Story fun fact: I believe I wrote several if not all Christmas-centric chapters of this story during my Christmas break last year (or was it even the year before? This story has been under writing for way too long...). I have a habit of bringing up elements that are actually occuring in my life in the stories I write.
Chapter 11:
You Never Can Tell
or
Christmas Baking
"Well, come on, cheer each other on!" Stephanie yelled between cupped hands.
Her voice did not travel very well as the swimming hall was filled with the sounds of splashes and laughs from the kids. The last lesson before Christmas break ended with a game of relay, with a price for the winning team, and the kids had gone all in.
The teams were standing in the shallow end of the pool, one track each, and some were jumping around like crazy cheering their teammates on. Some of the children were getting really good while some, Stephanie noticed, still had some things to work on.
Rebecca, for instance, was showing of a rather unusual technique as she did a last few takes before she clapped the hand of her team mate.
"Ouch, you're hot!" the boy muttered before he started swimming.
Stephanie walked over to Rebecca and sat down on the ledge.
"What happened, Becca?" she asked.
Rebecca supported herself against the ledge with one hand and started massaging her calf with the other.
"My leg hurts!" she complained.
Stephanie hopped into the pool.
"Let me have a look."
She grabbed the girl's waist and lifted her up to sit on the ledge.
She had to let go quickly, Rebecca's skin had gone hot to nearly scorching. The water where she had been standing had been heated by it; it was almost like in a hot tub.
"Could you… cool down?" Stephanie asked, realizing she would not be able to touch the girl's skin for a very long time without hurting her hands.
Rebecca nodded.
"Sorry, I got scared by my leg."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and Stephanie could feel the air around her cool. Stephanie experimentally touched the bare skin of her leg, and it wasn't as unbearably hot anymore.
"That's all right. Was it this leg?"
The girl nodded.
Stephanie grabbed her ankle and flexed the girl's foot.
"Feel better?" she asked after a while.
Rebecca nodded.
"It was just a cramp," Stephanie explained, "whenever it happens, get out of the water and stretch like this, okay?"
She nodded again.
"Great." Stephanie turned towards the other kids. "Well, it seems we have a winning team, Becca!"
Rebecca turned to watch in time to see her last team mate beat his opponents.
When they've all gotten out of the pool Rebecca and her team mates got a chocolate reindeer each. Then she wished them all a merry Christmas and sent them to the showers.
Stephanie was almost relieved to see Toad come out from the men's showers while she was collecting her things. She called out.
"Hey!"
He stopped, looking like he really didn't know what to do. It was a strange look on him.
Stephanie got her bag and walked over.
"Not that I think we should talk about… it…" she started slowly, "but I think we at least should agree on not, you know, talking about it."
A corner of his mouth rose to a half-amused smile.
"So 'it' didn happen this time, either?"
She smiled uncomfortably.
"Glad we understand each other."
"I'm with you. Nothing happened, 'specially not twice."
Stephanie nodded.
"And even more importantly; nothing won't happen again."
He smirked this time.
"I'll be sure t' keep it in my trousers, I'd worry 'bout meself if I were you."
Stephanie had a comeback on her tongue but decided to keep it to herself. Instead she shot off an unnatural smile.
"I'll be sure to do that. See you later!"
And then she turned on her heel and hurried towards the showers. As she walked away she had to admit to herself; not mouthing off to Toad seemed even stranger than sleeping with him had. Twice.
Leaving the stairs leading to the underground swimming hall Stephanie ran into Rogue.
"Hiya!" Rogue chirped, happily, something that made Stephanie feel kind of better about all the juniors being caught with throwing the poker night and her getting away.
"Hi Rogue! I heard about Storm freaking out," she said, trying to find out if she could stop feeling bad completely.
Rogue nodded.
"Jubilee told you? Yeah, she was pissed."
Stephanie sighed.
"Actually, Storm told me herself. It was really nice of you guys not telling her I was with you."
"Of course we didn't! Storm seems to like you a lot, but I think she sometimes forget you're our age. And we especially didn't want you to get in trouble on account of…" she hesitated.
For a moment Stephanie feared she might bring up the CS, but instead Rogue continued:
"Well, you being a teacher and all. We didn't want to endanger that."
Rogue smiled sweetly and Stephanie couldn't help to smile back.
"I really appreciate it! Are you guys going to be all right?"
Rogue waved her hand dismissively.
"She'll get over it. It was really quite innocent; everyone underage who was there is turning twenty-one next year. Storm was really the only one taking it so bad, what I heard Scott was even backing us up!"
Stephanie nodded.
"When she talked to me about it he was, actually. I guess you're right, but I still hope this will blow over quickly."
Rogue winked.
"Don't you worry, it will. Anyway, that wasn't what I came to see you about."
"Oh, you came here to see me?"
Rogue nodded and they started walking together.
"Yeah, I saw your schedule so I figured you'd be done about now. Well, to ease it down for Storm's sake we thought we could get together but do something innocent. Jube's convinced the Chef to let us borrow the kitchen tomorrow, the kids are going out sleighing with packed lunches, so there won't be so many to cook for during the day."
Stephanie felt like she was missing something.
"Are we cooking?"
Rogue laughed.
"What? No, silly, we're baking! Christmas cookies and stuff."
"Oh."
"You don't like baking?"
Stephanie frowned.
"Well, I like it all right but other people don't like me baking. I'm terrible!"
"This is me," Rogue said, and Stephanie realized they'd already reached the way to the girl's dormitories. "I'm sure we can get you your own bowl so you don't mess up other people's cookies," she continued with a wink.
"Come down for breakfast tomorrow and we'll talk more," she said before turning and leaving.
Stephanie stood silent watching her go, her newfound spider-sense going off like crazy.
This can only end in disaster.
The silence was heavy all over the room, kitchen fans giving off the only sound. The group of young adults had gathered around the table that had earlier been used for baking, staring at the baking sheet in awe.
Jubilee was the first to go near it, leaning in to take a closer look.
Stephanie stood frowning next to her, hugging her arms around herself for comfort.
"I said I was terrible," she muttered slowly.
She had warned them several times, something that made the current moment even worse.
Anyone can bake, they said, we'll help you out! I knew I shouldn't have listened.
Jubilee reached out a hand and carefully poked one of the lumpy, greyish gingerbread men.
"It's like solid rock!" she whispered with amazement in her voice.
The group sneaked closer.
They'd all gathered in the cafeteria that morning, a group of ten or so, everybody in their late teens or early twenties, discussing over breakfast. When they were done they'd all gotten different assignments; looking up recipes, getting the needed ingredients from either the mansion's supplies or the local grocery store, setting up baking pans and finding the necessary tools in the kitchen's many drawers.
Stephanie had been in the latter group, which meant she got to meet the school chef before he ran off. The chef was a bearded, quiet man. He had a thick accent – he was from some sort of eastern European land – and he had an extra set of arms. Stephanie could easily imagine how those would be useful in the kitchen.
The four-arms thing had made Stephanie fairly certain she hadn't seen him around the mansion earlier. He had only stayed in the kitchen for a short amount of time, curtly telling them where they could find the things needed and how the oven worked, during which Stephanie had been constantly wondering where he could be spending his days if she'd never even gotten a glimpse of him before.
She'd tried her best not to stare at him, but hadn't helped noticing that he had made Rogue promise him to save him some of her cranberry cake before he left.
When everybody had arrived the baking had started, with a whole lot of laughing and flour being tossed around. The mood had been high, but somewhere it had all taken a dark turn.
Now here they were; the whole group in silent shock over Stephanie's attempt at gingerbread cookies. And with Stephanie in a real pissy mood.
"Anyone dare to taste one?" Colossus finally said.
No one answered.
"It's not toxic!" Stephanie exclaimed. "I used the same recipe as you guys did," she added indignantly.
"Nu-uh," Jubilee shook her head, "you couldn't possibly have! You must have accidentally added cement or something."
Rogue stepped forward and placed a supporting, gloved hand on Stephanie's shoulder.
"It's all right, Steph. You have other things you're good at."
"Yes, and with that kind of baking you'd probably make an excellent assassin," Bobby added, earning a murderous look from Rogue.
"Don't listen to him. It's not that bad," she consoled Stephanie, patting her shoulder a couple of times.
"Um… don't kill the messenger, but…" Jubilee started, but ended abruptly after a quick glance at Rogue.
There was silence once again.
"Well," Stephanie broke it, "should we throw them away?"
The question immediately raised a wave of comments.
"And risk the life of some innocent racoon?"
"What self-respecting racoon would go for that?!"
"A suicidal one!"
"We could burn them to be safe."
"But would they be able to catch fire?"
"What are you guys talking about? We should frame them!"
Stephanie's shoulders started drooping and Rogue went for another attempt to comfort her.
"You should bring them to your room, Steph. They'll make a great decoration for some Christmas spirit, even if they're not… you know… edible."
"I'd make an awful housewife," Stephanie whined.
No one contradicted her.
She ended up drowning her sorrows in one of Rogues ridiculous cranberry cakes, sharing it with Colossus and Jubilee at a cafeteria table. They'd made Rogue pour a pound of frosting on it and where eating it straight out of the form, equipped with forks.
"If I could bake like this, everyone'd want me for their housewife!" Stephanie complained.
"One of a thousand secret recipes, she's got tons of stuff like this in that white-striped head of hers," Jubilee said calmly, digging her fork down deep in the cake.
Colossus swallowed the massive bite he'd taken seconds before.
"I think I'm in love."
Jubilee waved her fork at him.
"That's the frosting talking," she said, spitting out small pieces of cake in the progress. She swallowed and continued; "anyway, I've already called dibs."
"Sorry to tell you this, but I think she's into guys," Stephanie said.
"I don't care," came the reply, "I only want her for her cake."
When Stephanie had eaten enough cake for a decade she collected her cookies in a plastic jar (no one else had dared touch them) and very much nauseated, but not regretting a single bite, headed back to the east wing.
It was difficult climbing the stairs with such a full stomach, but she managed, and arrived to the living area in one piece. Toad was nowhere to be seen, and Stephanie was very grateful for that fact.
Contemplating whether she should spend the afternoon napping beneath her covers or not she sneaked a peek at her cookies. They do look sort of Christmassy, she thought.
Glancing around the living area she could tell the place really needed a bit of Christmas spirit. Perhaps she should put the cookies out in a bowl somewhere, for a strictly decoration purpose. Another swift look around, and she decided that it wouldn't hurt.
Stephanie's spirits were slightly higher when she some moments later curled into a ball beneath her covers, sleepy with cake-belly – and a locked bedroom door just to be safe.
She woke up a few hours later, for some strange reason hungry besides all that cake. She decided to head down for the cafeteria, since it was getting around dinner time. Unlocking her bedroom door and stepping out, she found none other than her green neighbor sitting at the kitchen island.
He was wearing an odd pair of magnifying goggles and fiddling with some mechanical devices yet again. He always seemed so at peace when he did things like that. When he heard her door open he looked up, pushing his goggles up in his forehead. He grinned at her.
"Did I jus' hear your door unlocking?"
Stephanie kept a bland face.
"You couldn't have. It wasn't locked."
He cocked an eyebrow and she decided on moving closer towards him instead of sneaking away – which had been the original plan. She didn't want him to think she was avoiding him, or somehow afraid that she couldn't control herself around him.
I don't have the slightest trouble controlling myself around him, she told herself.
Taking a few steps forward, she suddenly spotted the bowl of cookies beside him. It was empty.
Did he throw them away?
Suddenly she was filled with rage.
Who is he to come and throw away my cookies?! It's not his problem if they're inedible, they were for decoration purposes!
"Where are the cookies?" she blurted, staring at the bowl.
Toad looked dumbstruck.
"Th' cookies?"
"Where are they? Did you throw them away?"
She lifted her eyes to glare at him. He slowly and leaned away from her, distancing himself from her anger.
"Wha'? Why would I throw 'em away?"
"Well, where are they then?"
He looked utterly surprised, not managing a proper answer. Stephanie had her hands on her hips and was scowling at him. She was so mad she didn't know what to do with herself.
"Why would you throw away my cookies?" she hissed. "They weren't hurting anyone!"
"I didn' throw 'em away! I ate 'em, for God's sake!"
Stephanie's hands dropped limply down to her sides. She was silent for a while.
"You… you ate them?" she finally managed.
"Ye ought t' have put a note there or somethin' if ye didn'-"
Stephanie interrupted him;
"You ate them and you… you found them… edible?"
Toad stared at her, surprise still etched in his face.
"Yea?"
She could do nothing more than stare at him. She felt warmth spreading in her stomach and chest. It was terrible. She couldn't stand it, it was suffocating her.
Throwing a hand up to cover her mouth, where something was tugging at the corners, she gave him one last glance. Then she nodded.
"All right. All right then. I'm- I'm going to the cafeteria now," she muttered through her hand.
She left without another word, leaving the green man to silently stare after her.
Once Stephanie reached the hallway, a distance she decided was safe enough; she leaned against the wall and let out a sigh.
Stupid, stupid.
What was it, really, to get emotional about? He had only eaten some cookies.
Cookies that no one else dared to touch, she interrupted her own line of thought. And he ate every single one.
Something hideously happy was bubbling inside of her. She had to smother it, but she didn't know how.
Stop it, she ordered herself, slamming her fist into her stomach, where the happy seemed to originate from. That's enough.
She took a deep breath, thought about miserable things, and mentally forced the happy into a tiny box.
Good.
Someone's getting the feely-feels... Until next time!
