Touching Other Lives - Volume 1

15 YO Annie is starting at a new school and determined to make friends. However, she has a freaky talent she intends to keep secret. It lets her learn about people and objects. Things that are not obvious and others might not want revealed. Along with a generous heart, a tendency to think the best of people and help the underdog, her psychic gift soon has her embroiled in a series of mysteries and put her and her friends in danger. In Book 1: Episode 1 The Wrong Kind of Friend? On her first day at yet another high school, 15 YO Annie is determined to make friends. While walking to school, she meets Martin, a taciturn boy her own age. She is soon warned of his bad reputation, but kindhearted Annie places her trust in her unproven psychic gift when he is accused of selling drugs - even after ending up at the police station with him on her first day. Episode 2 Friend or Unfriend Annie had never been in trouble before coming to Bellfield College, but after only a week, it was beginning to look like she was a trouble maker. When given an unusual punishment after fighting with a classmate, she learns more about the derisive, apparently affluent Abbie Carson than she expected. Episode 3 Bones of an Old Mystery While helping the local scouts clean out an old house, Annie receives visions of its former owner - Old Mad Maude. What she saw didn't agree with the official police view and when a horrible discovery is made, things looker darker still for Maude. Episode 4 The Truth Behind the Vision Abbie Carson had a big secret and somehow that freaky new girl had found out. If that wasn't enough, she'd lost something she'd taken from her father's private office. He'd be angry if he knew... He'd probably blame her for the break in, when it was his fault for running off. But did he have to treat her like a prisoner when she had obeyed him and stayed home for all the time he was away? It wasn't fair! Episode 5 Not a Chip Off the Block Martin didn't want anyone at school to know his father was a criminal. They would believe all the rumours about him and throw him out. The police already thought he was headed that way and when they came to search his house he could already feel the jail cell door clanging behind him. He had no friend to help him this time. Episode 6 Mysteries Deepen Annie was glad that Martin had come out of his weekend unscathed and wasn't going to pry into what he hadn't told her. However, she was worried about Abbie, who had done something so stupid that her other friends were mad at her. Then there was Maude, who was missing when the police wanted to talk to her. Annie felt sure that she needed a friend too and decided to go with Martin to look for her. Finding Mad Maude. Martin and Annie find Maude and themselves the focus of armed men in flak jackets. It wasn't the place for kids, but Annie was determined to stand up for Maude, even offering her a place to stay that night. Surprising, they also found two adults who didn't consider them just kids.