Chapter one: Breaking down boarders
Detention. I'm pretty sure I'm booked with it for the year. I don't even know what session is for what any more. And it's not like I get danger room for detention. I like the danger room; you don't get in trouble for using your powers in there. Then again, I'm probably in detention for using my powers outside of the danger room. Imagine that, I'm in a school full of mutants and I'm a freak because I want to use my power. And the only reason I get in trouble for my power is because it's destructive. Nobody yells at Kitty for walking through walls or Colossus for lifting weights, but I burn a few things and I get detention. Xavier is always yanking my chain about 'control'. But honestly, if it's my fire, I'm in control. But, I know Xavier isn't afraid of my lack of 'control', he's afraid I'll end up like magneto. I guess I know why that concerns him, I mean, I'm not saying magneto is right. But is he really Wrong…
Either way, that's not the point! The point is: every weekend I'm stuck in detention with Mr. Perfect himself, Mr. Summers. So, right now it is eight A.M. on a Saturday, and I'm headed to his classroom.
When I walk in he is reading some thick novel and eating an apple. He hears my boots thud against the glossy tile and looks up. "Hello." He smiles, a genuine smile. He looks so attractive, especially when he smiles. Every time he smiles he breaks another girl's heart. God, I love him. With all my heart and soul. And all he thinks of me is that I'm a delinquent. An out of control mistake. But I wish he could feel the pain I feel when I show up to detention, knowing who he's been with this morning before me. Smelling her perfume all over him. I hate her.
I can take rejection. Hell, that's all I've gotten my whole life. And if he had some girlfriend who was more than something I could ever be, I wouldn't hate her. I would envy her, but I would hope the best for them. But the fact is that 'Jean Grey' is no better than me. She is a lie. Everyone feels bad for her because she is so tortured by the Phoenix. But something the Professor will never admit is that 'The Phoenix' is not a part of 'Jean Grey'. But 'Jean Grey' is a part of 'The Phoenix'. Her gentle and vulnerable personality is just the side effects of a monster's power being caged by boarders. Boarders set up by Professor. But Magneto, he knows what she is, and he thinks that she should not be caged. I agree, I don't want the Phoenix to suffer. But it hurts to know that Summers would prefer a lie over a delinquent.
I grunt in response to Summers' greeting.
"Well, you're particularly moody this morning." He looked up, concerned. Yeah, right! I sat down on a desk at the very back of the classroom. He tapped on the desk closet tohis. Yeah, like I'm you dog, Summers. Go tell jean to sit there, she'll probably play fetch too! But me, I still have a little pride. I just stared at him, not getting up. "John…" he demanded. Bingo. The great Saint John Allerdyce has, once again, made the not great Scott Summers frustrated. So, I got up (with my infamous smirked) and plopped down in to the cool metal desk. The chains on my black baggy pants made loud noises as they hit the desk. "You really should bring a book, John." John. I hate it when people call me that. My name is Saint John (I prefer Pyro, but my name is Saint John), but since no one can pronounce that (except Ms. Monroe), they call me John. Ms. Monroe, she's the only one I tolerate here. I'm in trouble with her a lot but she's probably the closed thing I have to a real mother. The rumors are that she and Mystique used to be together, most students think that it's a lie. But I believe it, and it's sad they had to go two different ways and split (See! 'Sad'! That's an emotion! I do have a heart, Kitty Pryde!).
"Why, did you run out of worksheets for me to do?" I said with venom in my voice. "Yes, three weeks ago." He didn't even look up from his book.
Think of something rude to say, thinking of something rude to say, thinking of something rude to say. Ugh, nothing!
I pulled out my light.
Flick, swish, , swish, click. Flick, swish, click. Flick, swish, click. Flick, swish, click. Flick, swish, click.
He put his book down. "I'll never understand how you entertain yourself with that." He smiled at me. I hear Jean humming as she walked down the hall. "I could say the same to you." I smirked. He looked confused at first, and then he comprehended the fact of me talking about his girlfriend. How stupid was he! "John that's impolite to speak of women that way." He frowned. Oh, god. I have to restrain myself from actually laughing hysterically.
I just smirked. "I take it you're not a fan of Dr. Grey?" He looked confused, as if it was not possible to dislike her. "I didn't say I didn't like her, I said I don't get why you do." Time to watch him squirm. "Why wouldn't I?" He stilled looked confused. I shrugged trying to muster an innocent look. He finally realized what I was trying to do. "John, do you enjoy putting people in uncomfortable situations?" I smirked. "Yes." He glared at me for a few seconds before laughing. What! I'm supposed to be laughing at him, what's going on here! I must have looked shocked because Summers explained. "Sometimes it's hard to be mad at you…" he just shook his head with a smile. My heart almost popped. No, Saint John doesn't go soft! "With all the detention I get with you, I would've never guessed." I wouldn't smirk so much, if my sarcasm wasn't so amusing. "Well, in my defense, I told professor that you're stuck here way too often." His voice was light and thoughtful. Mine was harsh and hateful. "Why, I'm here for a reason!"
"John, don't get defensive, I'm on your side." He put his hands up to show surrender. Defensive! Maybe I am but like hell if you can call me it! "Why are you on my side? I'm a delinquent, don't you remember?" I know using his 'don't be a delinquent' speech against him is rude, but if you call me defensive, that's what you get! "John, you're not a delinquent. I just think that you're at conflict with yourself and are too young to accept the fact that: the Professor wants to help. That's why he is so hard on you; it'd because he doesn't want your internal conflict to hurt your future." His voice was soft and his features were thoughtful. Once again, mine were not. "Internal conflict." I my voice started out venomous and transferred to yelling. "Internal conflict! You don't know what the hell that is! Because if you did, you'd know that my conflict is nothing internal! Last I checked there is no conflict! I'm just perfect; it's everybody else that has a problem. A problem with me!" I paused, waiting him to say something. His mouth just hangs open. "Oh, of course you don't know how to handle this! You've probably never been yelled at in your whole entire life. I honestly think that's the reason you're so irritating! It's because nothing in your life has ever hurt you enough to build you a little character!" I was done yelling. I just stared at him and he just stared back.
I sat back down. What I said must have finally kicked in, because he finally reacted (not how I suspected, though): he put his head in his hands. After about five minutes, he lifted his head hands up. "Do I seem like that bad of a guy to you?" I could hear he was hurt by the tone of his voice. Great, now he chooses to have a personality. Normally I would say something rude, but now I feel bad, ugh!I stayed silent and diverted my attention to something else. "John…" his voice was soft but slightly demanding. I looked him in the eyes, because there was nothing else I could find to divert my attention to. "My life wasn't easy…" he started. I cut him off, but kept my voice low, "Why cause your parents died?"
"How did you kno-"
"Or because you lost your brother?"
"John… you don't know what it was lik-"
"Or because you're a Mutant?" I spat.
"John!" His voice was barely a whisper.
"You found your brother. You found a father figure."
"Yes, I hav-"
"So, than what do you have that was all that hard, you were an orphan, but you had good. I knew my real parents and trust me I would have been better off an orphan."
"Joh-"
"No! I've been abused. I've runaway. I've be violated. I've been hurt. But I don't complain. And other kids, they think they have it hard because they're mutants. Being a mutant is the best thing that ever happened to me! Fire may abuse, violate, and hurt! But this time I'm in control, and there's not a thing any of those men can do about it!" I yelled.
I stared him directly in the eyes. And the last thing I expected happened: a tear streamed from under his shades and rolled down to his lips. Why was he crying? I hadn't realized until he wiped his hand across my face, but I was crying too.
"Those men are never goin' touch you again, Saint John." He promised in a soft but tight voice. Was that anger underneath the sympathy; was he angry at my father and all those other men for what they did? Why?
As if he read my mind, he answered "I care about you, Johnny". I broke down and sobbed, for the first time in a long time. I cried for an half an hour in Scott Summers' class room. And in those thirty minutes with Mr. Summers' arms wrapped around me in comfort; Jean Grey, Professor X, Magneto, the brotherhood, x-men, school, or mutant powers didn't matter. Just Johnny and Scott.