Chapter Two:
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I took a deep breath as I walked into the bar. Three days ago, I met Raven and Charles, and they had invited me to his graduation party. I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear and silently cursed myself for even showing up. They probably won't even remember me. I'm such an idiot.
As I walked further in the bar, I noticed a very drunk Charles stumbling back from the keg he just inhaled. I bit back a grin and walked to the counter to order a drink.
"Whiskey, please."
"Let me tell you, it's a lot harder than it looks" Charles states to a pretty brunette behind me.
I gulp down my drink and slowly turn around. He seems to be intently staring at her so I immediately turn away, embarrassed for even thinking that he would remember our small encounter a few days ago. I downed another drink, and headed towards the exit, fumbling for some bills in my purse.
SMACK.
Like a clumsy idiot, I ran directly into the man I was trying to avoid. I looked up into those crystal blue eyes and weakly smiled.
"Um, hi?" I managed to squeak out.
He smiled down at me and I finally saw the recognition in his eyes. "Reeann! Hello!"
"Actually, it's Ryleigh" I muttered, turning to walk away.
"Wait, Raven will absolutely have my head if I don't tell her you are here. She's been talking about you for days" He said frantically, as he grabbed my arm and jerked me towards an empty booth. He stumbled forward and Raven's head came into view.
"RYLEIGH! It's good to see you!"
I smiled at her and jerked my thumb toward Charles. "Is he okay? He kind of seems like a hot mess to me right now."
Raven rolled her eyes "It's about time I get him home. Would you mind helping me?"
She looked at me with pleading eyes, and I couldn't help but agree. I grabbed one of Charles's arms as he stumbled out of the bar with Raven on his other side. We walked down the street silently, until I finally asked where they lived. We went back to a small flat, and I helped Raven get Charles into bed.
"Is he normally like this?" I chuckled.
Raven rolled her eyes again as she turned the lights out. "No. He's normally the stick in the mud. I can't believe how out of control he was tonight!"
I laughed and headed towards the door before Raven stopped me.
"it's so late. There's plenty of room here if you'd like to stay the night… I'd hate for you to walk home alone at this hour. There's so many creeps out!"
I contemplated my options for several seconds before finally agreeing. Hell, I know it is not smart to stay with total strangers, but it beats paying for another hotel when my bank account is rapidly depleating. I curled up on the couch and chatted with Raven until I drifted off into a deep sleep.
"Raven, what in God's name do you think you are doing?!"
A voice startled me rudely the next morning from my pleasant dreams. I turned over slightly with my eyes still shut and tried to block out the conversation which was increasing in volume by the minute.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. ITS NOT LIKE I DO IT ON PURPOSE, CHARLES… sometimes it just slips" Raven retorted.
"We have a house guest. You can't just walk around in your true form when you know that we don't know her at all. One slip up and that's all it takes" Charles accused, dropping his voice to a whisper.
Now I started to listen in, my curiousity peaking.
"She's really nice Charlie, and you know how hard its been for me to make friends. Please don't ruin this for me. You know she has a kind heart. You've seen it. And if you don't believe me, just read her again."
Read me? I poked my head over the couch and found myself face to face with both siblings. Something strange was definitely going on.
Charles closed his eyes and brought his hands up to his head. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he looked at me incredously. "Why didn't you tell me you were like us?"
"Um excuse me? Can you elaborate on that thought?" I said, as a scrunched my nose, confused.
"You're a mutant!"
I scowled at him and stood up. "I'm not one of those bimbo blondes that you can pick up at the bar using that stupid line."
His eyebrows shot up, and he glanced over at Raven, who was stifling a laugh.
"No, I'm very sorry to offend you, that wasn't what I meant… I was talking about your ability to move objects non-verbally" he said.
Now it was my turn to look shocked. Terrified, I backed away from them. "How the hell do you know what I can and can't do?!" I shrieked.
"Ryleigh. You aren't alone. There are others who are like you" Charles said. I looked up at him and saw that his lips weren't moving, and the his voice was inside my head.
"How the hell did you do that?!" I questioned.
He smiled at me. "I'm a telepath. I can read minds and also communicate non-verbally. Raven can shapeshift."
My head whipped around and I saw Raven turn into an exact replica of me. She turned completely blue, with flaming red hair, and then back into her bubbly blonde attire.
I felt the room start to spin and I felt like I couldn't collect my thoughts. For so long I felt like I was alone, unnatural, and a freak. I did everything in my power to shut out my memories of moving objects and now, it all came rushing back to me.
"Are you alright" Charles said kindly as I sank down on the couch.
"Maybe eventually I will be" I said, as I tried to take it all in.
FAST FORWARD SIX MONTHS LATER:
I tiptoed into Raven's room and gently shook her awake. "Pssttt. Raven… you told me to wake you up at 6am" I whispered.
She mumbled then rolled over in her bed and looked at me with tired eyes. "Why the helllll would I want to wake up this early?" she whined.
I smirked at her and said "today's the day that payback is a bitch."
She instantly bolted out of bed with an amazing amount of energy. We silently moved down the hall in our pajamas, trying our hardest not to giggle. I suppose I should explain. Two weeks ago, Charles caught Raven and I trying to sneak out to a party downtown. Instead of catching us in the act, he proceeded to follow us there, and then drag us home like children, completely ruining our "bad girl rep." We swore to get payback… and payback is a bitch.
We continued down the hallway, until we reached Charles' room. Quietly, we opened the door and moved closer and closer to the bed. His chest rose and fell at a steady pace, and for a moment I almost felt guilty at the idea of ruining his serenity. With a loud WHOOP, Raven and I jumped on the bed, tackling him and ruining his precious sleep. He awoke with a start and was not amused.
"RAVEN AND RYLEIGH I SWEAR TO GOD. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS CHAOS?!" He bellowed.
"Doesn't feel so good to be interrupted unexpectedly, does it?" I chirped sweetly.
He rolled his eyes at us, muttering bits and pieces about our "maturity level" and "doing his duty to protect our innocence."
I jumped on top of him and pleaded with him to make us pancakes. "You're already up, and we are sooooo hungry."
"Fine fine, but get out of my room… I'm going to change.." he reluctantly said. "And Ryleigh, I'm beginning to question whether or not asking you to live with us was such a good idea. You and Raven feed off of each others bad ideas" he said with a smile.
I stuck out my tongue at him, and Raven and I stalked out of the room and into the kitchen where we eagerly awaited our pancakes.
"I'm only joking love."
"I know, you love me" I thought back. "The house wouldn't be the same without me."
"It would be much quieter."
"Shut up. And Charles, STAY OUT OF MY HEAD" I smirked.
The rest of the day was uneventful. We enjoyed our pancake victory breakfast, before Charles gave us the news that he would be going to the CIA today to help Moira, an agent working on a case involving a mutant. Of course he enlisted Raven and my help. I didn't mind so much, I had fallen into a good routine since moving in with Charles and Raven, and I was eternally grateful that they took me in. Although I didn't want to start using my power at first, Charles ended up coaxing me into it little by little. I think he is started to regret that decision, because I have a terrible habit of moving furniture whenever he tries to sit down.
The CIA meeting was boring, as to be expected. I couldn't help but notice Moira's annoying obvious reactions to whenever Charles said something. I don't know why, but it made me want to strangle her. Shouting brought me out of my thoughts when I heard the agents accuse Charles of being a spy. AS IF. I rolled my eyes and continued to let the scene play out. It became spookily quiet, and I whipped my head up to see Raven had turned herself into one of the fellow agents. All hell broke loose again, and one of the agents told us that he would "monitor" us until the CIA found what to do with us. LOVELY.
We were ushered into a car, and taken to a facility not too far away. It was a giant place, and we were told to make ourselves comfortable, because we would be here a while. Raven took my arm and we walked around, taking in our surroundings. Moira and Charles seemed to be having an intimate conversation, and I found myself unable to focus on anything but them.
"OUCH." I snapped out of my trance, and looked down to see that Raven had pinched me… HARD. "What the hell was that for?" I demanded.
"I've been asking you for the past five minutes if you are ready to go. Apparently there is some guy named Shaw, and they want us to help find them" Raven said, exasperated.
I nodded and followed her over to Moira and Charles and the group of us got ready to leave.
Once we were on the boat, Charles gave us very specific instructions. 'I don't want either of you leaving this room. We don't know what is out there, and I don't want to risk either of you getting hurt. Is that clear?" Both Raven and I nodded our heads in agreement, and he and Moira left the room. As soon as he left, both of us burst out laughing. Us. Listen to him? He must be out of his damn mind.