"Plot: Gypsies, Gypsy place…That’s all I got.” A spike headed boy said B. his undone homework.

The Teacher scowled.

“I’m just a ghost flowing through it.” Alisha perked up, appeasing her angered teacher.

Jared shot her a grateful look.

“That is very deep Ms. Starf.” Their English teacher turned toward Alisha and beamed. He then turned to Jared, “Mr. Telec, you could learn a thing or two from Alisha here. For one she actually did her homework.”

‘Yeah you see Mr. Strop I was going to do it but I was out until sun-up fighting off the forces of darkness.’ Jared mumbled.

“What was that Mr. Telec?” Mr. Strop snapped.

“Nothing sir.” Jared said fiddling with his dulled wrist spikes.

“And take those off. You know the dress code banns them.” He scolded before walking back to the front of the class.

Alisha let out a quite ‘Pst’ to get Jared’s attention before flashing him her cell phone screen.

2:59 PM.

Jared tossed his barely used English book into his drawstring bag and stood up as he pulled the straps closing the opening.

Mr. Strop glared at the class that was following Jared’s example, “Please stay seated until…” His voice was cut off by the blaring ring of the last bell. “The bell rings. Don’t forget to read chapters 4 and 5 of --Oh forget it.” He called after the twenty or so students that were rushing out the door.

Despite Jared’s insistence to leave, he and Alisha were waiting for a covered girl and a boy nearby to go.

“Go home.” Mr. Strop ordered.

“Yes sir.” The girl said tugging her long shirt farther down. Jared grabbed one of her bags and headed for the door.

“Jared!” She called after him.

Alisha took the boy’s books and walked with him after their friends.

“Karissa you know that won’t stop him.” Alisha called after them as they reached the hallway.

“Your friends are freaks Alisha.” Tyler smiled at her reaching his locker. He spun the combination dial at lightning speed, it had his tardy record written all over it. He took his unwanted books from Alisha and shoved them in the locker. He closed the door quickly, preventing them from loosing their balance and falling. “See you tomorrow. Call me tonight.” He leaned down kissed her.

Jared rolled his eyes as Karissa smiled. “Jealousy Jared?” Karissa whispered making sure his shaggy hair was between them.

“Whatever.” Jared scoffed. He shoved her bag into her free hand.

Alisha broke away, giving Tyler the same disappointed look that he was giving her.

“Come on.” Jared said going to her and grabbing her arm, pulling her away.

“I’ll call you!” Alisha called beaming, leaving Tyler stranded by the empty staircase.

Jared pulled her around the corner, Karissa in tail.

Alisha stopped instantly and pulled her arm free. “What is your problem?” She snapped.

“He’s just jealous.” Karissa explained. Jared glared at her with reddening eyes.

“Hey, don’t be mad at her!” Alisha snapped. “Besides you have plenty of chances to find a girlfriend, so don’t be mad a Tyler either.”

“I’m not mad at anyone!” Jared snapped, his red eyes disappearing.

“Tell that to your eyes.” Alisha said flipping her raven hair behind her and heading down the steps.

“My eyes?” Jared asked Karissa.

She shrugged. “We can ask Samuel tonight.”

The two followed Alisha down the steps.

“You and Tyler’ve been together for about a year now, right?” Jared asked unlocking the trunk to his birthday gift from Samuel; an average four door.

“Yeah. In high school that’s, like, forever.” Alisha said standing by the passenger side.

“But to us?” Karissa tossed her two bags in and moved to the backseat. Jared dropped his bag in and slammed the trunk shut.

“Hey, I don’t keep time the same way we’re ‘supposed to’.” Alisha said using her infamous air quotes.

“Whatever, you do too.” Jared joked, unlocking the driver’s door and sliding in. He quickly pushed the ‘unlock’ button and unlocked the other three doors.

“Karissa, why are you wearing those clothes? I thought Samuel and you were working on controlling that power?” Alisha asked, turning around in her seat.

“We are but I’m still having trouble controlling it at school.” Karissa said, slightly smiling.

“You’ll get it. Remember how long it took me to figure these out?” Jared asked, holding up his palm and first creating a ball of fire and then incasing it in ice, before melting it away with the fire.

“And, he still can’t get the ice to disappear on its own.” Alisha joked. “But seriously I can’t even control when I’m gonna have a vision these days and Sam and I’ve been working on it since day one.”

They took off toward Karissa and Samuel’s house.

The three, or four counting Samuel, had been using their powers to, as Jared liked to put it; ‘protect the innocent and destroy some anti-good evils.’

Jared had the ability to start fires and turn things into ice.

Alisha had the power to predict the future; days, immediate, or years off.

Karissa had the ability to temporarily gain other peoples abilities, to detect those with abilities, and read peoples thoughts and send thoughts to them all with only the slightest touch of skin.

Samuel on the other hand could tell who had abilities, and he had the responsibility of training them along with raising Karissa, whom he had officially adopted over the previous summer.

Jared pulled into the long driveway, and stopped the car inches from the garage door. Jared popped the trunk and got out to grab Karissa’s second bag.

Alisha opened the door for them and went in behind.

“Dad, we’re back.” Karissa called setting her bag on a chair in the dinning room.

Jared set the second bag on the floor. The three went straight for the kitchen, as usual.

“Hey, Sam!” Jared called from the open refrigerator.

“Hi Samuel.” Alisha called shaking her head at Jared.

“Martin, these are your teammates I was telling you about.” Samuel said walking in, and closing the open refrigerator.

Martin followed Samuel into the kitchen. He held up his hand and gave an awkward, “Hi.”

Martin was tan with ash blonde hair; he was Jared’s height--fairly tall like the others--and, also like them, he had olive-green eyes.

“Hey.” Jared said, opening the refrigerator door again.

“Hi, Alisha said, barely glancing up from the magazine she’d found.

“Forgive them. They’re rude.” Karissa explained, smiling slightly. Martin laughed, unlike any of them.

Samuel introduced them and Martin began to explain himself. “My family and I just moved here from California….”

Martin gave the mostly same speech in History the next day. “…No, I have no idea why they moved from the coast to the middle of nowhere. We just did, my dad got transferred here. I’m seventeen and I’m taking all AP courses, so if I seem snappish its probably just that I haven’t slept.” Martin chuckled. No one else seemed to get the joke, a blush rushed into his tan face. “Ok, well. That’s about it.”

Martin slipped back to his seat, sheepishly.

Alisha was playing with Tyler’s hair as he wrote on her notebook. Alisha turned to face Martin, “Don’t worry. They’re not used to A.P. jokes.”

“Yeah.” He smiled. Alisha smiled back. Karissa set a stack of packets on Alisha’s desk breaking the spell.

“Thanks.” Alisha said taking the packets.

Jared did the same to Martin. His eyes were, once again, glowing red.

“Stay away from her.” Jared hissed.

Martin sat straight, moving as far back as him as he could. “Dude, what’s wrong?”

“She’s mine!” Jared snapped. His red eyes glowed brighter.

“She is not.” Tyler snapped

“Jared!” Alisha snapped back.

“Class!” Their teacher called.

Jared stood up and faced Martin and Tyler defiantly. “She’s mine!” He hissed again as he took off his trademark spikes.

Tyler stood up to the challenge. “Look, freak, I’ve been more than nice to you because I thought Alisha was just your friend. But if you’re gonna be movin’ in on her then--!” Jared’s fist cut off the sentence.

“Tyler!” Alisha stood up. She turned to Jared, “Jared!” She stopped and noticed her eyes. She then spoke more softly, “Jared…”

Martin stood up.

“Sit down!” Ms. Rosedale snapped. “Brittany, call security!”

“Jared, calm down…” Martin said, keeping his voice calm.

“Shut up boy!” Jared snapped. He lunged at Tyler knocking him onto the desks. They wrestled onto the floor hard. Jared got his feet firmly pressed against Tyler’s stomach and kicked him off, landing on his feet; in perfect Martial Arts stance.

The red was replaced quickly by the original olive-green. He looked around him confused as the Security guard rushed him, forcing Jared’s arms behind his back and holding onto them tightly.

Ms. Rosedale went to Tyler’s side and checked on him as Jared was taken out and the nurse came in.

Alisha stood near Tyler’s side, close enough to watch him, but far enough to be out of the way.

“Alisha, it’s not his fault.” Martin said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Karissa went to their sides.

“Who? Jared’s? He’s been like this off and on since yesterday. This is his fault.” Alisha crossed her arms.

“No, it’s not. This happens to all of us. I watched my best friend and his sister go through it. There’s help though; breathing techniques, meditation, medication. We can help him.” Martin explained.

Alisha nodded, holding back worried tears.