4

Alex

We had Mr. Harding again that day, him being our homeroom teacher. I sat down next to Crow and she smiled at me. I noticed when she smiled at people her eyes sparkled. As Harding explained the lesson, I glanced at Crow. She had rolled up the sleeves on her blazer. Then I noticed something on her left arm. "What's that?" I whispered and pointed at her left forearm.

"This?" She twisted her arm so her palm was facing up. A spider web tattoo wrapped its way around her arm and stopped just before her elbow. She met my eyes but she glanced away. "It's… a brand." I looked at it for a few moments.

"It doesn't lo-"

"I know it doesn't look like a brand!" She snapped then glanced around to see if anyone had heard her. Then she sighed and slumped over her desk. "My step-dad… He…" She sighed again and turned her face toward me. "He was drunk one night and he… he had been messing around with a brand thing by the fire and…" She took a deep breath and continued. "He turned around really quickly and just stuck it against my arm. I managed to get away but some damage was already done. The next day, I went to a tattoo parlor and got stuff added to it so it just looked like a tattoo." She went quiet for a while.

"I'm so sorry, Crow. I had no idea." She gave a soft laugh.

"It's ok." We were quiet for a minute then I asked,

"Why did he give it to you?" She laughed again, but more coldly then scowled.

"Because I'm a mut-" She cut herself off quickly.

"Because you're a what?" She scowled again and turned back to her work.

"It doesn't matter what I am. He gave it to me and that was two years ago. That's all that matters." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Crow, what was-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." She said shortly.

"Mr. Summers, Miss. Forrest. No more talking please." We both looked up at Mr. Harding, who gave us a stern look then went back to his crossword puzzle. Almost the rest of class, we were silent but I kept thinking about what Crow had said.

"Because I'm a mut-" What had she been about to say. Then, ten minutes before the bell rang I thought of it. I had heard it before. How many times had Scott told me not to give people the wrong impression that I was one. Or, more accurately, the right impression. Crow Forrest must be a mutant. I leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Are you one too?" She turned and glared at me.

"What do you mean?" I gave a small half smile.

"Are you a mutant too?" I whispered. I pulled back to see her face. She had gone dead pale.

"W-what do…" She started to say then trailed off.

"Meet me on the football field after class."