CH. 1
(6 years ago)
Skylar paced back and forth in room they'd given her to act as her bridal suite. All of the bridesmaids had left her to put the finishing touches on her wedding day look and the second they left her she started pacing trying to decide what she should do. A gentle knock on the door brought her to an abrupt stop and then Kat stuck her head in.
"I can hear you pacing from all the way down the hall, want to talk about it?" Kat entered the room and closed the door behind her. She fixed her ruthlessly curly black hair so that the pointed tips of her ears wouldn't be seen. Skylar leaned against the wall so she wouldn't wrinkle the train wreck of a dress that her soon to be mother-in-law picked out.
"You haven't told him yet have you?"
"No I haven't. I don't even know how to begin to tell him Kat. And what if he doesn't accept me? What if he can't see past it?"
"Sky," Kat walked over to her and grabbed her hands, "if he really loves you then he'll have no problem with it." Skylar exhaled slowly and smiled down at her oldest friend. Even though Skylar was eight inches taller than Kat she never seemed to mind looking down at her. "You better go tell him before you get married."
"You're right and you know I hate when you're right." Skylar left her chamber and slowly opened the door where Michael was straightening his bow tie. He caught her reflection the in mirror and winked.
"You know its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, but when she looks so beautiful how could anything bad happen?" Michael walked over to his bride and kissed her cheek. He tucked one of her red curls back into place and brushed imaginary lint of his tuxedo jacket. Always so upsets with perfection.
"Mike there's something I need to tell you before we do this."
"What is it babe?" Skylar twisted her engagement ring on her finger.
"You know those mutants that we've been hearing about on TV?" Michael nodded as he tweaked his cufflinks. Skylar took a deep breath and plucked the rose from his lapel. The bud began to bloom in her hand and Michael stopped messing with his cufflinks and watched her.
"Skylar…you're one of them?"
"Yes, but I'm not dangerous. You know me Mike, I'm the same person." Skylar went to touch Michael, but he flinched away from her.
"How long have you known you were a…?"
"A mutant? I discovered my powers when I was 12. Me and Kat…"
"Katrina's one as well? I should have know, I knew she was a bad influence."
"Michael, Kat didn't make me a mutant, I was born this way."
"You're a freak."
"No, I'm not. I'm the same person I was 5 minutes ago. I'm the same person you fell in love with." Michael ran his hand down his face and cleared his throat.
"I'll go out there and tell them that the wedding is off. I'll tell them that we made a mistake, that we fell out of love, I'll tell them something. I'll stay with my parents while you move your stuff out of the apartment, but once you're gone I don't want to hear from you again." Michael walked to the door and fixed his hair.
"Michael it's still me! I'm the same person!"
"No, you're a freak and the woman that I fell in love with was a lie." Michael left Skylar standing there on the verge of tears. Just before Sky fully broke down Kat swooped in and held Skylar tight.
"Sky I told you he wasn't right for you." Skylar sobbed and held onto her friend until her tears slowed. That night Skylar packed up everything from her and Michael's apartment and moved in with Kat. She talked to her mother and father about the wedding being canceled and she burned the hideous wedding gown the mother and law she hated bought for her. She curled up on Kat's couch and hugged a bottle of scotch to her chest. Kat turned on the light in the living room and looked at her best friend.
"You're gonna get over him sweetie. How you holding up?"
"I'm tired, all my stuff from a 7 year long relationship is in a storage locker, and I'm almost out of scotch. Could you turn off the light of and bring me another bottle?" Skylar pulled a blanket around her and took a swig from the bottle. Kat turned off the light and went back to her bedroom. Skylar drank the last bit of scotch and stared at the empty bottle. I will never love again.
(Present day)
"Breaking news. Skylar O'Riley, the famous botanist, has created a rudimentary cure for AIDS. By manipulating a combination of plant DNA she found the right chemicals that target the cells with the disease and not only keep it from spreading, but actually eliminate the virus from the body. The cure was 5 years in the making and Ms. O'Riley says this is just one of many miracles she plans to contribute to the world. The 28 year old botanist has given new hope to these dark times we live in." Skylar turned off the TV and continued to water her potted plants. Skylar stroked the leaves of her hibiscus plant and the flowers bloomed. Just as Skylar put down her watering can Kat came through the door and locked the front door.
"What's going on?"
"Sky grab your bag we need to get out of here like now." Kat threw the bags that they always kept packed by the door at her and grabbed her laptop and phone charger.
"What's the deal Kat?"
"There is a van parked outside and I know that they were sent by Senator Kelly's anti-mutant task force. We need to get out of her now Sky!" Skylar grabbed her bag and they ran out the back door just as the front door was kicked in. Sky opened her palm at the tree in the back yard and the trunk opened to allow them to slide down the tunnel they had built if they ever needed to escape. The tunnel let out a mile from their home where a car was waiting packed and ready to go. As they sped away from the curb and drove away from the city Skylar watched as New York faded into the background.
"Where are we going to go?"
"I heard there was an institute for gifted children in Virginia that is a haven for mutants. We'll go there and see what we should do." Sky looked over at her friend and grabbed her hand. Why can't we just be accepted.
