Serena was actually having fun. She normally wasn't the type of girl to mess around with boys in pools. She was more the quiet type reading in a corner, or the friendly type at a mall, not the type to mess around in a pool.

She was smiling, and laughing. That is until the boy began to release an inky blackness that was rapidly engulfing the whole of the swimming pool. Serena quickly moved backwards away from it and hopped out of the pool. Not a reaction of fear, but one of reflex.

He apologised to her. She understood, he didn't have very good control over his mutation. She was sympathetic. She didn't have very good control over her blood manipulation either.

She shook her head to the boy at the edge of the pool. "No, it's fine. I honestly don't have very good control over my mutation either. Are you going to be ok though?" Serena assumed that the boy's mutation must have some weakness or backlash like her own mutation did.

Of course her own mutation's backlash could cause her severe problems.

Being a mutant sucked! Cole's life had been amazing before he had developed this stupid power. He had been king at his previous school. Then he suddenly was a mutant, a freak of nature, and his life was flipped 180 degrees. He had lost all his friends and been shipped half way across the country to a school full of freaks just like him. Even after finding the only girl in his new school that did not have wings or green skin or hair growing all over her body, his mutation had to go messing things up by going haywire. It was just so frustrating.

As the black cloud spread across the entire pool, Cole felt humiliated. He wanted to hide himself in the cloud of black and never show his face around the girl again. The cute blonde literally got as far away from him as possible. She was sure to think he was a freak too. Or worse, a pathetic loser. Surely, every cool mutant at this school could at least control their abilities. Cole just wanted his to go away.

However, she answered his plee of embarrassment wirh sympathy. Cole was visibly relieved by her response. She even admitted that she did not have complete control of her mutation. The words lifted Cole's weighted heart.

"Really? I thought most of the mutants here could control their mutation s very well. And I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt too bad." Cole replied. For a moment, he chewed on his lower lip, comtemplating his next question.

"What is your mutation, if that is not too rude for me to ask?"