Author's note: Another glorious chapter! Enjoy! :-)

- Kate // 1LiLRoGuE

++ 2 ++

"Did you see Crystal Brooks and Jim Olison at the mall yesterday?"

Marie watched Lindsey as she babbled onto another rumor. She's, like, the gossip queen, she thought dryly. "Oh come off it, Lynn. We all know that half your sightings are hallucinations."

"No!" protested Lindsey, looking a little hurt. "I was there. You wouldn't believe it! They were, like, doing it in broad daylight in the phone booth. And I don't think he was wearing protection."

Marie rolled her eyes.

"Girl, she's probably on the 'pill. She's not stupid, like you are."

"I'm not stupid," Lynn whined.

"Yes you are," Anne remarked without humor. She flashed Marie a look that spoke shallow volumes about loosing Lynn from the group. Marie felt a little begrudged. Like she can tell me what to do, she thought, her eyes narrowing at the girl with the straight, red hair.

"Girls, girls, let's not fight. This isn't the time to bicker. We have the plan to pull off. Alright, so it's settled. Lynn's staying at Anne's, Lee is staying at my place, Anne's at Lynn's, and I'm over at Lee's. Blow it, and we're all dead." Marie cleared her throat and looked directly at Lynn.

"Think you can keep that straight?"

"Here, I'll write it out for you," Lee offered, a little too kindly for Marie's taste. She's supposed to be like that to me. This is MY group. I guess I'll have to remind them just who they're messing with.

"Hey look, it's the walking void," she remarked snottily—and very loudly, looking over her shoulder and down her nose at the school's newly-formed goth. His name was James something. Holden, Holwin…Howlett, that's it, she thought, then remembered she didn't care what he was called. All that mattered was that this was a chance for her to confirm her superiority of the other girls.

"Luke, I am your father!" Anne boomed, assuming a deep voice. The girls all broke into high-pitched laughter, and Marie smirked. So, Anne thinks she can out-do me, huh?

"I bet he's so desperate to get laid that he'd lick dog shit off the bottom of Amy's shoes!"

The girls howled. Amy was the nerdiest kid in the school, barely recognizable as female in their eyes. She wore thick, horn-rimmed glasses and pulled her hair back in two tight, unforgiving pigtails. Among other things, she liked to study, and was academically the best student in their school.

James winced, although Marie got the odd feeling it wasn't from the comment. There was always something strange about the guy. He wasn't made right.

"Well, I bet he'd whore out his mother to get a taste of the wonder weed." Anne said with an answering flash of challenge towards Marie. Bitch, the brunette thought bitterly, fingering her napkin and sucking in her bottom lip. How DARE she try to snatch my position?!

"Yeah? Well---I heard he's turning into a mutie freak!"

Marie's own words rung in her ears. Even she couldn't believe what she'd just said. A clatter came from behind her, and she felt the blood drain from her face as she knew James was right behind her. She could hear his breathing, slightly heavy, and it both frightened and angered her.

"What did you just say?" he asked, and Marie trembled, a little surprised. She hadn't heard him say a word in over half a year, and his voice sounded deep and rusty.

"I---er----didn't---" she stammered, looking up at him. Every rumor she'd ever heard and passed on about him came ringing back in her head. Guns. Drugs. Knives. Murder. Rape. Shit, oh shit. I've really dug myself in now, haven't I?

"Take it back."

Marie swallowed and tried to look at his face. His eyes, shielded by the sunglasses, were literally impenetrable. His face looked calm, as was his voice, but she still felt nauseous.

"I—Ah'm really sorrahy!" She suddenly spat, her carefully repressed southern accent blooming fully. She shot a smoldering glare at Anne, who was---purposely---unable to repress a giggling fit.

James winced again, which was completely inappropriate. She was apologizing, for god's sakes. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, biting furiously on her pretty, pink lower lip.

"What are you looking so pained about, you punk wanna-be?" She asked venomously, her eyes livid. She wasn't used to having members of her group openly rebel against her. Granted, Anne had every right to hate and envy her---Marie was beautiful, rich, catered to, and the Captain of the Cheerleading squad. Anne was merely a rookie cheerleader, bound by the orders and snobby treatment of the other members of the team. Marie had about fifteen boyfriends—whom she'd all turned down for the dance, and then afterwards gone out with the Captain of the Football team like a typical cheerleader.

To make matters worse, she couldn't tell what this guy---James—was feeling. She couldn't tell whether her insults had hit home or not. All she knew her mutie taunt had woken something up, something she wasn't sure she wanted to awaken.

James wrinkled his nose down at her.

"Your voice, frail," he said gruffly, his voice barely a whisper. Marie felt no urge to protest his name-calling; the fact that he was about two feet taller than her, and filled out—and probably not against the thought of hurting a girl, according to certain sources---erased any rebelliousness left in her.

"Keep…it down."

James turned away from the group, giving them no further regard. Anne was now openly laughing. Marie felt close to tears at being so publicly humiliated by that thing.

"Jerk," she muttered, suddenly losing her appetite. She stood up abruptly and left the cafeteria.