The next morning seemed like any other at first. My alarm blared while I groped aimlessly at the nightstand, my eyes still clamped tightly. I made some kind of grumbling noises while I stumbled around half-awake, getting cleaned up and dressed. I had finally become fully alert by the time I was making my way down the stairs, careful to slip out without running into Patricia. Forget breakfast, she would just nag me the entire time about last night and encourage my dad to not be so lax about punishing me. I stopped on the way to school to grab a breakfast burrito to appease my stomach which had growled loudly the second I hopped into my jeep. Once parked at school, I wolfed down the rest of the burrito. I got out, wiping my hands along my jeans, which were of course torn. Jeans never lasted long with the stuff I got into with Pete and Griff, they were typically cut up by barbed wire fences and singed by our pyromaniac tendencies. We weren't all that bad and we hardly ever got caught, but we were teen boys, so we of course had to push the limits of the law.

My mind was coming back around to think about that girl, the conversation I had anticipated for so long had gone a little differently than I had expected, so I played it over and over in my head trying to analyze it. I tried to shake her from my thoughts, but then I saw Ross curled up on the lawn with his girlfriend Riley and their friends were crowded around them. When Ross saw me, he flinched and quickly turned his eyes to the ground. At least that was one person I didn't have to worry would tell about my little… power trip from last night.

"Ross, what happened to your eye, baby?" I watched as Riley examined her boyfriend's head. I shot daggers at him from my eyes, trying to get the message across that he shouldn't bring me into it. Luckily, he actually seemed to get it and brushed off his girlfriend's concerns. I continued past them and wandered over to where I always met Pete and Griff.

"Look who it is, the earth shaker who pulled a Houdini on us last night," Griff nudged Pete and they both frowned at me.

"Yeah, sorry about that guys. I was a little busy with the football chump," I nodded over to Ross. "Did you guys get a ride from some babes?"

"Yeah, dude. In more ways than one," Pete lifted his hand for a high five, and even though I doubted it was true, I slapped him one anyways.

"So you're lucky, cause we're in forgiving moods," Griff added as I slapped him five, too.

"Yeah, well. I'll make it up to you guys somehow," I offered anyways.

"It was pretty entertaining, though. People were going freaking crazy about the quakes. It was like the apocalypse or something," Pete laughed and Griff joined in. I smiled weakly, but while they might think it was funny, I knew it had been a stupid move. Sure, it had worked, pulling Ross off the girl, but if it hadn't been for the freak accident that was her falling through the wall, she could have gotten hurt. There went my mind again, thinking about that girl.

"Yo, Lance? You on earth, bud?" Griff waved his hand in front of my face and I quickly focused back on reality.

"Yeah, I just uh… left my ciggs in my car," I patted down my pockets, but came up empty. I think I had a pack stowed away in the jeep, but if not I would just walk across the street to the nearest gas station and buy a new pack. I suddenly had a craving.

"You just wanna bum one?" Pete offered and both he and Griff held out their packs.

"Nah, I need to grab my headphones before class anyways," I declined and started back to my jeep. It was a lame excuse, especially since my mp3 player, headphones and all, was already safely packed away in the backpack slung over my shoulder, but I couldn't get out of my head. I figured I could be a little late to my first class and take a bit of a walk to try to clear my thoughts.

Luckily, I had an extra pack in my glove compartment, and I quickly lit a cigarette, taking deep drags which immediately soothed my mind. I had smoked it practically down to the filter by the time the last bell rang, so I casually snubbed it out and made my way back to the school. Walking down the quiet hallways, I found myself thinking about last night all over again. I tried to focus long enough to stow my backpack in my locker, shoving my mp3 player in my back pocket, and then decided I should probably go to class. I was a decent student, not all that great about participating, but always acing tests and getting by smoothly. Sure, it bugged most teachers that I sat in the back and listened to music all day, but they had too many students that actually needed their help to pass to worry too much about it. I was just pulling out of my thoughts about that girl, trying to force myself to forget how she looked with her hair down around her face and her small body, barely covered by that strip of fabric she called a dress, leaning in towards me, when I heard something.

"Hello?" a muffled voice sounded. I jumped, my first thought was that it must be a ghost. I almost laughed at how irrational that was, but instead decided to focus on figuring out who or what it really was.

"Hello?" I called tentatively.

"Help! I'm stuck in here!" I figured out that some poor nerd must have been shoved in a locker as I heard fist against metal as the yelling continued.

"Uh, which locker?" I looked at the long row and prayed that it wouldn't be too hard to break the lock.

"This one!" a girlish scream accompanied the lockers shaking and banging against the wall. Maybe the person that was stuck in there was claustrophobic?

"Whoa, calm down! I'll find you," I yelled back, deciding that I would have to use deductive skills and some good guessing to find the right locker.

"It's my locker. Number 413. Riley and Amy shoved me in," a sad voice answered. So they were calmer, but probably on the verge of tears. Great.

"That sucks, I'm sorry," I tried to sound soothing and friendly. Riley and Amy were two of the most annoying and rude girls in the school, which is why I thought Riley and Ross were well suited for each other. "What's your combination? I'll get you out."

"32, 16, ARGH!" I had reached the locker and was starting to work the lock when a blur of brown hair and pink cotton came tumbling into me, knocking me to the ground. I felt like the air had been sucked out of me as the other body crushed mine. Then I realized who it was on top of me, and I really couldn't breathe.

"You? You just…? Did you see what you just did?" I stammered, the excitement in me bubbling over the surface. It was the girl from last night, and she looked so cute with her disoriented face, her brown hair pulled back so I could really study her face. Her blue eyes widened in shock in which I guessed was recognition of me.

"Uh… what do you mean? I just fell out of the locker," she argued.

"Yeah, right through the door!" I couldn't help but smile. Here I had been walking down the hall thinking about her, and suddenly here she was.

"You're crazy. I don't know what you're talking about," she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself, and as I could feel her heart racing against my chest, I had a feeling she was more freaked out than I was about what had just happened.

"Yes you do. You just fell through the locker like you fell through the wall last night. And you're crushing me," I squirmed a little, not really wanting her to move except for the fact that I needed air.

"I didn't do anything," she sat up, but I was happy to find that she didn't move entirely off me. "You don't even know me."

"No, I don't. But I do know what I saw, and what I saw was that you're a mutant," I pushed up so I was sitting up, too. I hoped that keeping a smile on my face, which wasn't difficult around her, and being honest and friendly would win her trust and help ease her into this whole situation. I remembered how alarming it had been to realize I could make the earth shake, so I didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was. I found myself thinking that maybe, I could even help her. "Like me."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" she quickly moved off me, her face full of fright. All I wanted to do was pull her to me and rock her back and forth, but I knew it was probably best if I let her have her space a bit while I tried to explain.

"I'm Lance, and see I have an… ability, too," I stood up and offered her a hand, but she pushed it away and got up on her own.

"Ability?" she looked at me partially curious, but mostly like she didn't believe a word I was saying.

"Yeah. You can move through solid objects and I can… well," I looked around, figuring proving myself and showing her that she wasn't alone was probably better than just telling her I could make the ground shake. Once I saw that the coast was clear, I balled up my fists and caused a tiny tremor below us. I felt her hand on my arm, her grip becoming tighter the longer the quakes lasted. Way to go, Lance. Terrify her. I stopped, ready to apologize for scaring her with my powers when she was having a tough enough time accepting her own.

"Wait… you… you can… you caused the quakes last night!" she moved away quickly, and I tried not to feel to upset about it. The spot on my arm where her hand had been was burning in an almost pleasurable sizzle.

"Yeah, well, I probably should have come up with a better way to help you with Ross, but… it worked," I shrugged.

"I didn't ask for your help," she crossed her arms over her chest, and I realized something I must have said was setting her off. It was like the conversation in the club, things were going fine until…

"You're welcome," I rolled my eyes. She wasn't the most conventional girl, was she? "Nice to meet you, too, Lance. My name is…"

"Did you give Ross that black eye?" I almost winced at her question. I had hoped that she would tell me her name and then we could talk about having powers. Maybe I could even help her with hers. But she was only concerned with the chump, of course.

"Yeah. The fat lip, too. But in my defense, he started it. I was just trying to go after you and make sure you were alright," I took a step closer to her and started looking her over, wondering if Ross had bruised her with his grip or if she had fallen hard in the alley when she'd gone through the wall. I figured it was a lot like just now, but she didn't have me on the other side to land on.

"I don't need a protector. I can take care of myself," she backed away slightly. Oh right, we had gone through this last night, too.

"Oh yeah, sure. You did a crack job taking care of yourself with Ross last night, and then again today with Riley and Amy. You don't need any help at all do you, princess?" there was something exhilarating about mocking her and fighting with her. I could feel my lips pulling into a smile as I watched her face get red with anger.

"Well, as you pointed out, I got out of the locker on my own. And I could have handled Ross, too," she stepped towards me and shoved her slender finger into my chest.

"Oh really?" I moved as close as possible without touching her, suddenly realizing just how small she was as I looked down on her. She seemed impossibly beautiful at this moment, her face scrunched up in defiance, that little mouth pursed. Thinking about watching her for all of those weeks, I wondered how all of those guys weren't hopelessly in love with her. "What's a girl like you doing with a chump like him anyways?"

"Uh… well… I… uh… none of your business," she blushed and I had to focus on keeping my hands from reaching out and caressing her pink cheeks. "Why do you care?"

"Uh… well… I… uh… none of your business," I tried my best to say it mockingly, but there was a tightening in my chest. A voice in my head had been asking that question for weeks now. Why did I care about what she did? She was just some girl, right?

"You're such a jerk," she cut through my thoughts.

"I'm a jerk? I've just saved your ass twice with no please or thank you and I'm a jerk?" I was trying to decide if I was impressed that she could push my buttons or frustrated by it. Both I guess. "You could use to learn to show a little gratitude, little girl."

"ARGH! I am not a little girl, so stop calling me one! And if I wanted your help, I would say please. If I needed your help, I'd say thank you. Otherwise, just… leave me alone!" she yelled and turned to leave.

"I'll see you around, you know, the next time I'm helping you out," I quickly wracked my brain for something that would catch her attention and keep her around. I didn't want her to walk away yet. "So, see you in half an hour?"

"How about never? That work for you?" she whirled around and I did my best to pretend that it didn't bother me in the least even though inside I was throwing a party.

"Ooh, feisty," I help up my hands as if trying to defend myself. "Kitten's got some claws."

"It's Kitty. My name is Kitty," she told me as her hands braced on her hips. "Not Kitten. Not Kitty cat. Just Kitty."

"Kitty," I let the name roll of my tongue as I studied her. It was such a great name for her. It was spunky and precious all at the same time, just like her. "It suits you."

"Really?" she looked so unsure of herself in that second that I found myself questioning all that I had seen of her. She always had an air of confidence about her, but it had been wiped away, and she looked so… loveable. What was going on with me? I don't think things like that. I don't fall for some small girl with an attitude.

"Sure it does. Here pretty Kitty," I cooed and spread my arms out. Even though I knew it would sound like a taunt to her, I found myself hoping she would leap into my arms like her namesake.

"Shove off… Ava-Lance," I laughed as she flinched, obviously realizing how silly it sounded even as she said it.

"Wow… that was… corny," I continued to laugh, but I kind of liked it, too. I think it had more to do with her calling me it than the cheesy nickname. "What are you going to call me next? Lancelot?"

"Oh, go to hell," she spat and turned to leave. I had a feeling that teasing her wouldn't get her to come back this time unfortunately, but I had to try.

"Rock you later, Kitten," I called after her, hoping that if I used a nickname she had deemed off limits she'd turn back.

"It's Kitty, Sir Quakes-a-lot," she answered without a glance back.

"Still weak! But we'll work on it!" I laughed heartily, my mind already racing, thinking about the next time I'd see her. She rounded the corner and was out of my sight. I knew I had to see her again. My pulse was quick, the quips we had exchanged setting me on fire. She was definitely passionate, and I started to wonder if she could affect me that much with just a few words, what could her lips do to me if she wasn't talking?