I woke up with a dull headache. It was about midnight and I was back in my bed at the Institute in my pajamas of a navy blue silk night dress. Sitting up, I looked to my left to find the window open and a frigid breeze coming in. I got up and stumbled over to it and closed it. Turning back to my bed, I caught a glimmer on my dresser. Moving over to it, I found the necklace I had left at the boarding house. It lay on top of a piece of folded notebook paper. I picked it up and sat on my bed. The moonlight gave me just enough light to read the note.
"I'm sorry, Ava. You're right. We're not right for each other. If you can forgive me, I'd like to still be friends…kind of…if you know what I mean… -P.M."
I sighed and tossed the note in the trashcan by my bed. Friends…maybe, but not anytime soon. I heard my door creak open quietly. Turning, I saw Kurt peek in.
"Oh, so you're awake. Feeling okay?"
"A bit of a headache. I still feel somewhat fatigued. You can come in."
My fuzzy freak moved into the room, closing the door behind him and walked over to sit beside me. He was in his usual nightwear of a white v-neck t-shirt and long brown pants.
"The Professor said you used most of your mental strength holding Magneto back like that, so I'm not surprised you're still tired."
"Did anyone get hurt?"
"Nope, we're all just fine. Everyone was worried about you when you ran off like that."
I leaned my head on Kurt's shoulder.
"I doubt that."
"Scott, too. You made him get that guilty look on his face and he was the first one to go after you. He's not that bad, you know? But, want to tell me why you ran where you did?"
I cringed and lifted my head back up.
"I don't know," I whispered, pulling my legs up against my chest," It was stupid. I should have known Pietro would side with Magneto the moment he was told to. So much for our friendship. Though, apparently he actually liked me. How twisted is that?"
Kurt pulled me into a hug and just held me in his arms as I started to cry into his chest.
"I'm so sorry for causing problems. I wish I didn't have this stupid power."
"Hey, don't say that. You're power is fantastic and you don't cause any problems in my opinion. We all cause problems all the time. You know how many times the kids in training here go joyriding and destroy vehicles? A lot. You, you're a good kid compared to them."
I sniffled. Kurt put a hand on my head and pet my hair.
"Hey, cheer up. I called my parents and they're totally excited about my friends coming with me."
I looked up at to see him grinning at me.
"But I said I wasn't going."
"I decided that I wasn't taking no for an answer."
I laughed and pulled myself out of his arms. I brushed my tears off and sighed.
"Stubborn."
"That's my middle name."
"I thought your middle name was Goofball!"
Kurt stuck his tongue out at me as I crawled under my covers. I kept myself in a sitting position and smiled at him.
"Thanks, Kurt. You're awesome."
"Hey, no problem. And when you and Scott get to talk, I promise I'll be there to keep him from being mean to you."
He was about to get up, when I gave him a peck on the cheek. If his face hadn't been turned to the shadows, I would have sworn that he was blushing.
"'Night, Kurt."
"Goodnight, Ava."
He teleported back to his room as I lay down and closed my eyes. I fell asleep easily.
The next morning, I was attacked by Rogue, Jean, and Kitty with hugs the moment I walked into the kitchen the next morning. I was bombarded with questions about how I was feeling and if I was okay until Scott cleared his throat. The girls fell silent and just watched the two of us. Kurt winked at me from behind Scott. The elder boy scratched the back of his head.
"Uh, um, I'm sorry about what I said, Ava. The way I treated you and what I said about you was out of line and I had no right. Especially since I didn't know you. I…hope that you can forgive me and give me a chance to…get to know you better."
I tilted my head and used a small amount of Jean's power to read his mind. He was genuinely sorry and apparently Jean and Kurt had told him off quite a bit. I smiled at him.
"I think I can forgive you this…one time."
Scott smiled at me and everyone cheered, pulling us all into a group hug. Kurt teleported up onto the dining room table.
"Alright! Now let's decorate this place for the Christmas party tonight!"
We call cheered and headed out. Scott, Kurt, and I were on Christmas tree duty, while Evan and the other girls decorated the rest of the room. The party that night was tons of fun. Those who were leaving shared gifts. I had worked my butt off before Christmas to make or get everyone something. For those who were leaving, I made Jean a scarf, for Evan I bought a CD of his favorite band, for the Professor I got a book on psychology, for Beast a book on chemistry, for Logan a new leather jacket, and for Kitty I made a pink stuffed cat. Kurt, Rogue, Scott, and myself decided we'd share our gifts on Christmas in Germany. The three of us packed after the party and early the next day, we were on our way to Germany.
