Disclaimer: Don't own X-men, if I did I wouldn't be writing this I'd be spending my millions!

(A/N: A young girl from Ohio stands up for her beliefs and gets wound up in the X-men. Rated M for possible violence, swearing, and anything ells.

This is my very first attempt at Fan Fiction, on this sight, so please be nice. Actually, say what you want! I don't care if you tell me it sucks, as long as you tell me why it sucks. Yup, that would help me lots! Oh, and, I'm an illiterate, so any bad spelling, grammar etc. is inevitable! Cheery smile and wink :-P)

Notes:

Means telepathic thoughts,

'' means normal thoughts

(" ") means someone's talking in a different language.

Title: Echo

Chapter 1: Essay

The English teacher, Mrs Olleto, walked into the classroom and stood before the class. She wore her usual pale blue cardigan and 'intimidating' scowl.

"Class, you were assigned an essay on racism and religion. You were to pick a religion or a culture and write about how they were or are treated in society. You have to read it out to the class. I hope you are all ready, you know that I don't call you out alphabetically, just at random."

We all groaned in despair. I did have my assignment complete, but that didn't mean I was going to enjoy this. And I was pretty sure that nobody else would either.

"Let's see now, Entwenet, Echo!" Mrs Olleto called out, what just happened to be my name, first. Of course it was my name first. That's just my luck.

"Great." I muttered.

A blond haired girl with ice blue eyes smiled reassuringly at me as I got up. That's my friend Darcy Loklen. I smile back. I'm going to need all the encouragement I can get for the speech I'm about to read.

"Start when you're ready dear."

I just nodded at Mrs Olleto. I take a deep breath, glance around the room and begin. 'Well hear goes nothing,' I think.

"I chose to do my speech on racism in our society,

Mutants: Friend or Foe?

In resent times the mutant phenomena has become what our government would call 'A deadly threat to our people.' I disagree.

It is a scientifically proven fact that these advances of evolution are caused by natural mutations of the human body. They can come into being from any person and it is unknown of their origin.

These 'mutants' as we call them, can have a wide range of varied and sometimes dangerous powers. The government believes that we should force all these people to announce themselves so we can register them. But this isn't fair. How would you like it if you woke up one morning and you'd changed over night? Suddenly all your friends and family hate and fear you. You have nowhere to go, and what's worse you have an angry mob on you trail just because you were born different.

People say these new members of society are animals and don't deserve the right to live. Hundreds of mutants have been wrongly accused and sentenced in our jails over the last ten years just because they were different.

Hundreds more have had to go into hiding rather then face a world that hates, fears and wants them dead. Many mutants have been assaulted and when attempting to press charges were dismissed simply because of what they were. A perfectly good example is of my cousin Cassandra. She was only twelve when she woke up one morning as an ordinary teenager and went to school like any other day. By lunchtime she had grown a pair of black feathered wings. She was sent home by the principle and expelled just because of this. That same afternoon she was gang bashed by a group of twelve seventeen year old boys. She was in hospital in intensive care for three weeks.

You may still be thinking 'who cares! A stinking mutant is still a stinking mutant. They don't deserve to live!' But no matter how you dress it up, or justify what your saying, it's still extremely resist. And this world should not under any circumstances tolerate racism.

This is exactly how our country treated the African slaves in the 1700's. This is how we treated the Native Americans when our ancestors took over this land. This is how we treated any kind of race that was different to us just because there skin was different, or their religion.

I don't believe we have any rights to act like barbarians.

I know there have been a lot of reports of single mutants beating groups of three or four civilians at a time, and everyone always thinks that proves the government right, but you're wrong. Nine out of ten cases have been proved that the mutants were only acting in self defence to an unprovoked attack, yet we choose to ignore the facts and see what we want to see- what the government wants us to see.

I know that at least half of you know someone who is or, unfortunately, was, a mutant.

I think that until the world is ready to crawl out of this cave man hole they seemed to have buried themselves into, they don't deserve to pass judgment of any kind.

Thank you."

I carefully folded my sheet and walked back to my seat. My classmates were still silent from my apparently moving speech. Although I was kind of nervous as to where it moved them.

"Well," Mrs Olleto began, obviously shocked by my speech that trod on a very tender subject, mutant registration. And what's worse, I seemed to be favouring to appose it! Daniel Rose, one of the 'cool' guys lent over and hissed, "Your nothing but a dirty mutant lover and no better then those freaks." I must admit I was quite impressed Daniel could string such a long sentence together with so little time to prepare.

"And you're nothing but a racist prick! Go to hell Daniel." I reply in an undertone.

Mrs Olleto seems to be struggling to gain full control over her vocal cords as her mouth is opening and shutting very quickly, but finally she manages to find her voice.

"Erm.. Katie Coranates, your next..."

I didn't hear much more of that English class, or much else for the rest of my classes in the remainder of the day.

When I stepped off at my bus stop at the end of school, there was a man walking up my path.

"Can I help you?" I inquired politely.

The man turned and I stared up not into a pair of eyes, but a set of ruby red sunnies. The man smiled revealing strait white teeth. He was tall and lean, about five foot eleven I'd say, under six foot anyway. He had neatly cut, short brown hair and dressed plainly in jeans, a T-shirt and joggers. He had to be in his early 20's.

"Yes actually, I'm looking for a Mrs Mulan Entwenet. This is her house?" He asked in a very New York like accent.

"Ah, yeah... She lives here. She's my mum. I'll take you in; she should be home by now." I replied and lightly brushed past him on the way to the front door.

"Are you a friend from work?" I called over my shoulder. Mum was a lawyer and always had colleges and clients popping in for a visit.

Or a date.

"No actually, I'm hear to talk to her about her daughter, I suppose that's you."

I raised an eyebrow, and walked in with the stranger in tow.

"Yes, that'd be me. What have I done? Are you from school? Cause if this is about my speech then I had every right to say what I said and-"

"Wow! Please! No, this is not about your school. But it is about a school." The stranger replied while holding his palms up to stop my on coming lecture about freedom of speech and mutant rights. "My name is Scott Summers and I'm a representative from a private school in New York."

I blinked and took a moment to let this new information sink in. 'A private school? Since when was I good enough to be in a private school? I wasn't a really that good academically; I was on the gymnastics team, and a black belt at Tae-Kwon-Do. But surely those weren't quality's for any private school, unless they were completely delusional and didn't know who I was, or had made some huge mistake and actually meant to go after some talented, rich bitch with daddy's wallet and a fake rack. Blech!

Just then, Mum walked into the hallway and spotted the delusional Mr Summers.

"Oh! Your here! Echo, why didn't you tell me we had company?" Graceful as ever, my stunning Eurasian mother floated into the middle of things and straight out again, leading Mr Summers into the living room and calling for me to get some tea.

I sighed heavily, dumped my bag in the kitchen and put the kettle on the boil. I could hear the conversation drifting through the doorway that led to the living room.

"...Yes, I've always said my little girl was gifted. She'll be quite thrilled with the offer..."

I cringed. As long as it got me away from here, it sounded like a good offer. Being a single mother and a high powered lawyer, she wasn't exactly always there when I needed her, so I'd grown up very independent and kind of resentful.

But of course, she cared enough to meddle in my school life and made sure I entered every thing and came first and was a success. Me being me, I usually dug my heels in and basically told her to piss-off, and that if she was going to make sure she new every aspect of my school life then she should bother to care about me. About what's happening with my friends and stuff.

I sighed again and walked into the living room with the tray filled with the tea set.

'Well, hear goes nothing...' I thought, before stepping over to the adults talking.

(A/N: That's all for now folks! Okay, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease tell me what you think! Because I need your opinion and Microsoft word doesn't recognise that ridiculously long word, nor douse it have a suggestion for it. Huh. But anyway.... I NEED YOUE REVIEWS!!! B/C I'M A PETHITC CREATURE WITH LOW SELF ESTEEM AND NEED THESE REVIEWS TO GO ON! Well, actually, nothing quite so dramatic, but it'd make my day and I'll give a delictus cookie to everyone who reviews! I've seen author's try to bribe readers with cookies, so I may as well give it a go! ;-P)