'So how's school going sweetheart?' Her father asked stiffly from the top of the table.
'Good daddy.' Kitty said with a smile.
Her mother entered with a small gravy boat. The woman had always walked as though her feet were made of China and tonight she seemed even more on edge. She took her seat alongside Kitty and they fell into another silence that none of them could stand. Kitty often wondered what had happened. Before she had gone to live in the mansion they were comfortable around each other for hours without talking but now silence was the enemy, something to be defeated.
'All advance placement subjects isn't it?' He went on.
"Yeah. I'm worried about English though. I might, like, drop down to an easier level.' She swallowed her food quickly and answered.
"Well you're just going to have to work harder.' He nodded encouragingly. 'You're definitely capable of it.'
"I'm not sure.' Her voice trailed off under his eager gaze. 'Yeah. I'll just get some help after school. Beast…I mean Mr. McCoy is a real boffin when it comes to Shakespeare and stuff.'
She winced at the reaction. They hated it when she used her instructor's codenames; even their first names weren't approved. Thus the 'Mr. Logan'.
"Never mind about that.' Her mother said, her warm tone damping the tension. 'How are you're friends?'
"Oh they're fine. Just a few death defying missions every now and again. Other than that we're just, like, ordinary teenagers.' The feeble joke thrashed and died in the air.
She wished someone would say something unconventional. It didn't even have to make sense. Just something that opened all the invisible doors locked in their conversation.
"Kitty, are you aware of the mutant clamp down?' Her father asked.
"Yeah.' She said a little surprised, he hadn't uttered the 'm' word all evening. 'But that doesn't affect me. I mean they're trying to contain dangerous mutants. The only thing dangerous about me is my driving.'
A smile flickered across his lips momentarily and Kitty felt a peculiar sense of triumph.
'Of course not dear. But do you remember that boy?' he asked turning back to his carrots. 'The one that tried to take advantage of you when you first found out about your powers.'
The fork fell from her hand and clattered against the plate.
'No.' she said trying to look natural.
'You don't remember him?' Her father asked.
'Well sure I remember him. I just don't see why you're bringing him up when you, like, haven't before.' She answered a little flustered.
"I agree with Kitty. Why bring up something so unpleasant when we're having such a nice time?' Her mother added.
"Well it's just I got a call the other day asking if we'd like to press charges.' He answered. 'I thought Kitty should be here when we made the decision.'
"I don't know dad. I mean Lance isn't exactly the most levelheaded guy in the world. If someone tried to jail him I don't think he'd take it with grace.'
'Lance? How'd you know his name?' Her mother asked stunned.
"Well we go to school together and he works for the brotherhood. He helps us out sometimes. He's really not that bad of a guy. But I still wouldn't risk suing him.' she said, marvelling at her ability to keep a steady tone.
'You've been working with someone who nearly killed us?' her father asked.
"Well Lance isn't that big of a deal now I can control my powers. I could probably take him.' she snorted.
'This isn't exactly a laughing matter Katherine. You're mother was scared out of her wits after that. We thought we were going to die, even worse, we thought you were going to die. Now you're talking as if you almost respect him.'
Kitty cast a furtive glance in her mother's direction. Her lips had contracted into an even line and she was staring at a napkin she had placed crumpled on her lap. It suddenly hit her that maybe they weren't embarrassed of her powers; maybe they were just scared of them.
'Lance is a complicated case.' She said, trying to give them as unselfish an answer as she could manage. 'He has done terrible things. I don't deny that. But for every bad thing he's done he does some other wonderful thing to balance it. I promise. And I don't respect that but I can understand it. When he hurt us it wasn't intentional. He doesn't understand that you guys needed to protect me. He thought you were interfering and trying to hurt me. Because no one tries to protect him and everyone ends up hurting him. He thought by separating me from you guys he was doing me a favour.'
'Why would he want to do you a favour?' Her father asked.
'Like I said before he's not that bad of a guy. So can we please just drop it.'
'Yes I'd rather let it be Carmen.' Her mother said anxiously wringing her hands.
"Of course, if that's what you'd prefer. But I'd still like to think it out myself. And I'd like to ask you some more questions about it later on Kitty. I'd let it rest until tomorrow but you'll be leaving so early.'
"Whatever. I don't mind.' She said, digging her fingernails into her palms.' Can I be excused?'
"Don't you want afters, hunny?' her mother asked, breaking from her haze.
"No I'd rather lie down for a while. Thanks for dinner though.' She pushed in her chair.
"You don't need to thank me.' Kitty was sure she heard some disappointment in her voice as she left the room.
She closed the dining room door behind her and sat on the stairs, her cheek pressed against the milky white wall. Listening to the soft hum of her parent's voices, she felt her personality return from the strict confines of the room as she tried to free herself from the lies.