Rahne just could not believe her eyes. Or, even if she did, she simply did not want to. Remembering that she wasn't the only person in the room, she tried to act normal – and failed utterly. All she could do was stare at Roberto. Stared and stared until everything around him blurred, leaving only the tall, muscular Brazilian boy in sight.
Please, please, please let me be dreaming! Ohhh…this is worse than any nightmare in the world!
So, this is Rahne Sinclair? Ray thought, observing their reaction to each other. Who else? Quite an attractive girl, I have to say! Well…looks like it's time to spark up things a little!
Schooling his features into that of a normal, friendly boy, he walked right up to Rahne and gave her hand a warm, friendly shake.
"Hello, Rahne! Welcome to the Institute! Pleasure to meet you! Roberto has been telling me so much about you; what a pleasant and intelligent girl you are, and what a fantastic lab partner you've been!" Ray had to work very hard to ensure his voice sounded friendly, but normal enough. Underneath it all, he wanted nothing more than to laugh his head off.
Rahne looked totally gobsmacked, as though a pie had just been flung directly at her face. Behind Ray, Roberto found his face blushing a deep, hot red. Wishing that he might burn a hole right through Ray with his eyes, he strode forward and tried to subtly push Ray out of the way.
"Ignore him, Rahne," he hastily said. "Ray tends to be a little…over-friendly with all the newcomers." Turning his head slightly, Roberto gave Ray his most ferocious glare.
In reply, Ray gazed back at him with a well-practiced expression of total innocence.
Rahne barely heard anything. With her jaw literally hanging open, she blurted out, "What are – are you a – what's going… oh!" She gave up in frustration.
"Am I a mutant?" Roberto didn't have to be a psychic to know what Rahne intended to ask him. "Well, clearly, I am, just as you obviously are!"
"So, how long have you been here?" Rahne demanded.
"Longer than you." Roberto shrugged.
"Some answer. Anyone can see that!"
Roberto was saved from having to answer by Kelly Drayton, as she descended the stairs. Despite being only fifteen years of age, she was already showing signs of great beauty, with long golden-brown hair and unusually bright blue eyes. Casting Roberto a funny look as if to say, Be nice to the new girl, she walked straight up to Rahne and extended her hand.
"Hello, Rahne, and welcome to the Institute! I'm Kelly Drayton, and I'll be your roommate for this term. I assume the Professor has informed you of this?"
"Yes." Rahne gave Kelly's hand a shake, trying not to look at Roberto. "Indeed, he has. Pleasure to meet you!"
"Come." Kelly bent down and picked up one of Rahne's luggage bags. "I'll show you our room right now. Once you've gotten used to the sight of it, I'll bring you down here again. The Professor would like to introduce you to the rest of your fellow mutants here."
"Alright. Thank you." Picking up the other bag, Rahne followed Kelly up the stairs, glaring at Roberto as she walked past him.
Roberto rewarded it with a similar look.
"Ahhh!" The moment Rahne was out of earshot, Roberto let out all his anger and frustration in one long, loud sigh. "Rahne Sinclair again! Why, of all people, did the new mutant have to be her? Bad enough having her for my lab partner. Is it my fate to forever somehow be stuck with her for half my life?"
"Fate's being kind to you." Ray patted Roberto consolingly on the back. "So, stop grumbling, and get used to her! You two are behaving just like a pair of big babies!"
"Thanks a lot!" Roberto retorted, pushing Ray's hand away with some violence. "Why do you always have to mess up everything?"
"Hey, I was only trying to be helpful!" Ray protested, with mock plaintiveness.
"Some help you are!" Roberto sighed.
From the sidelines, Xavier merely looked on quietly, a slight smile on his face.
Within the span of ten minutes, Rahne was descending the stairs, behind Kelly. From his seat, Roberto looked up, more from reflex than from interest. Much to his utter annoyance, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her. Although Rahne couldn't exactly be described as beautiful, she was still attractive enough to keep catching his eye.
Talk about self-control!
He still couldn't look away. His eyes kept following her, taking in the sight of her unusual green eyes, her red hair, her slender, almost perfect body shape. With a sudden sharp intake of breath, Roberto finally realized that he had been staring at her long enough to make her aware of it. Her keen eyes locked with his, and Roberto unexpectedly found the blood rushing to his face, like a silly little boy who wanted nothing more than to get the girls' attention.
Very deliberately ignoring Roberto, Rahne strode past him, as though he was completely invisible. As she did so, her arm brushed his, very lightly, and Roberto again found his heart behaving very oddly.
You're turning into nothing but a silly boy who acts as though he's completely smitten with love!
Bit by bit, the rest of the mutants begin filling up the hall.
Making up his mind to never look upon Rahne again if he could help it, Roberto firmly turned his eyes upon something else in the room, as Rahne went up to the front to be introduced. Throughout the whole introducing session, Roberto took extra care to not once look at the Scottish girl. So far, successful enough.
One by one, the mutants in the Institute introduced themselves to Rahne, who could not help but wonder how she would ever remember and recognize everyone else. Nearly thirty other mutants there were, she estimated. Still, a few of them stood out enough for her to permanently recognize them. Hank McCoy, or Beast, a large, hulking muscular blue-furred beast with enormous, bulging muscles, long fangs, superhuman strength and a most formidable appearance that would have scared the life out of everyone who was unaccustomed to him. Kurt Wagner, or Nightcrawler, a blue furry creature with a long tail and only three toes and fingers on each hand and foot as well as highly useful teleportation powers. Dorian Leech, the youngest recruit, a nine-year-old boy with a weird, slightly greenish face covered with warts, too-large eyes and a broad mouth who could actually nullify all energy in a localized area, including mutants' powers. And Rogue, a tall, attractive eighteen-year-old girl with a grim, stern face, dark eyes and brown shoulder-length hair streaked with white at the temple. Because of her involuntary ability to absorb anyone's abilities, powers and memories via skin-to-skin contact, she had to permanently cover up her entire body to avoid rendering everyone unconscious every time she touched them.
Seeing the look on Rahne's face, Kelly leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry. You'll learn to recognize everyone soon enough."
Being near enough to hear this, Ray leaned over to his left slightly to whisper to Roberto, "Although I highly doubt she can ever fail to recognize you. Slight exception here."
"Oh, quit that!" Roberto hissed, giving the blonde American en elbow in the side.
By then, the other mutants were already starting to crowd around Rahne, with the intention of talking to her, finding out more. Relieved, Roberto instantly made up his mind to bail. Rising to his feet, he headed off towards the stairs.
"Going off so soon?" Ray enquired slyly.
"I'm certainly not going to stay here one moment longer than I need to!" Roberto retorted. "The sooner I'm off, the better!"
"Oh, come on!" Ray coaxed him, taking Roberto's arm and steering him back towards the others. "Don't make yourself look like the so-obvious odd one out! Be nice!"
"Well, what do you expect me to do or say? Go straight up to her and give her a hug as though she's the only person in the world that matters to me? Or would you prefer me to give her a sickly sweet smile that just, just…renders everyone else sick?"
"All you have to do is go up to her and say a simple "Welcome", or something. If you do that," and here, Ray gave a broad, mischievous grin, "I'll stop teasing you about her day and night! Will that do? You'll be extremely surprised at my kindness!"
"Promise?" Roberto sighed, with exasperation.
"I give you my most solemn word."
"You'd better mean it."
"I'm not a liar."
"Fine." Drawing in as much as his lungs could take, Roberto marched right up to Rahne, and waited for an opportunity to speak. Around the new girl, the older teenage mutants were talking endlessly to her, as though they had been acquainted all their lives. It felt rather weird and idiotic doing this; the moment he set his eyes on her, the world around him seemed to shrivel up, leaving behind only the two of them. All that remained in focus was Rahne, the decidedly most stubborn, fiery, strong-willed in the entire school. Well, whatever it was, he had better get over it quickly now, before she started inspiring too many sensual imaginations in his mind again.
"Rahne?" Roberto begin, awkwardly, with no warmth in his voice.
She turned to face him, eyes raised.
"Welcome to the Institute," he forced himself to utter.
"Thank you," Rahne responded, somewhat stiffly. She looked as though she couldn't have disbelieved anyone's words more.
"Mmm. Now, if you will excuse me…" Roberto muttered stupidly, as though Rahne's company was something he had to pay special respect to. Turning his back on her, he hurriedly fled up the stairs before Ray could stop him and attempt to further push him into some sort of boy-girl relationship with the girl he disliked most.
And, most importantly, before he could get too tangled up with this girl who stirred up the wildest imaginations in him, against his will, and sparked off the most fiery, passionate flame within.
Sorry, guys, really sorry. I know this chappie is probably the worst chappie so far… but I had a slight author's block, and so I ended up producing this really, really crappy chappie. So sorry!!!
Just to keep your interest in this story, I'll be a bit of a spoiler, and let you guys know that from the next chappie on, I'm going to start developing their love relationship. Bits of fluff will be included.
Just to let you guys know, Kelly doesn't appear in the animated series, I just kinda borrowed her character from one of the X-Men movies (I didn't know her name, so I made up one; I thought her mutant powers were pretty cool)
Oh, and I've actually written up chappie 12 & 13 already, but I won't post chappie 12 until I reach a total of 45 reviews. (so, a minimum of 6 reviews now, please!!!) So, guys, PLEASE review!!! My stories are all open for non-members to review as well, so, don't worry if you don't have an account! Feel free to review!!!! That would be much appreciated!!! Thanks.
And sorry again for this boring, un-interesting chappie!!! Next one will be better, I promise!
