After practicing the techniques from the Psychic Gift Exchange Master Class (The One True Secret), I've had an overwhelming sense of... oneness. When you begin to realize how everything is true, you can perform the most amazing feats, because nothing is forbidden. Feats like becoming one with the cafeteria, and getting your food for free. Or not studying but getting an A+ on a test. Both on the same day.

But mostly--as my thoughts encompass everything around me--I've been feeling a sense of dissolution. Where do my thoughts end, and everything else begins? Threads of thoughts wind around in the churn and I lose track.

Tommy Kane, president of the Future Psychic Business Leaders of Tomorrow, is offering me a box. It's only $50. He says I have to buy it because it's part of the initiation ritual for the Psychic Gift Exchange Master Class. He wants me to think about what's inside the box.

I'm getting tired. Tommy Kane says the box has red velvet lining. It's from Beeeker & Joy.

Beeker & Joy is a toy shop in the front, magic shop in the back. The front was crowded with shoppers. The back had just a few maladjusted lurkers.

Magicians.

There was Tommy Kane, president of the Future Psychic Business Leaders of Tomorrow. And Griselda the Necroteen, @Gumhead the Ghost, and one of those especially tiny visiting students from Lampfordam, the gingerbread town.

"Ah, I'm so glad you could finally join us, young Nick."

It was old man Beeker himself, suddenly appearing from the shadows behind the counter.

"Now we can start the lesson."

I looked around, and none of the other kids new what he was talking about either.

You'd think it'd be unnecessary to wrap presents at a school for psychics, but there's a lot you can do to keep the contents of a present unknowable:

1) Lead wrapping paper
2) Wrapping it under a new moon blindfolded and naked
3) The Tears of Forgetfulness
4) Quantum superposition ribbons and bows
5) etc., etc.

I did it the old fashioned way and snuck in to the cafeteria late at night and undid the tape and peeked at the box. It's from Beeker & Joy, the toy and magic shop downtown. I'm going there this weekend and will do a little "social engineering" and see what a kid from Psyhigh might have bought recently...