There have been some unwanted visitors at the Institute recently. To get rid of them, it will take two six-packs, several freaked-out students, and a somewhat irritated Logan. Rated safely for language.
A/N: Unfortunately inspired by real-life events. I was up late one night, writing for my other story, when an idea hit me. And hard. Hearing those scary little scratching sounds can do that to you.
My OC Gwen makes an appearance here later on, so don't be confused when she shows up. She's in my other two stories, so she does have a background if you're interested. Enjoy!
A Small Problem
It was an unusually warm winter night in Upstate New York, but that didn't mean it still wasn't cold. Snow from the previous week's blizzard had been frozen over with ice. At Xavier's School for the Gifted, the younger students had spent hours entertaining themselves in the yard with these wintry assets.
However, Storm preferred the artificial heat of the indoors. Often people assumed that she would enjoy any element of weather produced by nature, but it was the opposite. She'd had enough snow experience to last her the rest of her life.
Storm was used to listening to the shouts of the children that she taught, so not having anyone next to her screaming or laughing nonstop took a little getting used to. She hadn't been able to sleep that night, so her immediate instinct was to head to the kitchen and brew herself a cup of tea. At least that would be a welcome alternative to simply staring up at the ceiling.
Sighing happily, Storm took a sip from her warm mug and stared out of the window. The sky was bright, the way it was during the colder months. It was moments like these that made her truly grateful for a break from her hectic life. The daily struggles and trials that came with being an X-Men disappeared, and everything was completely peaceful, serene even...
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.
Storm turned away from the outside scenery, startled, as she heard a gentle rustling coming from the other side of the room, near the fridge. As far as she knew, there weren't any students roaming around at that time.
"Hello?" she inquired, setting her tea on the counter and rising from her chair to investigate. No one replied, and after several minutes passed by silently, Storm concluded that she had been imagining things, and put it out of her mind.
Two Days Later
"Cuz, ya know, like, if he hadn't meant it, he totally would have turned you down when you asked, cuz that's just how boys are, and who cares if he didn't even kiss you goodnight, cuz maybe he's just shy, ya know, and I think that's sweet anyways. Plus, even if he did start, like, whining about Sex and the City halfway through, it totally does NOT mean you can't get along! Like, opposites attract and all that stuff..." Jubilation Lee ranted as she led her friend through the kitchen door, in an effort to cheer her up.
Kitty Pryde, nevertheless, was not comforted at all, having just been through what she considered to be a disastrous date. She had arrived back at the Institute only twenty minutes before, but everyone already knew about her night out with Joe. Her hair was still teased up into what all her friends thought was the perfect ponytail, and gloss remnants remained on her lips. However, she had taken off her painfully pointed high heels and pulled a sweatshirt on over her carefully compiled T-shirt and skinny jeans combination.
"Jubilee," Kitty announced, breathing deeply and shaking her head, "maybe you're right, but what if I'M right? What if he only said he liked me because he was having a really good day?" She flopped down into the wooden chair next to the counter. "And what if he only went out with me because he felt bad?"
"Dude, it'll be totally okay. You're just overanalyzing!" Jubilee told her helpfully. "You have to, like, be all clear-headed about it, like those guys in Asia who sleep in caves or whatever for perspective. At least he didn't start grinding with that skanky girl from Kennedy, like Toby did that time!" She grinned, obviously under the impression that her words were reassuring, and pulled milk out of the fridge.
"Oh, thanks! Thanks for reminding me!" Kitty moaned, burying her face in her hands. "I shouldn't even be allowed to talk to boys, I screw it up so much..."
"No, you don't," Jubilee said, pouring out cocoa mix into two large cups. "How do you want your HoCho? Thick or extra thick?"
"Stop calling it HoCho! That is so annoying! It's hot chocolate!"
"Delicious HoCho..." she smirked as she put the cups into the microwave and pressed the timer. Then she took a seat opposite Kitty. "So he said he'd see you around, right?"
"Yeah." Kitty winced at the memory.
"I think that you should, like, just call him up and ask what that meant, ya know? Cuz it's over the phone, so you can hang up if it goes weird and then you never have to see him again. But if he says he, like, wants another date, then that's good too! You can go see that new Will Ferrell movie with him!"
Kitty, who had been slumped over, suddenly sprang up and swiveled her head around to face the fridge. "Jubilee! Shut up for a sec!"
Jubilee looked incredibly insulted. "I'm just trying to help," she told her indignantly. "Like, what's the matter?"
Holding up a finger, Kitty looked apologetic and wary at the same time. "No, it's not you. I think I hear something. Listen."
There was silence for an instant. Then they both heard: Scritch. Scritch.
"What the freak is that?" Jubilee asked in a whisper.
"Maybe the light's are whacked up again," Kitty said.
"But it's coming from over there," she stated, pointing over at the foot of the fridge. Standing up, she walked over to the microwave, where a long beep had signaled the completion of their drinks. "I bet there's, like, a piece of ice or something in it. It'll go away." Jubilee immediately switched topics as she pulled out the cups, frowning as the heat of the ceramic clays warmed her fingers. "About Joe. What was he like when he was sitting with you? Like, was he close, or was he trying to keep from touching you, at like, any cost? God, I hate it when boys do that; like, get a grip, we're not third gra-"
She stopped, and a sudden spasm of fear caused her to drop both hot chocolates. The cups broke when they hit the floor, splashing hot liquid on Jubilee's feet. She jumped away and started screaming. Kitty quickly rose.
"What? What?" She ran over, careful not to step on the shards. Jubilee started bouncing in pain.
"A freaking mouse just ran across the floor! It was, like, right on my toes!" She motioned at the fridge. "It went there!"
"Oh, my god!" Kitty began yelling too. "We have mice! Ew!"
"It's official," Kitty announced as Hank McCoy slathered lotion on Jubilee's feet. "I really hate nature. How did we get mice?"
"If someone had left the door open for too long during the summer, they could have gotten in easily," Hank said. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his blue nose. "Hold still, Jubilation."
"My feet are, like, dead!" Jubilee wailed.
"No, they'll be fine," Hank told her. "I assure you, you'll be healed in no time. At the moment, our biggest problem is the rodent situation."
"That part sucks too," Jubilee conceded.
A/N: Okay, that was the first chapter. It was going to be a one-shot, but when I started writing it, it got too long. So be on the lookout for the following parts.