Terra could see the terror in his eyes. "Sorry if I freaked you out, I should go." She said and quickly stood to leave.

"Wait, I just want to say I'm glad you shared it with me. I promise I won't tell," he grabbed her wrist.

"You're welcome. Yeah, it's best if you keep this on the down low," she said.

"I will, don't worry," he did a cross-your-heart-hope-to-die sign. He watched her stride off into the school. It was very amazing and very scary, the information she told him.

"Zach! ZACH!" Ethan shouted, finally finding him.

"Yo, what's shaking?" Zach turned around.

"Your dad called me yesterday, he wanted to know where you were." Ethan said. Zach looked like he was thinking and didn't answer. Thinking wasn't something the kid did often "So where were you?"

"Huh? Oh, I spent the night on that bench," Zach said and pointed to it.

Ethan gave his friend a puzzled look. The bell rang for class finally, and they shuffled into their rooms. For some reason, everyone knew what had happened and that the sisters had showed their 'powers'.

"Didn't you wear that yesterday?" Magenta leaned over and asked when they were seated.

"Yeah," Zach said.

"Gross," she gave him a disturbed look. He wondered if his parents were okay. After all, he never showed up at home, and they probably still didn't know his whereabouts.

"Can I call home?' he raised his hand and asked Medulla.

"Fine. But quickly or else you'll miss the introduction on how to trigger spontaneous combustion." He scampered out of the room to the phone by the office and dialed home. He definitely did NOT want to miss the introduction on how to trigger spontaneous combustion. His mother answered after a couple rings.

"Hi Mom," he said a little sheepishly.

"ZACHARY! Where have you been young man?" he screamed into the mouthpiece. He jerked his head away to stop the ring in his ear.

"Chill out Mom, take a breath. I missed the bus and had to spend the night here," he said.

"Why did you miss the bus?" she asked sharply.

"I wanted to talk to a girl," he admitted honestly.

Suddenly his mother's voice transformed from snapping police lady to sappy happy woman. "A girl? Oh how cuuute. What's her name honey?"

"Mom, that's not the point. I just wanted to tell you that I'm okay. Be sure to tell dad too. I have to go back to class now. Love you, bye," he said and hung up.

"Telepathists in the room, you'll have to not try as hard since you can get into the brain so easily. The rest of you might run into some trouble if you want your opponent to combust properly. I would have you try on animals but P.E.T.A. won't let me…" Medulla explained as Zach walked back into class. According to Medulla, triggering spontaneous combustion was tricky. First, you had to know something a super villain didn't. Super villains know a lot of things, that's what makes them super-villainy. He instructed the class never to try to trigger it upon normal people or fellow classmates because that would be illegal. Zach was vastly disappointed; he wanted to learn something he could use…especially like spontaneous combustion. Layla was relived that the techniques they learned didn't apply to plants; she didn't even like violence although she constantly relished the thought of strangling Gail Matters.

After a few more classes, Zach felt anticipation because he would get to see Terra at lunch. Maybe he could eat with her, or invite her to eat at his table.

After he got out of his basic hero class, he rushed to the cafeteria and searched for Terra. She wasn't there yet. He got his food anyway and sat at the usual lunch table.

"Hey, Warren, my man," he said cheerfully sitting.

"I'm not your man," Warren said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"No, no, I mean my homie!"

"Are you a gangster?" Warren asked.

Zach shut up. He didn't think Warren liked him that much. Warren was always cranky, especially since the Crystal situation.

"Hey kids," Magenta sat next to Warren.

"Hi," Zach mumbled. Warren just kept eating his food. Will, Layla, and Ethan joined them after awhile.

"So anything new happen to anyone?" Will asked.

"Zach spent the night here," Ethan mentioned

"Oh so that's what happened to you?" Layla pointed her fork in his general direction.

He nodded like it was no big deal and munched on his school food.

Then, there they were -- all four of them, walking down the center aisle nonchalantly, and looking scary as usual. Except, the kids at school thought they knew the girls' powers now.

"Hey sprinkler!" they all heard Lash shout from across the room. Indigo eyes shot a look of menace at him, but she didn't unsettle Lash anymore. That look of acknowledgement from Rayne seemed like a watershed from the same chain of events that had been occurring. Instead of getting angry at his juvenile taunting, she chose to ignore it and continue on her track of sitting and eating.

"Terra!" Zach shouted jovially. She looked at him puzzled.

The rest of her sisters stared at the bleach blonde boy with frowning concern. Why was he shouting their youngest sister's name? Terra didn't know what to do. Zach waited for any sort of acknowledgement.

Terra opened her mouth, it seemed like everyone was waiting for the next event. "Zach," she nodded and kept eating. Zach felt good. Real good, that she said his name.

"Since when are you on a first name basis with them?" Magenta asked.

"Well, Terra is a friend, you could say," he said, they looked at him like they didn't understand. "What? C'mon they're NEW. We should try to be their friends."

"No thanks, not with that jezebel!" Layla blurted and pointed her fork at Gail.

"Did you just say 'jezebel?" Warren looked amused, and a hint of laughter was at the corners of his mouth. Layla just shot him a look saying 'don't mess with me' and he went about his business.

"Well, Terra isn't bad," Zach said defensively, getting the subject back on track.

"I don't know Terra," Layla pointed out.

"So let's get to know her…Terra! Want to sit with us!" he shouted over the cafeteria. The room fell silent. Zach felt himself glow in some embarrassment; it was a good thing the lights were on. Terra stared at him; he smiled encouragingly with pleading eyes. Again chants of 'Sunny D, Sunny D, Sunny D, And MINUTE MAID!' ran through his mind as Terra's unsure, orange gaze gawked at him.

She smiled really, really big all of a sudden. No one had seen any of the sisters smile like that. Terra nodded and moved herself over to Zach. Red, indigo, and monochromatic stares of bewilderment followed her as she parked herself next to Zach and his friends.

"Uhm…hi," she said as soon as she was seated.

Ethan waved, Will said 'hi, Warren nodded. Layla forced a smile of apprehension and Magenta just shrugged her eyebrows and kept eating.

"Terra this is, Ethan, Warren, Magenta, Layla, and Will," Zach pointed at each of them. "Everyone, this is Terra."

"Yeah we know,' Magenta said a bit harshly.

Terra wasn't used to making conversation. Zach pretty much kept everything alive through his never-ceasing dialogue. So much, in fact that he forgot to eat the rest of his lunch. Before they knew it, lunch was over.

"They're a nice bunch?" Terra said.

"Yeah sorry. They usually are friendlier. I think they're just uneasy. I don't see how anyone could be uneasy around you," he smiled; she sort of blushed. "I mean unless you get all mad and stuff…then I'd be uneasy."

Terra realized she'd have to explain to her sisters why she ditched them. That wasn't going to be easy. "Well I guess I will see you around."

Terra thought about it-- this kid with his goofy smile and incredible ease to make her feel welcome. "Definitely."