Oh, yeah, he is so helpful. All I asked Angelo was if he knew how to complete the Physics assignment. "It's on a disk in my room," he told me, giving some rather vague descriptions of which drawer things were in. So far, I had found about seven games on disk and some old letters I had written him, which was sort of fun to read, for nostalgia's sake. I pulled out a large manila envelope from the drawer. I had a feeling it wasn't a physics assignment, but I wanted to take a little peek.

I opened the tab and pulled out several high-gloss pieces of paper. Pictures. The first was of a tall, slender girl...woman...with short reddish hair and a diamond shaped tattoo over her eye. What the... She wore a pair of oversized blue jeans and a tank top. No bra. She was smiling seductively at whoever was taking the picture.

"Oh my gawd..."

The next one was of the same person. Only not quite as decent. She lay amid a pile of bed sheets, completely naked, holding a gun. She looked as though she had been laughing, a childish smile on her face. I set it down angrily. He reads Play-Boy! This is unbelievable... I was tweaked, but I guess it was a guy thing I would never understand.

I pulled out another picture. This was of a man and the same woman. Aside from a pair of briefs, he was naked. The woman, also naked, had her arms looped around his neck. Their noses were touching and both were smiling broadly. Even through my anger I thought it was odd how genuinely happy the two looked for some kinda photo shoot or whatever.

Wait...I've seen that guy befor-- My jaw dropped as suddenly it all hit me. I felt nauseous, as if someone had punched me in the stomach. "The image inducer... Angelo!" I whispered, horrified. My breathing got faster and my heart started to race. The gold chain and cross pendant...that charming and oh-so-tempting smile...it was definitely him. I turned the picture over. There was a message written on the other side.

Angelo,

You're a damn crazy fool, but you're my damned crazy fool. All my love,

   -Sarina Torres (I'll always be your Bonnie if you'll still be Clyde)

"What is this!" I yelled into the air. I could feel heat burning uncomfortably in my face. No wonder he doesn't want to talk about L.A., he's got another girlfriend there, the two timing son of a... I felt tears of hurt well up in my eyes but quickly blinked them back. "No way, I'm not going to cry because of you, lady," I muttered at the picture angrily.

I grabbed the pictures and stormed out of the room. I ran head long into Jonothan, who apparently heard me yell.

("Wot's a matter, gel?") He took hold of my shoulder with his hand.

At this point I was so angry at Angelo I couldn't see straight. "You sure as hell didn't tell all o' what went down in LA." I said sharply, jerking from him.

I ran down the stairs and stopped at the computer monitor. "Computer, where is Angelo?"

<"Angelo Espinosa is in the Recreation Building.">

Wonderful. That was close to here. Jonothan was coming down the stairs.

("Summer, I haven't seen yer like this before. Wot's wrong? Don't go stormin' outta here t'go kill Angelo. Talk to me.")

I shut my eyes. Jono was a good friend, I didn't want to scream at him or get him mad at me. ("Not now, Jonothan. Just let me go.")

He didn't say anymore when I left. I raced down the sidewalk straight past M who for a moment tried to stop me to see what was wrong. It's like a freakin' obstacle course! It seemed like I ran into everyone one on my way to the Rec Cottage.

As I walked in, I heard Jubilee say, "Well, let me find a channel that ain't boring, and I'll leave it there."

She scowled at Angelo from across the room. O.K. She was my best bud, I didn't want to drag her through my own personal melodrama. I thinly covered my anger with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Oh, dearest, could I have a word with you?" I held the pictures against my chest so J wouldn't see them.

"Ah, sure," Angelo said a little nervously. Good. Let him squirm.

"Goodbye, Jubilee." Her arms crossed even more tightly.

"Fine, fine, I'm goin'. Not even a 'Jubilee, would you mind leaving us alone please?'" she grumbled as she left the room.

"Please, Lee, can ya just give us a minute or ten?" I tried my best not to snap at her.

When J left, I shut the door behind me.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He looked dumbfounded.

"What the hell are these?" I demanded, thrusting three photographs in front of his face.

His eyes grew wide in recognition and his jaw went slack. He paled. I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Is there something--or someone--we need to talk about, Angelo?"

"Summer, let me explain--"

"Oh, you'd better believe it! Let me guess, she's a 'good friend', right? No, no wait. You two were hired to do a Calvin Klein advertisement?"

"Summer, come here. Please." He pulled me into his lap and kissed my forehead.

I jumped right back up. "Oh, absolutely no you don't! You are not going to con yer way outta this one!"

"Chica..."

"Don't you Chica me, Skin..."

"Oh, so it's Skin now, is it?"

I glared at him. I wasn't going to let this turn into a petty argument when it seemed to be more serious than that.

"These...pictures are over 3 years old," he said. "They're of my ex-girlfriend, Torres."

Ex Girlfriend!

My jaw dropped.

"And you still have them? We're engaged, Angelo, or have you forgotten?" I backed away a few steps. "Most guys just look at smutty magazines--but you look at pictures of your naked ex-girlfriend! "

"Summer, I'd forgotten I even still had these pictures," he said. "Chica, look I didn't even have my powers then! I was sixteen!

"Sure, I bet. Is this why you won't tell me what went on in L.A.?" I snapped.

"Nothing like that went on in L.A., Summer!" he retorted, insulted.

"You mean you didn't see her there? Not at all? What did you do while you were there, then? Snap more kinky photos of yer gun totin' ex-girlfriend?"

"Just took care of a few...family matters. Nothing to worry yourself over."

"Oh, O.K. You just tell me, Espinosa. 'Don't worry yer pretty head over it.' Kiss my butt! Don't dish me that kinda B.S. I was talked to like that when I was a child...Oh? Is that how you see me? A child? You can just blow this off, cos I'm two years younger than you? Or because I grew up in 'peaceful Kentucky' not in some god forsaken barrio in L.A. where things were bad?"

Silence. He just stared at me.

"We're getting married, Angelo. Married," I reminded him once again. "If I can't trust you now, who's to say--"

He was on his feet in a flash. The next thing I new, his skin was coiled around me tightly, it was hard to breathe. In the entire time I had known him, he had never done anything like this. And it utterly terrified me.

"Damn it, woman! Is your brain on ice? I just told you--"

I switched to my ice form and tore myself from his grasp and slapped him as hard as I could across his face. "You hurt me," I sputtered. "If you ever, ever do anything like that again, Angelo, I swear to God Almighty, I will walk out on you and never look back."

I was shaking now. He was on the floor and his cheek was actually bleeding. He touched it lightly, then looked up at me. I was too angry to even dream of apologizing, but I did kneel down to him. "Let me see--"

"No! Don't touch it, haven't you done enough already?"

I reeled from him, eyes wide. I felt hot tears spring to my eyes. I was not going to cry in front of him. I turned and ran from the room.

"Summer!" I heard him call after me. "Wait!" He was right on my tail, but Jubilee was already comin', she musta heard. I blew on past her, I knew she'd stop him from following me.

"What did you do to her to make her so upset, you stupid jerk?" she snapped at Angelo. Glad I could count on her.

"I don't want to talk about it, Lee!" he said defensively. But I didn't hear anymore. I just wanted to be left alone, to sort out my thoughts, my feelings...and with all the well-meaning--and not so well-meaning--people in this house, I definitely wouldn't be able to here.

Where could I go?

Home.

I could just sit back and figure things out once I got there. I went to the girls dorm and grabbed my purse and my gym bag. I stuffed the bag with some clothes then picked up the telephone. I called the airport to see if there were any flights to Kentucky. There was one which left in forty five minutes. I hung up with the attendant and then called Emma's cottage.

"Yes, Summer?"

Great. That meant I'd been leakin' my thoughts for any telepath on campus, Emma didn't read our minds like that.

"I'm going to Kentucky for a while. I won't stay too long."

To my surprise, more or less, she didn't protest. "All right. When you go to pay for your ticket, tell them your name. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you," I mumbled, hanging up the phone.

I left my room in a rush, running to the garage.

On the way, Angelo came out of the Rec Cottage, running to me.

"What are you doing?" he said frantically.

"I'm going home to Kentucky."

He grabbed my elbow.

"Please, Summer, don't do this," he begged. "I'm sorry for everything I said, for what I did. I didn't mean it--"

"Yes, you did. I definitely need to reconsider a few...things." My voice quavered; I tried not to cry.

"I...I guess I'll see ya later," I said, a tear escaping and rolling unheeded down my cheek.

"There's nothing I can say that will make you stay, chica?"

I shook my head. "Goodbye," I whispered.

"I love you, Summer."

I bit my lip and hugged my arms across my chest. Blinking back a fresh set of tears, I looked him straight in the eyes.

My voice shook as I spoke. "Heaven help me, I love you too. More than words could possibly say. But you've got a funny way of showing it sometimes, Angelo." I turned and rushed off.

I finally made it to the garage. I took the first pair of keys I saw, to the rarely used and ever ugly Volvo, and climbed in. As I backed out, I nearly ran over Jonothan.

I put my hand to my forehead. Great, just wonderful. The passenger side door opened and he got in.

("Jono, what is this?")

("I'm goin' with yer.")

"What?! Absolutely not!"

("Look, I 'eard wot happened, and most of yer thoughts too. Yer can't go off like this, and if yer go, yer can't go by yerself.")

Jonothan was a strange one, and I knew there was no arguin' with him. He go the weirdest ideas into his head.

("Don't drive angry,") he chided.

"Just shut up," I said in a strange mix of laughter and half sobs.

He didn't argue but simply sat back in the seat quietly. Neither of us said anything the entire drive.

When I pulled into the airport, a man in a white suit ran up to the car and knocked on the window.

"Emma sent me," he said simply.

I grabbed my bag and jumped out of the car, Jono followed suit. The man in white got in and drove the car away.

We raced inside and to the ticket counter.

"Um, hi, I'm Summer Ison and--"

"Yes, Miss Ison, I have two tickets here for you compliments of Frost Enterprises."

Two, wow, Emma's really on the ball today.

She held out the tickets. By the blank look in her eyes I had a feeling Emma was helpin' me get by without any questions.

"Thanks, Emma." I took the tickets and Jono and I ran to catch our flight.

"Be careful," the woman--Emma--whatever, said.

It was only after I had sat in my seat for ten minutes that I realized what was going on. I was goin' home, without giving my parents any warning. I was engaged to the guy I left behind, the reason why I left. I was taking with me my fiancé's best friend, who didn't look like the type my parents would approve of. Great. Now I would look very irresponsible, running away from my problems. And my parents wouldn't like Angelo much and they would think I was absolutely nuts bringin' a guy with me that wasn't my fiancé.

"Just great," I mumbled.

When we landed in Lexington, we snagged a rental car and I pulled out of the airport parking lot. I hadn't been home in two years. I'd met my parents half way between home and Massachusetts before, but this was the first trip all the way home I had ever made.

I had never actually driven when I lived in Kentucky, but theoretically, I could find my way home easy enough. I made my way through the familiar streets, feeling at peace that I was home. I glanced over to Jonothan.

"Uh. O.K., this will be weird, I promise. My parents have never had someone speak to them telepathically, at least, not to my knowledge. So um, be ready for a surprise if you say something to them, they'll be confused."

("Why'd I 'ave ta say anythin' to them?")

"Oh...you don't. You can just keep quiet if you want."

He didn't reply. "Oh, yer a real scream, Jonothan," I said, shaking my head.

I pulled into our neighborhood, slowly driving, looking at everything. When I got to my house, I pulled up the driveway slowly.

("Here we are,") I said mentally, taking a deep breath physically. I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the car. I walked up the front steps, Jonothan slightly behind me. ("Just for you to know, I have two older twin brothers your age. Neither of them is a mutant.") I rang the door bell. ("They think they're real tough, and they are, relatively. But be nice, you're a mean one.") I smiled at him.

("I won't bite,") he assured me.

I rolled my eyes and turned around as I heard the door open.

"Summer!?" It was Blaine, one of the twins.

"Surprise!" I yelled throwing my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek.

"What the he-- heck are you doin' here?" he asked dumbfounded.

"Just comin' home for a visit." I smiled at him. "Can we come in?"

"Yeah, yeah." He stepped aside, Jono and I stepped in. "So is this the Angelo we keep hearin' about?" He looked incredulously at Chamber.

"Uh, no. This is Jonothan Starsmore, he goes to school with me."

Jono nodded, but didn't offer his hand.

Blaine licked his lips, "Oooo-kaaay. Yeah. Well, Mom'n'dad are out. But let me go get Brandon."

He turned and sprang up the stairs. I led Jono to the family room. The first thing I noticed was that the furniture had been re-arranged. I took a seat on the couch and Jono sat down in a chair across from me. Wearin' his black jeans, shoes, shirt, leather jacket and wraps, he had probably put Blaine in defense mode. And, well, he did look like a mugger or something.

("Nice place,") he commented. ("But now what? Summer, do you have any idea wot yer gonna do?)

I winced. ("Not a clue. The guest room is all yours, I'll show ya after Blaine comes back. We won't stay long. A day or two, maybe.")

Then I realized the twins had come in and were staring at me. Well, that made sense, because I had been gesturing to Jono and making facial expressions, yet said nothing.

("It's a mutant thing,") Jono said dryly to me privately.

I didn't look to him. I stood and went to give Brandon a hug.

He returned my hug and looked at me quizzically.

"Um, Summer can I talk to you a sec?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah." Uh-oh. I stood up and looked to Jono as I walked out, ("Here we go.")

"What were you doing over there, Summer? You're acting kinda...weird."

I could still hear "it's a mutant thing" echoing in my head and refrained from saying just that. The twins had never quite come to grips with me being a mutant [or, if ya like, my mutancy]. It was like I could be a mutant, I'm their kid sister, but all other mutants are freaks. I didn't want to alienate Jono right off the bat with tossin' his mutancy in their faces; mine too for that matter.

"Jonothan was talkin' to me; I was a little distracted."

"Who's Jonothan? The grim reaper sittin' in the corner?"

"Yeah, that would be him."

"I didn't hear him say anything. Who is he? Don't even tell me he's your boyfriend."

I chuckled at the thought. "Oh no," I re-assured him. "He's just a good friend of mine from school."

Brandon didn't look relieved. In fact, even though I couldn't read minds, I could practically see the, "Oh great, a mutant," thoughts floating around in his head.

"Brandon, I'm not askin' you to like him, but I'm askin' you to be nice to him. He's saved my life on more than one occasion, and I owe him a lot. The only reason he's here is because I left school a little...unexpectedly and he was afraid something might happen to me."

I stopped there and walked back into the family room. From the looks of things Blaine had made some sort of attempt to start up a conversation with Jono.

Seeming thankful for my re-entrance, Blaine piped up, "So what brings you here, sis? You didn't even call home first!"

I immediately got quiet and walked over to the door to pick up my bag. As I turned I saw Jono shaking his head at them out of the corner of my eye.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Angelo and I...had an argument," I explained, trying not to start crying again. "I just needed some time away from the school to think things over."

"Oh." Blaine considered this a moment and then started briefly as another thought hit him. "I almost forgot, some woman called from your school. Emma Frost. Sounded like someone from a phone-sex service, so I thought it was a joke."

I almost laughed. "No that was the headmistress. And what do you know about the phone sex women?"

"You know what I mean," he joked.

"Yeah I know," I mumbled. "I'll call her. C'mon, Jono, I'll show you to your room." I started out the door.

("If yer don't mind, gel, I'd like to take a quick nap. I'm exhausted,") he told me.

"Oh, that's fine."

"Huh?" Brandon and Blaine asked in unison.

Crap, I really was tired myself. "Nothin', I'm just tired."

"Shades of Gray" 15/? By Me, monet@uky.campus.mci.net and my secret-psychic-sister Krista kjscjs@ix.netcom.com.

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

Oh, BTW, the name of the twins, Brandon and Blaine, is completely on purpose. If you know some twins of the same name, it just might be the same twins, so drop Me (not Krista for this one) a line. :)