Car rides suck.

Sara sits in the backseat, busying herself by playing Cut the Rope. I busy myself by trying not to vomit.

The silence in the car is unbearable. My mom and dad keep exchanging nervous glances, but neither of them says anything. I end up looking down at my lap as we bounce along a windy backroad.

"Follow road for ten miles." The GPS says. I audibly sigh, I can't wait to get off of this crappy road.

My mom looks back at me while she reaches into her purse, "Jean Sweetie, your dad and I decided to get you a little going away present. She takes out a box wrapped in Mickey Mouse paper and hands it back to me. Sara watches as I demolish, I mean unwrap an iPhone box.

"Oh wow, thanks!" I say, turning the box around.

"It's so you can call us without using the school's phone." My dad says, "But of course, you can play games, and take selfies, and whatever else kids your age do."

"Yeah, thanks," I say again. They are putting it off as a gift, and it is, but I can sense they're doing it so I'll feel somewhat like a normal kid when I go to the anything but normal mutant school.

"That's the same model as mine," Sara points out.

"Yeah, awesome," I try to be as enthusiastic as I can as I open the box with a huge (mostly fake) smile. I turn it on, they already charged it, and check out the different features. It wasn't that I wasn't appreciative and thankful for it, it's just since Annie died, I haven't had a huge love for material objects like a normal kid my age does. Also, I don't fancy myself tech savvy, so that's another thing.

I flip through the user guide from the box, but reading starts to give me a headache, so I store it back in the box and in my bookbag to deal with it later.

The rest of the two-hour car trip is not very exciting. We pass a lot of trees, some rundown homes, a few deer, a dead raccoon, everything you would expect to see on country roads. We turn onto a freeway and my dad starts to grumble about crazed drivers. Sara shows me some uninteresting photos of her friends on Instagram, and My mom turns the radio on, only to have the station go out of range a few minutes later.

Finally, we turn off onto an exit with the sign, Entering Westchester County, New York. population, 972,500. We follow more road signs and the GPS until we get to North Salem.

North Salem is on the outskirts of New York City, so I expected the streets to be very busy. I guess coming at 3:30 in the afternoon is a good time. We only get caught in traffic once, and that was because of a goose that wouldn't get out of the road not matter how many cars were piling up behind it.


A long, brick wall surrounds the school, which is an eighteenth-century mansion. My dad pulls in the open iron gate and onto the gravel drive. I can't help but notice the Xs in circles that top the gate as we go passed.

A fountain is situated in the very middle of the yard, with the driveway circling on either side of it. The snow covered grass is speckled with the occasional leafless seedling tree that is held up by a string.

The mansion itself is huge, with arches, and windows, and anything else you would expect an eighteenth-century architect to build. To the side of the building, a basketball court sits lonely in the cold, on the other side, an empty swimming pool.

My dad parks the car and gets out, My mom and sister follow, leaving me alone to look around the car one last time before getting out.

Professor Xavier meets us at the doors and takes us to his office to finish last minute paperwork before he take us on the tour of the school.

The first floor is made up of classrooms, the standard chalkboard/desk scenario, a library, the kitchen, lounge, rec room, and supply closet. Of course, we don't get a tour of the supply closet.

The second floor is made up of halls, bedrooms, and a common area with computers, tables for studying, and shelves full of board games.

My dad jokes around with his old co-worker, talking about the good ol' days and why a guy named Quincy was just fired. Finally, we arrive back to the lounge, where the Professor introduces me to two students. Scott Summers has an average build, messy brown hair, and a warm ivory skin tone. He wears a pair of red glasses, which he keeps situating nervously, along with a button down shirt and worn jeans. He sits across the table from Warren Worthington, a lengthy kid with blond hair, cool blue eyes, perfectly gelled hair, expensive clothes and a beach tan. He would look like a pretty normal kid if it weren't for the feathery, white wings protruding from his back.

"I wouldn't be surprised if one of this kid ended up being your future, mutant hubby," Sara whispers in my ear.

I glare at her, but I can't help but smile, they were both attractive.

Professor Xavier finishes the tour, and my mom and dad get my stuff from the car.

The next few minutes are a blur of hugs, kisses, and my mom's tears.

"Remember, call us anytime you'd like," my dad claps me on the shoulder.

Sara leans over and whispers, "My money's on Wings." I roll my eyes.

After another round of hugs, they leave the office. I know better to watch the car pull out of the driveway.

"I called Scott to show you to your room," Professor Xavier says.

"Oh, okay," I strap my tote onto my suitcase just as Scott comes in.

"Need help?" He asks, nodding towards my luggage.

I shoulder my bookbag and shake my head, "I got it."

"Room sixteen, Scott," The Professor calls after us.

"Yes, sir."

I follow Scott down the hall and to the elevator, where he punches the up button with his knuckle. When we step in, I experience my first ever elevator music, which is a well-known concept, but I don't think anyone really has experienced it, Me included, until now.

"So, um, it's Jean, right?" Scott asks over Beethoven's fifth symphony.

"Yeah," I say.

"I like it, it's short. What are your powers?"

I stand my suitcase up and tuck my hair behind my ear, "Telekinesis, and some telepathy abilities too. How about you?"

"Oh, I have optic blasts as the Professor puts it," He taps the arm of his glasses, "Without these, I can't open my eyes without having deadly beams shoot out."

"Oh, interesting," I say because I couldn't think of anything else to say.

The elevator stops and we step out. The hall is the same color scheme as downstairs, red and beige with mahogany furniture. We pass the bedroom doors, one is completely covered in band and movie posters. Another one has just one poster for Lord of the Rings, then one simply has a plaque reading, Henry's bedroom. Scott stops in front of a door and opens it, revealing a room in the same colors as the hall.

A bed is situated in the middle of the room, with a nightstand topped with a lamp at the side. A desk that is stacked with textbooks and other basic school supplies (pencils, loose leaf paper, etc.) is next to a window seat full of pillows and extra blankets. A closet and bathroom are on either side of a dresser, and a bare bookshelf is next to the door.

"Do you need help unpacking?" Scott asks.

I tell him that I'm fine and he leaves. I unzip my suitcase and start hanging up some clothes in the closet and shoving other things in my dresser. I put the suitcase under my bed, then I throw my favorite blanket (light blue with penguins) onto the bottom of the already neatly made bed, set my alarm clock onto the nightstand, and put my toiletries in the bathroom.

I change into my originally planned outfit, cactus sweatshirt, and comfy jeans.

My head start to hurt, I try to shake it off like I used to do at home, but then I realize something, I don't have to hide it here.

There is a knock on the door, "Jean," a woman's voice follows, "Dinner is in ten minutes, I don't think Scott told you."

"Oh, thanks," I reply.

Before going down to the kitchen, I pop an Advil and slip on my hightops.

The kitchen is a maze of stainless steel and oak appliances and furniture. Four boys sit around the table, Scott and Warren are among them. One looks a little bit younger, He has light brown hair, brown eyes, and braces. He basically looks like a normal, awkward twelve years old. The other one looks like he's ready to win a bunch of academic awards, He has perfectly parted black hair, and his nose stuck in a book. However, his argyle sweater vest can't hide his bulging muscles. Seriously, this kid has like an eight pack.

Warren winks when I get close, and Scott pats the seat by him, motioning me to sit.

The boy with braces smiles, "I'm Bobby," He says, "Bobby Drake."

"Jean," I say.

"Hank," muscles with a book says. He looks up, revealing blue eyes under thick glasses.

Professor Xavier comes into the kitchen, followed by a woman with strawberry blond hair carrying a stack of pizza boxes.

"I'm glad you were able to find your way, Jean," the Professor says, "Even I can get turned around in the mazes of halls. I am assuming you've met everyone?"

I nod.

"This is Moira Mactaggert." He motions to the woman with the pizza, "She assists me in teaching,"

"Hello, Jean," Moira says, I recognize her voice from when she told me it was dinner time.

"Hi," I say.

Moira sets the pizza down and the kids around the table turn into hungry piranha because, within a few minutes, the first box is demolished.

The rest of the time is full of chitchat. I learn that Warren comes from a long line of millionaires who have their own weapons corp. Bobby can freeze water molecules, as he demonstrated on Warren's pepperoni pizza. Hank is a Shakespeare addict and Scott likes homework and vegetables (Okay, he didn't really say that he didn't really say much of anything, but I sort of figured that was the case with the disapproving looks he would give anyone who suggests anything fun or slightly dangerous).

At the end of the night, Warren and Bobby go to the lounge to play video games and Hank goes to the common area to work on homework, leaving me and Scott to go up to the dorms together.

"Welcome to Mutant high," Scott says, "Even if none of us are actually in high school yet."

I smile as he stops at his bedroom door, (it's empty except for a small light saber sticker,) "Good night," I say.

"Good night, Jean." He grins at me from around his shoulder as I go to my room. I think I have finally found where I belong.

I would be happy with my powers if it weren't for the constant headaches and nightmares. I read for awhile and when I finally do fall asleep, my dream, of course, has to be a nightmare.

I'm sitting on a stone bench overlooking a small flower patch. I feel someone close to me, but I don't meet their eye, even though they're watching me. I say something along the lines of, 'it's a nice day, isn't it?' and they grunt in approval. 'It's a shame it won't stay that way,' they say. 'What do you mean?' I ask. 'That is what I mean,' They point to a forest in the distance, where a humanoid shape stands, watching us. Once it realizes we are watching it, it scurries from the trees,towards us, it takes me a minute to realize who this humanoid shape is, but when I do, I jump to my feet. It's Simon Niles. I try to run away, but he pulls me towards him until his long fingers grab my shoulder, I feel something cold and metallic against my temple. I try to pull away from it, but the gun is still up against my head. I hear the click of it being loaded then…

"Ahh!" I sit up straight in bed. My book falling to the floor. My heart beats in my chest and my entire body trembles. My cheeks are moist from tears. I try to catch my breath when there is a knock on my door.

"Jean, may I come in?" The Professor calls.

"Uh, yeah I guess," I say, wiping the tears away.

The door opens and he comes in, pajama-clad. "Nightmare?" He asks.

I nod.

"Do you get these often?" He asks. I nod again. I can't get my mouth to form words for some reason.

He rolls over to my bed, "That is common for psychics, however, that probably does not really make you feel any better." He puts his hand on my shoulder, "I would like to have a session with you tomorrow, say about 1:30? You will miss Moira's literature class, but there will be enough time for you to catch up."

"Okay, Professor," I say.


After a lunch of fish sticks and tater tots, I walk down the hallway to the Professor's office. I expect to find him with the shape cards or plush toys, but when I get in, he is sitting at his desk, his hand folded in front of him. No cards, no stuffed pandas, only him.

"Have a seat," He says, motioning to the seat in front of the desk.

After I'm seated he says, "I would like to see the dream. I know you may not want to, but please think about the dream, everything you remember."

That isn't hard, I've been thinking about it all day, in every class. I take a deep breath and remember the cold gun against my temple, and the faceless person sitting by me on the bench, and Simon's eyes that seemed to glow red, and…

"Very good, Jean," Professor Xavier says, "That would be all."

I stand up and go towards the door. "Oh, and Jean," He says, "Remember, most nightmares are simply that, nightmares. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Yes, Professor," I say.

Most nightmares are simply that, Nightmares. What does most mean? Do some nightmares come to pass? I've heard of psychics who claimed to be able to predict the future when in a dream state, but I never thought actual psychics could do that. And I definitely never thought I could do that.

To be continued

Author's notes: Sorry for being sort of late, I was halfway done with the chapter before deciding to trash it and start over, because as I'm sure all writers know, it always sounds better in your head. But anyway, I was looking forward to writing this chapter since I started writing this story, so I wanted to make it as well written as possible :) Anyhoo, remember any comment, critism, and suggestions are welcome. Nothing is written in stone, so if you have any suggestions for scenes or characters let me know.