Piper tossed one of Prue's teddy bears into the air. Melinda threw out her hands, causing the teddy bear to explode. She sheepishly smiled at her mother while bits of fluff and fur fell to the ground.

" You better tell Prue you killed Teddy," Piper advised her daughter. " And don't try to freeze anything, you might blow them up." Melinda sighed.

"Come on, time for school." Piper ushered her daughter into the car. " Prue! We're leaving!"

" Why can't I orb to school?" asked Melinda. Her mother stifled a laugh.

" Yeah right " was Piper's answer. Melinda sighed and buckled her seatbelt.

***********************

"Peter?" called Phoebe. She leaned against the doorframe that connected the hall and Peter's room. He was running his hands through his curly hair.

" You're very handsome, sweetie," Phoebe told him. Peter rolled his eyes. " Do you want to practice your powers? We have to do some experimenting. I mean, we don't even know what they are."

A car horn beeped. Peter saw Aunt Piper's minivan in the driveway. " Sorry, mom," he said, grabbing his backpack. " No time."

" Breakfast?" wondered Phoebe. Peter grinned as he snagged a PopTart. He ran out the door.

***********************

" Have fun at school," Aunt Piper told her daughter and nephew. Peter snorted. "'Bye Aunt Piper."

" 'Bye Mom," Melinda said. The van drove away and she hurried into school. She watched Peter walk over to his friends. I thought magic would make us closer, like Mom and the Aunts, Melinda thought. In her mind she brushed the thought aside.

" Mel!" called a familiar voice. Melinda's heart beat a little faster when she spotted Byron. He was grinning at her, holding out an envelope. His deep, deep brown, almost black eyes were bright and the sun reflecting off his braces gave off a twinkling light. She had an urge to run her hands through his black spiky hair.

Am I actually thinking this? wondered Melinda. This is sad.

No, a sarcastic thought burst into her head. This is So Dawson's Creek-ish, having a crush on your best friend, and him only thinking friendly thoughts about.

Well…never mind. Melinda's hopeful thought gave up and died.

With Byron was her other friend, Hannah. She waved to Melinda wildly, attracting a few stares. She laughed. Her friends were weird, but there was no one else she'd rather be with.

" Happy Birthday!" Hannah and Byron said in unison. Rose crept onto Melinda's cheeks as they handed her her gifts.

" You guys!" She smiled when she opened Hannah's silver necklace and Byron's Borders gift certificate. " You two are the best."

" We know," they answered in unison. Someone called Byron's name. " I'll see you later," he told the girls and ran off. Melinda watched him run into school.

A voice broke into the romantic daydreams filling her head. " I know he's our friend," Hannah said, " but how do you LIKE him?"

" He's my Superman," Melinda replied.

" Excuse me?"

" Did you see that movie? With Christopher Reeve?"

" Yeah. So?"

" Well Clark Kent was a huge geek. But he was really the strongest, cutest, nicest guy in the world."

" You think that's Byron?" Hannah sounded doubtful. Melinda gave her a look. "Whatever, it's your daydream." The bell rang then, and the two hurried into school.

***********************

Peter's locker was a work of art. It was covered in white loose leaf, with the names of his "admirers" a.k.a. friends all over it, wishing him birthday cheer. Little gifts were scattered at the bottom.

" I love me," he said quietly to himself. Looking up, he spotted some of his friends walking down the hallway.

" Wow," Matt, Peter's baseball teammate, said. " My own family doesn't buy me this many presents."

" But you're not Peter Turner," retorted Jake, another one of Pete's friends. " He's got the perfect life."

My life is great. In fact, my life seems Charmed, Peter thought sardonically.

" Yeah," Matt agreed and gave his friend a playful punch on the arm. Suddenly Peter began to choke on a thick red smoke. He saw his friend in a dark alley, chased by something big, green, and gross. A big knife appeared in his hand and he stabbed Matt.

" Peter? Peter!" Matt yelled into his ear. Peter shook his head, trying to clear his mind of what he saw momentarily. Was that one of his powers? Seeing the future? He needed to talk to someone. The closest person was Melinda.

" I have to go." Peter's friends called after him as he ran down the hall. Melinda was at her locker, looking through her folder with a frown.

" Mel," Peter said, a little out of breath. She looked up, surprised to see him.

" Hi Peter."

" I discovered one of my powers."

She smiled. " Great!"

" I had a vision. My friend, he-died." Melinda raised her eyebrows in horror. "Could you, you know, freeze ev'rybody for a sec?"

" What if I blow somebody up?" Peter was stubborn, though. Melinda bit her lip, and threw out her hands. Time slowed to a stop.

Peter was impressed. " That's pretty cool. I hope I get something like that."

" I don't know how long it'll last." Melinda looked up at him. " So, you had a vision?"

" Yeah." Peter shifted back and forth on his feet. Magic made him queasy. " My friend, Matt Patterson? Well, some big ugly demon thing killed him."

This is not fair! Melinda thought. I've been a witch for one freaking day!

" Where?"

" An alley. At night."

" I've got an idea. Invite him to the manor after school. If a demon's gonna get him, at least Mom and Dad'll be there."

" Cool." There was an awkward silence. " So-unfreeze?"

" Oh yeah!" Again Melinda whipped her hands around and time began again. " So see ya."

" Yeah, see you later." Melinda and Peter went to their classes.