AN: Standard Disclaimers Apply
O~~~~~~~~~~O Good Samaritan O~~~~~~~~~~O
He was at his wit's end. She drove him absolutely insane every time their eyes met. It infuriated him that he found himself missing her whenever they were apart. Together or separated, neither seemed the proper solution. Today, however, had been the last straw.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Kitty Pryde was easily one of the best-looking girls in school. A perky ponytail, trendy clothes, and her slender figure caught the eyes of most of the boys in her grade, and half of the upperclassmen as well. It seemed like hardly a week went by without some boy offering the giggly freshman a ride, asking her out, or at least giving her a long glance as she strolled unaware down the hallway.
Lance Alvers was from another world entirely. Adored by no one, he was quite the outcast. He couldn't afford the latest styles, nor did he care that his Jeep was looking a little woebegone. His easygoing brown hair had gotten a bit long of late and he'd worn holes in both knees of his grimy jeans. Most girls avoided him like the plague, afraid of their reputations being tarnished like his work-hardened hands. Some called him scruffy, other mistakenly gave change. But behind the rebellious exterior, a good heart beat true. If only he could make Kitty realize it.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Earlier that day, lunch to be precise, Lance had come across the most sickening thing he'd ever seen. That was saying a lot, given his housemates. Tommy Boggins was a well-dressed teen who solved most of life's little problems by throwing money and his father's law degree at them. His taste in women typically ran to girls with spotless backgrounds and ample bra sizes. Therefore, it came as quite a shock to see him flirting openly with Kitty.
"As I was saying, Katherine, father just bought me the new BMW for my eighteenth." He lifted a pale hand to his temple and rumpled his hair. "I'd love to give you a ride home, if it's alright with you." He was polite, dangerously so.
Lurking in the background, Lance only narrowed his eyes in disgust. He'd just gotten his radiator working again and was hoping Kitty might have liked a chance to escape her typical ride: Jean's SUV. Kitty giggled and blushed prettily, which only seemed to please the wealthy boy. Lance snorted; he'd seen it before. Tommy had pulled the exact same scenario on Judy Graves only last Thursday.
"Oh, that's okay. I uh ... don't wanna impose." Kitty looked suddenly hesitant, slouching a bit more and averting her gaze. Tommy waved it of as a typical female oddity and dismissed her uncertainty with a wave of his hand.
"Nonsense, I'll be waiting for you behind the gym after sixth period. See you then, Katherine." And then, with little warning, the suave young teen leaned down to plant a tiny kiss on her cheek. As he turned to saunter down the hall, Kitty put her fingers to her face, looking quite surprised. How had that happened?
Lance balled his fists as his rival walked past, glaring daggers.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Swearing beneath his breath, Lance wiped the sweat from his brow. Crouching on the harsh blacktop, only three miles from home, he spun the tire-iron around, loosening the lug nuts. The same tire had gone flat twice now, all in less than a month. It irritated him to no end but nothing, nothing, could prepare him for what was to follow.
A shiny new car pulled up behind him, easing into park some thirty feet away. Lance turned his head to see Kitty bouncing up to him, hands clutching the straps of her backpack-style purse. Behind her, Tommy was leaning coolly against his car, watching the spectacle with an amused expression.
It was a hot day in April. Kitty's hair was a little mussed from riding about in the convertible but when she crouched down to see if Lance needed any help, he couldn't help but smile at her. Her eyes were so beautiful, such a perfect shade of blue.
"You, like, want my phone?" She slipped her purse off and rummaged through it for a cell phone.
"I'm fine." He glanced over to where Tommy was checking his watch, still standing by the car. It made him uncomfortable for the other boy to see him in his somewhat vulnerable position.
"I saw your jeep from down the road." Kitty told him, watching as he went back to work changing the tire.
"Thanks for the thought, but I'll be alright." Lance wanted her to leave. His cheeks flushed slightly as he noticed that Tommy's Beamer still had the dealer's tag on it; too new for a license plate. His own Jeep had seen better days; the flat tire, dents in the side panels, and a barely- functional radiator. The embarrassment was too much, he would have given anything for the Earth to just open up and swallow him whole.
"Come on Katherine, I'm sure he can handle a simple flat tire. I don't want you getting dirty." Tommy called, opening the door and waiting for her.
Lance narrowed his eyes and the Earth gave a tiny rumble.
"Lance!" Kitty rolled her eyes. "Hey, I figured you'd be like, glad we stopped. There's no need to go attacking every guy who gives me a lift home." Lance stared up at her in amazement. She thought he was jealous! "Well you can, like, forget I offered." Gathering her purse, she retreated to the comfort of surround-sound speakers and Boggins' courteous manners.
"Good job, Alvers. Like she'll ever talk to you again." He sighed and wrenched the flat tire from his vehicle.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Lance Alvers was through with Kitty. She was flat out ignoring him at school, refusing to make eye contact. With Fred's latest eating binge and the recent addition of a few new broken windows to the fiasco that was the Brotherhood Boarding House, he had other things on his mind.
Bayville High was in an upheaval. Principle Darkholme had pulled a surprise move and allowed freshmen to attend the upcoming Prom. The majority of students were buzzing with excitement. Groaning, Lance did his best to ignore it as he sulked off to History.
He'd have been fine never hearing her name again, never seeing her again. He would have been perfectly alright to just ignore the Prom and women altogether until he was dead in his grave.
"Hey – you hear Boggins is hooking up with that dumb freshman girl after Prom on Saturday?"
Or not.
Instantly, plans were changed and he made a mental note of Kitty's schedule, trying to think of when would be the best time to warn her about what he'd heard. His eyes had haunted her footsteps for nearly a year now and it felt odd when little traits like being a bit of a stalker began coming in handy.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Prom Night was shockingly cold, even for New York. Lance sat in the grass, hiding behind a few well-pruned bushes just outside the Hobbleday Inn. Inside, the music blared on and on, nearly driving him crazy with the incessant boys bands and never-ending bumping and grinding.
It was nearly two am when Kitty left, her shoulder draped lavishly with the tuxedoed limb of a smirking young Boggins. Lance had to clench his teeth to keep himself from sending a seismic wave after them. Anything to upset the cool exterior of his rival would be well worth the death threats and hatred from Kitty ... almost.
Slipping into his Jeep, Lance found tracking Boggins rather easy. The shiny red convertible showed up easily in the darkness of night. Tommy was also driving a little recklessly, dodging a few stoplights here and there and not bothering to signal for any of it. Lance just smirked and followed four or five car-lengths behind, flooring his little Jeep and praying it wouldn't conk out on him.
It was a tedious half an hour and he tried hard not to think of the charming little remarks Kitty was enduring. No doubt Tommy would have flowers and chocolates, probably imported from Italy by a little midget who would follow Kitty around in a Cupid costume and sing love songs to her. Lance sighed, it was going to be a long night ...
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Surprisingly, Tommy pulled not into some deserted alcove in the woods, but a 24-hour Minimart. Noticing his gas gauge was a little to close to 'E' for comfort, Lance pulled in behind them, on the opposite side of the lot. Leaning against his vehicle, he watched menacingly from the shadows as he filled his tank.
"Hey Buddy could ya spare a buck?" A disheveled old man, his clothes torn and filthy, extended a wind-bitten hand to Tommy. Kitty stopped and was rummaging through her handbag when her date pulled her roughly away.
"Come now, Katherine. People like him, they're a menace. You'll only make it worse by giving in." Tommy chided her, pointing a finger in accusation. Kitty blushed, feeling a little stupid to be scolded like a child.
Seeing an opportunity, Lance took the moment to run inside and pay for his gas. The beggar held out an icy hand as Lance was headed back to his car, repeating his earlier question. Pausing, Lance sighed and removed his gloves, giving them to the old man with a dismayed grin on his face. Sometimes he even surprised himself.
"Lance!" Kitty cried out, running back across the parking lot. He turned to see her grinning madly, her handbag flopping around as she dug through it in search of money. "Here y' go!" Placing a five-dollar bill in his now gloved hands, she received a grateful 'God bless the both of you!'
"Katherine, come along!" Tommy barked from his Beamer, obviously annoyed that Lance had outdone him. "You'll get your shoes dirty." Kitty's smile vanished. Turning very slowly, she could see through his cool façade to what he really was – a jerk. Her mouth set in a firm frown and her eyes narrowed angrily. Lance backed away, having seen Kitty's fury one too many times.
"Actually, Lance owes me a ride home." She said coldly, a little relieved at the idea of ending her date. He'd been unusually smug about something and she didn't like it, though she had no idea what his intentions were.
"Alvers can give you a ride on Monday." Tommy snarled, glaring at his unkempt rival. He marched back over from his car, his face red with the indignity of the situation. After fishing in his pocket for a moment, he found a quarter and flung it rudely at the homeless old man.
"No thank, Son. You need it more than I do." The bum turned a devilish grin on the flabbergasted teen. He scooped up and returned the meager offering.
On the steps of the Minimart, all hell broke loose.
Tommy lost his temper completely and began swearing at the man, calling him every foul name he could think of and inventing a few on the spot. He'd made him look bad in front of Kitty. But worse, he'd made him look bad in front of Kitty and that Alvers guy.
"Look Boggins, I'll see you at school Monday." Kitty lifted white-gloved hands to calm him. Even though she'd ended their date, she didn't like seeing him in such a fit.
"You're coming with me!" he shrieked, rather out of control. Grabbing her wrist, he drug her down the steps and back towards his car.
"Hey!" Lance spoke up. Tommy barely had time to register the challenge by the time he noticed Lance charging at him. It was a quick punch to the jaw, no powers. He'd had it coming. Kitty watched her date sprawl awkwardly across the cold pavement.
"You still want that ride?" Lance asked, cracking his wrist casually.
"Of course." Kitty smiled, digging in her handbag for her cell phone. One quick call to the Boggins' later and she felt quite relieved of her duty to Tommy. "Mr. Gloves can watch him." She gave the bum a large grin. He nodded, vowing to keep an eye on the unconscious youth until his parents arrived.
"Let's get you home." Lance sighed, wondering what Tommy's family would say to the man looking after their son. Glancing down to where the immaculately dressed Kitty had taken his arm, he smiled fondly and led her off to his Jeep.
He did owe her a ride after all.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
AN: I've never had a BMW (much less a shiny new convertible) so I have no idea what sort of bells & whistles go along with it. I just made that part up. :P
Also – you should know this is a one-shot and was meant to be posted months ago (before Christmas!) but I'm a lazy girl and you get it now.
Like it? Hate it? Review it!!!
O~~~~~~~~~~O Good Samaritan O~~~~~~~~~~O
He was at his wit's end. She drove him absolutely insane every time their eyes met. It infuriated him that he found himself missing her whenever they were apart. Together or separated, neither seemed the proper solution. Today, however, had been the last straw.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Kitty Pryde was easily one of the best-looking girls in school. A perky ponytail, trendy clothes, and her slender figure caught the eyes of most of the boys in her grade, and half of the upperclassmen as well. It seemed like hardly a week went by without some boy offering the giggly freshman a ride, asking her out, or at least giving her a long glance as she strolled unaware down the hallway.
Lance Alvers was from another world entirely. Adored by no one, he was quite the outcast. He couldn't afford the latest styles, nor did he care that his Jeep was looking a little woebegone. His easygoing brown hair had gotten a bit long of late and he'd worn holes in both knees of his grimy jeans. Most girls avoided him like the plague, afraid of their reputations being tarnished like his work-hardened hands. Some called him scruffy, other mistakenly gave change. But behind the rebellious exterior, a good heart beat true. If only he could make Kitty realize it.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Earlier that day, lunch to be precise, Lance had come across the most sickening thing he'd ever seen. That was saying a lot, given his housemates. Tommy Boggins was a well-dressed teen who solved most of life's little problems by throwing money and his father's law degree at them. His taste in women typically ran to girls with spotless backgrounds and ample bra sizes. Therefore, it came as quite a shock to see him flirting openly with Kitty.
"As I was saying, Katherine, father just bought me the new BMW for my eighteenth." He lifted a pale hand to his temple and rumpled his hair. "I'd love to give you a ride home, if it's alright with you." He was polite, dangerously so.
Lurking in the background, Lance only narrowed his eyes in disgust. He'd just gotten his radiator working again and was hoping Kitty might have liked a chance to escape her typical ride: Jean's SUV. Kitty giggled and blushed prettily, which only seemed to please the wealthy boy. Lance snorted; he'd seen it before. Tommy had pulled the exact same scenario on Judy Graves only last Thursday.
"Oh, that's okay. I uh ... don't wanna impose." Kitty looked suddenly hesitant, slouching a bit more and averting her gaze. Tommy waved it of as a typical female oddity and dismissed her uncertainty with a wave of his hand.
"Nonsense, I'll be waiting for you behind the gym after sixth period. See you then, Katherine." And then, with little warning, the suave young teen leaned down to plant a tiny kiss on her cheek. As he turned to saunter down the hall, Kitty put her fingers to her face, looking quite surprised. How had that happened?
Lance balled his fists as his rival walked past, glaring daggers.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Swearing beneath his breath, Lance wiped the sweat from his brow. Crouching on the harsh blacktop, only three miles from home, he spun the tire-iron around, loosening the lug nuts. The same tire had gone flat twice now, all in less than a month. It irritated him to no end but nothing, nothing, could prepare him for what was to follow.
A shiny new car pulled up behind him, easing into park some thirty feet away. Lance turned his head to see Kitty bouncing up to him, hands clutching the straps of her backpack-style purse. Behind her, Tommy was leaning coolly against his car, watching the spectacle with an amused expression.
It was a hot day in April. Kitty's hair was a little mussed from riding about in the convertible but when she crouched down to see if Lance needed any help, he couldn't help but smile at her. Her eyes were so beautiful, such a perfect shade of blue.
"You, like, want my phone?" She slipped her purse off and rummaged through it for a cell phone.
"I'm fine." He glanced over to where Tommy was checking his watch, still standing by the car. It made him uncomfortable for the other boy to see him in his somewhat vulnerable position.
"I saw your jeep from down the road." Kitty told him, watching as he went back to work changing the tire.
"Thanks for the thought, but I'll be alright." Lance wanted her to leave. His cheeks flushed slightly as he noticed that Tommy's Beamer still had the dealer's tag on it; too new for a license plate. His own Jeep had seen better days; the flat tire, dents in the side panels, and a barely- functional radiator. The embarrassment was too much, he would have given anything for the Earth to just open up and swallow him whole.
"Come on Katherine, I'm sure he can handle a simple flat tire. I don't want you getting dirty." Tommy called, opening the door and waiting for her.
Lance narrowed his eyes and the Earth gave a tiny rumble.
"Lance!" Kitty rolled her eyes. "Hey, I figured you'd be like, glad we stopped. There's no need to go attacking every guy who gives me a lift home." Lance stared up at her in amazement. She thought he was jealous! "Well you can, like, forget I offered." Gathering her purse, she retreated to the comfort of surround-sound speakers and Boggins' courteous manners.
"Good job, Alvers. Like she'll ever talk to you again." He sighed and wrenched the flat tire from his vehicle.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Lance Alvers was through with Kitty. She was flat out ignoring him at school, refusing to make eye contact. With Fred's latest eating binge and the recent addition of a few new broken windows to the fiasco that was the Brotherhood Boarding House, he had other things on his mind.
Bayville High was in an upheaval. Principle Darkholme had pulled a surprise move and allowed freshmen to attend the upcoming Prom. The majority of students were buzzing with excitement. Groaning, Lance did his best to ignore it as he sulked off to History.
He'd have been fine never hearing her name again, never seeing her again. He would have been perfectly alright to just ignore the Prom and women altogether until he was dead in his grave.
"Hey – you hear Boggins is hooking up with that dumb freshman girl after Prom on Saturday?"
Or not.
Instantly, plans were changed and he made a mental note of Kitty's schedule, trying to think of when would be the best time to warn her about what he'd heard. His eyes had haunted her footsteps for nearly a year now and it felt odd when little traits like being a bit of a stalker began coming in handy.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Prom Night was shockingly cold, even for New York. Lance sat in the grass, hiding behind a few well-pruned bushes just outside the Hobbleday Inn. Inside, the music blared on and on, nearly driving him crazy with the incessant boys bands and never-ending bumping and grinding.
It was nearly two am when Kitty left, her shoulder draped lavishly with the tuxedoed limb of a smirking young Boggins. Lance had to clench his teeth to keep himself from sending a seismic wave after them. Anything to upset the cool exterior of his rival would be well worth the death threats and hatred from Kitty ... almost.
Slipping into his Jeep, Lance found tracking Boggins rather easy. The shiny red convertible showed up easily in the darkness of night. Tommy was also driving a little recklessly, dodging a few stoplights here and there and not bothering to signal for any of it. Lance just smirked and followed four or five car-lengths behind, flooring his little Jeep and praying it wouldn't conk out on him.
It was a tedious half an hour and he tried hard not to think of the charming little remarks Kitty was enduring. No doubt Tommy would have flowers and chocolates, probably imported from Italy by a little midget who would follow Kitty around in a Cupid costume and sing love songs to her. Lance sighed, it was going to be a long night ...
O~~~~~~~~~~O
Surprisingly, Tommy pulled not into some deserted alcove in the woods, but a 24-hour Minimart. Noticing his gas gauge was a little to close to 'E' for comfort, Lance pulled in behind them, on the opposite side of the lot. Leaning against his vehicle, he watched menacingly from the shadows as he filled his tank.
"Hey Buddy could ya spare a buck?" A disheveled old man, his clothes torn and filthy, extended a wind-bitten hand to Tommy. Kitty stopped and was rummaging through her handbag when her date pulled her roughly away.
"Come now, Katherine. People like him, they're a menace. You'll only make it worse by giving in." Tommy chided her, pointing a finger in accusation. Kitty blushed, feeling a little stupid to be scolded like a child.
Seeing an opportunity, Lance took the moment to run inside and pay for his gas. The beggar held out an icy hand as Lance was headed back to his car, repeating his earlier question. Pausing, Lance sighed and removed his gloves, giving them to the old man with a dismayed grin on his face. Sometimes he even surprised himself.
"Lance!" Kitty cried out, running back across the parking lot. He turned to see her grinning madly, her handbag flopping around as she dug through it in search of money. "Here y' go!" Placing a five-dollar bill in his now gloved hands, she received a grateful 'God bless the both of you!'
"Katherine, come along!" Tommy barked from his Beamer, obviously annoyed that Lance had outdone him. "You'll get your shoes dirty." Kitty's smile vanished. Turning very slowly, she could see through his cool façade to what he really was – a jerk. Her mouth set in a firm frown and her eyes narrowed angrily. Lance backed away, having seen Kitty's fury one too many times.
"Actually, Lance owes me a ride home." She said coldly, a little relieved at the idea of ending her date. He'd been unusually smug about something and she didn't like it, though she had no idea what his intentions were.
"Alvers can give you a ride on Monday." Tommy snarled, glaring at his unkempt rival. He marched back over from his car, his face red with the indignity of the situation. After fishing in his pocket for a moment, he found a quarter and flung it rudely at the homeless old man.
"No thank, Son. You need it more than I do." The bum turned a devilish grin on the flabbergasted teen. He scooped up and returned the meager offering.
On the steps of the Minimart, all hell broke loose.
Tommy lost his temper completely and began swearing at the man, calling him every foul name he could think of and inventing a few on the spot. He'd made him look bad in front of Kitty. But worse, he'd made him look bad in front of Kitty and that Alvers guy.
"Look Boggins, I'll see you at school Monday." Kitty lifted white-gloved hands to calm him. Even though she'd ended their date, she didn't like seeing him in such a fit.
"You're coming with me!" he shrieked, rather out of control. Grabbing her wrist, he drug her down the steps and back towards his car.
"Hey!" Lance spoke up. Tommy barely had time to register the challenge by the time he noticed Lance charging at him. It was a quick punch to the jaw, no powers. He'd had it coming. Kitty watched her date sprawl awkwardly across the cold pavement.
"You still want that ride?" Lance asked, cracking his wrist casually.
"Of course." Kitty smiled, digging in her handbag for her cell phone. One quick call to the Boggins' later and she felt quite relieved of her duty to Tommy. "Mr. Gloves can watch him." She gave the bum a large grin. He nodded, vowing to keep an eye on the unconscious youth until his parents arrived.
"Let's get you home." Lance sighed, wondering what Tommy's family would say to the man looking after their son. Glancing down to where the immaculately dressed Kitty had taken his arm, he smiled fondly and led her off to his Jeep.
He did owe her a ride after all.
O~~~~~~~~~~O
AN: I've never had a BMW (much less a shiny new convertible) so I have no idea what sort of bells & whistles go along with it. I just made that part up. :P
Also – you should know this is a one-shot and was meant to be posted months ago (before Christmas!) but I'm a lazy girl and you get it now.
Like it? Hate it? Review it!!!