She watched the water run down the drain as she felt the emotions of the day swirl through her mind. Her foster parents were so eager to ship her away to this school, it was much easier for them to just accept that she was a mutant and that was what had been wrong with her all this time. It still hadn't quite hit her that she was a mutant. The word was strange in her mind and stranger still as it flowed from her mouth. She finished watching her face and left the bathroom.
The hall was quite, it was late and she presumed everyone else to be in bed. This is why she nearly jumped 3 feet in the air when someone grabbed her arm. "Kid relax," she heard the gruff voice say. Immediately her mood turned sour.
"I do not wish to speak with you." She pulled her arm from his grasp and began walking away hoping her curt answer would send her point across.
"You may not want to talk to me but I want to talk with you." He matched pace with her easily. She had reached her room and had went to slam the door shut on him when he easily caught it and matched her strength with his own overpowering her and opening the door again. "Aya."
She threw herself on one of the beds. The room was designed for three people to share but she was currently the only one occupying it. "Just leave I don't want to talk to you."
"Listen, about your mother, I-"
"I said leave!" Aya was now sitting up in her bed anger prevalent in her eyes. "Don't you bring her into this. You're the reason she is dead! Now go!" Aya didn't catch the look of hurt that flashed into Logan's eyes as he turned to leave her be.
"I didn't want her to die, kid, I really didn't." He closed the door behind him as the tears slowly crept from the corners of her eyes.
"Why? Why is all this happening now?" She let the tears run down her cheeks leaving the salty liquid to stain them in their path. It was all happening so fast she couldn't keep up with it and the stress was already starting to take its toll on her. A new school, her unresolved issues from the past, and now a father who left her as a child suddenly wanting back in her life. "I'm not sure if I can take all of this mom." She said looking at the picture of her mother that rested peacefully on the end table. She lay down in her bed as her thoughts viciously plagued her into her sleep.
The sun shone in straining Aya's already bloodshot eyes, the alarm clock on the table beside her consistently emitted a blaring beep. Begrudgingly, she pulled herself from her cocoon of blankets that she managed to build around her during the night. She didn't feel like doing much with her overall look that day and settled for dressing in a t-shirt and blue jeans. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and winced slightly. The lack of sleep last night showed in her face. The bags under her eyes only heightened the redness that was already apparent in her eyes. She was never one to wear makeup but she didn't want anyone asking about her current condition so she applied enough to cover up as much of her withered appearance as she could.
It was already 7:30 by the time she finished meaning she had half an hour to eat and get to school. She hurried down to the dining room where everyone else was already seated and eating. The only seat left at the table was beside Logan. There was obvious discomfort as she took a seat and started filling her plate with food. Logan glanced over her from atop of his newspaper.
"Sleep alright kid?"
"Like a baby." She didn't necessarily lie, she was just thinking of how babies never usually sleep through the night. She made an effort to have food in her mouth so that she wouldn't have to have any more conversations with anyone, especially not the man who called himself her father. The others in the room sensed the tension and tried to fill it with simple chatter. At times they did try to engage Aya but she wasn't in the mood for conversation with anyone else. She was about to leave the table when Professor Xavier called her over.
"Y-Yes Professor?" She asked, her emotions dissipating once she was in the presence of the professor.
"I've noticed something about your speech," he began, "You stop stuttering when dealing with anger. If you want I can help you to overcome the fears of your past that are affecting your speech."
Something stirred inside Aya. She looked into the eyes of the professor, a man who wanted nothing more than to help her, and saw nothing but a man that took pity on her. She didn't need someone who took pity and tried to help her out of the problems she was in, she already had that happen with her foster family and it ended up taking its toll on them to the point where they wanted nothing to do with her. No she wouldn't accept help from anyone again. "Th-thanks, but no th-thanks. I can d-d-deal with my problems on my own." She said repositioning her bag on her shoulder and heading for the front door.
"If your mind ever changes, Aya, my offer will remain on the table." He said as she glanced over her shoulder at him before closing the door behind her. The others were already in Scott's car motioning for her to hurry up.
