Title: Another Day
Timeline: Takes place in Invincible world aroundthe time of Who's Coming Over?
Author: Monica
Summary: Jean and Bobby getting through life (not terribly exciting). I thought it was about time to pull in other characters.
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men, Marvel does. I am not making money off of this pitiful excuse for a story. I apologize for the format. I can't get it to save in my riginal configuration.
Jean hated being poor. She had been taught that you should be grateful for what you had. What was the point, she thought, when you never had anything for very long?
"Let's go, Jean!" Bobby yelled from the doorway. The sunlight streamed into the dusty room, glinting off his pale blonde hair. With the dust swirling around his head like a halo, he looked almost angelic.
Another day in the damn sweltering factory putting together luxuries that she would never own. Jean sighed and grabbed her sweater. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
Bobby was younger by just two years, but it sometimes felt like there was a lifetime between them. While Jean poked and prodded into the reasons for their persistent poverty, Bobby went through life looking straight ahead. Maybe it was better to be unaware of the dark corners and cracked walls.
"I'll come and get you at lunch," Bobby said, rushing down the street towards the school. He was in his last year of high school. Finally.
Jean walked into the massive, ugly building and sat down at her spot on one of the many benches. Around her were other girls of every shape, color and size. The only thing that never differed was the poverty and desperation. Jean picked up her basket and began fitting pieces together. Base, peg one, peg two, top, screw together. Over and over and over again. In this place, she was merely one of the millions of forgettable people who live in the world, and then leave it without comment.
Bobby hated his life. He always had to be ready to duck or fight, to yell or run. Welcome to the concrete jungle. The school was a training ground for the city's future thieves, murderers, and rapists. The teachers had long stopped trying and just tried to get most of the class in and out in one piece. Survival was a feat.
Bobby had one friend. This was out of necessity as much as it was out of need for companionship. Anyone walking alone was a sure target. The streams of students flowed by him, running, kicking and screaming. He ignored it with practiced indifference.
"Hank, where you Sunday?" Bobby asked. Mass on Sunday was so boring without Hank. Jean didn't appreciate it when he mocked the priest. The same animals that were penned up in school all week were the same ones that attended church every Sunday without fail. Unfortunately, being in a divine presence didn't make much of an impact.
As far as friends went, Bobby's choice wasn't the best. Hank was too smart. He stood out in class when some teacher tried to speak. And sometimes he took out a book in class. Still, Hank was huge, physically. That had come in handy a few times. Plus, he was on occasion pretty funny.
"Funeral in midtown. My cousin died." Hank made people move out his way. If they weren't fast enough, he simply mowed them down. He was smart enough to know that any kindness was mistaken for weakness. He simply ignored the groans and kept his eyes straight ahead. One more year.
"Mass just wasn't the same." Bobby made sure he stayed half a step behind Hank so he could walk through the halls easily.
Hank stopped, causing Bobby to run into him. "Did Alex try something?" Not that he cared. Hank was merely curious. His hands clenched into fists.
"Nah, it's cool. Jean was, well, we had to leave early." Thank God. That had been something to pray about. Hank searched for truth in Bobby's face before turning to continue to class.
"I wanna kill that guy."
Jean let her mind wander as she worked. There were so many things she could have been, could have seen, could have done. Her parents had hoped that their children could be more than they were, finish school and have things that they only dreamed of. It just wasn't to be. But Jean had been brought up dreaming big. Sometimes she hated that. If only she didn't know there was more, then maybe she could know contentment. Jean left school at sixteen when her mother was too sick to get out of bed. It had been decided that Bobby would finish school because boys generally get better jobs than girls, and boys with a diploma did even better. So she had one more year of this shit. And then what?
The whistle blew, pulling Jean out of her daydreams. Lunch. She stood and stretched, trying to get feeling back into her body. Halfway done with the day.
Bobby was waiting for her outside. It was strange how quickly he seemed to grow up. His lean face had taken on definition, his body hard with muscle. Gone was the cling of fat that had rounded his cheeks. His blue eyes were wary and old. He had been touched, no, pounded, by life. Jean smiled at him in a new way. As if there were no more older and younger, just brother and sister.
"What's wrong, Bobby?" Jean asked, sitting on the curb and pulling out their lunch, water, peanut butter sandwiches, and two small apples.
"Nothin'," he mumbled, his eyes cutting across the street. A young man was walking with a shapely young lady. He tried not to care about the gentle sway of her hips and the soft curl in her hair. It didn't seem to be working very well.
Jean narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Don't you go sniffing around Anna. Before you know it, you'll find yourself married with a baby on the way. And you'll have to wonder if the kid's yours."
"Don't talk like that, Jean. Anna can't help her mama being a whore any more than we can help what happened to mama." Bobby brooded, watching Anna on the arm of that other guy. If only he had moved a little faster, then maybe…
"Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," sniffed Jean. Time seemed to be moving far too quickly.
Bobby shook his head. Jean had forgotten the way gossip moves. Malicious girls scheme to bring down the mighty, little boys make believe to be big men. And yet, there usually was a hint of truth, the faintest scent of something right. And Anna did always seem to be on the arm of a different guy every time he turned around. Still, she haunted his dreams.
It must be hard to be alone, after all, to have no one to care about you. Bobby knew he'd be lost without Jean. Anna was all alone. She had no one to lean on through the tough times. Nobody could blame her, really. After all, no one's invincible.
Well, tell me what you think of this pair. The next story gets more exciting, I promise. Also, almost done with the next R-S-O story. Any other characters you care about?