Savannah wondered if Miles was getting annoyed with her. After the incident at lunch, she had spent as much time as possible with him, despite the fact that Phil was always there. True, that had been awkward, but with not letting Miles know about the kiss, it hadn't been too bad.

She looked into Miles' room. They had just come home from school, and Savannah was feeling suspicious that he may not have been as okay as he had told her when he said he was fine.

But she was still surprised when she saw him stuffing clothes into a duffel bag.

"Miles, what are you doing?" He looked over at her, then pulled more clothes off his shelf.

"Oh my God," she said as those clothes were stuffed into the duffel bag. "You're running away again." He looked at her, as if he knew what her next action would be and was pleading with her not to. Not that Savannah cared.

She almost smacked him for trying to leave again, but decided better of it when she realized this was a moment to be concerned. Miles was running away. Miles! Oh God! It registered in her brain, and she began yelling for her mother.

"Mom. Mom! Mom, get in here!"

"What's going on? What's happening?" her mother asked, entering. Miles froze for a moment, one hand in the bag and the other holding the clothes. Mrs. Barnett, of course, didn't fail to miss that.

"Miles, what happened?"

Hearing his name, Miles started moving again, shoving the clothes into the bag, pretty shakily, Savannah noticed, while responding, "I got into a fight."

"With who?" Mrs. Barnett was immediately at his side, hand on his shoulder.

Looking away from Savannah, he said, "Greg."

Savannah stared at him. She knew normally Miles wouldn't have a chance against Greg, but Miles wasn't normal anymore. He was mutant, even if he was still her brother. And he looked nervous, but not hurt. What happened to Greg?

"What?" their mother asked. Miles looked at her helplessly and she continued, "What did he do to you? What?"

What did Greg do to Miles? What did Miles do to Greg?

This time Miles was too busy to answer her, he was too busy even to look at his own mother. Savannah took a step closer to Miles, ready to grab him and run him into the wall to get some answers, but she knew that yelling at him would do no good. Taking a deep breath, she tried to talk calmly. "Miles, what?"

Miles looked up at her. Savannah kept focusing on breathing and thinking calming thoughts. Miles wouldn't purposely hurt Greg. Her little brother looked scared. Whatever happened couldn't possibly have been entirely his fault, right? Honestly, she had been encouraging Greg to act the way he did, up to point where Miles stole a car.

Besides, how much damage could Miles really have done?

"I think I killed him."

Silence.

Miles looked worriedly from Savannah to their mother, whose hand was frozen on his head.

"What?" their mother asked.

Miles took a shaky breath before plunging in the rest of the way. "He came up to me and was teasing me again and so I said something back and started walking away but he came up behind me and body-checked me and," Miles took a really shaky breath before continuing, "and…and I just freaked out, you know? I mean, I don't even know what I did, suddenly I was able to just twist around and…I think I electrocuted his head."

"What?"

"I…I electrocuted his head, Mom. I don't even know how, I just, I thought I was pushing him away and then electricity came out and shocked his head and…"

Savannah turned and left the room.

"Savannah I'm sorry!"

She cried for a little while. Fifteen minutes, even, before her mother came into her room.

"Savannah?"

"Go away." Savannah said, hoping her voice sounded more normal than it was.

"Savannah, I'm sorry about Greg. Really."

"Oh, 'really'? At first I thought you were kidding." She snapped; her nerves running so high she could actually hear them ringing.. She held her eyes closed, willing the water to stay in. She felt like she was falling into rapids and couldn't keep her head above water for much longer.

"Honey," Mrs. Barnett sat down on her bed and began stroking her hair. "Greg will be alright."

"He might be dead, Mom!"

"Miles said he was still alive when he ran away…"

"So glad my mutant brother lived to tell me that." Heh. Mutant; Miles was a "freak", as Greg had put it.

"He also said that Greg has been bullying him for a very long time and that if you weren't helping him then you've stood by laughing with him." Her mother added severely.

"But, Mom, it didn't mean anything before…"

"Savannah Barnett, it is never okay to pick on your brother; look at what happened to him today!"

"Look at what happened to Greg, Mom! Which is worse?"

Mrs. Barnett sighed. "Honey, I'm sorry about Greg. I'm just so worried. He never acted that way around your father or me." Savannah didn't reply, just continued looking out her window at the sea.

"Honey, is everything okay between you two?"

"Not really."

"Savannah, what's going on?"

Savannah took a deep breath, trying to calm down before she said, "We broke up." Then she left and went to the kitchen for a large vat of chocolate ice cream.

The doorbell rang later that evening. Savannah answered it, having nothing better to do, anyway. Two cops were standing on the doorstep.

"This is the Barnett residence?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, why?" Savannah's heart began beating faster than usual as she took in the officers' grave faces. Was this about Miles or Greg?

"Are your parents home?"

"Yes, why?" Savannah responded a little more demanding that time.

"May we speak to them?" Why? Oh God, Miles really had killed Greg!

Savannah gaped at them, wondering what they found so important to act so rudely. Everything had to be okay. She had all ready made up her mind to go visit Greg. Besides, she had convinced herself that he meant no real harm, he was just freaked. She'd never acted like that to him before. Savannah would go to the hospital, where he'd be perfectly healthy and normal, apologize, and then everything that happened would just go away. Her life would be normal again.

"Miss?" the other officer chided.

Coming back to the real world, Savannah stepped aside and let them in, calling, "Mom, come in here, we have company!"

Mrs. Barnett entered and saw the police officers.

"Mrs. Barnett?" the first officer immediately inquired.

"Yes?"

"Miles Barnett is your son?"

Mrs. Barnett drew herself up and replied, "Yes. Yes, he is."

"We need to speak with him if possible."

Voice soft and polite, face stern, Mrs. Barnett asked, "Why?"

The cop shifted slightly. "We think he was involved in an assault." Both sheriffs stood there, waiting for an outburst. Savannah looked at her mother, worrying that something horrible had happened to Greg and her mother wouldn't let her hear it. Neither party was correct.

"Yes, I know, I know: Greg Butler. If he alright?"

The first officer looked relieved that the news had gone over so easily yet shifted uncomfortably. The second one didn't look so happy about Mrs. Barnett's easy reply, saying, "No, he's not."

Savannah could have sworn that she was in a soap opera at that moment. With Miles killing Greg, Miles getting arrested, and her mother fighting for him and not being disappointed, she just wanted to laugh so hard that tears would come out again.

Except this was starting to get scary. Miles and murder didn't mix. No offense to the shrimp, but he wasn't the biker-type, and wouldn't hold up in prison for a second. Yet if Greg did die, what would stop Miles from going there? Savannah held her breath. What happened to Greg?

Mrs. Barnett had stepped back at the intensity of the sheriff's response. Now she seemed to be reassessing the situation. "Um, I don't think I should say anything until I get a chance to speak with my husband."

Oh my God, no! Savannah thought. What happened to Greg?

"I think it'd be best if you cooperate. The young man's been severely burned."

What the hell did her jerk brother mean when he said, "electrocuted his head"?

"Burned?" Now Savannah's mother stepped back, shocked. Miles better be punished for this one.

"Quiet extensively, I understand."

They should give him away. They'd put him in a nice white covered room, all by himself. He didn't deserve their company. He was probably even adopted; he was that different from the rest of the family.

"Is your son on the premises, ma'am?"

Son? What son? Did they mean that monster killer masquerading as her brother? They could take him. Go ahead.

"I'm here."

Jerk. Pig-headed, self-absorbed, oh, God, you look nervous.

The first police officer took a breath, then told Miles, "You need to come with us."

Wait. Wait, no, maybe he wasn't so bad. He looked guilty; he was human. He should stay home.

Savannah's mother was instantly on the offensive. "No. No, he's not going anywhere 'til I get a chance to speak with my husband."

What she said.

Savannah looked around the room from her mother to the officers to Miles. She was wrong; Miles was still Miles, who wouldn't purposely hurt anyone. He just needed to stay home, away from people, until he calmed down. Until everyone calmed down. But right now the police had come to take him away from home; bring him to all the people.This couldn't happen. Where was their father?

A loud noise came from outside. It registered to Savannah as a car horn.

Dad!

She turned and pulled back the drapes on the door's side-window. She heard Miles ask, "Who's that?" a little hope creeping into his voice.

Savannah, however, felt her heart sink. It wasn't her father. There was a group of people arriving, and if she could tell by the way they were walking and shouting, they were very angry. And then she saw who their leader seemed to be, and her stomach turned into a knot.

She turned to everyone and saw their faces, looking hopeful despite themselves. Savannah didn't want to bear bad news, but even as she told them that Greg's dad was outside, one of the people confirmed their reason for the drop in:

"We know he's in there!"

Savannah's mother finally hid behind her hand, yet still remained somewhat present to the outside world, and Miles looked like he'd been kicked again.

The first police officer checked out of the window as well while the second turned to Mrs. Barnett,

"Your son will stay here, ma'am?"

Mrs. Barnett nodded, forcing a "yes" from her throat.

"One moment, if you will." The first officer said as both walked out the door. The shouts got louder until the door closed. Savannah turned back to the window and watched the police walk to Mr. Butler. He and his friends were shouting. Another car drove up, and more people arrived, Savannah recognized some of them as football players – Greg's friends, and their parents. A mob was forming, all shouting, pointing at the house, pushing towards it.

"Honey," her mother cooed, leaning in behind her to look out the window herself. Savannah turned and saw Miles hanging back, trying to find something else to do, anything else then wait for the police to take him away.

"Oh, God," Mrs. Barnett breathed.

Savannah turned back. Another car drove up, trying to force its way through the newly gathered crowd to the house. "Dad!"

"Dad?" Miles echoed. He finally walked up to the other window and looked out. Savannah saw his eyes widen and he turned to them.

"Mom?" he asked, voice cracking.

Mrs. Barnett reached for Miles and drew him closer to them. "Shh, Miles, it's okay. Dad's here."

Savannah had lost sight of her father, but last she had seen he was heading towards them. The crowd began seething, and Savannah's stomach knotted further.

Finally, the crowd parted and her father strode through, shouting in turn.

"Ron." Mrs. Barnett gasped, pulling Miles and Savannah back and reaching for the door. She opened it and Mr. Barnett rushed through, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"Ron!" Mrs. Barnett exclaimed again.

"Dad!" Savannah ran to her father.

"What happened?"

"Dad, your face." Miles pointed out.

Mr. Barnett reached up and touched the side of his face, feeling the small amount of bleeding. "Somebody just hit me."

"Are you okay?" Savannah asked.

"Yeah," her father looked at her, then her mother, then turned to Miles. "Miles, what have you done?" Savannah froze, how could any parents say that to their child. It made her feel cold inside.

"He got into a fight," Mrs. Barnett started.

"Greg attacked me, Dad." Miles corrected her. Savannah was too freaked to care about his presentation. "I…Dad, he was beating me up, so I freaked. I didn't mean to hurt him so badly."

"I just don't see how a mob could form out of a fistfight,"

"Ron, Ron, it wasn't a normal fistfight. Miles had electricity come out of his hand and Greg got badly burned."

Mr. Barnett looked from his wife to his son. "I need a drink."

A couple minutes later the Barnetts were sitting around their kitchen. Mr. Barnett sat with his drink and was digesting all the new sci-fi events that had become part of his life. Mrs. Barnett sat next to him, holding his hand but watching her children, both of whom were farther away and not showing signs of wanting to talk anymore.

Suddenly, there was a crashing sound as the mob finally got into the house and immediately picked out Miles. Savannah jumped and screamed in surprise. Next to her, Miles jumped up and ran for the stairs. Savannah followed him and was dimly aware of her father running at the intruders yelling, "No! Get away!"

Everything seemed to move at lightening speed. No sooner had Savannah and Miles reached the stairs when the mob was on top of them, literally, grabbing for Miles and pushing Savannah away. She couldn't help screaming as hands grabbed her and shoved her aside, and as she realized Miles was being dragged away she started pleading, "Let him go, let him go!"

Nobody heard her. Hell, she barely heard herself beneath everyone else's shouts. The mob already had Miles to the door and Savannah continued screaming to them, "No! No!"

She followed them into the yard. "Stop it! Stop it!"

They were about to pass the police car, Savannah barely able to keep Miles in her sight. She saw the first cop dart out in front of him, gun pointed upwards in hand. A gunshot echoed through the air and Savannah heard a shriek, but wasn't even aware if it was her or not. The mob was instantly hushed, but all Savannah heard was her heart beat throbbing in her ears. The cop was talking and pointed inside the police car, everyone was listening, but Savannah couldn't hear anything other than her heart and heavy breathing. Finally, slowly, sound from the police radio filtered in;

"…The wave hit San Juan at 4:15pm, Eastern Time, and the city has been decimated. Repeat, San Juan is largely underwater. Casualties are expected to be in the tens of thousands; impacts to the southeastern side of the United States are imminent. Cities are under mandatory evacuation in Myrtle Beach, Wilmington…"

Savannah heard some gasps, other people shrieked.

"Get out, folks!"

A tsunami? Was that what was coming? A tsunami? Oh, God! A tsunami!

People ran. Savannah finally took in her surroundings. Her mother was next to her, her father a little closer to Miles, who had been released in the rush for everyone to get home. Some neighbors had come out of their houses or were watching the chaos from their windows; they, too, drew back to their homes. The sheriffs got into their car and drove off. Savannah looked towards Phil's property. Sure enough, he and his family had come out. His parents were pulling his sisters to the house, but Phil hadn't moved yet. He watched the Barnetts bring their son back inside, assuring him he was okay to calm themselves down.

What was Phil thinking as he looked out towards her house and saw his neighbors' yard flooded with Miles-burners and cops? Had Phil been there when Miles had done the frying? What did he think of Miles' new abilities? Would he even stay friends with Miles?

Phil looked at Savannah. Their gaze met and locked, each just standing there while thousands of thoughts buzzed through their minds. With the tsunami and an evacuation, they may never see each other again. They may never see anyone they ever knew again. But they would have to deal with that for the time. The two had shared a kiss, and if that moment in the yard was the last they'd see of each other, then that would have to do.