Alright, here is the next chapter. I know some people are wondering what is taking so long for updates, but I just can't get these chapters out any faster. College is keeping me from updating. So, please everyone just hang in there until I get more time.

Oh, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed!

This year was going to take forever. I just knew it. I couldn't believe that Warren had acted the way he did. Listen, nothing has changed. We still aren't friends. I could still hear his words ringing in my head. I just didn't understand. He had saved me, he had held me in his arms, damn it. Ok, so I was only in his arms for like a second, but that was long enough for me to feel his strength, his warmth.

I think part of me was more angry at myself. Why? Because I liked it. I liked him saving me, I liked him having his arm around me. For once I wasn't just the stupid sidekick, I was the person needing saving. The citizen in trouble, the damsel in distress. I could imagine him holding me more often. Too bad that would never happen. We werent a couple. We werent even friends.

After the bus had dropped me off at my stop, I decided not to go home right away. I found myself walking toward a small park that was near my house. I should have went home first and gotten Berko. Stupid dog was going to cry about not getting to go for a walk.

The park was empty except for a couple old ladies sitting on a bench near a small pond. I went and sat down under a large tree, using the trunk as a back rest. I closed my eyes and took in the sounds of nature. This really meaning, I was listening to the voices of the animals. A guy and his dog had just entered the park. Only, they didnt enter together. The dog was running ahead of the man. The owner could hear his dog bark. I could hear something a little different.

"You're never gonna catch me!" The yellow lab yelled, running faster.

"Come back Zoey!" The man yelled after it. I could hardly hold back my laughter. I closed my eyes again and listened for the next voice.

"I'm lost! Oh horror, so very lost!" I heard a very quiet voice yell. I looked around me and noticed the tiny bee buzzing around. It must have been looking for its hive. I would have offered to help, but you can't help bees, they freak out and sting you. I know, it's happened to me before.

Somewhere between the squirrel looking for some nuts to eat, and the ducks from the pond begging the old ladies for some bread, my phone started going off.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Roxanne, what do you say to going out tonight?"

"Where do you have in mind Manny?" I asked, already getting excited. Manny always had such fun ideas.

"Some of my old friends from the public high school are having a party. It should be fun."

"A normal high school party? With normal high school kids?" I asked. Even I could hear the excitement in my voice. I hardly ever get to hang out with non-supers, and when the chance comes along, I take it. Manny knew this, and he also felt the same way.

"Yes, completely normal. What do you say? Come be my wing man? I need to get some to help me get over Becca."

"Manny I can't be your wing man."

"Fine, wing woman."

"You know people are just going to think we are there together. As in dating. Me being your wing woman so wouldn't work."

"Yeah, true. We could always just pretend to be an item for the night."

"I'm not hooking up with you," I said with a laugh. I knew he was just joking. We were too good of friends to even think of dating.

"Damn. Well, alright, I'll just pick you up at eight. Wear something sexy." I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it.

"Alright Manny. I'll see you then."

"Later babe." I hung up my cell, and went back to listening to the animals. I was only alone for a couple of seconds.

"Mind if I sit?" My eyes snapped open, and I looked up at the last animal I thought I would see. Warren Peace.

"Um,no, I don't mind. You can sit." He sat down next to me, but stayed silent for a couple minutes. When I didn't think I could take the silence any longer, he finally spoke up.

"I'm not good at this," he said, in a very hesitant voice.

"With what?" I asked.

"With this whole having friends thing."

"We aren't friends remember?" he let out a heavy sigh and then turned his whole body to face me.

"I didn't mean that. I'm just not good with people. I'm not used to trying to be friends with someone."

'You're friends with those sophomore sidekicks, and Will Stronghold."

"That happened against my will. They just wouldn't leave me alone."

"Oh. So I just have to bug you enough and you'll give up hating me?"

"I don't hate you. I just don't really want a sidekick."

"And I don't want to be one."

"You don't?" He asked in shock.

"No, I don't. I just want to get the year over with, graduate, and then leave this whole superhero/sidekick thing behind."

"I agree with you completely."

"Then you'll stop giving me a hard time and work with me so we can finish all these stupid assignments?"

"I think I can agree to that." He then held out his hand to me. "Partners?" I put my hand in his.

"Partners."

.........................

"I finally did it?" Manny said, once I got into his car.

"Did what?"

"I deleted Becca from my face book and myspace."

"Wow, now a days thats pretty much a slap in the face. What happens when you become friends with her again? You're going to have to do the whole friend request over. Thats going to be weird."

"Who says we are going to be friends again?"

"I don't know. I just think something is going on. I feel like her new partner is making her hate us. I don't think she really does."

"Yeah, or her true feelings are starting to show." Yeah, he was bitter, but he would get over it in time. Nothing kept Manny angry for too long. "Alright, lets just forget about her for tonight."

"Sure, we'll just have fun at this party." When we got to the house, there were cars all along the streets. I could hear loud music coming from inside the house, and I was pretty sure that sometime tonight the cops would be showing up to break up this party. Manny went up to the front door and didn't bother knocking. We walked right inside.

"Manny! I'm so glad you could make it!" said a guy walking over to us. "Who is this with you?"

"Kenny, this is my friend Roxanne," Manny said. Kenny walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder. He was completely wasted already. He started walking me over to a table covered with drinks.

"Roxanne, you aren't drunk, and because this is my party, I think you should have something to drink." He handed me a red cup, and I looked at the drink. Believe it or not, I hadn't really had much experience with alcohol. "Its just beer. Drink up."

He then walked away to go talk to other people. I looked around for Manny, but he was already talking so some girl. It wasn't a big surprise. Manny was pretty good looking, and he had one of those personalities that just made you want to be around him. I didn't want to bother him, so I just walked around and observed the party. Not until after I placed my cup back on the table though. I really wasn't in the mood to get drunk. Well, not drunk off of beer that is. I couldn't stand the smell of it, so I didn't even want to try drinking the stuff. Now, if they had one of those nice fruity, bitch drinks, like a wine cooler, I'd drink that. Not finding anything other than beer, beer, and more beer, I just decided I didn't need anything to drink. I would have more fun people watching.

"Help! It's so dark down here! Someone let me out!" I stopped walking the second I heard someone yelling. I looked around but no one seemed to hear what I was hearing. I mean, the music was loud, and so were the people, but someone other than me should have been able to hear it.

"Help, let me out! Please, please let me out!" I followed the voice until I got to a door. A big "do not enter" sign was on it. I knew that I shouldn't open the door, but curiosity got the best of me. I looked around, and when I finally decided no one was looking, I opened the door. I couldn't see anything, it was so dark. I felt along the wall and found a light switch. I flicked it on and found myself looking down a flight of stairs. Good thing I wasn't stupid enough to just walk. I would have fallen all the way down. I made my way down the stairs and found the source of the voice. No wonder no one else could hear it, the voice came from a dog. A bull terrier to be exact.

"Let me out! Let me out!" It said, jumping up and down inside its little crate.

"You really don't want to go up there," I said.

"You can talk?" It looked at me with wide eyes. "All the other huge hairless dogs I've meet don't know how to. I thought you were all stupid." I didn't bother telling him that we were humans and not dogs. That would take hours of explaining. I knew from experience. It took Berko hours to finally understand that I wasn't a dog.

"Lets just say that I'm different from other huge hairless dogs."

"At least you can understand me, and you turned on the light. Can you let me out? I hate it when they leave me down here all alone."

"Sorry, but I think its safer for you to be down here." It wasn't like I was being evil. I felt bad that it had to stay down here, but it was safer. What if someone decided to give it some beer? That could kill the dog. Or what if some drunken fool tried to hurt him? No, it was better to keep him away from the party. Plus, I was all for crate training dogs. It kept them out of things that they shouldn't be getting into in the first place.

"Please, please, please, let me out."

"I'm really sorry but..." I was about to tell him that he could get hurt up at the party, when a voice interrupted me.

"What are you doing down here?" I could tell from the confused look on the dog's face, that I wasn't talking to another animal, but a human. I turned around and came face to face with one of the most attractive guys I had ever seen. He was tall. Much taller than me. Not that thats hard. I'm only 5'3, but still the guy was tall. He had these beautiful dark eyes, and this dark, brown shaggy hair, that just begged for someone to run their hands through.

He was staring at me, waiting for my answer. I couldn't just tell him that I heard the dog calling for help, that would make me sound like I was crazy.

"I just needed to get away from all the people for a second," I lied.

"Yeah, I'm not much of a party person myself, but I promised my friends that I would show up. I'm Justin."

"Roxanne," I said, with a shy smile.

"Well, Roxanne, would you like to come back with me to the party?" He held out his hand to me. I looked up into his eyes, not even caring that it was strange that he randomly showed up down here only seconds after I had, or that I really had no idea who he was, and I placed my hand in his.

"I would love to," I found myself saying. Justin led me up the stairs and as we stood amongst the rest of the people at the party, I was only aware of him.