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Our days seemed to fly by after that. We would get to school, get through our days slowly, as if wading through swampy muck, and then the bell would set us free. From there we would get a ride form Charlotte, who would take us to Cameron and Andrew’s house, or mine, or Jeff’s, depending on whose parents weren’t going to be home. There, we would practice our powers, or talk about powers, and sometimes just talk.

We all became really good friends. Over time, it would sometimes just be me, Charlotte and Cameron hanging at the house, and Jeff and Andrew would go somewhere else.

One day I confronted them about it. “Where are you guys always going?” I asked when they were ditching us again.

“To the gym.” Andrew replied nonchalantly, shrugging and grabbing his car keys. Being the more popular twin, he had learned to drive before Cam had.

“The gym?” I repeated “With Jeff?” His face fell, his glasses hiding his expression.

“Maggie, don’t be mean to him.” Andrew said, rolling his eyes and opening the door. “He can lift more than me sometimes.” With that they left, leaving me feel disappointed and a little angry. Or maybe that was ashamed.

And as I began to pay attention, I could see that Jeff was changing. He was coming out of his shell, and being friends with Andrew helped that happen. He was gaining muscle from his almost daily workouts. It wouldn’t be long until the girls would be flocking to him too. All he would need were contacts, maybe grow his hair out a little, some clothes that showed off his body a little more, and he could be a popular kid.

Andrew started picking up more signs of people with powers as the days and weeks went by. We made an early decision not to tell them that there were others. Andrew was just barely getting used to covering our minds- not counting Jeff- and he couldn’t strain himself that much.

Before we knew it, it was winter. The harsh winds and endless rainstorms made one day run into the next. Jeff began to use him power to keep himself warm, and sometimes to keep us warm as well.

One day there was no rain. It stands out in my memory, because that was the day of the fire.

It all started in Advanced Chemistry. We were studying the effects of different chemicals when exposed to heat. Heat, not an open flame, though for some of them, it was required to heat them using a Bunsen burner.

If I ever find out who’s genius idea it was to pour the HIGHLY FLAMMABLE chemical onto the open flame, I will kill them.

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Mr. Leaman!” The blazing fire, roaring across desk tops and climbing the window shades, drowned out anymore sound. The fire alarm went crazy, the bright lights only amplifying the danger.

I ran from the classroom, Charlotte and Cam on my heels. We met Andrew halfway out of the school, out of the hallways which were quickly filling with smoke. When we got out of the burning school, coughing from smoke inhalation, we could hear the fire trucks’ wails in the distance.

“You okay?” Andrew asked Charlotte his arms encircling her waist and his tone panicked.

“I’m fine.” She said calmly, smiling a little. She reached her hand up to stroke his face. I turned away, looking around the crowd for Jeff.