Don't you wanna feel my skin on your skin?

It's only natural

~ I never had a lover

~ I never had a soul

The Killers, Bones

The Breakfast Pub:

"Guys, I want a power too! Are just the girls going to have them or something? This isn't fair." Alo said with a sulky expression that made him look like a toddler. Rich was smirking at him as he placed their pints of beer on the table. He immediately stopped smirking when he noticed Grace giving a very significant look with one eyebrow raised in Rich's direction.

"Maybe it's not just the girls, Alo…" She stopped looking at Rich then and focused on Alo with a small smile. "Perhaps you haven't found what yours is yet."

"If you really want a power, you can take my shitty one." Mini said with a scowl, before crossing her arms across her chest. The others tried to ignore Mini, because they couldn't really console her, as she wouldn't let them, so there was nothing really to say to that statement.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it here… you know, in public." Liv said, while leaning in so she didn't have to say it very loudly. There were a few mumbled tones of agreement – and an agree growl from Mini - and everyone went back to awkwardly sipping their drinks.

Alo had decided the 'gang' go to the local pub and get to know each other. Mini had flat out refused, but Grace and Liv thought it might be a good idea after a long day's work.

"Hey dildos!" The group twisted their heads in the direction of the strange greeting. There were two guys there, one who seemed a bit like a dildo himself and the other who seemed a slightly more normal, but with very bright clothes on. "Got some femmes for company… How did you pair of cunts manage to pull?"

Grace widened her eyes at the use of that particular c-word so easily, whereas Rich simply rolled his eyes as if he was used to it.

"Uh… hey Rider." Alo started, while scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"You're friends with him?" Liv said quietly, snorting and looking disgusted in Rider's direction.

Mini mumbled with a roll of her eyes, 'Why should we be surprised?'

"Ignore him… hey gang, what's happening?" The boy in bright clothes said, giving Alo a high five.

"This is Nick…" Rich said in such a way that suggested he was already bored. Grace smiled and waved, and others grunted unenthusiastic 'hello's.

"I've got my shift now, so... uh... I should get to work." Nick said, and then he leant closer to the gang and gestured back at Rider, who was now trying to get off with a very pretty girl. "Tell him to fuck off if he's being a twat."

"Don't worry, we will." Mini said with a small smirk when she realized Nick was quite good-looking. "A round of vodkas here when you're ready by the way."

"Finally getting into the partying spirit, McGuinness!" Alo cheered. He had taken to using Mini's last name as soon as he heard it that morning.

"Just want to take my mind off -" She didn't finish her sentence, but stared down uselessly at her hands. Grace gave Rich another meaningful look and this time poked him from the other side of the table. They were sitting in a booth with Mini, Liv and Grace on one side and Rich and Alo on the other side.

Rich looked up from his pint to stare at Grace. He shook his head, as he had a feeling he knew what she was going to say.

"Rich has a power too…" She said in a small voice. She looked slightly guilty for saying that, but Rich could feel his anger rising at her revelation. Alo sat up quickly and hit his friend lightly on the arm.

"What is it? What is it?" He repeated it a few more times in an excited manner, while Mini and Liv just sat there with straight faces waiting for him to say it.

"Uh… I don't really know. I guess -" He started off.

"He can hear people's thoughts!" Grace finished, excitedly. Alo formed a perfect 'O' shape with his mouth at this.

"No fucking way! Tell me what I'm thinking." Rich sighed deeply and reluctantly tried to concentrate on Alo's thoughts.

'Don't think about boobs… don't think about her boobs.'

"Fantastic. Boobs." Rich grumbled, going to take another sip of his beer. Grace giggled and Alo looked like this was the best news he had heard all year.

"Wow, newsworthy information there." Mini said sarcastically.

"Shh… your friend is coming back over." Liv mumbled, and everyone tried to look casual as Rider came back over, giving a toothy grin to the gang.

"Would any of you lovely ladies like to share a joint with me?" He said, trying to look as charming as any man could in a pair of khaki shorts and t-shirt that said 'I rode your mom.' Grace quickly shook her head.

"Yeah… No thanks." Liv said, turning back to her bottle of beer. Mini stood up.

"Fine. No staring at these though." She said, gesturing at her boobs. As an afterthought she added, "And no touching either."

Rider grinned as if it was his lucky day and followed Mini out the back door of the pub.

"I'm going out for a cigarette." Rich mumbled, heading out the front door. Grace chewed her bottom lip for a second before following after him.

"Just the normal folk left then." Alo said, while accepting the shots from Nick.

"Cheers…" Liv said, tapping glasses with Alo.

"Hi…" Grace said quietly, once she followed Rich outside. He let out an internal groan when he saw she had come along with him. "I wanted to say sorry for telling the others about your little secret."

He knew she was being sincere and he didn't even have to read her thoughts to know that. She was sweetly smiling up at him and looked like she really wanted his forgiveness.

"Whatever… It doesn't matter." He shrugged and continued to smoke in the hope that she would now go back inside. She didn't. Instead she relaxed and leaned against the wall right next to him.

"Is it annoying hearing what people think about?" She asked casually, tucking some strands of hair behind her hair.

"Uh… yeah. I really don't give a fuck what people are thinking." Rich said uncaring of what her reaction to this would be. She seemed to expect this response as she began to smile and shake her head slightly. Rich turned his face to her with his eyebrows raised, as if to say 'What?'

"Well… That's exactly why you've got that power, isn't it Richard?" She said with a little sigh, as if she was teaching a child something that was very obvious, but she didn't want to tell the child they were being stupid for not knowing that. Rich winced at the tone she took with him – it was too sickly sweet for him – and the fact that she called him Richard. "You seem to judge people very easily without knowing them - I know you judge me based on my friends and the way I dress and act. Maybe when you listen to who they actually are, you'll be… more understanding."

She took her foot off the wall, so she was now standing up straight. She smoothed over her dress, as Rich tried to process what she said. It was kind of rude and usually he would have some sort of quip to make back at her, but she was being honest; he could tolerate honest people. Instead of saying anything sarcastic, he simply asked in an almost conversational manner -

"So are you a healer then?"

"Babe…. Babe?" Mini internally groaned at the use of that word and tried to tune him out, but he was right in her face and she was scared he might try to touch her.

"What?" He smirked when she finally replied and tried to subtly flex his muscles, which almost made Mini dry heave.

"Let's skip the part where you pretend to hate me, okay? We both know we're going to bang tonight." She snorted loudly at this and flicked the cigarette to floor. She stubbed it out with her shoe and tried to go back inside the pub. He moved faster than her though, so he was now blocking the door.

"Move dipshit." She lowered her eyes and growled as low as possible to get her point across. He blatantly ignored her warning. He moved his hand scarily close to her cleavage and before she could even think about the fact that she turns people to stone, she slapped him hard across the face.

As he slowly turned to stone, she gasped heavily and went back to hating herself like she had earlier that day when she first found out about her power. Staring at his cold statue made her want to puke, but then she remembered how he kind of made her want to puke when he was human as well. This may have actually been an improvement…

But this was getting fucking ridiculous now. She couldn't touch a person ever again? Never feel someone's lips against hers? Never feel the comfort of holding someone when she was sad? And she couldn't hit anyone ever again…

She stormed back into the pub and saw Grace was missing from the table, so she continued walking out the front door. Alo and Liv came chasing after her, as they must have realized she was pissed off over something.

When she exited the pub, she saw Grace and Rich conversing politely. Grace stopped abruptly when she saw Mini.

"Mini, what's wrong?" Mini turned around to face her and the others who followed her outside.

"That's such a stupid fucking question! What do you think is wrong?" She pointed with one hand to her other hand.

'That's not fair…' Rich heard Grace thinking, but what she actually said was very different.

"I know, but we can get through this together -" She said as consolingly as she possibly could.

"Yeah, course we can Mins." Liv said, joining in trying to pacify Mini. However this had the opposite effect on Mini. She seemed to turn red and angry in the space of 0.05 seconds.

"What the actual fuck? You don't even have a power, so don't pretend you know what I'm going through." She turned back around to stalk off, but still continued shouting. "I'm going to get through this all by myself, alright?"

Everyone else was left behind, giving each other awkward looks as if they were silently asking, 'should we chase after her or not?'

"And there's someone for you to fix in there, Gracie." Mini said, turning her head around slightly to tell Grace, but she still continued to walk fast herself.

Grace silently left to go back into the pub, as if it was her duty to heal whoever it was that needed healing. Rich then understood why Grace had that power – she was the fixer of her group of friends. She fixed people emotionally and now she was just moving up a level.

Alo finally took a decision to go after Mini, but Rich thought this was a shitty idea. Alo started off at a jogging pace, then got faster and then faster and even faster until he has turned into a blur. He ran in a circle and fell right at Rich's feet, which knocked him over. He was out of breath and his eyes were widened. Mini continued walking, but Liv was coming over looking just as shocked as Alo and Rich were. Alo stood up slowly.

"How fucking awesome was that?"

A/N: There's going to be more going on in the next few chapters, so I'm nervous/excited to write those! Hopefully you're still enjoying it!

I can't remember if I replied to the review that asked if it's the same probation worker as in the series, so I'll just answer it here: Yes, the first one they had :)

Thank you so much for your reviews! Please keep reading/alerting/reviewing etc.!

TheCheeryCherry x