Track Ten: Rhythm of the Night by Valeria
Kurt's message says: Happy Birthday my beloved sister. Welcome to another year in your life.
The teens had been driving for two weeks now, making stops in small towns, always posing next to the welcome signs, getting another tourist or a local to take their picture. Kurt would flicker into his natural form right as the flash went off and he was back so fast that the person taking the picture would simply think they were crazy and just shake their head as the friendly teens drove off. They had arrived in Florida, and were driving to New Orleans.
Naturally, Kitty made them stop at the biggest mall she saw and dragged Marie into it.
"Kitty? Whats goin' on?" The southern beauty asked.
"I am so tired of your black on black on green wardrobe. So I'm getting you a new one. For all of us. Besides, it's your birthday isn't it?" Kitty asked innocently. Rogue stared at her friends in front of the mall entrance. They grinned at her and Kitty pulled out a card from behind her back.
"From us to you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE!!!" Kitty yelled, the boys yelling happy birthday at the same time. Tears welled up in Marie's eyes. This morning a piece of paper had fallen out of her necklace's black velvet box. In a slanted and almost edgy handwriting, Logan had given her a card, in his own way.
Marie, the card began. We've known each other for years, and you are like a daughter to me. Happy sixteenth birthday. Logan/Wolverine.
Marie whipped her eyes and took the card. She read it and this time the tears started falling. She had never cried on her birthday before. Maybe it was because she was far from home, or because her friends were being so kind to her.
Marie/Mein Schwester,
It's your sixteenth birthday, you've gotten this far so lets hear a big cheer! Happy birthday, and remember we love you so much! XOXO, Kitty (you rock girl! Happy birthday to my best friend and room mate!), Evan (I'll always be here. Happy Birthday), and Kurt (Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag meiner geliebten Schwester. Willkommen zu einer weiteren Jahr in you're Leben.)
Marie held out her wrists and Kitty took one and pulled her into the mall. It was filled with people, and after a quick glance at the map, Kitty gave a decisive nod and the boys took hold of Marie and followed Kitty as she marched through the small groups of people. She stopped at a store called Tangereen Shades.
Dance all night
Dance all night
Dance all night
I believe you were expecting me
Dance all night
Dance all night
Dance all night
It is called the Moulin Rouge
Let's dance!
Kitty bopped through the store, stopping at racks and pulling out items. The boys were doing the same. Kitty had informed them of Marie's sizes so they could be of assistance in the Résistance de Black. Marie giggled as Kurt tripped on his own foot and fell over onto a mannequin. The store manager didn't notice. Marie followed her friends' suit and started looking at clothes. There was no black in sight. Nothing Gothic. It was all different shades of orange. But the right shades, nothing pumpkin. From pale and tan orange to dark and burnt oranges, it was all over the place.
Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night
Feel the rhythm
Forget about the worries on your mind
On your mind
Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night
Feel the rhythm
Forget about the worries on your mind
Kitty found Marie and pulled her towards the largest dressing room that the store had. She pushed her in and shut the door behind her.
"Start changing! We've set out outfits for you!" She called through the door.
Marie came out in a tan shirt with flowing sleeves that were sewn on so if they weren't there the shirt would have been a tank top. Marie had draped a big orange scarf around her neck. The shirt was paired with dark wash Bermudas that were pre-distressed.
"Yes on the shirt and scarf, no on the pants. They're cute, but kind of tacky looking," Kitty confirmed. The boys nodded.
When it feels like the world is on your shoulders
And all of the madness
Has got you going crazy
Its time to get out
Step out into the street
Where all of the action is right there at your feet
They went through the criticize and decide phase many a time. They finally settled on the first shirt and scarf, a tan dress with one diagonal strap and some fine detailing, and an orange off the shoulder top and a pair of red-orange sandals. Bag (that's right, one bag) in hand, Kitty (who was paying. Her parents were secretly filthy rich) headed off to the store next door; Feel the Breeze.
I know a place where we can
dance the whole night away
And it's called the Moulin Rouge oh
Just come with me and we can
Shake your blues right away
You'll be doing fine once the music starts
After several stores, a food court break and several hundred dollars later, Kitty declared that they were done. They went back to the RV and Kitty pulled out a short green dress she had grabbed for Marie. Clipping off the price tag at the dining table, she felt the RV begin to move.
"Hurry Kurt, we have to get her there on time!" She shouted to the driver's seat.
To the beat of rhythm of the night
Dance until the morning light
Forget about the worries on your mind
We can leave them all behind
Oooh the rhythm of the night
Forget about the worries on your mind
We can leave them all behind
Oh lalalalala
Oh lala
Two hours, a salon trip and two mani-pedis later, the sun was setting and they pulled up in front of a high standard underage club called Rogue. The boys hurried out of the RV and waited by the door for the girls. Kitty came out after the boys, Kurt holding his arm out for her. Her pink dress that brushed her knees clung to her like a second skin, but when she spun it flared out around her hips, revealing white spandex shorts and her freshly painted soft pink toes poked out from strappy silver heels. Her brown hair had been freshly colored a shade darker and framed her face in thick curls. She giggled, fluttering her long lashes flirtatiously at Kurt who smiled and winked at her.
Marie followed slowly, holding onto the handrail by the stairs for support as she balanced down uneasily on her black glittery heels. She finally stepped down and Evan reached out to her. Her lime green dress hit her mid-thigh, the skirt tucking under bubble style. With a low neck covered with a shimmering sunset colored fabric, she looked dazzling. Her white chunk of hair had been dyed back to brown and she now had little white peek-a-boo highlights hidden under layers of her newly cut hair. The brown waves ended exactly at her jaw line. Her hands were covered in stylish dark green gloves.
Look at on the street now
The party's just beginning
The music's playing
A celebration's starting
They lead Marie across the street to the underage club. The bouncer held up a hand as they cut in front of the other teenagers behind the red velvet rope.
"Excuse me, but you'll have to wait like everyone else," he said, gesturing to the growing line.
"We're on the list. Marie plus three," Kitty objected. The bouncer checked the clipboard he held and shook his hand.
"Try the x-men," Kurt whispered, flickering his image inducer. The bouncer raised his eyebrows and rescanned the clipboard.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was speaking to some of The Boss's friends. Please, enjoy yourselves. Go to the V.I.P lounge and tell them that Karl sent you and if they have a problem with it, to come speak with me," Karl said and opened the frosted black glass door and let them in. Kurt gave a nod and lead the group in, Kitty on his arm.
"To the dance floor!" Kitty cried, picking up on the beat of the song playing immediately. Marie gave her a quick skin-tap and absorbed her dance skills. Not that she didn't have any of her own, but just in case.
Under street lights
The scene is being set
A night for romance
A night you won't forget so
Come join the fun
this ain't no time to be staying home
The Moulin rouge is going on yeah!
Tonight is gonna be a night like you've never known
We're gonna have a good time the whole night long oh…
The girls hurried to the dance floor and immediately took control of the scene. The boys joined behind them, throwing in some moves of their own. The crowd loved them, forming a circle around the friends as they laughed and smiled at each other. As the song got into the chorus for the second time, Kurt disappeared.
To the beat of the rhythm of the night
Dance until the morning light
Forget about the worries on your mind
We can leave them all behind
To the beat of the rhythm of the night
Oooh the rhythm of the night
Forget about the worries on your mind
We can leave them all behind
Oh lalalalala
Oh lalala
Rogue flitted from Evan to other boys around her, dancing with everyone. Kitty, normally the center of the dance floor, partied with a cute boy while Kurt was gone, not because she liked the stranger, but because she was just letting go. Evan stayed close to Rogue, dancing next to her at all times, making it clear to the other guys around that the beautiful Southern girl was his and his alone.
Cuando sientes que el mundo
está encima de tí
y la vida te tienes como loca
conozco un lugar
donde podemos bailar
and it is called Moulin Rouge
The girls sat at a table, exhausted from the partying. Evan brought them two cups of a strawberry-pineapple punch from across the room. The lights were flashing, bodies were gyrating and the old song from a movie soundtrack was blasting through the speakers, killing everyone's hearing.
"This is so much fun you guys!" Marie shouted over the music.
"What?" Evan shouted back.
"Ah said, this is so much fun! Thank you!"
"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Evan yelled. He could clearly hear Marie.
"Oh never mind! You're impossible!" Marie said, laughing. Kitty dragged her back to the center of the light up dance floor.
To the beat of the rhythm of the night
Dance until the morning light
Forget about the worries on your mind
We can leave them all behind
To the beat of the rhythm of the night
Oooh the rhythm of the night
Forget about the worries on your mind
We can leave them all behind
Oh lalalalala
Oh lalala
As the last few beats pounded out and the song was about to change, there was a squeal of microphone feedback.
"Oops, sorry," came a German accented voice from the DJ booth. The mutants looked over to see Kurt in his dark wash jeans and tight white long sleeve shirt and a black button down tee shirt standing with a mic in hand.
"Um, I just wanted to say Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag to mein Schwester, Marie. She's sixteen today, and we wanted to make this special for her. Would you all please be joining me and my friend's in singing to her? One, two, three!"
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Marie
Happy birthday to you!
Tears welled up again in Marie's eyes as a room full of partying strangers, people her age, sang her happy birthday. She started sobbing and smiling.
"Thank you!" She shouted to the crowd and Kurt grinned into the mic.
"Thank you all so much! Enjoy your party!" The music started back up, a new song coming on and people smiled at Marie and wished her a happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Marie.