Jean Grey sat in Principal Kelly's ofice after school, waiting for him to arrive so he could sign her up for Bayville High's new program, "Peer Counseling".

"Ah Jean." Principal Kelly adjusted his glasses as he walked into his office. "Are you here to sign up for peer counseling?" When she nodded, he repleid, "I'm not surprised. We'll let you know which student you'll be counseling by next week at the latest." He smiled as she tucked a strand of strawberry red hair behind her ear and walked out.

"Scott!" She called out when she saw her classmate leaning up against his car. "Do you think I could get a ride back?"

"Sure Jean, hop in." Scott told her. when she closed the door, he got in, started the engine, and drove back to the Institute.

-

When they arrived, they found Logan outside cleaning his motorcycle. "Hey Red, Chuck wants t'see ya' in his study."

"Okay, thanks Logan."

He grutned and went back to work.

Jean waved bye' to Scott and pushed open the large door to the foyer where Bobby was running away from Kitty, her pink sweater in his hands. She waked up the stairs, and amde her way to the Professor's study where she knocked on the door and waited patiently for him to answer it.

"Come in."

She swung open the large door. "you wanted to see me Professor?' She asked.

"Ah, yes." Charles wheeled over to her. "You see, Cerebro has detected another mutant."

Jean walked in and sat down on an arm of a sofa. "Who's goin? Is it just me and you this time?" She asked.

"Actually, it is. You see, there's something strange about this girl's powers. They come in short bursts, quite frequently actually, and never have any effect on herself or anyone else, except for the face that she usually ends up going unconcious afterwards." He explained to her. "She lives in California, and we'll be leaving tonight. We should be back by tomorrow night at the latest, alright Jean?"

Jena nodded, stood up, and headed to the door. "Anything else Professor?" She asked.

"Oh, yes, congratualtions on becoming a peer counselor."

She smiled and walked to her room.

-

"Anna!" A girl with auburn curls called to a girl with long black hair. "Fuckin; slow down!" She ran to catch up with her friend who was laughing. She reached the corner and the two girls crossed together.

"God, Aubrey, could you get any slower?" Anna asked her friend who nodded.

They were walking back to Anna's apartment and along the way cought up with two other people. The first was a blonde in a mini-skirt,and the second was a guy about 5'10" with messy brown hair underneath a "Users are Losers" cap.

"Okay, Charlie, you know pinstripes make you look gay." The blonde pointed out, looking at his dress shirt which was unbuttoned revealing a white tee underneath.

Charlie shrugged. "And you know your skirt makes you look like a whore."

"BURN!" Aubrey yelled. "I bet that stung Renee."

Renee pouted.

"hey, cop cars." Charlie pointed out as they passed the 7/11.

"Someone probaly miss-fired a gun." Anna told them. "It's no big deal- it happens all the time."

"Oh my God!" Renee squealed. "Those cars are going to you're house, Anna!"

"She lives in a na partment, how can you tell?" Aubrey asked.

They turned into the parking lot and manuvered around cop cars to get into thec omplex. As they started to climb the stairs, the four of them could see yellow tape reading "Police Line Do Not Cross" across the doorway of apartment ten.

"Fuck Renee, you were right." Charlie breathed.

Anna's eyes widened. "the only people who'd be home right now are Timothy and my dad." She said, quickening her pace. They got to the door and saw about five cops and at least nine paramedics. She tossed Renee her cell phone. "Call Sera for me please."

Sera was her step-mom, and Timothy was Sera's son; he was twenty.

An officer walked up to them. "Which one of you is... Annabella Carmen Jenson?"

Anna grimaced. She ahted being called by her full name. "I am."

The officer put his arm around her, which was a little shocking. "I'm surry, hun, but there was a shoot-out about fifteen minutes ago, and your father died on impact."

Died on impact? It wasn't a car accident, so that must've meant he got shot and died immediately.

"I'm sorry to say, but the person who shot him got away." The officer continued, but Anna wasn't listening The words "your father died on impact" were still fresh in her mind.

Your father died on impact.

Died on impact

Your father died

Father died

Died.

-

Ugh. Anna hated her mother's house. She hated her mother. But the police didn't seem to care. They told her she needed to be placed with her next of kin until her father's will could be obtained.

Anna stayed home from school after that, and locked herself in her room. She would only come out to eat and use the bathroom late at night when everyone was asleep and when her brother was at school and ehr mother was at work.

She was so depressed, she even skipped teh funeral. "Why should I go?" She had asked her mother. "So I can watch you lock my daddy in a tomb underground?" Her mother had no response. It suprised her to hear Anna call her father 'daddy'. It surprised Anna too.

While everyone was at the funeral, Anna had stayed at home with her mother.

"I'll do it on an exhale." She whispered to herself as she held her gun up to her temple. It had taken all fo her fury to do it. Fury was the only thing she oculd rely on, because when seh got mad enough, BLind Fury would set in. She put her finger on the trigger and waited, thinking of everything that ever got her angry:

Her mother abandoning her, her siblings not caring, her friends false sympathy, her father's carelessness, all those things were added together until she snapped.

Her marron eyes illuminated, and she pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot rang throughout the suberbs, and Anna slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she wasn't dead.

The pistol had shot; she heard it herself. She rand won teh stairs and saw her mother sitting at the table as if nothing was wrong.

"oh, Anna, Sera stopped by earlier this morning to give yout his." She handed Anna a small mahogany box with a note.

Anna took the two things then went back to her room. She unfolded teh note first and read,

Sweetie- here's what they really did with your father, or part of him anyway. Good luck, I love you- Sera

Anna looked at the box, and on the bottom was carved-

To my baby girl, love dad

Anna was ready to cry, when she heard her mom yelling for her. She walked into the living room and saw two people sitting there with her mother.

One was a girl about her age with a huge smile on her face and dazzling red hair. The other was an older man in a wheelchair witha kind yet stern look on his face.

"Anna," her mother cooed, "This is Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey. Say hello."

"Mom, I'm eighteen, will you stop babying me for Christsake?"

"anna!" Her mother gasped.

"Um, Anna, you see, we're here because..." Jean started.

"Because I tried to shoot myself?" Anna asked.

"What are you talking about?" Anna's mother asked.

"Nevermind." Anna mumbled. Charles winked at her.

"ACtually," he said to her mother. "We're here because your daughter has a special talent."

"Ooh!" Anna's mother squealed. "Isn't this exciting?"

"Mother!" Anna yelled. "Stop being an idito for like an hour, please!"

Her mother looked like she got slapped. "he's here because I'm a mutant!" Anna continued. "It's because of my Blind Fury, but you wouldn't know about that because you dumped me with Dad thirteen years ago and took off!"

Blind Fury was going to happen again, Anna was positive. Jean and Charles could sense it too.

"Let me explain." Charles turned to face Anna's mother. "Every few generations, we see somthing that recently startinb becoming more frequent in the youth called the X Gene. This Gene grants special abilitites to the carrier, and to my knowledge, is hereditary. I have started a special institute for children like your daughter, to learn to control their abilities and continue living normal lives."

"I don't want to go." Anna said. "Its' nothing personal against you guys, but I've had Blind Fury for at least five years now, and I'm fine. So if you don't mind, I'll just go pack and get on home to Tim and Sera."

"If you're fine with your Blind Fury, is that why you relied on it to pull the trigger?" Jean asked; Anna's eyes narowed.

"How'd you know about that?"

"An example of the X Gene is myself." Charles told Anna and her mother. "I have discovered that I can use my mind to alter the way a person remembers, feels,"

"Thinks." anna finisehd for him.
"Yes, even thinks." Charles said. "And Jean is a telepath, as well as a psychic."

Anna's mom looked lost, but Anna's face darkened. "Fine. You win. I'll go with you."

"you alwasy have a choice, Anna." Jean told her.

"No, you're right. Although it sounds like I need therepy more than I need this." She muttered.