550 reads? Thank you all very much! I cannot express my gratitude and happiness at seeing this story get so much attention! Leave a comment and let me know what you would like to see in the future! I'm accepting character requests for Mutants and Humans alike! Just message me or leave a comment. I'll respond to either.

Love you all, my darlings!

When we were all inside, the host arrived. "How many?"

"Queremos una mesa para once, por favor."

The host nodded and led us to a table for eleven. The seating arrangements went like this, going counterclockwise: Kevin at one head of the table (nine o'clock), Leon, Kirstie, Holly, Mikayla, Scott, then Davis at the other head (three o'clock), Lauren, Mitch, me, and Avi finishing the rectangle. When everyone was settled, the waiter approached our table, passing out menus. We all ordered our drinks, and he left.

"Kris, I didn't know you could speak Spanish," Davis commented.

"Sí," I told him. "Pensé que lo sabías."

"What?" Scott asked, making us laugh.

"I said, 'I thought that you knew that'."

"So, Queen, are you going to introduce us to your friends?" Mitch asked.

I gaped. "Y'all don't know each other?" I questioned, accidentally slipping back into my southern accent.

Pentatonix looked taken aback by my voice. "Whoa, girl, where are you from?" Kevin asked.

"South Carolina, believe it or not. Most people assume I'm from further down south because of how thick my accent is," I explained. "But, anyway, Pentatonix, this is Lauren, Davis, Leon, Holly, and Mikayla. Guys, this is Mitch, Scott, Kevin, Kirstie, and Avi."

They all greeted each other and chatted. I gazed at my menu until I felt a slight poke in my ribs. I looked to my right to find Avi looking at me. I raised an eyebrow then realized he might not have been able to see it because of my sunglasses. "Yes?"

"Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?" he questioned.

I stiffened slightly but not enough to be noticeable. "KO mentioned I might experience a headache, and I am. The sunglasses are to help reduce the pain initiated by light."

Avi looked worried, and I disliked seeing him as such. A frown appeared on his beautiful face. "Should you go to the doctor?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine, Dragon, really."

I realized my slip again and blushed. Avi chuckled, and luckily, I was saved by the waiter coming back, bringing our drinks with him. He handed them out, and I eagerly gulped the refreshing lemonade in front of me. "Slow down there, KT! You'll end up drowning yourself!" Mikayla joked.

I laughed sarcastically. "Very funny, miss. Did you become a comedian? Because I believe being a fly was more of your forte, with how annoying you are."

The table laughed, Mikayla with them. They knew that my sarcasm was always done in good fun and never intended to actually hurt anyone. We ordered, and once all of the menus were off of the table, the light banter and chatter resumed again.

"So, where do you guys live?" Scott asked.

"We live together in a boarding school of sorts. We all work there as teachers and mentors to the kids," Lauren explained, sticking to the public story.

"That's really cool!" Kirstie said. "What do you all do as mentors, exactly?"

Leon shrugged. "We help them with their school work and keep them involved with things, like hobbies and such. We're sort of like pseudo-siblings for them with the intent of keeping them on the right track and their grades up."

I was proud of his explanation. "That sounds like a lot of work, though," Mitch said.

I shook my head. "We have just as much fun as the kids do, even if we do have to relive the high school curriculum."

"Did y'all meet because of the job, or were you friends beforehand?" Avi asked.

"Well, Mikayla and I have been dating since college," Holly said. "We knew each other beforehand and managed to snag the job together." That was true, but the reason behind them both receiving the job was to be kept hidden.

"That's great; that you were both able to stay close to one another, I mean," Kirstie said.

They smiled at each other and nodded, holding hands on the tabletop. "I met these crazies when I took the job," Davis admitted. Leon was the same, and Lauren stated she was invited to be a caretaker after her boyfriend, who already worked at the school, recommended her.

"How large is the school?" Scott questioned.

"There's approximately one hundred students and staff in all," I responded. "It's a rather small school, but that's because we mainly take children who have had rather difficult home lives and need to be provided an escape. We also take those who have trouble in regular school, but their parents can't afford a private institution. We offer a free education to all of the students, and the mentors and teachers are paid by the money received from fundraisers and government donations."

"Plus, we all have odd side jobs that we do to help support each other if times get difficult," Leon added.

"Yeah, I'm a mechanic part-time," Davis said.

"I work at a salon in the mornings, and Holly and Lauren have jobs in the mall," Mikayla said.

"I work as a computer IT guy," Leon stated.

"What do you do, Kristin?" Avi asked when I didn't immediately offer my side occupation.

"Kristin's a horse trainer," Lauren piped up.

Kirstie, who was across from me, raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You train horses? Like race horses?"

I shook my head in the negative. "No, I don't train race horses. I break and train barrel racers."

"Barrel racers?" Mitch asked, confused.

"Yes, the horses you see at rodeos that run around barrels set up in a triangular formation. I break and train young horses at a barn about a half hour out of town. I also offer lessons to riders who wish to learn more about the sport or simply want to refine their skills."

"Do you have a horse of your own?" Kevin questioned.

"No, I don't have enough time to manage my own horse, though I always dreamed of owning one. Maybe, one day, when I settle down with my husband in a cabin in some woods, I'll own a horse or two."

Kevin and Kirstie laughed. "You sounded just like Avi with the whole cabin in the woods deal," Kevin explained.

I looked at Avi and found him looking at me. I blushed and glanced away. The food arrived, and we all ate in a comfortable silence with the occasional comment or question here and there.

When the meal was over, I was feeling significantly better. I no longer had a headache, and I was easily able to focus and control my Talents. My phone rang, and on the screen popped up a picture of a smiling Logan and myself with 'Daddy' written underneath. "Excuse me," I said, leaving the table and stepping outside of the restaurant. I slid the green phone across and accepted the call. "Hey, Logan."

"Kristin, are you all right? You've been gone a long time."

I glanced at the clock on my phone to find 5:38 written in white characters. It was that late? We had left the school at around 9:30. How could that much time have passed? "Oh! I'm so sorry Dad," I said, feeling like a scolded child. "I got to talking with some people, and we just finished eating. I'll be home soon, don't worry."

Logan laughed. "Kristin, chill! I'm not demanding that you need to come back to the school. Charles said that something had happened and refused to tell me anything until you got back."

"Ah, so your curiosity is eating you alive, then," I stated, giggling.

"Sure, kid; whatever floats your boat. Well, I'll be here whenever you get home."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Okay, Dad. I'll see you then."

"Yeah." He didn't immediately hang up, and I waited to see if he was going to say something else. Suddenly, I heard, "You little!" before the sound of wind came through the speakers.

I wasn't worried in the slightest. "Hello?" I asked, trying to discover who had taken Logan's phone from him.

"Baby! You have been gone all day! I'm experiencing withdrawal!" a distinctly masculine voice said.

I laughed and saw the others exiting the restaurant. They must have realized what time it was. I briefly wondered who had paid for my bill but pushed it aside. I could find that out later. "Babe, you knew I was going to go to the mall today! How did you manage to miss me so much?"

Pentatonix and my friends stood by the vehicles, talking. I noticed Avi glancing at me and smiled when I caught his eyes before returning my focus to my conversation. "You know me, baby. I just can't live a day without you."

"Quicksilver, give me back my phone!" I heard Logan say angrily.

I giggled. "Babe, I think I should go."

Silver playfully whined. "But baby, I just started talking to you."

"And you're just going to stop," Logan threatened.

"I'll see you when I get home. Love you lots, honey!"

"I love you more, sweet cheeks!" He hung up, and I refrained from dying of laughter at the absurdity of the whole situation. Sadly, it was normal, and I was thankful for every minute of craziness my friends created.