"…And other strains of woe, which now seem woe, Compared with loss of thee, will not seem so."
Kitty Pryde let out a small sigh as she finished reciting her memorized Shakespearean sonnet. She wasn't set to perform it for her AP English final for another week, but she liked to be prepared. Pushing her notebook to the side she sprawled onto her back on the grass, throwing an arm across her eyes to block the sunlight. It had been a fairly stressful week and she was glad it was Saturday and that she had some downtime to do with what she pleased.
With her eyes closed she tried to concentrate on what she could gather from her other senses. Where her Capri's ended on her calves there was the feel of the plush grass. When the wind blew she could smell different combinations of the flowers and trees that were scattered around grounds. As the sound of children's laughter reached her ears though she frowned slightly.
Throughout the whole week, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters had been having what Kitty believed a normal school would call an "open house." Young mutants from all around the world, some with parents or friends, others alone, had been coming to check-out what the school had to offer, in both what the faculty could teach about math or science and in protection and survival in a world where their kind weren't welcome.
It wasn't that Kitty hated the fact that these kids were constantly around, asking questions, touring her room, taking up her favorite sitting spots around the mansion, no all of that she could live with. In fact, she thought it was great that they were so interested and excited about the school; she had even helped design the brochures Professor Xavier had sent out to the families of the newly discovered mutants. What she hated, and she knew it made her a terrible and selfish person, was the happiness and innocence that radiated off of most of the prospective students.
She would give anything to be like that again.
A sudden, sharp jab to her side made her bolt upright, grabbing and twisting the offending object that startled her. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight again and her heartbeat began to return to normal, she growled at the realization of whom her offender was and released his arm from her death hold on it.
"Ugh, what're you stupid? You should know better than to sneak up on people around here!"
Bobby Drake's grin only widened at the flustered expression on his companion's face as he settled down next to her on the grass.
"Please, like I couldn't take you out."
"In your dreams maybe."
"Oh you don't want to know about my dreams," Bobby smirked and winked.
"You're totally right, I don't."
"Don't be so mean to me. I came all the way from the kitchen bearing gifts, so you better start appreciating me!"
"You brought me food?"
"I didn't say that."
From behind his back he pulled out two cans of generic orange soda and handed her one.
"I know orange isn't your favorite, but it's literally all that's left. Dr. Grey sent Professor Summers out to get more of a variety, but who knows when he'll get back."
"Well it's the thought that counts," Kitty replied taking a sip of the cold liquid. "It seems like our visitors are cleaning us out."
"I guess," Bobby agreed. "But we can sacrifice our Pepsi if it means that they'll join up with us. At least we can protect them if they need it. Even if it's protection from them selves."
Kitty huffed in response and the two sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, watching the prospective students being shuffled around in small groups across the lawn. The kids were smiling, laughing, joking around with each other. They were so innocent, so carefree…so naïve.
"I think I hate them."
"What?"
"No. No I don't hate them. I envy them," Kitty amended.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at them. They're children still. Man, they don't know anything."
"Okay, I feel like somewhere in our silence you've jumped like twenty pages ahead of me. Can you backtrack so I can feel like I'm a part of this conversation?"
Kitty sighed and began playing with the tab on her now empty soda can.
"It's just that," she sighed deeply, "I miss being like that."
"You miss being pubescent? Are you high?"
"No, Bobby! Please try to keep up."
She turned so she was facing him, crossing her legs Indian-style.
"I miss being blissfully ignorant to everything. I miss when my greatest concern was which boy band I liked better," Kitty laughed ruefully. "These kids know nothing of the real world and what they're going to have to face."
Bobby paused thoughtfully before responding.
"You know what else these children don't know? They don't know the fear or the pain or the grief most of us know. They haven't dealt with the loss of their family, their friends, their identity. Not yet at least."
He inhaled softly, making sure he still held Kitty's undivided attention.
"But I don't see that as a barrier; I see it as an advantage. You wanna know why?"
Kitty nodded, eyebrows creased together.
"Because they still have hope. They still believe that they can help make the world a better, more accepting place." Bobby grinned boyishly before adding, "And they help us go back to the time in our lives when we believed in that too."
Bobby unceremoniously flopped onto his back at the end of his revelation. The now tense atmosphere made him uncomfortable and when he was uncomfortable he tended to ramble.
"Look, I'm not saying you're wrong or anything to feel envious, although it is one of the seven deadly sins," he smirked a little at this, "I mean I feel it too. I think we all do. It's just, well, try not to be so hard on them because you know just as well as I do that in a couple of years, hell, maybe months, they'll be in the same position we're in right now and their innocence will have been completely shattered."
The silence this time was near deafening. It felt like eons before Kitty finally broke it.
"When did you get so smart?"
"I have my moments." Bobby's smile was so wide Kitty thought it might break his face.
Sighing, the young woman stood up and brushed off the grass from her clothes.
"You're right," she agreed holding out her hand to her companion and helping him up. "You are absolutely right. And you know what? When their innocence is broken, we're going to be there to help pickup the pieces."
"Ah, there's a glimmer of the old Kitty Pryde!"
As the two friends crossed the front lawn, the shadow girl quietly whispered, "Thanks Bobby."
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leaning his forehead against the side of her hair the ice boy whispered back, "Don't mention it."
The two made their way into the mansion and headed towards the kitchen to recycle their soda cans. When they entered the spacious room ten heads swiveled to look at them.
"Hey, you guys lost?"
A girl with pigtails and braces sitting in the corner answered Bobby meekly.
"Um, no. Our tour guide told us to stay here while she went to fix her hair."
"Gotta love Jubes. Well I'm Bobby and this is Kitty. If you need anything feel free to find us, we'll be around. Are you all good right now though? Do you need anything?"
"Um, no sir we're fine."
"Oh God, don't call me 'sir' I'm not that old yet!"
After a few more minutes of casual banter with the prospective students, and the return of Jubilee, the two exited the kitchen, but Kitty was prompted to stick her head back in. She smiled a genuine smile and said, "Welcome to Mutant High."