Where was she??????? Kevin was so full of rage and confusion, he felt like he could tear the damn house apart: exempt he wasn't at home, he was in his prize green Camaro looking for Gwen Tennyson. Where the fuck had she gone? Typical. Bloody typical. He finally gets the guts up to ask out Gwen Tennyson the love of his life (not that he would ever say that out loud) and she had disappeared.

She wasn't at her perfect little typical suburban house; she wasn't at the groovy smoothie with Ben. The night was falling fast, the liquid blackness wrapping itself around his car, like the waters of the ocean wrapping around the bottom of a boat. She wasn't at the library, he had already checked.

The concrete buildings of the city loomed over the handsome, raven-haired youth as he pounded his steering wheel in frustration. The stars shone overhead, seeming to taunt him with their cold, impersonal light. He pulled up to the curb and got out, sticking his hands in the worn pockets of his jeans. His heavy combat boots thudded on the pavement as he made his way up the street, taking no heed of the people who he knocked over or barged into. Angry shouts followed behind him, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered but finding her.

He'd bawl her out for making him worry, for the twisted feeling of fear in his gut, and then . . . maybe he'd kiss her. He smiled at the thought. He'd almost gotten to kiss her once, when shed brought him those little ball bearings. If that stupid highbreed hadn't come busting in. His fists clenched in anger. He had been THIS close to tasting her. THIS close!!!!!!!!!!

Man, she was twisting him ever which way. He took a deep breath of the frigid night air, then stilled as strains of some thumping music reached his ears. Without quite knowing why, he turned, following the sound.

" She said let's change our luck
This night is all we've got . . . . .."

He finally came to a stop in front of a flashing neon sign. THE BOLT. Huh. Something was going on in there. He couldn't see anything through the frosted glass. Probably some sort of nightclub.

"Drive fast until we crash
This dead end life"

The glass was cold, making a small sucking noise as he turned away. Wait, what was that?

"Sweet dreams that won't come true
I'd leave it all for you"

he quickly turned back. There, a flash of silky red hair. Gwen? Hesitantly, he pushed open the door.

"Brick walls are closing in
Let's make a run tonight"

Bright, pulsing lights flashed through the dark interior. Hot, sweaty bodies thrashed across the checkered floor. Normally this was his sort of place, but Kevin was sort of preoccupied tonight.

Amid the heaving, shadowy mass of bodies, the boy noticed that there was a crowd gathered around a space in the middle of the floor. Teen punks, girls in way- too -tight shirts, skater-boys in ragged jeans, all cheering one person. "Andulite! Andulite! Andulite!" they pounded their fists in the air, cheering almost loud enough to burst his eardrums.

There shadows made creepy, twisted shapes on the chrome wall. He roughly pushed his way through the adulating throng. The tantalizing flashes of red hair called to Kevin like a magnet. His heart nearly stopped when he saw what had drawn these people.

A survivor's instinct he had possessed all his life called him back to the shadows, but what he had seen was firmly burned into his brain. Stumbling over his own feet, he fell against a pillar decked in bright, gaudy streamers. Gwen. He had found Gwen.

"Blinded by the lights
Hold you through forever
Won't let you go."

He quickly straightened up, shaking his head, his dark locks falling across his face. As long as he lived, Kevin knew he would never get that image out of his brain. What was worse, he wasn't sure he wanted to. He had seen Gwen, and barely recognized her.

Her beautiful, silky red hair was down, loose around her heart-shaped face. Her green eyes flashing, she had been wearing a slinky purple number showing just enough skin to make him drool. A hip-hugging wraparound skirt over sliver and black stripped leggings "Cause if you jump"

A soft purple velvet off- the- shoulder strapless shirt. She had been dancing, flying around the floor, and they had been cheering her on. He almost hadn't believed it was GWEN!

"I will jump too
We will fall together
From the building's ledge
Never looking back at what we've done
We'll say it was love
Cause I would die for you
On skyway avenue

She said don't change your mind
Let's leave this town behind
We'll race right off the cliff
They will remember this
It all got so mundane
With you I'm back again
Just take me by the hand
We're close to the edge

Blinded by the lights
Hold you through forever
Won't let you go

Cause if you jump
I will jump too
We will fall together
From the building's ledge
Never looking back at what we've done
We'll say it was love
Cause I would die for you
On skyway avenue

Where are your guts to fly
Soaring through, through the night
And if you take that last step
I'll follow you
Leave the edge and fly
We're finally alive

Cause if you jump
I will jump too
We will fall together
From the building's ledge
Never looking back at what we've done
We'll say it was love
Cause I would die for you
On skyway avenue
So what's left to prove
We have made it through"

It was Skyway Avenue, by We Three Kings. One of her favorite songs. He craned his neck, trying to catch another glimpse of her. Just then the music stopped. Just jarred to a halt.

Smiling tolerantly, Gwen stopped dancing and pushed her way though the throng, warding of hands that clutched at her skirt, and autograph books shoved in the general vicinity of her chest. Friggin autograph books!!!

She ascended a stage in one corner, looking perfectly radiant as always. Not a hair looked out of place. She always looked perfectly beautiful. He smiled sadly, hidden in shadows. How had he ever thought he was good enough for her, that goddess ascending the creaking wooden stairs?

He turned on his heels, trying to leave, but the press of bodies locked him away from the door. A minute later, he was glad that they had. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Gwen had grabbed the microphone and was addressing the crowd below. She sounded like a radio announcer.

"Hellooooooooo, people of the Bolt! This is Andulite coming at you live, although most of you know me as lightning-queen, leader of the bolt!!!!! (There was a big cheer at this. The punk- people raised there fists in the air, screaming and cheering) she smiled, looking embarrassed at the gratuitous praise

" I'd like to dedicate this next song, to as you all can probably guess, the guy I'm crazy about. You guys know who I'm talking about? "Unified, the crowd roared back " KEVIN LEVIN!!!!!!!!!!" "That's right" she screamed I was totally shocked, I felt like I had been sucker punched in the gut. She liked me. Gwen Tennyson, the perfect, the brave, the beautiful, was in love with Kevin Levin, the street rat? It wasn't possible. I must have misheard. Why would she like me? Life just didn't work out like that. And yet . . . . .

Slowly, thumping bass, music started to play. The beat was unfamiliar. Gwen continued speaking, and he latched onto her words. She was shrugging, grinning wildly.

"I don't know what it is," she was saying, " he's rude, he's annoying, he's immature . . ." he scowled. Thanks a lot. " But like the song says, he 's got me going crazy." She nodded to someone offstage, lightly leaping down to the chrome floor. Like a wave, the bass crescendoded and the lyrics rang across the club

" Something about your style got me freaking' out
Hey boy, hey boy"

The people started to dance again, writhing and shaking to the beat of the song. Gwen was doing something like the Macarena, singing along to the words.

She's serious, she was actually serious. The truth hit Kevin like a sunburst. He wasn't crazy. He hadn't misheard. She actually LIKED HIM. The princess liked him. He slumped behind the pillar, watching her. Her lithe graceful body, the sway of her hips, held him entranced for several minutes.

"Gotta make you mine and there ain't no doubt
Hey boy, hey boy
You're really laid back and you play it smooth
Hey boy, hey boy
I see the way you move from across the room and
I know I'm tripping on you
Boy I'm feeling something real and I don't know what to do
So excited, I can't hide it
Got my eyes on you"

The colored lights flickered and danced across the floors, bouncing off the chrome walls. Keeping his head down, Kevin pushed off the floor and made his way across the dancing hall. A wicked, X-rated grin was plastered on his face. So she had her eyes on him, did she? She had all but admitted that the lyrics to this song were the way she felt about him.

"You've got me goin' crazy
Want to be your baby
I don't know what to do
I can't take my eyes off you
You've got me goin' crazy
It's just the way you're moving
I really wish you knew, what you do
I can't take my eyes off you"

Screw that, she couldn't take her eyes off him! It was all he could do to keep from laughing, flipping his raven locks over his head so that she could see his face. So that she could know he was here. In the back of his mind, he wondered why he had never heard of this nightclub before, but quickly banished the thought. This night was too good to worry about semantics, and he had a feeling it was going to get better.

"You so sensational, I think you've got it all
Hey boy, hey boy
And I like the way you're unpredictable"

Oh yes, he was defiantly going to kiss her after this. Maybe do more than kiss her .
"Hey boy, hey boy
Won't you come to me, just like I wished
Hey boy, hey boy
Cause I never met a guy who made me feel like this
It's a chance that I just can't miss oh
Boy I'm feeling something real and I don't know what to do
So excited, I can't hide it
Got my eyes on you
You've got me goin' crazy"

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. It pleased him immensely that she wasn't dancing with any of the other guys here. It pleased him even more when he noticed the longing looks several of the guys were shooting her.

"Want to be your baby
I don't know what to do
I can't take my eyes off you
You've got me goin' crazy
It's just the way you're moving
I really wish you knew, what you do
I can't take my eyes off you
Got me losing my mind
Boy wish you were mine
Why don't you send me a sign
I've been losing my sleep
Think I'm falling too deep
Don't know what it is you do to me What you do to me"

The rank odor of unwashed teen drifted through the air. It smelled like nectar to Kevin, who had grown up used to the smell. He crossed his arms over his chest, a fierce, possessive look in his eye as he watched his girl move across the dance floor.

Someone was moving toward her, pressing through the huge crowd of people. He was a punk-kid, maybe 14 or 15. Kevin didn't like the way he was eyeing Gwen.

She was frowning as the boy moved closer, summoning lavender energy to her palms. The boy had a leering grin on his face, and Kevin was already shoving himself through the crowd.

"You've got me goin' crazy

Want to be your baby
I don't know what to do
I can't take my eyes off you
You've got me goin' crazy
It's just the way you're moving
I really wish you knew, what you do
I can't take my eyes off you"

The punk was obviously attempting to be suave, whispering in her ear. As Kevin moved closer, he could hear snatches of what the slimy jerk was saying to her.

"Forget Levin, he's a loser. He's not gonna ask you out anyway. Go out with Me." his lecherous grin cracked wider "I'd make it worth your while" fury roared in his ears, and Gwen raised a lavender energy-engulfed fist. She never got the chance to blast him, though.

Kevin lunged and elbowed him away from her, snarling. His fists were clenched at his sides. His leather jacket was open, showing the black muscle shirt he was wearing. The boy lay sprawled on the floor of the club, winded, clutching his ribs. Kevin stood over him, the older boy's face like a thunderstorm.

"Stay away from my girl!!!!!!!!" he snarled. Turning his back on the bit of filth sprawled on the floor, he extended a hand to a dumbstruck Gwen.

"Come on" he said. "Do you honestly expect me to stand around while some other guy makes a move on my girl?" looking chagrined, he immediately slammed a palm to his forehead. "I cannot believe how cheesy that sounded" he smiled at her upturned face, looking sheepish" wanna dance?" gasping, Gwen finally seemed to regain the power of speech. "K-k-k-kevin" she stammered "how long have you been here?" letting his charcoal bangs hang in front of his eyes, he simply flashed her a roguish grin in answer.

"So I drive you crazy, huh?" smiling shyly, an embarrassed blush coloring her cheeks, she placed her slender hand in Kevin's longer, broader one. Trying to resist the urge to pump his fist in the air in triumph, he led her onto the dance floor.

"You've got me goin' crazy
Want to be your baby I don't know what to do
I can't take my eyes off you
You've got me goin' crazy
It's just the way you're moving
I really wish you knew, what you do
I can't take my eyes off you . . . . ..