Pietro is trying to spead some time alone, but everyone needs his help. Will he ever be left alone?

Pietro was playing the guitar in his room when John burst into it.

"Pietro! I just thought of some names for characters for my new book! Could you read them and tell me what you think?"

The speed demon stopped playing and read the list.

"Nick Saltz, Ally Grey, Ben Drake, Alan Summers, Kitty Gardiner, Wenda Maximoff, Pedro Maximoff, Pello Rasputin, Ruben LeBeau, Jerry Allerdyce, Emmet Lehnsherr, Katherine Abb, Charles Linnet, Henry Cabbell, Ororo Quigly, Scott Yett, Jean Orme, Kurt Babin, Evan Maddock, Ray Zahm, John Wetsel, Hank Elmer, Jubilation Adair, Tabitha Shaddock, Samuel Gano, Robert Cilly, Amara Adee, Jubilee Jenks, Roberto Sewell, Sam Barr, Bobby Enos, James Semard, Rahne Cryer, Raven Aldis, Frederick Ziegler, Erik Lam, Jamie Darton, Piotr Ryder, Victor Uline, Fred Unwin, Lance Backe, Todd Bovie, Pietro Pye, Wanda Wells, Peter Dews, Cain Errick, St. John Verbeck, Remy Bevan, Risty Ayton, Max Kean."

"What do you think?"

"They all suck."

"What?"

"Well some names, like Pietro, Wanda, Maximoff, and a few others are good. But Pietro Pye? Wanda Wells? Ray Zahm and Victor Uline? Really?"

"You're right. Those names do suck. I'll think of betters ones."

Pyro left the room. Once he was gone, Pietro went back to playing.

Todd barged into Pietro's room.

"Tro! I need your help, yo!"

"Whaaaaat?" groaned Pietro.

"I have a three page report on Benjamin Franklin due tomorrow and need your help!"

"You had a big, important report and waited till now to do it?"

"I was busy, yo."

"Doing what?"

". . . Stuff."

"..."

"Ya gonna help me or not?"

"Fine. Where's my laptop?"

Pietro was outside the school, eating a fruit salad.

He was the only Brotherhood member that ate fruit salad and the rest of the team thought he was weird for eating it.

'It's so good,' thought Pietro, taking another bite.

Lance walked over and stopped when he saw what his best friend was eating.

"Fruit. Yuck. How can you eat fruit? Why can't you be a normal teenager and eat junk food like the rest of us?"

"You clearly don't know me 'cause I'm not normal and like everyone else. Technically, neither are you, but whatever. Plus, I want to be healthy and live to be over seventy-five with no problems. Now, what do you want?"

Lance sat in front of the speedster and placed a paper and pencile in front of him.

"I can't think of anything romantic to write to Kitty. Could you think of something?"

"Are you kidding me? You want me to write a love letter to your girlfriend? You want me to write a love letter to Kitty?"

"I'm desperate, Tro! Help a brother out!"

Pietro sighed. "Fine!"

He took and paper and pencile and wrote something down

"How's this?"

My dearest Kitty,

You are the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. I love everything about you. Your sofe as silk hair, your beautiful, sparking blue eyes, they way you smell like roses, and most of all the way you smile that smile of your. I cherish you. You make me happy. Make me feel loved and appreciated when for so long no one ever gave a damn about me. That changed the day I met you. I love listening to your lovely voice. I love gazing into your beautiful blue eyes. You always fill me with joy and put a smile on my face. I am so lucky to have someone as wonderful as you in my life. My heart belongs to you, my Pretty Kitty. You're the only one for me.

I love you with all my heart,

Lance

"It's perfect! Thanks, Tro!"

Lance ran off with the letter.

'Maybe now I can have some alone time,' thought Pietro. 'I've been helping people with their problems for weeks now!"

Bobby came over.

"Hey, Pietro, can I ask you for a favor?"

'Arggggghhhhh!'

Nine Days Later

"Here are your cookies, Kitty," said Pietro, pissed. He burt himself twice making those cookies!

"Like, thanks, Pietro!" smiled Kitty.

"Tell Kurt his report will be looked over and handed back arounf two o'clock. And if Daniels want be to do his whole science project for him he needs to give me the cash before I start."

"Got it. Oh, and Jamie needs someone to help him rehearse his lines. Can you-?"

"Why not!"

"Great! Bye!"

Kitty left the Brotherhood house. Pietro sat at the kitchen table, head down, eyes closed.

"Some alone time."

"Pietro!"

"Why me?"

Lance, Fred, and Todd rushed into the kitchen, all talking at once.

"Pietro, I don't understand this homework!"

"Tro! I need you to fix my pants! They ripped!"

"I can't figure this out, Tro!"

Pietro rubbed his temples. 'It's a good thing I already have white hair. What the hell am I going to do?'

He smiled inside when he got an idea. Without the others seeing, he dialed the house phone with his cell phone. When the four boys heard the phone ring, Pietro jumped up, houted, "I'll get it!", and ran quickly to the phone.

"Hello? Hmm. I see. Huh? But. I'm really- Yes, Father."

"Magneto?" asked Lance.

"Yeah. He needs me to doing something for him. He won't tell me what until I get there. Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The speed demon ran out of the house.

The phone rang again. Lance answered it this time.

"Yeah? Gambit? How can I ask Tro if he wants to go to a ball game with you and Colossus when he just left to do a job Magneto gave him? What the hell do you mean Magneto never gave him a job to to? He just called! Why would Tro lie about something like that?"

Pietro lied on a beack blanket and let the Florida sun heat and tan his pale skin.

"Alone at last."