The pulsing beat that shook the car carried itself into my ears, calming me down even more. The car sputtered for a moment before the engine purred to life, a soft vibration that gave me a peace of mind. I grabbed my seat belt and shoved it into the square contraption on my right. The click echoed into my ears for a few moments, a few noises following that were new. I sighed and turned up the volume on the dashboard, closing my eyes and letting myself breathe for a few moments. I could feel the air carry down into my lungs, filling them before releasing with a gentle sigh. I could hear the slight shake as the air traveled out, my lips still quivering. I slid one hand carefully on the steering wheel, the other grabbing hold of the gear shift's head, pulling it down to drive. I released my foot carefully off the breaks and lightly pressed it against the gas pedal. The car lurched forward and I turned onto the familiar street. I didn't dare look into the mirror to my side, knowing my mother's broken expression would be implanted within the round frame. Just keep going…
The crashing beat pulsed through my chest, vibrating through my rib cage. I found myself singing along, like I usually did. But everything sounded so different. I could hear the lead singer's tongue click against the roof of his mouth occasionally, I could hear the guitarist's fingers slide along the strings, the pressure on his lip as he bit down on it. I could hear the drummer's hands tightly grip the sticks, sometimes loosening them and letting them slide forward a little. I shook my head and my hearing faded back, everything returning to a relatively normal sense. How did I do that?
I kept my eyes focused on the road, going a little past the speed limit. Familiar images passed by, the scenery changing every so often. I tried not to look at the people on the sides of the street, knowing I'd recognize some of the faces. I couldn't deal with knowing I'd probably never see them again, no matter how much I hated some of them.
A sudden loud blast of a familiar, distorted song shattered my thoughts, my body twitching in surprise. I looked over to the passenger seat, my phone lighting up again, signifying, to my dismay, another call from her. I sighed and turned up the music in an attempt to drown out the blaring sound. However, with my newly intense hearing, it was practically impossible. I grabbed my phone, looking at the screen, a pain shooting through me that almost made me hit the send button. In the rush of sudden logic, I hit ignore, knowing I couldn't face her after this, after I became a freak. I tossed my cell phone on the passenger's seat, hearing the light thud as it hit the soft material.
After she called, I couldn't help but think about her, as if I needed a reason. Thoughts about her were constantly fluttering around my mind. Like the way her smile made my heart stop, the way her laugh caused a thrill to rocket through me. The way it felt when her lips pressed against mine and her fingers brushed against my skin. The way the skin on her neck felt against my lips and teeth. Even the simple things, like how her eyes melted in the sun or how they lit up whenever she looked at me. How safe I always felt in her arms and how her words made everything better, no matter how bad things were getting. And I was ignoring her, without even really knowing how she'd react. She was open, different, non-discriminative. But would she want to kiss me if she knew of this mutant gene that coursed through my veins? I was afraid of losing her, afraid of her staring at me with those beautiful eyes full of fear and disgust. Or never seeing her beautiful smile, never hearing her say my name in that silky voice again. Oh, how her voice would sound with this new hearing…
I willed my thoughts of her, of the girl I loved, away. The last thing I needed was to ruin my makeup, again.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, keeping my eyes on the road ahead. I looked at a map I had gotten before my departure from the awful scene I'd created. One more hour until I reached the place I hoped would be similar to that of a sanctuary to me. I needed it, needed to be able to return home without causing another catastrophe. I was pleading I'd find refuge at Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning.
