"You'll never make friends. You'll never fit in! You're just a geeky freak with weird hair." The other teenagers that had crowded around them snickered.

Kalasin relived the moment again and again in her mind. She was teased every day, with different variations of the same insults. Her hair was black with red streaks. Kalasin did not know why some of her hair was this color. It just was. It had been like that ever since she had been born. Once she had tried to dye the streaks black, but after a few hours the dye had worn off. Kalasin had never known her parents. They had disappeared when she was an infant, and a woman named Mata Johnson had taken care of her ever since. Now Mata was old, and the hospital said that she would die in two years.

Just then a senior near her passed her a small slip of paper. Kalasin scanned it before crumpling it in her hand. She fought to keep her burning anger contained. Now was certainly not the time. Kalasin was in her homeroom, at the local high school called Restan High. She could feel her eyes turning orangish-red, and she closed her lids. No one could see them. It was dangerous.

Suddenly the final bell rang, and Kalasin stacked her books and shouldered her backpack. She rushed to her locker and quickly opened it, only to have it slammed shut. She looked up. It was the same girls that had insulted her earlier, their leader standing in front. She was a cheerleader named Missy Carlson. Kalasin rolled her eyes and yanked open her locker. It was neatly organized and attractively decorated. A magnet box stuck to one of the sides. It held extra pens and pencils, and a small bag rested inside the locker. It contained a brush, three hair elastics, some lip gloss, and a few Band-Aids. Photographs and postcards were fixed to the sides. The postcards held images of faraway lands, like Ireland and New Zealand. Kalasin had taken the photos herself. They were black-and-white pictures of different kinds of flowers and plants. Mata had given the camera to her, a long time ago. Mata.

She shook her head and pulled out her notebook, unzipping her backpack to put it in, but the notebook was snatched from her hands. "No!" Kalasin yelled as the Missy ripped up the pages. She wrestled the journal away and fought her anger, but Missy slapped her. Kalasin closed her eyes and pushed away the power that was struggling to emerge. Instead of releasing it, she punched the evil cheerleader squarely in the stomach. The girl doubled over, and as the other cheerleaders clustered around the prep sympathetically, Kalasin gathered the ripped pages and ran. She sprinted all the way home, feeling her eyes heat up. "Mata!" she called breathlessly once she was through the door of the old Victorian house. "Mata, it's happening again!" she cried. Mata rushed down the stairs to Kalasin. "Oh dear! Can't you contain it?" Mata asked. Kalasin shook her head vigorously. "No! Are there any guests? Visitors?" she queried. The red streaks in her hair had begun to glow brighter. Mata shook her head. " No sweetie. Go in the backyard, and I'll keep watch," "Thank you Mata!" Kalasin called over her shoulder as she ran to the meadow behind the house.

She could feel herself changing when she stepped into the backyard. Her clothes burned to ashes, and in its place, a flaming tunic. A blazing cord was fastened around her waist. A glowing, unsheathed sword hung on the belt, with a bow and quiver of arrows strapped across her back. Finally, the red streaks in her hair blazed. Kalasin sighed and drew her sword. Two rubies adorned the hilt, with a symbol carved between the two. For now, she would just wait it out, like all the other times. Kalasin dueled with an imaginary partner for an hour, and was frustrated when her power didn't go away. She was still blazing, with no sign of respite. Kalasin was puzzled. Perhaps she had been angrier than she thought. It usually didn't last this long.

Kalasin shook her head and began to walk to the woods. A blackened path was left in her wake. She carefully walked through the forest, cautious enough not to light anything on fire. It took Kalasin twenty minutes to reach the lake. The blue-green water steamed when Kalasin swirled her hand in it. She withdrew her hand and sat, controlling her fire just enough so nothing would burn. A tear sizzled on Kalasin's cheek. "Why are you crying?" a voice asked. Kalasin leaped up and drew her sword. A boy stood before her. He looked about her age, but he was no ordinary male. His brown hair wild and untidy, and there were blue streaks in it. He had grey eyes. Kalasin jaw dropped, and she began to run. No one can see me! I have to get away! She thought worriedly as she ran. Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm. Kalasin's heart stopped, and so did she. Her whole body blazed when her power took over. Whoever's hand was on her arm would burn! Kalasin could never injure anyone! She jerked her arm away and turned. It was the same boy, and Kalasin was shocked to see that his hand was not scorched. "Who are you?" she whispered, horrified. The boy smiled and held out his hand. "My name is Quinn," he said. Kalasin gingerly touched his hand. Nothing happened. "What are you?" she inquired fearfully. Quinn smiled again. "No need to be frightened. I have powers like you, only mine - involved," he said soothingly.

All of the sudden, the fire left Kalasin. She gasped as the flaming tunic disappeared. Usually Mata was there with a fresh change of clothes, but now, Kalasin was completely bare. Quinn blushed and turned his back on her as he unbuttoned his blue-and-white-checkered shirt. He handed Kalasin the shirt over his shoulder, and she gratefully put it on. Quinn was only a little taller than her, but the shirt decently covered Kalasin. "Thank you," she said quietly. Quinn turned back and nodded. Kalasin flushed. Quinn was well built, and obviously exercised a lot. "No problem," he said. "Come on. I got something to show you," Kalasin followed him back to the lake. He stood near the water's edge and closed his eyes. The blue in his hair grew brighter, and suddenly he transformed. His eyes blazed blue, and he looked the same as Kalasin did after she changed, only in the place of her fire, it was a constant cascade of water. None of it reached the ground, however. The drops sparkled before disappearing. She gasped when she saw two sapphires adorned the hilt of his shining sword. A figure was carved between the two gems. It was just like hers, only it was the figure of a (I'll figure that out later).

Kalasin gaped. "How did you do that?" she shrieked. Quinn stared at her. "You mean, you don't know how to transform on your own?" he asked. Kalasin shook her head sadly. "No. I can contain it sometimes, but never can I make it happen. It just does on it's own," she confessed, ashamed. Quinn smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, I used to be like you, before I learned to wield my power, instead of it wielding me," he assured. Suddenly Kalasin began to cry, and all the years of lonely, miserable sadness rushed out in ragged sobs. Ever since she had started school, Kalasin had forced herself to show little emotion. Emotion satisfied bullies, and she was not about to please them. She had always been alone, even when she was with Mata. Mata was not like her. She did not have special powers. Kalasin had never even seen another person like herself. Quinn put a cool arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Kalasin flinched at his touch. No male had ever made physical contact with her in her life. But she found that it was nice to be held, cared for. Mata had hugged her millions of times before, but this was different. Much different. Kalasin wept in his embrace. After a while she sniffed and wiped her eyes. Quinn held her still. Kalasin blushed and pulled away. "I'm sorry," she apologized. Quinn shook his head. "Don't be sorry," he said softly, and helped her up from the ground. "It's getting late. Come, I will walk you home," He changed back to mortal form, and Kalasin was surprised to see that his jeans were whole and dry. "How did you do that?" she queried. Quinn smiled. "You're tired and need rest. I will show you, but not now," he promised.

"So, what school do you go to?" Kalasin asked as they walked. "Well, I just moved here with my foster parents. I'm told I will go to a school called Restan High. Where do you go?" he replied. "Restan High!" Kalasin laughed. Quinn's grey eyes sparkled as they reached the house. "Mata!" she called. "Mata, I'm home!" Mata hurried out, throwing her arms around the checker- shirt-clad girl. "Kalasin! Where have you been? I was so worried!" "It's okay Mata. It took longer than usual to wear off," Kalasin quieted her. "Mata, this is-" "Quinn. I know. Nice to meet you young man."

Kalasin stared at Mata. "How did you know his name?" she asked curiously. "Quinn's guardians are here. They and Quinn moved in four doors down. Corde and Liam came here looking for him only a few moments ago. After they told me about Quinn, I invited them in for coffee. Kalasin, you go upstairs . We'll be in the parlor,"

Kalasin processed the new information as she changed into jeans and a t- shirt. She carefully folded Quinn's shirt and set it on her bed. The polite thing to do would be to wash it before giving it back. She trotted down the steps, and after a quick check in the hall mirror, she entered the parlor. A middle-aged couple sat on a blue sofa against one wall. Kalasin smiled respectfully and nodded in their direction, sitting in a chair next to Mata. Quinn was seated in a chair beside her. Mata, Corde, and Liam started talking, and Kalasin turned to Quinn. "I will wash your shirt tonight and give it to you tomorrow," She told him. "Keep it," Quinn smiled. Kalasin blushed and stuttered a protest. Quinn shook his head. "Don't worry, I've got others," he laughed. Suddenly a large rock blasted through the tall glass window. Kalasin pulled Mata to the ground and protected her from the flying glass with her body, with Quinn shielding hers with his. Once the glass had settled, Quinn ran to Liam and Corde, and Kalasin helped Mata up. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Mata asked worriedly. Kalasin nodded. Other than a few scratches in her back, she was fine. A message was tied to the heavy rock. It read: FREAK!!! You'll never belong here. Leave now, and maybe you and your freaky
parent won't get hurt!

She was infuriated. It was one thing to torment her at school, but Mata could've been hurt! She could feel her power surging through her body, but Quinn walked over to her and put a hand on her arm. "Fight it!" he murmured. "Fight it." Kalasin closed her eyes and struggled against the blazing fire. She began to sweat, and she gripped Quinn's arm. He took both of her hands and held them tight in his own. "It's okay. Don't give in! It's okay," he encouraged soothingly.

Suddenly, she won. Kalasin swayed and stumbled, nearly fainting. Quinn put his arm around her and led her to the couch. She saw colors and began to get dizzy. "I did it," Kalasin said weakly before fainting.

When she awoke it was pitch black. Kalasin was in her own bed, she could tell, but she wondered what had happened. Then she remembered Quinn, and she blushed in the darkness. Soon she fell asleep, dreaming of the boy like her.

The alarm buzzer woke her up the next morning, and Kalasin threw back the blankets. Today Quinn would be at school! She hoped that they would have a few of the same classes together. After showering and dressing in a simple shirt and flares, she fastened her necklace around her neck. This necklace she wore every day. It was silver, and the small circular pendant that hung from it held the same figure as that on her sword. Mata had told her it had been around her neck the day she had been dropped at the orphanage. Kalasin dried her hair with the blow dryer and brushed her hair until it shone, staring sadly at her streaks.

Kalasin shouldered her backpack and was about to leave her room when bits of paper fluttered to the floor. The ugly remembrance of the day before rushed back to her. Kalasin knelt to pick up the shreds. That notebook was extremely important to her. It held thoughts, stories that she had written, quotes, and even her dreams. And now, all those things were torn and destroyed. Tears streamed out of her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away. She'd have to learn to hide her emotions again.

After kissing Mata on the cheek, Kalasin was out the door and on her way to school. She decided to stop by Quinn's house and see if he had already left. She trotted to the door and knocked three times. After a few moments Liam came. The older man smiled at her kindly. "Would you like me to get Quinn?" he asked. Kalasin blushed. "Yes, please," she responded softly. Quinn came to the door, his hair as unruly as ever, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. He wore dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He grinned. "I see you're feeling better," he said. Kalasin dropped her gaze ashamedly. I can wield a flaming sword and shoot a burning arrow, but I can hardly fight my own power," she said sadly. Quinn patted her shoulder. "It's okay, you'll learn to eventually, if you're willing to let me help you," he said encouragingly. Kalasin smiled, but it faded once they neared school. "I'm sorry to say that you may be teased," she warned. Quinn laughed. "I survived it at my old school. I'll be alright," he assured. "I'm supposed to go to the head office to receive my schedule, would you care to escort me?" he asked. Kalasin smiled and nodded.

Fortunately, Quinn was in all of her classes except for AP World History and Chemistry. They walked together to their first class, which was Honors English. Other students stopped and stared at them when they walked through the door. Murmurs rippled through the room, and then the bell rang. The teacher, Mr. Smith, took roll and then introduced Quinn. "Class this is Quinn Sosais. He just transferred from Rio Vista High. Please make him feel welcome. Oh, and Quinn," Mr. Smith added quietly, walking over to where Quinn sat. "The school dress code does not allow other than natural colors dyed in student's hair," Quinn looked at him and nodded, withdrawing a note from his pocket. He handed it to Mr. Smith, who read it, frowned, and walked back to his desk. "What was that?" Kalasin whispered. "It was a note from my parents explaining my hair," Quinn said.

Just then Kalasin noticed two cheerleaders sitting near them. They were whispering and giggling, pointing to Quinn. During the daily warm-up, one passed a note to Quinn, who opened it and read it. Kalasin glanced at him, but she could not read his expression. He quietly folded the note up and put it in his pocket. Suddenly the same girl tossed a crumpled piece of paper onto her desk. It read:
Quinn is mine, so you better stay away from him! Kalasin giggled and discreetly wrote a note to Quinn.
Looks like you've got admirers already!
-Kalasin

She felt a pang of jealousy as she passed the note to him, but she brushed it aside. Quinn was a friend, her only friend. The rest of the class went smoothly. Kalasin's next class was P.E., which Quinn had also. Kalasin pointed him to the boy's locker room before entering the girl's. Quinn had gotten his clothes and lock in the office earlier. Kalasin received many warnings to keep away from Quinn from other interested girls before she left the locker room. Kalasin waited patiently outside near the boy's locker room for Quinn. Unfortunately, a boy that often teased her came out first. He and two of his friends sauntered over to her. "So, I see you brought another freak to the school," he said casually. Kalasin stared boldly into his eyes and didn't respond. The boy slapped her soundly. "Not nice to stare," he hissed menacingly. Kalasin let her hair fall into her face to hide her flaming eyes as she defiantly fought her power. Suddenly she heard a soft "Oof". Kalasin looked up and saw the boy doubled over, holding his stomach. "Not nice to hit women," Quinn murmured angrily. His blue streaks began to get brighter, and Kalasin placed a warning hand on his arm. He pursed his lips and nodded to the boys. "Good day," he said curtly. Kalasin and Quinn began to walk to the gym. "Oh, and if you ever lay a hand on her again, I will make you suffer even more," Quinn called over his shoulder.

The day passed with few mishaps, but Kalasin began to grow jealous with each flirting glance sent Quinn's way. In World History she received a note from a boy next to her that said:
Guess birds of a feather really do flock together, huh? Kalasin glared at him and threw the note away.

After school they talked with each other as they walked home. "So when are you going to instruct me on how to wield my power?" Kalasin inquired enthusiastically. The two had taken the scenic route home. It brought them through one of the town's small shopping squares. Quinn smiled at her eagerness. "First, you must learn how to resist your power without fainting. We'll go from there," he told her. Soon they reached Kalasin's home. They planned to do their homework together and then work on her power. Kalasin opened the door and invited Quinn in. After dropping by the kitchen and greeting Mata, she led Quinn to her room. Fortunately, Mata had ordered Kalasin to organize her room the day before, so it was presentable. A bulletin board hung on her wall covered with pictures she had taken.

Her bedspread was yellow, red, and orange with Hawaiian print and matching pillows. Posters of the ocean and pro surfers adorned her walls. Quinn looked at her questioningly. "You like surfing?" he asked. Kalasin smiled and nodded. "I love water," she replied, honestly. Quinn's streaks began to brighten. Kalasin frowned. "Are you doing that on purpose?" she asked. Quinn glanced in a mirror that hung on her wall. "No, sometimes our streaks glow spontaneously when our main emotions get intense, like hatred, anger, sadness, and." his voice faded and his cheeks reddened. "And what?" Kalasin inquired curiously. "Love," Quinn replied softly. Kalasin blushed, and her own streaks lightened. He cleared his throat and looked away. "Um, we should probably get started." He said, breaking the awkward silence. Kalasin gave a brief smile and unzipped her backpack.

Currently she was having a difficult time in her math class. To her surprise, Quinn was a brilliant mathematician. He helped her through her homework, answering her questions and explaining equations. Him sitting close made her concentration slim, but she tried to keep from staring at him as he bent studiously over his books.

After they finished their homework, Quinn took her to the woods behind her house.

"Ok, first we have to make you angry. furious even. So enraged it makes you want to change. But, when you start to transform, resist. Defy it with all of your strength." Quinn instructed. Kalasin nodded, but then gave him a doubtful look. "I don't know how I'll get angry enough." She told him. Quinn sighed and thought for a moment. "I don't want you to hold grudges against the people at school or anything, but is there something that would make you extremely angry that you remember?" Quinn asked hopefully.

Kalasin thought bitterly about her shredded thoughts and stories. Her anger began to build, and the streaks in her hair began to glow. "Okay, now," Quinn began. "Don't let yourself change. Fight it! Don't give up the struggle." Kalasin clenched her fists in concentration, and she bit her lip until it bled. She could feel herself growing hot, and her skin began to tingle. It was so difficult that she nearly gave in before she conquered it. Besides swaying a bit and feeling extremely tired, she was perfectly fine. "I did it!" she cried happily and threw her arms around Quinn. She immediately realized what she had just done and quickly stepped away. "Uh. th- thanks." She stammered and inwardly chastised herself. Quinn grinned. "Anytime, but I don't think I should show you how to change without getting angry today. You're tired and need to rest. Come, let's walk back to the house." He said. They walked in silence, and suddenly Quinn reached out and gently took her hand. Kalasin's heart thumped as their fingers interlocked, and she could feel her streaks begin to shine. After a quick glance at Quinn, she saw that his hair was also glowing and she blushed.