A/N: Right, I get 40+ hits but only three reviews.

To the one who did review: THANK YOUUUU!!

Disclaimer: Since I don't belong to the "Man Of Action" group, Ben 10 doesn't belong to me.

The next two weeks passed without much incident. Gwen had to work really had o keep up with her school work- her school was very demanding. She was also very close to her five friends, and she was a bit amazed at how such contrasting people were friends for so long.

Penny was the sweet natured one. She was the type that would never dream of doing anything bad or hurtful to others, and so she was well-liked at school- everyone liked her because she was such a good talker .She was no gossip girl, but she did know a lot about the doings of the other people. Caren was an easygoing person. She usually tagged around with Veronica. Veronica was the unanimous leader of them all- she had a very short temper, but since she was such excellent student, and also had such an admirable personality, this was often overlooked. She was the leader of various clubs, and also the prefect of her class. Nobody dared go against her word and there were a few who could stand up to her. Caren was one of them. Tyra was the very unobtrusive one, but she wasn't liked too much by the rest of the school (because she was so quiet and detached) but she was very kind once you know her. She also knew a lot about others- people of this type do- but she never says anything except when needed and only to her best friends. Amber was, as everyone would say, Amber. And anyways, Gwen didn't know a lot abut her or Caren.

Gwen stayed clear of Marie and Susana, or "The Two" as they all referred to them. She wouldn't look at them if they passed her, and they usually tried to annoy her by talking aloud about her or her friends. Gwen never did anything to them, nor did she want to, because as Caren put it, " They are not worth our thoughts."

"That's all I can stand from the redhead," said Susana one day. Gwen and Tyra were around, not too far off.

"Penny?" asked Marie.

"No the new one. The ONE WHO SPRAINED YOUR ANKLE..."

"Oh, THAT one." They looked directly at Gwen for a second, and turned. Gwen knew they were deliberately talking loudly, so that everyone around would hear.

"Look at the way she's glaring at us," continued Marie. Gwen was unloading her booking into her locker this while.

"What have we done to her?" lamented Susana.

"What drama queens," whispered Tyra. Gwen giggled.

"Great, now they're laughing at… themselves." commented Marie. "What a bunch of idiots!"

"This school is full of idiots. Everyone is so conceited. They think they're too good for us."

Gwen turned around to face them. "You guys don't get it, do you?" The Two looked at each other. Before either one could open their mouth, Gwen continued.

"We weren't laughing at ourselves, you know that perfectly well. We were laughing at you. The whole school makes fun of you. You're the ones who are conceited. Maybe if you two started being nice for a change, people would like you more. And I haven't done anything to you, nor do I plan to. So stop wasting YOUR time following me around and saying silly things about me." she turned around, and proceeded to her class. She then turned around again. "And if you hate this place so much, you might as well change school. Don't worry; we won't miss you two much."

"Nice!" said Tyra. "The whole corridor heard that, by the way."

"Then my little speech served its purpose." replied Gwen.

Susana pulled on Marie's sleeve. "Let's go. Forget what that thing just said." Her cheeks were pink, and she was feeling very uneasy. Marie didn't say anything, and her face was expressionless. They both turned and walked away haughtily.

Gwen took the bus from school to the subway. She's usually the one who goes alone, everyone else got picked up by their parents or their drivers. She waited at the subway for the train, which would come some fifteen minutes later. To pass the time, she took out a book to read. After a while , she noticed a small, nerdy looking, skeletal boy was looking at her for quite a long time. She looked up, directly at him. He was standing nearby with a group of boys. Two of them were definitely staring at her. One was talking to someone else, and another one was staring at the ceiling. All of them looked rather like shaved gorillas in clothes. She got up and walked off to sit somewhere else. She glanced behind her- one of them was following her. She walked faster, and checked a minute later. This time three of them were behind her. Gwen looked for a way out, but she had walked into some sort of tunnel and turning back would lead her right into them. She broke into a run, and suddenly someone came and pushed her aside. Gwen realized too late that she'd just walked into a dead end. The guy who pushed her appeared, along with a taller boy she recognized. His name was Pete and she'd seen him sometimes in school. All five of them were around her now, in a semicircle. One of them grabbed her bag and threw it aside.

"That's a pretty necklace…give it to me now." said Pete.

"And hand over any money you've got," ordered the scrawny one. The one called Pete flicked out a penknife. Gwen flung her purse, and her necklace at him, and proceeded to walk away.

"Not so fast!" said another guy.

"I gave you what you want, now let me go," ordered Gwen. The guy was about to slap Gwen- but she caught his hand, turned him around and kicked him squarely on his back, so her fell to the ground, and cleared a path for her to escape.

She sped forwards- and tripped- the guy who fell down was holding her by the ankle so she steeped hard on his hand. He let go in pain, and she stumbled forwards. But two of them were in front of her, blocking her way. Someone else grabbed her by the shoulders , and threw her back into the group of boys. This time, Gwen was pinned against the wall with her back to her captors.

"You just hurt my friend there, " said one of them.

"He was gonna hit me-"

"Shut up! Check her pockets for any other stuff." She managed to kick one of their legs before anyone of them could get their hands on her. Instantly. Gwen knew it was a bad idea as she felt a pair of hands strangling her neck.

"What are you creeps doing here? This is my area…" drawled a cold voice.

"It's the freak who broke you nose last time, Dan!"

"Go get him!"

Gwen couldn't see exactly what was going on, but as she turned the short one hit her on the head real hard, and she crumpled to the ground in pain. The short guy was trying to take her necklace off, but she kicked him away. By what she could make out from the sounds and the movements in the dim light, somebody was being beaten up real bad. Probably that new guy who just came in. Gwen smelt something like plastic burning.

She heard Pete scream. "Get away from me, freak!"

"He's using his whacko powers again!"

"Get out!" roared the other guy.

The short one was about to make a run for it, when he met the other guy. He held him by the arm. "You want you hand burnt too, Jeremy? Eh?"asked the guy. "Your pals aren't here to protect your skin…"Jeremy shook his head madly. He pushed him off, and Jeremy ran away with a squeal.

Gwen pushed her hair back, and looked up to see her new friend… or foe.

Foe, she decided. Kevin was glaring down at her. He had grown obviously, but more or less the same clothes. Black outsized jeans, a frayed grey sleeveless shirt- but he got (stole, she corrected herself) a worn out brown jacket.

"Quite a while since we last met, "he sneered. He pulled her up by her arm.

"Kev-Kevin…"she spluttered.

"You remember…but how couldn't you?" he turned around and started walking off. "Me being after you boyfriend and all that…"

"Ben's my cousin," she said angrily.

"Whatever." Gwen noticed her bag on the floor, and started to gather up her things. As she did so, she said,"Hey, thanks anyways for saving me…"

'Wasn't intentional."

"Still…I don't know how to thank you."

"This yours?" Kevin interrupted. He was holding up her purse.

"Yeah," she replied. He passed it to her. "Thanks. Have you seen- oh there it is-"

But Kevin had already picked up her necklace. She held out her hand, but Kevin was looking at it, interested. Her grandpa had given it to her, two years back, for 'enduring' with him and Ben. The chain was a simple silver one- but the locket was the better part. It was a glass and silver case in the shape of a small heart. Tiny red, pink and white crystals were encased within that jingled with every movement.

"What a pretty locket…good those dweebs didn't get their hands on this."

"Yes…hey!" Kevin had slipped it into his jacket pocket.

"Good enough for repayment, huh?" he smiled at her.

"No!" said Gwen and reached him for it, but Kevin laughed and backed off. He turned around, and quickly disappeared off into the tunnel.

"Fine then, keep it!" she shouted. She was glad anyways she was safe. She hadn't told anyone about the locket, so her parents wouldn't know what was missing. And Kevin was right. Forget the other guys hurting her-HE would have killed her if he wanted to- but he didn't. And for that, he deserves something.

A/N: I hated the necklace bit. Everyone's after it, don't you think?

Review people!! Thnx.