The kitchen was crowded as per usual. It was a school day, meaning everyone was ten times as rushed and eager to get out the door before the morning school bell. Storm had prepared lunch bags for everyone, saying that she had nothing better to do than cut the crusts off sandwiches. Xavier had cancelled training that morning so that everyone would make it to school on time for once; Principal Kelly was starting to notice the amount of tardy slips the pupils of the Institute were stacking up.
"Pass the bread, would you, Daisy?" Scott asked. I pushed the bag towards him.
"Could I have the fruit bowl, please?" Amara pointed towards the bowl at the far end of the table.
"What I am, your personal servant?" I shouted louder than I meant to. Amara looked at me with wide eyes. I imagined Scott wearing the same expression under his shades.
"Don't worry, I've got it," Jean's soft voice floated into the kitchen. The fruit bowl levitated over to Amara's plate. She smiled. Scott smiled. Amara ate her fruit. It looked like everyone was happy…except me.
I didn't mean to be snappy. I couldn't help it. Sometimes I just felt too highly charged and needed to let off some steam. But it's not like I didn't have a valid reason for being angry sometimes. How would you feel if you were the only one without powers surrounded by a bunch of people that could move fruit with their minds, or turn into a human torch?
"You possess the mutant gene, Daisy, you just need to be patient. Your powers will develop, they've just been is stasis," Professor Xavier explained the whole thing to me when I first arrived at the Institute a few weeks ago. "Cerebro wouldn't have picked you up on the system if you didn't possess the gene." Professor X sure knew how to make you feel special.
When I first arrived, it killed me that I couldn't answer the most commonly asked question: "What's your power?" I didn't know. The Prof didn't know. No one did. I think Cerebro made a mistake. Software can become faulty with age, right?
"Do you need a ride, Daisy? I can take you to school if you want," Scott offered, dangling his keys in front of my face. He did whatever he could to make new recruits feel welcome. Felt more like pity to me.
"No thanks, I'll walk," I said, stirring the remnants of my cereal around the bottom of the bowl.
"You don't want to be late. Kitty was talking about a major Chemistry test that's scheduled for this morning."
"I won't be. Anyway, it's Hank that's grading the Chemistry test. So what if I get a bad grade?" I kicked my chair against the table. "Go on without me, I'll be OK."
"If you're sure." Scott took Jean's hand as he walked out of the kitchen, ready to ferry a bunch of mutants to the local high school like everything was normal.
Mutant. I hated the word. It made me feel like a failed genetic experiment. Then again, maybe that's the most accurate description of me there is. A mutant mistake.
I managed to leave the Institute unnoticed. Storm was busying about in her greenhouse, caring for the plant life. Logan had locked himself in his room and the Professor was calculating the next Danger room assessment for that afternoon. Despite Scott's warning, I was late for school. So late in fact, I may have missed the start of the Chemistry test. I thought I was safe just to just hang out in the gardens alone and ditch school. I didn't feel like it.
"There you are!" Kurt shouted as he dropped from the sky, out of nowhere.
I rolled my eyes. Busted.
"Scott told me to come and get you if you didn't turn up at school within fifteen minutes," Kurt smiled innocently. "Blame him, not me."
"I don't feel like school," I huffed.
"Is it because of the test? McCoy's marking them, right? I'm sure he'll give you a good grade anyway."
"It's not the test. I just-" I sighed. How could I explain how I felt to someone that was so readily accepted by the X-Men? "I'd prefer to just hang out alone."
"Why?" Kurt furrowed his eyebrows.
"I feel like I don't fit in. If I'm alone, I can pretend I'm normal. You wouldn't understand."
"You think I don't understand?" Kurt shook his head at me. "You think I don't know what it's like to feel like I don't belong?"
I shrugged. "You have powers."
"Yes, but I'm also blue." He clicked a button on his watch. I watched as his skin change from a creamy white to a vibrant blue. His fingers separated into two. "I'm as far from normal as it gets."
I stared at his face. He looked down, embarrassed at the scrutiny. Kurt was the only one not desperate to show me his power when I first arrived, well him and Rogue, who said she didn't want to be disturbed. Everyone else was dying to show off his or her skills, especially the newer members of the team.
"I had no idea," I covered my mouth with my hands. It was just like me to say something insensitive and not know it. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm a complete jerk."
"No you're not. Whether you have a power or not, you're still part of the X-men. The Prof might not have been subtle when explaining your dormant abilities, but trust me. You'll fit in just fine."
I gave a small smile.
"I fit in and I don't even look human half the time," Kurt laughed. "Now grab my hand, otherwise we'll both be late."
I held Kurt's hand for the briefest of seconds as he transported us both to Bayville High, courteously dropping me right outside the Chemistry labs.
"Thanks," I called after him, with my hand on the laboratory door.
He winked. "Just remember, who wants to be normal anyway?"
The blue boy had a point.