"Miss Alice?"

I look up from my book, feeling irritated and lost from being ripped away so suddenly from the book's world. It was a good book too, Divergent.

"Yes?" I lift an eyebrow, testing him. My professor Mr. Glutenhiem was such a...

"Good book, I suppose?" He questions me. I swear he is asking me to chuck this book at him, right here and right now.

I refrain from gritting my teeth, "Why yes, Mr. Glutenhiem. It's just riveting."

He scowls at me and raps his little stick on the podium, "Well, I don't suppose what you can tell me about the word Denotation can you?"

I almost roll my eyes, this is little kid stuff. "Its the dictionary definition of a word that can honestly have more than one symbolically." I know it was more than I had to say but he HAD to know his class was just too easy and that I know this stuff already. Call me a nerd, but I went to college to LEARN...and party.

Wait, I'm just kidding I don't party. I'd much rather sit home and watch Netflix or spend time with my boyfriend Kris.

Before my thoughts go any further though Mr. Gutenhiem interrupts, "Hmf, well since you want to be a smart ass Miss Alice, you can write an essay explaining the fine difference between connotations and symbols, and I want you to give the denotation for every example you use!"

The bell then rings, cutting off his rant, and all the students get up as if in a trance and stumble out the door. I, hesitantly, then get up out of my chair and join the crowd, rolling my eyes at the professor as I waltz out the door.

"Stressful day?" Someone pipes in my ear.

I glance over at my best pal Marie and give her a smile, "Eh not really, just annoyed.'

"Mr. Glutenhiem again?"

I roll my eyes in agreement and annoyance, "How was AP Chemistry?" She actually hates science, I can't say the same about her lab partner though.

She squeals in excitement, "AH! You won't believe what happened today!" It's pretty obvious what did happen but I don't want to throw cool water on the fire so I just play dumb.

I feign a gasp, "No, what happened? Did your shoes come in today?" She is basically bubbling over with excitement, I'm afraid if I play dumb any longer she might explode.

"No! Even better! It rhymes with plate!" She says in a sing song voice.

I can't help it, "Mate!"

She grabs my hands and jumps up and down excitedly, "Yes, yes! I got a...what?" She pauses and giggles, "No, not mate, date. I got a date!!!" She begin to jump some more which then attracts my other two friends over, Sherice and Nicole. They come bounding over, their strides in sync, as they look over at us in curiosity, dying to know what all the fuss is about.

"Is everything alright darling?" Nicole asks in a slight British accent, she moved to the U.S. two years ago. Nicole is probably the prettiest out of the bunch, her long brown hair falls perfectly and her smile is perfect and bright. My smile, on the other hand, was more cheeky and childish, I can't pull off sophistication like Nicole.

"Do you have to pee?" Asks Sherice in concern. She is the silly one, she always goofs around and is never afraid to be herself 100%, no matter where we are. She never fails to make us laugh.

"No!" Marie giggles, "I got a date with Johnny!" They all then squeal and do that little hold hands and jump up and down thing. I roll my eyes and wait patiently for them to be done.

We then walk around campus since our classes are all over and listen to Marie excitedly drone on about what clothes she should wear, where they are going, how it will go, and yada yada yada. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Marie, she is the sweetest and kindest person I know and everyone loves her, she is athletic and smart and she deserves the best guy out there. I don't blame her for falling for Johnny, who wouldn't? He's cute, fit, funny, and romantic. He is also a MVP on the football team. But he also has a string of broken hearts following his tail.

Nicole seems to notice my mood shift and gives me a look. I tell her everything so she knows who I'm already thinking about, she lifts an eyebrow and tilts her head as if saying,

"Come on Mia, give the boy a chance. He could end up really liking Marie, besides Marie is really excited about this and you know how important your opinion is to her."

"I just can't stand to see her heart broken..." I glance at Marie worryingly.

"Just be there for her, okay? She needs to know that all of her friends support her decision, alright?"

I huff and roll my eyes, "Fine... I'll do my best..."

After a couple hours of walking around with them I tell them I'm going to head back and we all say our goodbyes. As I'm walking back to the apartment I share with the girls I decide to send a text to Kris, inviting him over. But just as I open up the screen an insane pain runs down my arm and stops right at the palm, I immediately drop my phone.

I held still for a moment not wanting to aggravate what the hell that pain was, but just as soon as it came, it was gone.

This has actually been happening frequently, I'm supposed to meet with my doctor for another checkup next Tuesday but he is convinced its just growing pains.

I bend over to pick up my phone when I suddenly hear a familiar voice call out to me.

"Mia!"

I smile and look up to see Kris running towards to me. Looks like I don't have to text him after all...

"Kris!" I dramatically, we've known each other since Pre-K, whenever we are together I'm a child again. He's not only my boyfriend but also my best friend, he claims to have loved me since the first day of pre-k when I had snot running down my face because I wanted mommy but I didn't admit or even notice my other feelings towards him until our 8th grade graduation party when he kissed me under an apple tree.

Kris comes by my side and wraps an arm around me as he pulls me in for a kiss, which he lightly places on my forehead. I loved it when he did this, his body was so familiar and comfortable and I can't imagine being with anyone else, "How was your day girly?" He asks softly into my hair.

I pull away from him and smirk, "It could be better?"

He lifts his eyebrows and smiles, "Oh really?"

"Come over."

"I got to work tomorrow sorry." He frowns.

"For a little bit? One episode? Please?" I hate begging but I hardly ever see him now. I just want to simply snuggle on the couch with him while watching movies and to fall asleep in his arms.

"Yeah sure." He gives me a look of warning, "Only for a little bit." I giggle and he lifts my chin and steals another kiss. Then he wraps an arm around my waist, "Shall we?"

"We shall." I say enthusiastically.

After walking for a couple minutes he speaks up, "I'm off Saturday this week, and I got tickets to a certain something."

I stop in my tracks, I've been rambling into his ear about this forever but I never thought he would buy me tickets. I practically scream in his ear, "Oh my gosh! You didn't! Did you?" He nods. "You did!?! AHHHH! You got Imagine Dragon tickets!"

He smiles, satisfied by my reaction, "Yes, Saturday is going to be a big night my dear." He then told me the plans for that night and how it was all going to end with a candle light dinner at this really fancy place in Kansas City that I know he must have made reservations for us weeks ago just to get a spot for that night.

But the more he kept talking the more I realized that...that maybe he was going to propose...YES! It all makes sense now! The reason he took two jobs and is working overtime, it all makes perfect sense! It was our senor year after all!

I'm sooo excited!!!

I have to stop in my tracks just to catch my breath, which is suddenly being hard to obtain. And my heart is cramping with happiness...literally cramping. It really hurts...

Oh my...wait. Why did I have to figure it out? Now it's not going to be a surprise! Ah, stupid me...I've watched too many Sherlock Holmes episodes...No. You never watch too much of Sherlock Holmes. Ever.

Ouch. There goes my heart again...

Kris suddenly then pauses and looks down at me, "Mia, is something wrong?"

I open my mouth to say I was fine but before I could even form the sound of the word that pain came back again and ran down both arms and down my spine. This one was more intense and instead of just shooting down and disappearing the pain shot up and down my body several times. Soon I notice that I'm on the ground, my skin heating up like a furnace and my bones aching as if they were turning ice. Spasms rack my body that I'm unable to control and my vision focuses in and out on Kris's face, who's terrified.

He's witnessed these 'growing pain' episodes several times but it's never been this bad, he's the one who recommended me to go to the doctor.

As my vision goes from dark to normal I see more and more people gathering at the scene I'm creating. All I feel is pain. I'm cold then I'm hot. Ice. Fire. No control. I hear the ambulance and Kris reaches down to grab my hand only to jerk it away when he feels how hot my skin is. The medics push him away and I reach a hand out to him, at least I think I did, I couldn't see my hand move.

He yells something out to me but I couldn't hear anything except the sound of my pulsing heart. I feel my heart jump three times and my skin cool, I guess my heart must've stopped because now I see the medics prepare the equipment to revive me. My mind starts to haze and a heavy fog invades my vision, I feel the sharp tingling pain shoot through my chest and next thing I know an explosion of blue light with a white hue engulfs my surroundings and I fall into darkness...

»→

That was three years ago.

Three years ago from when my powers fully developed and got out of hand. Three years since I've been outside this building. Three years ago from when I injured 9 people and killed one. I didn't know any of them except for one, Kris. He was the one fatality.

I could've been married right now.

I absently stroke the little band that has a simple white sapphire set in the middle with several other diamonds around it, the cool metal feels good against my skin.

Kris had already bought the ring before...the incident. As soon as they found it in his apartment they brought it to me. Its the only thing I own now...

I hate my powers. I hate remembering. I hate remembering the look on Kris's face before...before I killed him.

Three years ago and I still feel the pain.

Click.

The sound of door opening makes my heart sqeeze. What do they want now? More blood? A tissue sample? Maybe they'll dissect my brain today and get it over with...

"Mia Grey Alice?" An unfamiliar male's voice asks. Usually they have the same people come in, unless its some fancy scientists from out of the country.

I snort, "Yeah who else?"

"I'm here to discuss the Avenger's Program with you."