*Note this story is AU, and thus does not follow the typical patterns/plots of the X-Men comics or movies. If you haven't read Everything Changes, it is recommended but not mandatory. If you read the epilogue, you can discard this chapter all together. It should be noted in this fic that the Brotherhood has disbanded and Pyro is just now entering college(he's a sophomore at 22).

-/New Jersey, 2011/-

"No! No! Dude, you've-you've gotta tilt it!" A voice up the stairs screamed, but it didn't seem to be taking the emergency very seriously as moments later, the man began laughing hysterically. "Nate!"

"What?"

"You're not tilting!"

A deeper voice scalded, but it was followed by laughter. "Fuck you and you're tilting, Bren, this is why nobody likes you!"

A feminine giggle broke the two baritones, which prompted the first voice to declare, "Lydia likes me!"

"Psh, only cause you've got a cute butt!" The other male cackled, letting out a groan of pain a loud thump was heard.

"And tilt!"

"Uh-" John glanced up the stairs to see three people struggling to get a very wide couch up a very narrow flight of stairs. The two at the top, a boy and a girl, both in their early twenties, as was the young man struggling near the bottom of it.

"Dude, little help?" He asked, his unshaven face going a little red from the effort.

John nodded, "sure, why not?" He tossed his suitcase on the floor and grabbed a hold of the other corner. The couch was lighter then it looked but was still rather dense.

"You must be John." The man at the top said, grinning, his light reddish blonde hair hitting the light and almost blending in with it. "I'm Brendan," He jerked his head over to the man next to him, "that's Nate."

"Hey." He grunted, shifting the weight of his couch from his back to his legs, "always glad to get rid of a shitty roommate." Nate shot him an accusing but playful glare, "unless, of course, you're the anti-christ in roommate form come here to-"

"Don't mind him," Brendan interrupted, he and the woman both taking a step up, "we just got the History Channel, he's been O.D-ing on the Apocalypse hour."

John winced, pushing the couch upwards. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, oh, and this is Lydia." He jerked his head toward the redhead standing next to him, "she doesn't live here, but her roommates are bitches. So, we see her a lot."

"They've been kind enough to keep me off the streets," She supplied smiling.

John blinked, a little surprised by her laid back demeanor. "Oh?"

"Mhm." Her green eyes shifted over to Brendan, "what did happen to your old roommate?"

"Unfortunate non-pot related incident I assure you," Nate told her, "that didn't involve any kind of snapping turtle."

"You know I think this History Channel thing's a front," Brendan said, "I think you're the anti-christ, Nathaniel."

"Fuck that, my hair is too sexy."

Lydia giggled shooting John a comforting look, "you get used to them, I promise."'

The young man smiled back, "I think I could."

A faint blush rose on her cheeks, but she kept quiet as the boys went back to their bickering and John went back to trying not to stare at her.

It was going to be an interesting year.