Everybody has a different experience when they think they're about to die. Some see flashes of all of the things that matter most to them. Some see glimpses of what their life could have been. I just kept looking for an escape. I was beyond spent from the workout I'd given my powers trying to save the others, but I figured that I read stories everyday about mothers miraculously lifting way more than they should be able to so they can save their baby. If they could summon up herculean strength, surely I, a mutant, could figure out a way to save myself.

But it wasn't looking too good for me. Then all of a sudden I felt a strong grip on my arm, that creepy tingling sensation, and I was home free.

"Thanks for coming back for me," I kissed Kitty on the forehead as she leaned against me. She had pulled me out from what would have been rubble in seconds and I couldn't have felt like a luckier man. "Even though you shouldn't have."

"And thanks for catching that bookcase that almost fell on my dad," she countered with a knowing smile as she turned to face me. "So…"

"Katherine!" Kitty's dad stormed towards us and we quickly jumped apart.

"Oh, thank heavens you're alright! When we saw you go back in there…" her mom trailed off as she started shaking uncontrollably with every sob. The telepath tried to comfort her, but with little success.

"What were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Her dad continued to roar, seemingly unphased by his wife's outburst. "Not to mention what were you doing in the principal's office? You should have been in class! We were looking all over for you!"

"Dad…" Kitty started, but it was clear by h is puffy red face and his finger pointing that he wasn't quite done.

"I told you to come to the doorway and you didn't listen! I told you to stay home from school today and you didn't listen! What is wrong with you today?" He fumed.

"Um, sir," I cursed myself for getting involved even as I stepped in and offered the man my hand. "It's my fault. It's all my fault. I'm very sorry for any trouble I may have caused you and your family. If there's anything I can do to make up for it, you name it. I'm sure you'll want to discuss all of this with my father and I'll arrange something immediately. I also understand that you want to send Kitty to a special school where she can be helped and I fully support whatever decision you make there. If it's of any help, my powers manifested about a year ago, so I, and I'm sure my father as well, are happy to do anything we can to help you and your family through this."

"Kitty? Powers? What?" He stammered, suddenly losing his anger. I tried not to take offense that he hadn't reached to shake my hand. "Who are you?"

"Dad, this is Lance…" Kitty stalled and I quickly realized we still didn't really know that much about each other.

"Alvers. Lance Alvers, sir. Pleasure to meet you, though I wish it could be under better circumstances," I gulped and continued to hold my hand out in greeting even though it had started to shake.

"How do you know my daughter?" he all but hissed.

"Dad!" Kitty huffed.

"Well, um, we met, um…" I looked around hoping to find a quick excuse to keep her "perfect daughter" cover as intact as I could under the circumstances. Then the obvious answer suddenly dawned on me, "At school! Of course, we met here at school. She fell through a locker using her powers and I happened to be there."

"Fell through a locker? What were you doing in a locker? Did people see? Oh, Katherine!" he sighed with a dramatic flourish. I kicked myself for mentioning the locker part as I'm sure that's not something her parents would want to hear.

"It's fine, Daddy. Really. I'll explain at home," Kitty faked a smile, but I could tell she was already trying to figure out how to make this story work in her favor.

"Yes, home. Let's go home. The professor is waiting after all," he announced before finally looking right at me. "Uh, I, Kitty, we you. Oh, I don't know." He threw up his hands before taking his wife and leading her away.

"Well that went… crud," I scratched at my head as I tried to figure out just where exactly I had gone wrong. Pretty much from the beginning I suppose. "I just got you in a lot of trouble, didn't I?"

"It's been a long day. Just, don't worry about it," she offered and reached out a hand to me. "Come on. Let's go meet this professor guy."

"I don't…" I shook my head as I tried to figure out just how to explain everything that my dad had ground into my head since we had found out about my powers and what people who found out about them might want to do to me. I didn't think there was going to be any short or simple explanation, so I decided to go without one altogether. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to… go."

"The professor would really like to meet you," the telepath interrupted, reminding me that she was still hanging around. "We're not sure why we weren't able to pinpoint you and your powers before, but we'd like to take the time to find out."

"I'm not a lab rat," I growled under my breath, figuring she wouldn't hear me.

"Well, no," she countered quickly, reaffirming my belief that a telepath would be too much trouble. "We'd help you. We'd work with you to help you gain better control over your powers and learn all sorts of things about them. It's really a special place and you'll love it. I promise."

"Look," I cut her off before she could give me the full spiel. "I've heard about these places before and I'm just not interested. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go. I'm in enough trouble already and I really just… don't want to deal with you."

"But," she began again, but I turned around and left before she could promise some better life to reel me in.

"But Lance!" I heard Kitty call after me. I desperately wanted to turn around and take her with me, keeping her from the telepath, her overeager parents, and the professor, whoever he might be. But it wasn't my place. She had to make the decision to finally stand up for herself and walk away from this. As much as I may have wanted to, I couldn't make this decision for her. I walked up and over the hill on my way back to the parking lot, figuring I had about five minutes to hop in the jeep and race home before my father came looking for me. By now, news crews had shown up alongside the firemen that were pulling up, and it would be mere minutes before everyone in the area knew about the freak quakes that struck the school.

I was just pulling the keys out of my pocket when, "Yo, Lance? Dude!"

"Guys," I turned around to find Pete and Griff grinning from ear to ear.

"You look like shit, man," Pete clapped me on the shoulder.

"But those quakes… off the freaking hook," Griff added.

"Wasn't me," I shook my head. "That was all real."

"But we heard the principal's office was destroyed, so we figured…" Pete rubbed his head.

"You mean you didn't destroy the office?" Griff continued.

"Not on purpose," I grumbled.

"Oh, cause like… we thought you were pulling off some huge prank or something," Pete began.

"And we were actually kind of pissed you hadn't mentioned it. Like you did with the quakes at the club last night," Griff finished.

"Yeah, man. What was that all about?" Pete asked.

"It's a long story," I sighed, "See I met this girl…"

"Real funny, man," Pete laughed while Griff frowned. "No seriously."

"I am serious, Pete," I nodded.

"It's not like you to go all… nuts… over some girl. What's with you, dude?" Griff shook his head.

"She's not just some girl," I tried to explain.

"Ah, is she like you with the whole uh… earth shaking thing?" Pete looked around to make sure there was no one to overhear.

"Well, kind of, but that's not really the point," I answered.

"So what is the point, Lance?" Griff crossed his arms. "You've ditched us twice all for some girl?"

"I can't really get into now," I waved him off. "I got to go get my ass handed to me by my step mom."

"Are you going to continue to be a douche and blow us off for some tail?" Griff countered.

"Look, man, I'm sorry," I offered. "But it's not like that."

"What's it like then?" Pete questioned.

"Doesn't matter anymore," I mumbled, "It's over. She'll leave and I'll be grounded for eternity."

"Man, you used to talk to us," Pete looked from Griff to me, "about everything. Now you're all…"

"Weird," Griff finished as Pete nodded in agreement.

"You're right. And I'm sorry," I apologized. "If I ever get out from the house-arrest I'm sure to be placed on, I'll try to make it up to you somehow."

"Well if your step mom, the freaking witch, ever lets you see the light of day again, you can make up ditching us for some chick by giving us free rides for life," Griff pounded my fist with his with a smile, which I took as a sign that he forgave me

"Good luck, man," Pete offered a fist bump as well. "But seriously, rides for life."

"Deal," I smiled. "If only because I'll never live to fulfill it."

"Late," Griff nodded as I turned to leave.

"Much," I sighed and headed to the parking lot to grab my car and drive home.

"Dead man walking!" I heard Pete yell before he and Griff laughed. I shook my head wishing I could find it as funny as they did. I was screwed. There was no way I would be returning to my life in Northbrook spent hanging with my pals anytime soon. And even if I ever did, the girl of my dreams was gone for good.