Disclaimer: Don't own X-Men, own Scarlett Helen.
Chapter 10: Just Passing By
Scarlett sat at her desk in her bedroom, reading over some last minute history texts for the pop quiz the next day. One of the pluses of being a low-grade psychic: knowledge when your tutor would sneak a pop quiz on you. Scarlett continued to underline and write notes in the margins with her pencil.
She looked over at the clock blinking six. It had been three months since she had withdrew from high school and from the world. It had been six weeks since she had even been outside. She just didn't find a reason to anymore. She didn't notice the shadow seeping under the door.
"Hey, Scarlett. Remember me?"
Scarlett jumped and whirled around, but calmed down slightly after she saw Helen. "Helen! What are you doing here?!"
The shadow reformed to Helen as she arose from the floor. "Just came to check up on you." She walked over to the bed and sat down, her face showing noticeable worry. "What's up? Where've you been?" As she looked at Scarlett she noticed that her fair skin had taken on a sickly white pallor and her eyes seemed dead.
"Just . . . " She looked away. "Inside."
"I thought I'd see you at our normal hangouts."
"I . . . didn't really have any reason to go. I told you. I've . . . been inside."
"For two weeks?" Helen asked softly, raising her eyebrows a little.
Scarlett sat down at her desk and opened her book. "Six," she murmured to herself, though Helen overheard. "I have to study. My dad makes me . . . "
"We both know that's not true," Helen sad, slamming the book shut. "Is this about the Brotherhood?"
" . . . Maybe . . . "
"What about them?! You don't owe them anything! The X-Men were never your enemies and once they're on your side then you're never alone!"
Scarlett's answer was in a quiet, low voice. "Is that what they told you?"
Helen was silent for a moment before asking, " . . . wha'?"
"Is that what they told you? That you'd never be alone?"
"Yeah. It is."
"Because they'd never be alone, then no one else would, either? Is that what they brainwashed you into saying and thinking?"
"Scarlett, what are you saying?" Helen asked in tired exasperation.
She turned around and her dead eyes flashed anger. "I'm saying that sometimes not everyone plays well with others."
"What?"
"There are just some people in the world who just can't cope!" she said louder, pushing her chair up and standing to face Shadow. "There are just some people in the world that are just gonna be alone no matter what!" She paused and her voice grew softer. "I'm one of the people."
Helen was silent.
Scarlett paced the room and walked to the head of her bed. "Thank you and all for trying to take my loneliness away for just a little while, but . . . I guess . . . it didn't work as well as you thought it would. There are just some people in life . . . that . . . "Her voice was beginning to quake and she could feel her hands and feet becoming moist with water. A drop of water dripped from her finger onto the floor as she sniffed. "That . . . you just can't help. So . . . I think it would be best if you just left now." She looked up at Helen. "Okay? Just leave."
"So, what you're saying is our friendship of two years meant nothing to you? That you've never once opened up to me and you've never once felt that the world wasn't such a bad place after all?"
" . . . No," she lied.
"Then maybe you're right," Helen said, sinking back into the floor. Her green eyes were still visible. "Maybe I should go." Helen seeped back under the door, leaving Scarlett's room.
Scarlett fell onto her bed, crying. Within five minutes, she was too weak to fight her mutant powers and she formed into a puddle of water.
***
"Hey, Shadow!" Kitty called to Helen as she walked up the walkway to the mansion. "Where've you been? Scott, like, totally flipped when no one knew where you were!"
"Just been . . . talking to someone." Helen was frowning and stormed past Kitty Pryde and straight to the door with Kitty trailing after her.
"Who?"
There was really no reason for Helen to keep any secrets from Kitty. She had nothing to hide, Scarlett was the one who was messed up. "Scarlett."
Kitty's eyes widened. "Scarlett? How's she doin'?"
"Not too good, actually."
"Like how?"
"Depressed. Hasn't gone outside in a few days."
"Bummer."
"Yeah." Helen opened the door and let herself and Kitty in.
"Do you think we should go visit her? See how she's doing, maybe? Maybe she'd like to join us now! Wha'do you think?"
"No." The abruptness of her answer caused Kitty to stop and even surprised herself.
" . . . Why?" Kitty asked softly.
" 'Cause some people just don't play well with others." She formed into
a shadow and disappeared to her room, leaving Kitty stranded in the hallway.
Mad Season: Coming soon to FanFiction.net/ .