I'm sorry this took so long! I had it all written out when I realized how it wouldn't really work with the story so I had to rewrite it! Also, I would have updated sooner, but I've been at my grandparent's house all week! And then this Friday I was at a Paul McCartney concert!

But you don't want to hear all this.

Disclaimer: I do not own GONE or anything in it! I only own Ashlyn.

Ashlyn's POV

I close the laptop, tired to the point of collapse. I don't know why I'm so tired. It's not like what I was doing was exhausting whatsoever. I groan and fall back on the bed.

A knock sounds on my door.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I hear a chuckle but footsteps shuffle away

"Ugh!" I groan. I have a headache and it's all because of Caine. He's just so…

How do you describe Caine? Not stupid, I wouldn't make that mistake. Cunning for sure. More than that, though. There was something about him that I couldn't put my finger on. Maybe it was the cold, calculating look about him. There's something else, like a darkness and evil stirring underneath the smiles and charm. But… he really is… kind of…

I don't let myself finish the thought.

How can he be messing with my head? I just met him! He's annoying and arrogant. He cares for no one but himself. I need to stop thinking about him! But I can't. I hate him. A surge of anger runs through me like poison.

I feel a sharp pain in my head and my hand seems to rise of it's own accord. I don't know what's happening. It hurts. My hand is searing with a fire that I can't see. Then I can. My hand is on fire! I let out a terrified scream and squeeze my eyes shut, willing it to go away, for the pain to end. I'm gasping for breath.

I open my eyes slowly, hoping that it wasn't real. The fire is gone. I sigh in relief.

"What was that?" I say to myself. "Was I hallucinating? I must have been."

"But the fire seemed so real." I argued back.

"But what was it, then? I'm not a superhero or anything like that. I'm just me."

"But look! There's still smoke in the air."

"Shut up!"

"No! Listen to logic!"

"I am! There's no such thing as super powers!"

"What if there are?"

"I don't care. It's nothing. Right? It can't be real. It was a hallucination. It has to be."

My eyes close, and I drift off into an uneasy sleep.

Caine paces his room, Drake sitting on a chair and Diana lounging on his bed. Caine is tense, Drake is annoyed, and Diana is bored.

"A four bar? Are you sure? Diana, are you absolutely positive?"

"No, Caine. My answer has changed after the first forty or so times you asked." She replies sarcastically.

"What if she got it wrong?" Drake asks, savoring the idea.

"She never gets it wrong. You know that."

"Hi. I'm still here, you know."

"I wish you weren't." Drake mutters.

Caine's too worried to notice.

"There's only one thing we can do."

"You mean, 'you' can do. We have no part in this."

"Yes you do. Anyway, the only thing left to do is to make a truce."

"What makes you think she'll truce with you?"

"Because I'm me." He says, giving his most charming smile and a wink.

A smile spreads across her face. You bad, bad boy. She thinks. Ashlyn won't know what hit her.

The next day in math, halfway through class, someone, the secretary, comes in. "Can Ashlyn Brookes come with me, please?" I stand up and walk out with her. She takes me to the front office.

"Yes?"

"You've been moved up to calculus." I grin. Finally something worth my time.

"Yes."

"I just need to know if you're ready for the responsibility."

"Oh, I am." She gives me "the look" and let's me go. As soon as I pass the math classroom, to find them all staring at me, I laugh and mouth 'calculus' then move on.

I walk into the new math room. This is going to be fun. I grin at the startled 11th and 12th graders and sit down. Since when did I get so outgoing?

"Who are you?" The teacher asks.

"I'm Ashlyn Brookes, and I'm the girl moving up from geometry."

"Right. Miss Brookes." All of the students glare at me. I smirk and take the test he gives me. Fifty pages. Fifteen minutes later, I hand it back to him.

"Done."

"Already?"

"Yup." I walk back to my seat.

After class, I'm walking down the steps to English when a shove comes from behind.

"You think you're so smart, huh?"

"Yeah, I do." Admittedly, that was the wrong answer. I curse myself inwardly. How had I been so stupid? I'm defenseless. I can't do anything. I've never been particularly strong. I bite my lip, worried about the consequences.

"Yeah? Well I've got news for you. Smart doesn't mean you can get by." The rain outside is getting louder.

"Yeah!" Another chimes in. "In fact, it might lead to an accident." They laugh stupidly. I'm in trouble now. A flash of lightning lights up the hall.

"A pretty bad accident." They move forward. I want to run but they have me surrounded.

I open my mouth to take a deep breath when the attack begins.

I dodge the first few punches, using my size as an advantage. One catches me in the stomach. The breath leaves me in a whoosh. I fall back, only to be pushed forward. I will not give them the pleasure of hearing me scream. I try to throw a punch, but it goes wild. They hit me on the side of the head. I would scream if I could, now, but I can't. I don't have enough strength. Black is clouding my vision. Finally I feel them being pushed back by what seems to be an invisible force. I stumble and fall, crashing down the stairs. I lie in a crumpled heap, shame clear on my face. Caine crouches over me, helping me up.

"You okay?" I nod.

"What are you doing here?" Thunder rumbles outside.

"I saw the fight and I came to help."

"Oh." So, not following me, then. Sure.

"When did the storm start?"

"I don't know."

He smiles, not at me, to himself, and begins to lead me to the nurse's office. Why is he smiling?

"Caine?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you do to them?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you do something?"

"No. I got a teacher. They didn't want to clean under the bleachers, so they ran."

I shoot him a puzzled look. I know that didn't happen. So what did?