"Yeah, and MegaGirl looks hot on the news," Derek says when I enter class, "as in, truly hot."
"Isn't that what you said about Layla?" one of the popular crew asks.
"Layla's not as cool," Derek says, "I mean, she totally blew me off, saying that I couldn't go where she was going."
"I hope she made it," a Goth girl says.
Derek rolls his eyes and finally looks at me.
"Did you?" Derek asks.
"Yes," I say, "and I was on time, because I had to be there by morning."
"Where was there?" the Goth says.
"A…A club meeting," I say, "girls like me from all over the world meet once a year in different towns. This year, it was in Garden Wake."
The Goth girl nods and says, "Groups of so-called 'freaks'? Interesting. Is it that secret?"
"Yeah," I say, "you had to be personally invited to participate."
"Too bad," Derek says, "You should've been at the football fields when MegaGirl defeated some cow-creature! Turns out that it took over Petra's body and was bent on revenge for you and some being called 'Omega-Xis'."
"If MegaGirl's one of us," the Goth says, "then why would they be concerned about Layla? I mean, out of all the students who wronged Petra, why Layla?"
"Because he invited me personally to the New Year's party a few nights ago," I say, "After the sparking, he invited me."
"And you invited me to prom!" the Goth says, whirling on Derek.
"Now, now, Whitney," Derek says, "Come…come on, you're still my date."
"And you cheat on me to kiss some other girl!" Whitney says.
"Not cheat!" Derek says, "You were away, rem-"
"Never mind!" Whitney says, then turns to me and says, "Ignore him. He'll get MegaGirl and dump her for a model."
"Um…yeah," I say, "Let's talk at lunch, okay?"
"Sure," Whitney says, "I eat alone, in the homeroom."