand in high command.

Anyway, back to school. I ended up dropping my Russian History class, not because it was too much for me to take, but just because of the racial implications of a 'dirty Russian' being in a class concerning Russian heritage. As you know, I never knew my parents, and the only Russian I know is from reading books about World War II. It was unfair, but the generous wealth of history volumes in the Library made up for it. I just continued learning as part of my own independent study.

Also, about three weeks into the quarter, my American Military History teacher started giving me horrible grades on my assignments and papers. I thought the work was okay, but apparently she thought it was severely lacking. I tried talking to the teacher several times after class, but she always had someone to call or somewhere to go. She seemed busy, because she was uncomfortable of my presence. I didn't need psychic powers to see that, although the teachers have mental barriers anyway.

I wanted to conduct a little experiment. Stephanie, a friend of Jessica's, is in the class with me. I asked her one day at lunch if she would go talk to the teacher after class, and the teacher not only stayed behind just for her, but answered all of her questions before they even left her mouth. She's an expert in telepathy, meaning if Stephanie so much as thought about me or what I asked her to do, the teacher would be well aware of it. But, the results of the experiment stayed true. This basically proves that the teacher is failing me purely out of personal prejudice. I even compared papers with the girls I sit by, they all passed with flying colors, and my papers put them all to shame. Stephanie told Lena (Mira's granddaughter, by the way) about it, and Lena wants me to get the teacher fired, but I can't do that. The American History teacher is everyone's favorite, and I'm the only one who would see the benefits of her resignation, but as things fall now, I'll fail.

I think I'll just take the same path as Russian History. I'll fail the class, but still learn the information. It doesn't really matter, as long as I'm learning. Tensions are high enough as is when it comes to my race, I don't want to get everyone's favorite teacher fired and cause a giant ruckus, but I'll see what ends up happening. Lena said she might be able to help by talking to Brix. I hope so.

Ashley, Lena, Nicolette, Jessica, Stephanie, and Claire all say hi. They want to meet you when you come to pick me up for quarter break. I told them some of your stories about fighting in the Second American Civil War. I hope you don't mind.

Tell Max to write.

Love,
Isaac "Pink" Erlenmeyer

***

"Ha ha! You sign your name with Pink?" Lena had been reading over my shoulder the whole time.

"Well, what can I say, it's stuck. That's all I ever hear from you guys. Even Jessica and Stephanie jumped on the bandwagon."

"Whatever you say, Pink." Ashley sarcastically interjected from across the room.

"You don't believe me? Fine, watch this." I replied.

After a brief moment Jessica walked into the room, right on time, after her tutoring period.

"Hey Jessica." I said while still appearing still busy with my letter.

"Hey Pink, hey Lena." Jessica responded, preoccupied with thought.

"Hey Jessica," Lena responded with a twinkle in her eye.

"What's with that look? Did Pink say something funny?" Jessica asked, perplexed.

"No, but he's a funny guy alright," Lena said, then turned to look at me, "So now, do you mind explaining to me how my grandmother gave you those psychic meditation lessons?"

I rolled my eyes.

So much for saving it for a dramatic moment.

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