First one up.
Open the fridge, spill the last of the milk into a mug and drink it.
It's gray and drizzling out. How inconvenient. Either the weather is being random or Storm is doing something.
I grab a dark blue rain jacket and head out with the hood covering my head.
Sit down at the bus stop with my heavy backpack.
Rain is steadily coming down and bouncing off every surface, drenching everything.
I haven't taken the bus since middle school.
The bus drops me nearby the school and I trudge up the stairs of the academic jail.
I have to drop off some old textbooks at the library, or my fee will go up next year.
After dropping the books off in a slot, I take the long way around the school.
If I turn now...I can see the football field where the team would be practicing for Hellweek.
Every bit of reason says no, don't do it, but then I can't resist my own anger and curiosity.
By the time I get there, the sky has cleared, the sun is out, and the only evidence of rain is in the puddles and wet surfaces.
I can see some of the football players splashing around tackling each other in the mud on the field or throwing balls back and forth.
My stomach lurches, when I spot a familiar redhead standing under a tarp, talking to someone in a helmet.
I read the number on his jersey, 11. Matthews.
There's a circle of trucks backed up onto the field behind them, and Duncan's blue sports car.
She's filling cups from a hot cocoa dispenser.
I clench my fists, but then release them.
No point. I can't lose my temper. I want to man up, I don't want to lose Jean without a fight. All I feel is hurt, almost like how I felt when I found out Emma betrayed our team.
I turn around, and walk back to the bus stop. I deserve this, I feel horrible about kissing Emma. What the heck has gotten into me.
Even if it was true and Jean had been going around with Duncan from the start, what good was I. I never want to hurt her. How did I get this way.
Snap out of it.
I'm a lone passenger on the bus today, as we turn on a main street. Familiar faces are on the sidewalk, something seems to be going on.
I halt the bus driver, and sprint out onto the street fast.
I go to Rogue who's standing on the sidewalk with her hand over her forehead, blood dripping under her hand. She is glaring moodily ahead at the commotion that caught my eye.
Kurt is on top of a flailing Todd, punching away, screaming, "You do not harm my seester! Insult her and you vill pay, slime!"
His tail whips dangerously through his hologram for a second.
I quickly approach them and grab the back of Kurt's shirt, pulling him back.
Toad jumps in and swings our way, I put my hand out, stopping him, while trying to hold onto a struggling Kurt.
"Yo he started it! Hit me first."
I look at Toad, "Todd, shut up!"
He mumbles, "All's I did was call her a goth freak...and throw a rotten tomato at her face...should hear what some other people call her, I could say worse things."
It was a tomato then, not blood.
With an "ARRRGHHH!" Kurt jumps out of my grasp, his arms outstretched, fingers curled forward, baring his teeth at Todd.
Lance and his crew walk up the street, coming behind Toad who is fending off Kurt.
With a smirk, Alvers says, "What have we here? This isn't fair, 2 X-geeks against one of us. We won't let a brother fight alone."
He cracks his fist with his other hand and steps forward.
"Call your teammate off, Alvers, we're not trying to fight."
Of course, the ass doesn't listen.
He charges at me with a roar.
Freddy backs him up.
Amara, Tabby, and Sam come out from an adjoining alley, spot us and run over, dropping their books from the bookstore on the street over.
A bell twinkles and Kitty and Bobby come out from the malt shop up the street, running towards us from the other end.
Tabby points her finger, her cherry bombs flying out and bursting in Lance's face, "Hey, us X-Men stick together, screwing with us don't fly with Boom Boom."
As I dodge Blob's large fist, I can hear Kitty ask out loud, "What's like going on!"
Bobby has jumped in and has his arm circled around Todd, beating his face in.
Pietro and Sam are facing each other, dodging in and out towards each other, trying to land hits.
Some passer bys are starting to notice, and have cleared out.
Pietro's sister, Wanda walks up, her face looking angry as always.
She has her fists clenched and rips out a yell, as the street lights start to rattle.
Pietro yells out, "Wanda!" Temporarily distracted as Sam tackles him down to the street.
A car narrowly misses, honking madly and swerving out of the way as they roll onto the asphalt.
Red energy surrounds her, and parked cars start to melt.
Objects start to fly around dangerously, a car accident bursts into flames as wayward cars collide.
Sirens add to the cacophony and police cars coming screeching in.
Pietro yells, "The fuzz! Scram!"
He zips out of there, and the rest of the Brotherhood follow.
A telephone pole creaks and starts to bend at the top, about to come down on Rogue's head.
A flying shopping cart knocks me down on my back, so I prop my head up and lift my sunglasses, shooting a steady force beam up at the pole, fighting against its weight as its coming down, pushing it up.
Rogue quickly runs out of the way and rushes over, reaching a gloved hand down and helping me up. We look up at Scarlet Witch who is now hovering in the air, a gray cyclone of clouds in the sky behind her.
Rogue and I run for it, as the rest of the X-Men scatter in the confusion.
We all meet back at the mansion, all disheveled.
Kitty shakes, "Th-that was scary."
Puffing his chest, Bobby says, "That girl? If we weren't in public, I would've frozen her useless."
Amara warns, "Bobby, stop showing off for the girls."
I grit my teeth, "We need to suit up, if she's still there, we need to make sure the streets are safe."
Tabby groans, "But we just left! Can't we just...assume she's gone by now. She got us to go away, that's probably what she wanted."
She did have a point, I sent a mental note to the professor, passing it on to him to deal with it, as that was his area when mutants exposed themselves to humans this way.
What a crappy day it's been.
I lug myself up the stairs, to the dim hallway.
"Scott." Rogue comes toward me, dressed in her pjs, baggy green flannel pants and a long sleeve dark gray shirt.
"Do you have a minnit*?"
I sit down with her in the common room arm chairs.
She seems to have a hard time finding her words, and then mutters, "Thanks for helpin' me out there today. I woulda been a goner. Umm, I'm usually not the kind to say anythin' but maybe you should know. I touched Jean the other day, she ran into me and it was short but I got some of her telepathy and recent memories for a little...She's been keepin' to herself that she wasn' ready to break up with Duncan when ya guys got together. She never really broke up with him, made up with him and everything. She jus' felt like she had to do somethin' when Taryn an' Emma came into the picture. Couldn' handle seein' you with other girls. But she wasn' ready to give up Duncan either."
My heart drops.
I thank her awkwardly and get to my room fast.
Don't leave it for another few days.
Sunlight...
My bleary eyes are rudely thrown open by pink sunlight filling my room.
I closed those curtains for about a week now...
I strain my neck, lying flat on my back stiff as a board.
I'm in a white wrinkled t-shirt and blue briefs.
My hair is a rumpled bed head, sticking up everywhere.
I rub my palm over my chin, stubble covers it.
Emma is finishing opening another set of my curtains, letting in more light from the window.
I groan and croak, "What the hell...Out."
She tip toes her white pointed toe around a pair of my briefs on the ground with some other clothes. She's wearing white pointy toed heels.
"The others are overjoyed that you've taken a week off from training, but now they're starting to wonder if you're alive in here."
She slides her fingernail down the side of my face, through the scratchy stubble. "I can't say I like the look usually, but this devil may care hair and facial hair is really good on you. Never seen you remotely close to looking like this."
I swat her hand away, clearing my throat, "I said get out."
She sighs, "Are you really this mopey and melodramatic about girl troubles."
I'm in no mood, and make it clear as I flop onto my stomach and bury my face in my pillow.
I hear her stepping out of my room, saying, "You've got to face her sometime." Before closing the door.
I close my eyes in darkness and go back to sleep.
Open them immediately as the Professor's voice enters my head without warning, "New Recruit, the Brotherhood is also aware. Assemble immediately."
AN:
Shejams: Thanks for your great insights! You are so right on your analysis of Scott. I'm glad you like the part where he uses the DR as an outlet, haha also love your POV, always so caring of Scott! I salute you fellow Cyke fan! Hope all is well! Thanks again.
TieDyeJackson: Ahhh thank you for your review! You saying the wait was worth it for this to happen and your description of his conflict made this chapter worth it to write! I actually do agree with you on adding Betsy, I did that with one of my other fics and it got out of hand lol.
Guest: THHANK YOU VERY MUCH!
GUEST: Here's more!