Author: Coneflower Adams
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from X-Men Evolution, but Lesley is my OFC.
Writers notes:
1)This is my first X-Men Evolution, but far from being my first fic. I'm not sure how well I'm writing the characters, so I hope my attempt will be okay.
2)I switch Jamie Madrox to the present in this story, so basically he didn't exist during the cartoon series. If that didn't make sense, you'll get it when you read the story.
My name is Tonda Lesley Tolensky, and I am the offspring of two mutants. For the past twelve years of my life, I have been surrounded by mutants at home, at school, everywhere I go I'm with mutants. That's why being around regular people seems weird and dull, but also relieving in an odd sort of way. It may be because I haven't shown any signs of mutant abilities. Everyone else can do something special, but I can't! Mom says give it time. Dad says I should listen to Mom. Speaking of my parents…
My Mom is the prettiest lady I've ever seen, aside from Aunt Kitty (who's not really my aunt, but that's what I've always called her). I've seen pictures of Mom before I was born. She use to wear heavy make-up and her hair was short with red spiky ends. I'm glad she doesn't look like that anymore. Her hair is all one color and touches her shoulders now. She only wears make-up when her and Dad need to take care of business. 'Business' being the codename for them kicking some major mutant arse.
Mom is quiet except when she's angry, then you better watch out! Her hexing powers are pretty scary. That's why I like it when she's quiet, but I especially like when Dad makes her laugh. Mom is always telling me to be careful in her sort of paranoid kind of way. She taught me how to defend myself, how to watch my back just incase something is after me, because being in a family of mutants, supposedly there's always something after you.
Sometimes I think my Dad is crazy. He hops like a frog, eats flies with his long tongue, and spits slime. But that's not why I think he's crazy. When we're in a clothing store, he never fails to dance with a manikin, which also never fails to get a death glare from Mom. He does these outrageous tricks like swinging from the ceiling light fixtures or sliding down the stairs on a flattened cardboard box. Yes, he's crazy, but it added to a fun childhood.
Dad somehow has come up with a new pet name for every day of the year for me and Mom. His favorite to use for Mom is 'cuddlebumps' and for me it's 'spoodles'. I use to not mind the pet name, but now it's starting to get to me. I mean, what respecting twelve year old wants to be called 'spoodles' by their dad? In public, for goodness sakes!
I do have a good relationship with both my parents, so I should never complain about them. Well, maybe a little. Some of the kids at Professor Xavier's boarding house were disowned by their parents or had to runaway just because they had special abilities. Guess I'm lucky to have two parents.
It's hard going to school when you're parents are mutants though. Most of my follow peers didn't care since mutants had been going to the Bayville schools for years now, but some groups of kids just don't want to let the fact rest. That's why I was dreading the first day of seventh grade.
"Tonda Tolensky?"
I cringe as the teacher calls my name. Why did Mom let Dad name me? I hesitantly raise my hand. "I go by my middle name – Lesley."
The teacher nods and calls the next student's name. By that gesture, I'll probably have to remind her for half the year to not call me Tonda. I hear the familiar snickers around me.
"Tolensky," a voice jeers behind me. I turn to face Bryce Urick. Somehow the dingbat gets put in the same class as me every single year, and it never fails that he sits behind me.
"You have a problem, Urick?" I spit back at him.
Bryce smirks. "What if I do? Gonna hit me with your frog tongue?"
I throw a death glare at him mirroring my Mom. She's such a good teacher in this department. "For one, I do not have a frog tongue. Isn't that gag getting old? I mean, you came with it in like fifth grade."
"Shouldn't you have started mutating into a frog by now so you could hop around and eat flies just like your froggy daddy?"
It's one thing to insult me, but it's another to talk about my Dad that way. I've heard about the infamous rage Mom had when she was a teenager. Guess I inherited some of that, because I don't even realize that I had jumped across Bryce's desk and knocked him into the wall. All the while he's screaming, "Frog girl attack!" Yeah, real mature.
No surprise that I end up in the principal's office. Oh well, wouldn't be the first time.
"Miss Tolensky, you of all people should know this behavior will not be tolerated," Principal Adcox tells me. She's a nice enough lady, but she doesn't put up with much.
"Yes, ma'am," I reply sluggishly then get defensive. "Bryce was talking bad about my father again. He has no right saying those things."
"I've talked with Mr. Urick." She looks at me sternly.
I control the urge to roll my eyes. How many times have I heard that? As usual, Bryce gets away with a warning and I go home to my parents' wrath.
"The first day of school, Lesley?" That would be my mom, death glare and all. I really like it when she's quiet and content.
"That's a new record for you, pumpkinhead." That would be my dad, pet name and all.
"Thanks," I remark back, sarcastically. Dad throws me an amused grin, but Mom is not amused one bit.
"Lesley, you can't keep doing this."
This time I don't even bother to hide my eye roll. Sometimes I wonder how cool it would be if I knew my mom when she was a teenager. I push off the kitchen counter, shrugging a shoulder casually. "I'm defending you guys, among other mutant. Thought you'd be proud."
Mom sighs, glancing down at the tiled floor. "We are proud of you, Lesley."
"Yeah, spoodles." Dad throws an arm around my shoulders, hugging me to him like he always does. "We're real proud, but ya gotta stop getting into it with the kids at school. I did that all the time in school, but things are different now…sort of"
I tug away from Dad, but he holds onto me until I say, "I know."
Mom clasps both my shoulders with her hands and looks straight into my eyes. Oh no, here it comes. "Be thankful you've been given the chance to even attend school. I know there are jerks out there that just want to pick a fight, but you have to be better than them and feed into their insults."
"Boy, have things changed," Dad comments, and I know he's referring to Mom's attitude toward things. He slinks an arm around Mom's neck, which receives an irritated glance, then plants a wet kiss on her cheek just to push her to breaking point. Mom loves Dad dearly, but open affection especially while having a serious conversation just doesn't go together in our house.
I glance over at Dad giving him a 'do-you-have-a-death-wish' look, but he just keeps grinning foolishly.
"Do you understand, Lesley?" Mom asks.
I nod. "Yes, ma'am." Hey, at least I use manners.
Mom shoves my shoulders a little then says, "Good."
Just then, there's a knock at the front door. I peek around Mom to see my best friend at the front door. "Jamie is at the door. Can I go talk to him?"
Mom smiles and I can tell she back to her content self again. As I walk pass my parents, I hear Dad ask what's for dinner and Mom groaning when he suggest dragonfly stew. The funny thing is, he made dragonfly stew before and it's not a pretty sight.
Standing at the front door, a little twitchy, is my best friend - Jamie Madrox. Like everyone around me, Jamie is a mutant. He lives at Xavier's boarding house. We met right before sixth grade started last year. He was new to Bayville, and it seemed no one really wanted to be around him because he had a problem controlling his powers. Every time the smallest impact would hit him, he'd multiple by three. It must have been embarrassing to everyone, but I thought it was cool. His powers come in handy like when it's just the two of us and we want to play dodge ball.
Jamie is a nice guy too, but also knows how to get in trouble. Last year during field day at school, Jamie wanted to see how much popcorn the popcorn machine would make. When no one was looking, we poured an extra twenty pound stack of popcorn seeds. Who'd a thunk popcorn was strong enough to break glass?
"Looks like they separated us this year," I say as I close the door behind me to join Jamie on the front stoop. "At least we get to hang out during lunch and P.E."
Jamie frowned, sounding down. "Yeah."
I glance at him. "Are you okay?"
Jamie shrugs. "Some guys pushed me around today."
I feel my face grow livid. "Was it Bryce and his friends?"
Jamie shrugs again, and I know it was. Since they can't hit Jamie, they hold him on the ground by all fours and do stupid things like spit on him. It happened three times last year. Of course, it was while Jamie was alone.
"I'll have to start walking you home again."
Jamie groans, facepalming. "Can't believe a girl wants to protect me, and one without powers!"
I smack his arm with my fist sending three duplicates of him shattering on the front stoop. I smirk mischievously. "Think of it as strength in numbers!"
Jamie shakes his head. "Har, har."