The Weird Travels of Aimee Schmidt: The Curse of the Gifted by J.A. Schreckenbach

on the side of the bed.
    Dawn was just emerging. Aimee could tell it would be another dismal day. The light sneaking through her blinds was too gray for this time of the morning. Zonker didn’t stir, only raising one eye to peek at her when she stood up to stretch. She slid her finger under one slat of the blinds and peered out.
    “Geez, rain would have been better than this,” she grumbled when she stared out into the front yard frosted with a pale gray sheathing of snow. Big, fat, white flakes were still falling lazily from the cloud laden sky.
    Instead of donning running gear, Aimee decided to forego the exercise for one morning and spend the extra time catching up on frivolous things. She hadn’t checked email in weeks or the online gossip, and of course, she could start preparing for her big date tonight with Dylan. Whatever she could do now would save Chelsea some frustration later.
    Aimee strolled out of her room to the bathroom. Her mood was giddy, almost euphoric, and her soft humming piqued her dad’s interest when she passed his bedroom. He stepped out into the hall and cleared his throat. “Feeling better?” he asked.
    “I think so.”
    “Any particular reason you’re in such a good mood?” He wasn’t fooling Aimee. She knew he remembered her date with Dylan. Anything that made Aimee happy made her dad ecstatic. She didn’t want to burst his bubble, or hers for that matter, so she decided to play down their date just in case this was their first and last time to go out. Besides, this was only supposed to be a “thank you” from Dylan. No deeper intent, that she could tell, had been insinuated.
    “Dad, it’s Friday. That’s why I’m excited.”
    He chuckled as he headed towards the kitchen. “Do you want breakfast?” he hollered over his shoulder.
    She cracked open the bathroom door and shouted, “Thanks, but I’ll get something later before I go to school.”
    The sound of Dad banging pans in the kitchen and the steep aroma of coffee percolating filled the house. Aimee dropped the lid of the toilet and covered it with a towel. From under the sink she dug out a small assortment of makeup and nail polishes, then laid them on the counter. “Humph,” she grumbled as she surveyed the scant contents; Cotton Candy Pink or Barely There Beige, the sole choices. “Barely There,” she muttered. Her limited sense of fashion told Aimee she should stick to something basic since she wasn’t sure what she would be wearing. Chelsea had her outfit already picked out, she was positive. Besides, she seriously doubted Dylan would see her toenails, but it made her feel good to be pampering herself for once.
    Aimee finished her pedicure, then completed the rest of her bathroom routine. She stepped out into the hallway hoping Dad wouldn’t be there to comment on her sleek colored nails. He was too observant sometimes. Luckily, he was nowhere in sight so she hurried into her room. After mindlessly selecting her attire for the day, Aimee stepped back and surveyed her collection of misfit garments hanging in the closet. Hopeless was the word that came to mind. Chelsea would need to work a miracle. She glanced at the clock. Seven fifty-five. She had spent way too much time in the bathroom leaving no time for breakfast so she yanked on her boots and grabbed her backpack. A few extra minutes for the commute would be helpful this morning.
    Before leaving Aimee flew into the kitchen to get a bottle of water and an apple for her ride to school. She spotted the paper Dad left on the counter. The bolded headline immediately caught her attention… Campus Bookstore Robbery Thwarted in Eugene . She quickly scanned the article searching for information about the young woman’s status. The paper reported the woman was at the Mercy Medical Center and her condition was stable. She sustained a concussion from the blow to the head. An investigation was underway to find the armed robber. He had evaded the police on foot and was