-13-

Pogue met up with Kate after school, not seeing Reid or Tyler. Something was going on between the two, and Pogue was hoping Tyler was helping Reid instead of making the situation worse. His little outburst that morning at Tyler left him curious to what was going on between the two friends. Caleb had followed him, but didn't say anything about what happened. Pogue was becoming frustrated about being left in the dark, but he would take a deep breath and remember that it wasn't his problem. Reid was trying to figure it out. He just had somehow wrapped Tyler and Caleb around his finger and was toying with them on the edge of the situation, like it was some sort of game.

But...could this all go back to what Tyler said about the abuse? He wasn't trying to suggest anything, hell, he probably didn't even know what he was saying. He hit the car pretty hard and they had him on some medication.

Pogue smiled, his thoughts fading off as he met Kate's eyes, kissing her on the lips, the soft, quick gesture of love and care all he cared to show in public. She grasped his arm, looking into his eyes. "There's a party tonight. Do you want to go?"

Pogue looked around, wondering where Caleb had disappeared to. "Yeah, I suppose. It's a Friday, so why not have a nice way to start off the rest of the school year?"

She smiled. "That's great! It's over by Aaron's place."

Pogue's guard went up. "Aaron's? Who lives over by him?"

"It's that new kid, Dustin. The transfer." Pogue slowed his step, seeing his Audi. It was still a little cold for his bike, and Kate enjoyed the car a little bit more.

"Asian, swimmer, keeps to himself a bit, on the shorter side?"

"Yeah, that one. He's throwing a party tonight, kind of like a seniors only, wants to get to meet and know more people."

Pogue shrugged. "He keeps to himself at practice, and I think I have a class or two with him."

Pogue could feel Kate looking at him, glancing down and seeing her pleading eyes. "You'll still go, right? It's supposed to be a lot of fun."

"That's what most parties are—until the cops are called." Pogue unlocked the doors to his Audi R8, both sliding onto the black leather. "Are Caleb, Tyler, and Reid invited?"

He looked at Kate before backing out and heading towards the dorms. "Yeah! He seemed interested in you guys. I think it's how strong your friendship is. He asked me a few questions earlier before class, just random things. He's been a lot more vocal today and yesterday than so far this week. Maybe he's becoming used to the school."

Pogue didn't understand how Kate could be so uppity and happy about this guy. "Well, what a night to throw a party since coach cancelled practice. How about that for a coincidence." Pogue leaned against the window, rubbing his hand across his mouth, letting out a sigh. "Fine, we'll all go. It'll be nice to get out of the dorms, and who knows, maybe it'll be good for Reid. But—" he caught Kate's eye. "If Dustin advances on you in any way, you better slap him and let me know so I can take care of him."

"Don't worry about me, baby." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, rubbing a hand on his leg. "Just chalk it up to maybe he's the shy kind. He is coming into the year three quarters of the way through. Maybe he sees it as a 'now or never' type of situation and is just trying to make the best of the short time he has."

Pogue stayed quiet as he turned into the parking lot. That didn't matter. He didn't care about shy kids, or big houses, or popularity points. He cared about a stranger trying to get information from his girlfriend. Things didn't go well before with Chase, and he wasn't about to let some wannabe try to swipe her from him again. "We'll go. I can't guarantee Reid's mentality—you saw how he was this morning—but I'm sure the rest of us will go. Just not for very long."

"All right, well, at least it's better than a no."

Kate gave a sigh, Pogue having a feeling she was upset about his reluctance to go. Pogue walked with Kate to her room, giving her a kiss as a grin rose. "I'll come get you when it's time to go. See you in a bit. I have a project to finish with Sarah, so I don't think we'll make it to dinner with you all."

Once he was in his room, he was surprised Caleb wasn't there yet. "Probably with Sarah for a little bit," he muttered, changing into something more comfortable for the party, deciding black pants and a black tank, laying a long sleeved navy blue shirt on the bed behind him.

At quarter to five, Caleb came in, looking stressed. Pogue sensed something was wrong before he set eyes on the other teen, turning around, Pogue watched the other teen silently, Caleb finally asking, "You're gonna ask, aren't you?" Pogue watched as Caleb set his backpack at the edge of his bed and stripped off his school clothes.

"Yeah. I know it's bad when I can sense it before looking at you. What's up now?"

Caleb didn't answer until he put his green t-shirt on. "It's Reid. He's not talking to anybody, and is freaking out at everyone or thing that comes near him. I'm out of the question. He refrained from using on me, but there was a bit of malice when he told me to get out. Tyler can barely be near him for a few moments before Reid starts moving himself away. He's mentally shutting down, and we need to figure out why, quick."

Caleb changed his pants, laying on his bed and rubbing his hands over his face. Pogue just stared at him, not knowing if he should be angry or surprised. "Wait, what? How did it escalate to be this bad?"

"This morning, he was stable until he got mad." Caleb let out a sigh, Pogue wondering if he was going to open up, why he asked Pogue to take Sarah to school. "Something happened on the road to school. I don't know what it was. He stopped dead in the middle of the road, and almost had a panic attack when we got to the school. Something is getting to him, and he's finally cracked."

Pogue stared at a wall, thinking. "Is he just a terrified-scared, or a violent-scared?"

"A little of both. When he saw me in the room, he froze. It was the same as this morning. He backed up against his bed and stared me down before muttering 'get out'. Tyler grabbed me and said he's not okay with anyone, barely even Tyler himself.

"You make it sound as if he was abused."

"I'm not suggesting anything..."

"Caleb," Pogue asked, remembering the conversation from the hospital, "Do you think Reid was abused? There's nothing else I can think of."

He looked at his friend, the other looking at him. Caleb was silent, thinking. "I've been wondering that as well. My vote is yes, but who could have done it? His father is never home and he's a sweet guy, as well as his mother. She talks to him, but doesn't follow him around or anything. Hell, she basically avoids the second floor."

"Could it be a relative or anything?"

"I don't remember Reid ever mentioning any other family members... It's a possibility, but he's very quiet about his mom's side, and I wouldn't understand if his father has any siblings, since we're all only child's, have been for how many generations now?"

Pogue sighed. "I figured. I was hoping you would remember something that I didn't." Pogue turned back to his homework, Caleb beginning to open his backpack when he asked about the shirt on the bed. "Kate invited us to a party tonight. Dustin—the new kid on the swim team. I guess it's like a welcoming party or something.

"Why didn't he invite us yesterday at practice?"

Pogue shrugged, but smirked. "He was too busy bribing Coach Aaron to give us the night off."

Caleb gave a short laugh, but Pogue could hear the humor in his voice. "Okay, say that's true. Were we invited specifically, or did you hear this from Kate?"

"Dustin talked to Kate this morning. She made some points about maybe why he wants to throw the party, but we'll see. Just have a few drinks, keep our distance, then get out of there."

"That'll be fine with me."

Caleb pulled out his homework, Pogue turning and trying to finish his up as well. A little before nine, the girls came and knocked on their door, Pogue putting the rest of his dinner in their little fridge. Pogue smiled at Kate, very happy with the fact she decided to wear pants and a cute, flowing shirt instead of a skirt and tank top. She kept it simple with her dark colors, Sarah dressing similar, only in lighter colors. Caleb walked over to Tyler and Reid's room, Pogue surprised when a few minutes later he saw the two following the leader. Caleb made a slicing motion across his neck to Pogue, keeping quiet as he put his arm around Sarah's waist, leading them out to the cars. Pogue, Kate, Sarah, and Caleb took one car together, Tyler following with Reid. The girls kept the conversation mainly between them, Caleb spotting the cars right away with the lights to the house.

"This place is huge," Pogue muttered, surprised a house like this wasn't built further into the countryside. He saw a four car garage, large driveway, an alcove above the front door, two stories with a possible basement, easily at least eight bedrooms in the house.

"And Aaron's house is right there," Caleb pointed up the hill to another tan house, not quite as large but still impressive.

"Quite a bit of cars for 'seniors only,'" Pogue said, glancing at Kate.

"Who knows? You know how people catch wind of something and look for someone to take them as their connection."

They exited Pogue's car, Tyler and Reid walking up. The blonde seemed alert at the moment, fairly calm. They all turned and walked up to the house, a tiled pathway with flowers and plants lining it helping guide the way. It extended to the front porch, which rose up and over them comfortingly. A single light shone above them to an open door, the six carefully walking in, looking around. Music greeted their ears first, loud enough to enjoy but not loud enough to disrupt the neighbors. Pogue saw a short hallway that led into a very large living room, wood flooring spreading from where the kitchen could be, all the way through the room and down the halls. Kate took control and led them towards the living room dance floor, a lot more people there than Pogue had originally thought. Then he saw the keg. Ah the sweet call of liquor. Calls teens like flies to honey. Kate looked around, before making eye contact with someone, smiling and waving. "There's Dustin."

The kid walked up, all smiles when he saw Kate and the group. Pogue saw Reid take a step back, the blonde not wanting to interact. Dustin was a good swimmer; he kept up well with the group of friends and Aaron. He had shaggy brown hair, blonde streaks highlighting the color. Pogue knew not to underestimate his shorter stature—he was broad, his muscles toned, his movements in the water quick. He had a nice smile that usually made his eyes squint, but Pogue knew he was always aware of his surroundings.

"Kate, you came! I'm so happy to see you!" He was wearing simple tan cargo pants with a black t-shirt, the edges lined with white. Pogue peered at the kid. His accent seemed exceptionally strong today. If he spoke at practice, he tried to keep it toned down, but he could definitely hear the Scottish thick in his words.

"Well, you invited us, so of course I spread the word." They gave a quick hug, Kate turning. "You've met Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler from swimming, this is Sarah, and Reid."

"Nice to meet you two," he gently took Sarah's hand and kissed her knuckles, giving her a caring smile. "You're quite beautiful. I've seen you around, with Caleb. You two are a lovely couple."

Pogue rolled his eyes, Kate standing by him again. He watched Dustin turn towards Reid, the blonde's eyes darting around, trying to calculate all the exits. "And Reid. You're built like a swimmer too. Have you joined any sports?"

Reid shot him a glare, gritting his teeth. "Yeah, actually, I was on the team for the previous three years. I took the rest of this year off so you could have a place in the state championships."

Caleb and Tyler openly stared at Reid, the blonde stuffing his hands in his pockets, meeting Dustin's dark eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that. I highly doubt that's the situation, but if you have your personal demons to deal with, and I'll let you handle them. The keg is in the kitchen with cups and a few other drinks. Help yourself and enjoy your time. Tyler, it's good to see you again."

He gave a short bow and walked away, Tyler turning to Reid. "Really? You had to say that?"

"It slipped."

He led the way to finding the kitchen, Pogue and the girls following and mingling, slowly warming up to the atmosphere. After Reid had more than a few shots and possibly half the keg, he came out of his shell, actually being the person they knew best. He joked around with Tyler, hit on a few girls, and was even smiling for some time. He ducked away whenever Dustin came up and tried talking with them, asking them about their life and what they did for fun.

Pogue didn't know where Reid kept disappearing to, but he always came back within a minute after Dustin had moved on. Kate was dancing in the living room with Sarah, Pogue was keeping an eye on the girls while hanging back with Reid and Tyler, Reid actually trying to hold a conversation, and Caleb was over talking to some other classmates he knew were also going to Harvard. It was a pretty decent night overall.

Reid swung an arm over Tyler's shoulder, Pogue seeing him wince before dragging Tyler to the bar stools. The blonde laughed, unconsciously rubbing left shoulder after he brought it down. "What'd you do to your arm?" Pogue tried, Reid giving him a dark smile.

"From hanging around town."

Dustin walked back up, Reid rolling his eyes and giving a knowing smile towards the new kid.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked, glancing at the three, before turning and seeing where the girls and Caleb were.

"We are. Thank you, kind sir, for your hospitality. You have been a magnificent host, and next time, I hope you don't try so hard," Reid said, holding himself steady on the chair.

"Well, you Americans certainly throw parties differently than other countries. I'm sure you're having fun with the drinks I've provided, but there's no need for such comments. The customs are vastly different from country to country."

"So where are you from then? You're pretty white for a Scottish Asian."

Pogue smacked his face, noticing Caleb walking back over. He looked curious, peering at Pogue, who pointed to Reid.

Dustin gave a short sigh, but smiled. "I'm from Okinawa, Japan. My mother is an American, hence the white, while my father is Japanese."

"Woah—woah, so what you're saying is that your father doesn't hold any grudges against your mother for being an American? Even though we blew their country up?"

"Parts of the country, and no, there is no bitter resentment in my father. Besides, the country has grown immensely with technology and development. I've only lived in Okinawa and Tokyo before we moved to Germany for a year, then London for a bit, Scotland for a few years, Ireland for another few, and Canada for a few. There are no grudges to be held for anyone."

"So you're basically like a cultured mutt."

"Cultured, yes, mutt, no."

Pogue could see Dustin's attitude changing. He didn't want any more questions from Reid, but the blonde was on a roll, leaning forward with a smirk, his eyes only on Dustin. Is he trying to piss Dustin off? I haven't seen him antagonize anyone this much since Aaron...

"Is that why you're trying so hard tonight? Hoping to make some friends before you chinks up and leave again? Regardless of the fact there's only two months of school left before you leave for college?"

Pogue smacked his forehead again, Caleb covering his face. Tyler looked uncomfortable, pulling on Reid's sleeve with a subtle 'back off.' But Reid was definitely up to something. "Reid..." he muttered, Caleb taking a step closer. Dustin crossed his arms, looking to see this conversation out, teeth bared.

"Yes, I had a lot of friends. They were some of the greatest people one could have an honor of knowing. Nothing you'll ever learn to experience in this small, barely historical town. Every time I think, 'you know what, I'm going to meet someone today, maybe it'll be that friend for life,' there's always some bloke like you that has to pick on the underdog. But you know what, knowledge is power."

Reid stood up and casually walked over to Dustin, pointing a finger at him. Pogue knew how drunk the blonde was, but was still astounded at how well he kept his composure. "So...quit dodging the question. Why are you trying so hard?"

"Don't point your finger at me."

Dustin squared his shoulders, lifting his chin up ever so slightly. He seemed as broad as a doorway, Reid's thinner physique only having height on the kid. Reid turned his finger towards himself, looking down on it, still holding a small grin. "What? This? What's wrong with this? Are you Jewish or something and can't stand the thought of obedience?" Reid turned the finger back towards Dustin. "What's wrong with a simple finger?" Reid gently bopped the finger on the kid's nose. "Boop."

Pogue glanced around, seeing a lot of party members watching their confrontation, Tyler taking a step forward with Caleb holding his hand out in front of him. The three stayed quiet, Pogue not knowing what was about to go down.

Dustin finally let out a growl, grabbing Reid's collar and throwing him onto the floor. Dustin punched Reid in the nose twice, fuming. "You just had to keep pushing, didn't you?"

"Come on, you fucking Chink. Are you a clever Jew or a dominant Nazi? Or maybe just a fucking pussy-bitch!"

Dustin raised his fist once more, Reid quickly clipping him in the bottom of the jaw, throwing off Dustin's swing. Reid flipped himself from under Dustin, standing up and centering himself, blood dripping down his face. Dustin stood up, quickly going to tackle Reid, the blonde already prepared, hugging Dustin close and swinging his knee up, catching his side. Dustin grabbed Reid's shoulders, using the blonde's drunken balance to get him back on the floor. Reid caught onto the tactic, able to avoid his head smashing onto the wood. Every swing that Dustin tried to get at him, Reid was able to block and vice versa. They rolled and hit, stood and kicked, Pogue impressed with how evenly matched they were. The girls had made their way back to their sides, students yelling "Fight, fight, fight," around them. It was hard to tell who was winning, Dustin breaking away from Reid's grip, Reid swinging his leg to catch Dustin in the ribs, but missed. Dustin grabbed Reid's leg and pulled it, Reid losing his balance once again.

Dustin was grinning, Reid having a hard time breathing. The darker-skinned boy brought his leg back to deliver a final kick to the blonde, only several things happened at once. The lights were cut off, the sound of siren's filled the air, Pogue dimly saw Dustin fly back and crash into a wall, and people began moving to get away as fast as possible. Pogue grabbed Kate as Caleb grabbed Sarah, Tyler trying to pick up Reid. They ran to the backyard with a large group of kids, Pogue glancing around the corner of the house and seeing the cops closing in.

"If we run, we have a very good chance of getting busted." Pogue turned and saw the other four a little worried, Reid almost unconscious.

"Then what should we do?" Sarah asked.

Caleb nodded, Pogue and Tyler hesitating. Sarah definitely knew about them, but Kate didn't know everything. "It's our only chance. We can hide up on the roof and not be seen," Caleb said.

"But what if someone does see us?" Tyler asked, trying to keep his hold onto the fading Reid.

"A lot of people are worried about what's in front of them. We're all dark enough so we'll blend in." Caleb paused, their time ticking down. "You've told her, right?" Pogue didn't say anything, Kate confused. "Dammit Pogue, we can't always hide who we are. You have to trust."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kate asked as Pogue said, "She knows a little."

"Too late you guys. We have to go. It's all or nothing," Tyler said, looking around. Caleb nodded, Tyler getting a better hold on Reid, Sarah gripping onto Caleb. Pogue clasped onto Kate, who looked unsure of what to do.

Pogue released his power, the three jumping into the air and landing on a patio on the second floor. Pogue covered Kate's mouth as they stepped back into the shadows, Tyler having to shift his hold on Reid again, Caleb helping out. On three they jumped up to the roof, carefully climbing up and spotting their cars to the officers.

"Cool, now how do we get down there?" Sarah asked.

"Figuring that out," Caleb replied softly, looking around the surrounding area.

Pogue surveyed the area as well, thinking. There were three cop cars, there were more than enough street lights, people who had been busted lining the front of the house and the sidewalk. If there weren't so many goddamn lights, we might be able to pull this off... A distraction maybe?

"Hey Caleb," Pogue muttered aloud, looking for the best spot to cause the distraction at.

"Yeah?"

"I know how to get out of this." He caught Caleb's and Tyler's questioning looks, replying with a smirk. "Get ready to fly," he said as he focused his power into a ball and shot it at a neighbor's tree two houses down across the street, and in the opposite direction that they needed. The tree shattered, bits catching on fire. The boys took their chance and jumped off of the roof, Kate shocked into silence.

Caleb helped Reid into Tyler's car, everyone piling into Pogue's. Kate sat in the front, quiet, as Caleb finally got into the back, Pogue quickly following Tyler down the street back towards the dorm. The car was silent for the first few minutes, Pogue simply asking, "If you have any questions, now is a good time to ask."

Kate was silent for a moment, voice soft when she finally spoke. "So, I knew you were special, and had the group thing with the guys, but how far do these...powers...go?"

"Options are limitless. These powers have been passed down through generations, so there's a bit of knowledge. The power is our lifeline, developing at thirteen, reaching full maturity at eighteen. If we're not careful with these powers though, it will shorten our lifespan."

"And let me guess, there's a lot more to that than you can say?"

"More along the lines of there's not enough time to tell you it all right now. It's been a lifetime of learning for us, and it's a lifetime of understanding for others. Whatever questions you have, I can answer later."

"How much does Sarah know?"

"Not that much," she said from the back. "Just random tidbits since Caleb's birthday."

"Who else knows?"

"Just you and Sarah. We're not too trusting of people, in case someone like Tyler's mother finds out. The government would want to get a hold of us, do their tests and experiments even though it wouldn't do them any good. We're not your modern day super heroes. Just some average people that happen to have a special ability."

"Why haven't you said anything sooner than?"

Pogue felt his face heat. "Well, Sarah found out because she was used as bait. You and I were in the hospital, so I ducked out of telling you then, just the minor details. I was waiting for our anniversary."

He glanced over at Kate, putting a hand on her leg. She gave him a smile, before looking back at Sarah, grinning. "Well, this is cool, being part of this little group. I'm glad you trust me enough, baby. I like knowing everything about you. Quit being so damn shy."

He smirked, giving her leg a squeeze, following the taillights of the corvette back to the school.

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