"He gave you his LIGHTER?!" Bobby exclaims, staring at me in disbelief. He turns to Rogue, whose eyes are wide and he mouth open.

"That's- that's a really big deal." Rogue tells me.

"Yeah, I mean, he must REALLY like you. He's never... he just doesn't PART with his lighter. He's never let it out of his sight since I've known him." Bobby stares down at Pyro's lighter clutched in my hand. "Are you going to go?" he asks me.

"I don't know... I suppose eventually I'll HAVE to, I mean, he seems pretty attatched to this."

Rogue looks away sadly. "You know what that'll mean, right? You'll be a 'bad guy'-"

"But I'm not a-"

"WE know that." Bobby interjects. " And neither is Pyro, not really."

"But we'd still have to fight you... that's friend number two."

"Well, what if I..." I'm at a loss for words. Hey... Rogue called me a friend...

LATER

I have a terrible feeling...

And suddenly, the security alarm sounds.

I knew it- I shouldn't have stayed!

I peek out into the hall. Everyone is panicking, running towards the fallout shelter. I close my door and quickly stuff my clothes and anything important into my backpack and climb out the window.

Something catches my eye. It's a man in a mask, way across school grounds. He doesn't see me but his sight sends chills down my spine.

I turn and run.

Dear GOD, where do I go? Reaching the park, I stop and lean against a tree to catch my breath, and shove my hands in my pockets. My left hand touches something cool and metal.

I pull it out. Pyro's lighter... I flick it open and watch the tiny flame struggle in the wind. It's mesmerising...

I close the lighter and put it back in my pocket.

"Our place is always open to you..."

Maybe I'll take them up on that offer.