She sat in her chair, listening, as the entire class received a lecture.

"This school has been vandalized. We all know that one of you did this, but who is another issue. No one has come forward, so does anyone have anything to say about this? Or does someone wish to tell me who did it?" the teacher asked. Lily looked over, and saw John looking back. She shook her head slightly, so he could see, and he smiled at her. "I guess not. Well, until we find out who did this, every student in this room shall be placed under close surveillance, and shall receive one week of detention."

Lily leaned against the doorframe, and waited for him to come out of the room. He walked out, and she hooked her arm through his.

"I'm glad you aren't telling," she whispered.

"I could say the same to you, Lily. Why didn't you rat me out?" he asked, looking at her.

"Because if I ratted you out, I'd be burying myself. You know that," she said, looking around, making sure that no

one was listening. He stopped them, right outside the next class.

"Thanks." She nodded, and let go off his arm. They walked in, and sat down on opposite sides of the room. She dropped into her chair, and looked over at Bobby.

"What's going on between you and John?" he asked, opening his book.

"Nothing. We were just talking about that vandalism that happened the other night. What exactly happened?" she asked, looking at him. He shrugged.

"I don't know…" The door opened, and she watched Scott walk in. Her hand went up as the bell rang.

"Uh, yes, Lily?" he asked.

"I was wondering: what exactly happened?"

"About that vandalism, you mean?" She nodded. He sighed, and waved his hand. "Come on, I'll show all of you what happened." As the class got up, and started out the door, Lily stood back, and waited for John. He stepped up beside her, in his leather jacket, and took her hand.

"Why'd you ask?"'

"You think I wanna learn today? Cause, I didn't think you did, and I know I didn't." He placed his hand on her back, and smiled.

"I knew you were nearly a genius for a reason." She giggled, and stopped with the rest of the class, to see the vandalism. It wasn't until then did she realize what John had done after she'd walked away. Scott pointed to the writing on the wall, and looked at the class.

"Someone did this last night, while everyone else was in bed." Lily stopped for a minute, to see what had been written, with and without her.

The X-men students are the ones who chose to cheat. The ones who have chosen to lie, and steal from the teachers, and injure each other, for fun, excitement, and to fulfill their own sick needs. BAN THEM ALL FROM EVERY ROOM IN THE BUILDING!

There is a war coming—and the mutants will be the first to go.

Lily leaned over to John, and looked at him.

"Why did you add that?" she whispered, looking around. He shook his head, confused, just like her.

"I didn't add that, Lily. Remember? You walked away-I ran after you in a matter of seconds. There was no way I could have written that." Lily looked up at him, still unsure. The class had begun to leave, to go back to the classroom. Lily started after them, but John pulled her back, and looked down at her.

"What? We need to get back to class…" He leaned down, and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened, and she pushed him back.

"What?" he asked.

"We have to get back to class," she said, turning away.

"You…you do believe me, right, Lily?" he asked, grabbing her hand.

"Mmm-hmm," she muttered, biting her lip. She wasn't sure whether or not she believed him. He let go, confused, as she walked into the building.

Lily sat up in the middle of the night. Her hair was up in a very messy ponytail, yet much of her hair was now hanging about her face, as she breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her forehead. She'd been having a nightmare, and pulled herself off the bed, slid into her slippers, and raced out of the room, fixing her ponytail. She hurried down the hall, to the boys' room, and quietly opened the door. John's bed was three from wall on her right side, and she slid over, rolling him onto his back. He sighed, and rolled back onto his side, as she smiled, taking a deep, relaxing breath, and dropping into a chair near his bed. After a couple minutes, he rolled back over, and opened his eyes. As she came into focus, he jumped, surprised.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"I had a nightmare about you…and I got worried…" He yawned, and looked at her, placing a hand under his head.

"Surprising…thought you didn' care, after the way you acted during class…" She sighed, and looked at her hands.

"I'm sorry, but…hey, you did this to me once, too, you know…" she whispered. He looked at her funny. "Remember? Someone wrote something degrading on the wall about you, and you thought it was me because I had been there?" He sighed, and nodded.

"Gotcha. Come on, let's get you back into your own room," he said, pulling the covers back and standing up. He stood in a tank top and boxers, putting an arm around her waist, and headed out the door. It was dark, and very quiet in the hall, so, when they stopped at her door, he paused quietly, pulling her close to him.

"I'll see you in the morning," she said, trying to pull back, to go to bed. He held her there, against the wall, smiling.

"What?" she asked.

"Kiss?" he asked. She smiled, and leaned over, pressing her lips against his.

"Fine. Can I go to bed now?" He shook his head, and kissed her again. She pushed him back.

"What?"

"You were the one who said I should get to my own room," she said, smirking, and turned away, walking into her room.

Lily pulled her pack over her shoulder, and headed down the hall, to Physics. Bobby jogged up behind her, and pushed against her shoulders.

"Boo!" he exclaimed. She jumped, spinning around. He was laughing, and she smiled.

"Hey, Bobby…"

"You alright?" he asked, his laughter fading.

"Yea. I just wish I could sleep in today. I'm so tired." He nodded.

"Know what you mean. I'm tired, too. Didn't get to sleep until, like, two this morning."

"Why so late?"

"I don't know. I guess I had an insomnia attack or something." She nodded, and they headed down the hall. She stumbled over her shoelace, and dropped her books, looking down.

"Ugh…I'll meet you in there, alright?" He nodded, and continued off, as she dropped down, tying her shoe. As she reached out for her papers, scattered from where she was to the wall, she saw someone else squat down, and help her pick up her things. She looked up, and faintly smiled at John. He paused, holding her Physics book in his hand, leaned over, and kissed her.

"Are you alright this morning?" he asked quietly, as some kids raced by, hurrying to class.

"I'm fine…" She pushed all her things together, placing her papers in her folder, and taking her book from John. She glanced up. "Thanks," she said, gave him a peck on the lips, and stood up.

"You sure?"

"Positive…" She headed down a few steps, placing her hand on the doorknob, but paused. Lily looked back at John.

"Are you coming?" He smiled, and walked over, sliding in ahead of her.

John sat, Indian style, on his bed that afternoon, after classes, going thru a folder he had filled with homework.

"Did it, didn't do it, did it…Didn't know I had it," he muttered, filing thru the papers. He saw someone sit down in front of him, and looked up to see Lily's face looking back at him. "What's up?" he asked, closing the folder, and putting it away.

"I wanna know if you think I'm mad at you…"

"Why would I think that? What did I do?" he asked questioningly. She laughed.

"You didn't do anything. But you seemed distant today, and I was just wondering."

"I'm fine, Lily. Really." She nodded, and lowered her head.

"John?"

"Hm?"

"You're being honest when you tell me you didn't write that, right?" He took her hands.

"Of course. Why would I say something like that about my own kind…and my girlfriend?" he asked quietly. She lifted her head.

"I don't know…" she muttered. Leaning over, Lily pressed her lips against his. He pulled her down on the bed, and rolled over, so he was laying on her, kissing her still.

She ran her fingers over his cheeks, and smiled as he pushed himself up for a second to run his fingers thru his hair. A small giggle escaped her lips as he leaned back down, kissing her again. The door opened, and he sat up, his fingers combing his hair back. She pushed herself up, lowering her head, and shaking her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. The boy who'd entered the room paused, and looked over at them. Lily smiled, and threw her hand in the air in a wave.

"Hey, David…" David just nodded, picked up a book from his bed, and walked back out. She then turned, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. "John?"

"Hm?" he asked, lifting his eyes to hers.

"I love you…" He took her hands, smiling, and kissed her quickly.

"Love you too…" Lily stood up, letting his hands fall, and started for the door.

"I'll see you later, alright? I have to go do my homework," she said. He smiled, and she smiled back. Lily pushed open the door. . . . . . .

and walked outside, jamming her hands deep into her pockets. She lifted her eyes to the sky, watching the clouds gather over the building, threatening rain, but not letting it go. Sighing, she dropped her eyes, and looked at her long jacket, hanging down around her feet. She always wore it out now, to cover her feet and hide the fact that they sometimes really didn't seem to touch the ground. They hovered a few inches above, and only people who really looked at them would have noticed…but she didn't want to take the chance, since today she was hovering, and she felt badly enough already. Lily turned her head, and looked at the younger kids behind her.

"Come along, then…" she said, and they followed her to the gate, umbrellas in theirs hands, in case it began to rain. Lily and Rogue led the students, while Bobby and David brought up the rear. Lily placed her hands against the gate, took a breath, and pushed it open, motioning for the children to hurry up.

"So, Lily, where to first? The park or the museum?" she asked. Lily shoved the gate closed, and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket.

"Museum. Ororo said only there if it looked like rain." A couple kids whined, but Lily and Rogue made a few faces, making them laugh, and led them downtown to the museum.

She hung up her coat, shaking the rainwater from her hair, and turned to see Scott walking up.

"How was the field trip?" he asked, emotionless. She reached out, and touched his arm.

"Scott, don't do this to yourself. It wasn't your fault. Jean wouldn't want you to be sad forever. I mean, it has been three years…" He nodded.

"I know, but still…" He shook his head. "So, what are your plans for Christmas break?" he asked, changing the subject. She sighed, and reached up, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm actually going with Rogue, Bobby, Jubilee, David, and…Loren up to Canada. Just a little road trip." Scott had paused, looking at her thru his sunglasses. "Scott, we'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen. I promise." He nodded.

"Alright. Does the professor know you'll be gone?"

"Already talked to him. I think we did that…last week. Don't remember. But I have to finish packing. We leave in the morning…" He reached out, and hugged her.

"If I don't see you before you leave, Merry Christmas," he said.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Scott…" He turned, walking away, shaking his head, as Lily headed to her room, to finish packing. Rogue, Jubilee, and Loren walked in, laughing.

"Heya, Lily! You ready, yet?" Rogue asked.

"Almost. Just need a few more things…" She paused, looking at the only picture she had on her dresser. It was of her and John, the only one she had, and a cut out photo of her father beside her. She had leapt up on John's back during a picnic one day, and was laughing so hard tears were falling from her face. He was laughing, too, and his eyes were looking back towards her. Her father's photo stood on the other side, his arms outstretched, like he was holding her. The photo that had come from was one of him holding her up in a tree in their backyard when she was young. She made a copy, cut it, and placed it with this picture in the frame. Shaking her head, she knocked a single tear to her dresser, carefully setting the photo on top of all her clothes. "I'm so totally ready."