Disclaimer: All characters and events belong to me. That's right, they're mine! Mwahahahaha! Please do not use this story without permission from the author. The concept of mutants in this context is Marvel's, and is used without permission or profit. Feedback to hutch @ jazmer.com.

"Jennifer? Are you practicing?"

Jennifer groaned and shut off the video game she'd been playing. Typical, she thought annoyedly, I get five minutes to myself and Mom has to know what I'm up to.

"No, Mom," she shouted down the hall, already fully aware of what her mother's next words would be.

"You know the rules, Jennifer."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jennifer stomped down to the living room, grumbling with each step about the injustice of moms who couldn't wait until the next level of the game was finished before interrupting. Seating herself at the piano, she took a deep breath before beginning her warm-up finger exercises.

Halfway through the set, the phone rang. Without moving from her seat, Jennifer grabbed it, shouldering the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jen." It was her best friend, Laura. "Wanna come over? We're renting movies tonight."

"Sure, sounds great. I just gotta--"

"Jennifer!"

"--finish practicing first, that's all," Jennifer half-mumbled.

"You always have to practice," Laura commented sourly. "It sucks."

"Tell me about it!" Jennifer kept her voice low so that her mom wouldn't hear her over the sound of the piano. "Man, at first I thought this was gonna be cool, but all I do is practice. Mom says it's so I'll have better control later, but I think she does it just to torture me."

"Jennifer, get off the phone and concentrate!" Her mother's voice wafted through the house, startling the teenager.

"I'll call you later, Laura," Jennifer grumbled before re-cradling the phone. What's so cool about being a mutant anyway, she wondered idly as she focused on the piano again, when all you gotta do is practice? With her concentration, the keys on the piano began to move, independent of her physical touch. She glanced up at the clock and sighed. Only 45 more minutes... Hands folded on her lap, Jennifer put her telekinesis to use on the ivory keys while simultaneously deciding that being a mutant positively sucked.

END