Chapter Twenty One: Creep
"Ugh, how am I supposed to do this?" Lyra muttered, flipping through several pages in the music books that Logan had given her a few days earlier: she couldn't find a single one that actively expressed her emotions, and the horrid part about this event was the fact that original compositions and recitals weren't allowed. Which basically meant that she could only sing another person's song. After a moment, Lyra glanced up and stared at the clock in dismay: she only had an hour left to memorize a song, and she hadn't even found one good one. The past two days had been spent like this, as well… she couldn't find a song that fit her personality, emotions, or her past.
Worse yet… she had dragged a few of the people from the mansion into it.
"Lyra, did you find a song yet…?" Jubilee suddenly asked, stepping out from around the hallway corner and shakily sitting down next to her. "I… I'm really nervous about this, you know… I've never sang in front of normal people before, so this is going to be as new for me as it is for you."
"I haven't found a song," Lyra whined, throwing the book on the floor and burying her face in her hands. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing, quite honestly…"
"Well, um… why don't we give you a makeover?" Jubilee asked, glancing at Kitty with worried brown eyes when she poked her head through the wall. "If you take your mind off of this, you'll have a better chance of finding a good song, okay…?"
"Even if I do find one, it's too late to practice it more than a few times," the girl sighed, standing up and shaking her head when Kitty grabbed their hands. "I really hope we can do this."
However, within ten minutes, the silver-haired girl had donned the dress that Kurt had given her... and now she was staring at the wall in confusion while Jubilee and Kitty styled her hair and put makeup on her face. She sort of fell into a daze as Kitty's music filled the room… but then, one particular song came up on the track list and she stiffened in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Jubilee asked, pausing what she was doing with her makeup brush when she saw the girl's stunned expression.
"What song is this?" the albino girl asked. "What's the name of it?"
"Oh, that?" Kitty asked, putting a ribbon between her teeth as her fingers moved through Lyra's extremely long hair. "That song is really special to me… I think it's called 'Creep' by some guy named Radiohead."
"It's perfect…" Lyra whispered, biting her lip as she listened to the lyrics. "I-I can relate to everything I'm hearing…"
"Really?!" Kitty squeaked, fingers pausing in her hair. "Oh, wow! This is my favorite song, too! I can play all of the notes on piano, so maybe I could help with the background music instead of having you two go acapella in front of a bunch of idiotic non-mutants! Would you like that?"
"We'd be grateful," Jubilee murmured calmly, so immersed in what she was doing to Lyralianna's face that she wasn't really paying attention to what was going on. "Wow, girl, you should seriously think about going into modeling… if you'd ever worn makeup before now, your face alone would have had guys turning their heads all over the place!"
"Stop joking," Lyra muttered sourly, giving her a very flat expression. "I don't like it."
"I'm not joking," Jubilee muttered, eyeing her features with envy as she finished the touch up and sat back with a pouting expression. "I hate you so much right now… you're so pretty!"
"I'm almost done, Jubes... I can't wait to see your handiwork!" Kitty excitedly exclaimed, tying the ribbon into the back of her hair. After inspecting the style, the brunette smiled and eagerly made her way around to the front so she could see Lyra's face. However, her jaw dropped open in shock and she stared, gaping, for nearly a full minute. "W… wowsers…"
"What is it?" the albino demanded, standing up and heading to the bathroom. "How do I look?"
However, when she looked into the mirror, her yellow eyes went wide.
For the first time in her life, Lyralianna Evangeline didn't recognize the person in the mirror: ger face was glittering with gorgeous silver sparkles, her eyes were coated in a very light touching of periwinkle mascara, she had glittering silver eyeliner that tapered off in a very sharp, Sphinx-like manner, and her silver lashes had been made to look thicker with the goop Jubilee had used. Slowly lifting her hand, Lyra touched her sparkling cheek.
"I tried to make your hair look similar to the style that Drew Barrymore had in Ever After," Kitty proffered, lifting a hand when the girl turned to stare. "I've never seen hair as long as yours in real life, so I was itching to make it look beautiful… you look like an ice princess right now."
"More like an ice queen," Jubilee muttered, shrugging her shoulders. "She's really pretty."
"HEY!" Logan barked, stomping into the room and grabbing Jubilee's arm. "We're late! Quit primping and let's get mov…"
The man trailed off and stared at Lyra in startled surprise when she looked at him.
"Hey, Pops," she mumbled, awkwardly putting the straw hat on top of her head. "I'm ready…"
"Well, shit... I feel like a dad seeing his little girl on Prom night," he snorted, rolling his eyes and dragging Jubilee towards the exit with Kitty in tow. "Let's get going! Xavier has the jet ready right now!"
"Coming," Lyra mumbled, shaking her head and jogging after them.
Once everybody who'd decided to come was settled in the jet, Kitty, Jubilee, and Lyra quietly memorized their personal music notes from the song 'Creep' while everybody else gushed about the interesting situation. However, only seven minutes later, the jet came to a halt… and everybody disembarked. Lyra swallowed and slowly stood up, feeling the world around her go silent as she left the safety of the jet. When she looked up, she saw a place that had once been her worst nightmare.
A place that she'd thought had been left behind when she'd found sanctuary at the Mansion.
A place where she would be singing for several people who wanted to hurt her…
No… Lyra whispered, shaking her head and backing away. No… I can't do it… I can't go in there…
However, two hands grasped hers on either side… and when the girl looked up, she saw Ororo and Logan standing beside her. Both of them were grinning in a parent-like manner, and for the first time in her life, Lyra felt as though she really did belong with them: even though she was returning to a place full of bad memories, the girl wasn't being abandoned by these people.
She was being accepted.
Shaking her head, the girl allowed them to lead her up towards the place where Betty Goldman and Erika were waiting. Kitty and Jubilee were busy going over the music… but Lyralianna had mostly memorized the flow of the song during the trip, so she was confident in not messing up.
"You're going on last," Miss Goldmen explained, looking at the three girls. "You three will have to do your best, otherwise the story might not hit a national level! I want Lyralianna to be spotlighted as a girl who's so powerful that she's terrified of getting close to people. I don't want her to be portrayed as a victim who couldn't defend herself even though she had lots of unnatural power... that would kill the story. Do you understand?"
"Yes," the trio replied.
"Good… now, you should hurry and go backstage," Betty murmured, looking at Lyra. "Someone is waiting for you back there, kiddo… he's rather handsome."
Without a word, Lyra's eyes lit up and she took off towards backstage. When she saw that he was dressed in a tuxedo, however, she nearly had a meltdown… because he was insanely handsome, and she had never realized just how broad his shoulders were. When Kurt turned around and saw her, his eyes widened and his tail shot out before curling up and knotting itself in odd manners.
He immediately averted his eyes.
"H-Hallo, Liebchen," he squeaked, squeezing his eyes shut in embarrassment when he realized how high-pitched his voice had come out. "You… look very, very beautiful…"
"You look very, very handsome," the girl countered with an accusatory tone, folding her arms with an amazed smirk. "I never thought I'd say this, but you're really hot in a suit!"
"D-danke!" Kurt peeped, giving her an awkward gentlemanly bow before rushing over and hugging her tightly; he held her close to his chest and sighed, relaxing once her arms wrapped around his back and held him in return. "Singen sie ihr herz für mich, Liebchen… nur für mich."
"What does that mean?" Lyra asked, pulling away and staring up into his eyes.
"'Zing your heart to me, Darling,'" Kurt whispered, smiling down at her. "'Only for me.'"
Lyra stood up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before turning to hurry away, but the boy merely gripped her arm and grinned before turning her body around until she was facing forward. After pulling a pair of scissors out of his pocket, he moved her long hair out of the way and started cutting the back of her dress. The girl stiffened and froze until he was finished.
"What did you do…?" she whispered, looking up at him. "Did you just…?"
"Nien," Kurt chuckled, rolling his eyes before leaning close to her ear, "but vhen you feel like it is ze right time, spread your vings wide and raise your arms… I know you von't regret it."
Then he let her go and pocketed the scissors before disappearing with a buggy-pop and a cloud of dark blue smoke. Lyra merely sat down on a crate and stared at the stars resting in the sky, feeling her heart pounding rapidly: the event was being held behind the school on a stage. She was going to be singing in front of everybody… every person who had ever called her names like ugly, freak, weird, and any other insult known to mankind. The girl shivered as a breeze swept through the backstage area, feeling tendrils of her long hair billowing in the soothing wind. The song she had chosen fit her perfectly… and she was going to sing it.
The words could flow freely because she understood them.
Time and time again, she heard wild applause and cheering coming from the outdoor crowd, and each time the announcements drew her closer to the event that was terrifying her. Finally, after a particularly loud applause for a comedy skit created by Alan Hastings, Lyra stood up and sighed. The time had come... and she was as ready as she could possibly be.
"And last, but definitely not least, is a surprise act from a very wealthy school," the announcer called loudly, eliciting a very surprised cheer. "That this is a very special school indeed, for it is a place that takes in students to harness their talents and make their gifts shine! Give a round of applause for the singing beauties: Kitty Pride, Jubilation Lee, and Lyralianna Evangeline!"
Closing her eyes, Lyra slowly took a breath before calming herself: everything became silent when she took off her hat and tossed it to the side. Then, after shooting a glance at Jubilee and Kitty, the white-haired girl stepped out from behind the curtain and made her way forward. The cheers turned to gasps of surprise and confusion: everyone knew who she was. However, nobody but the teachers from Xavier's academy knew that the events were being broadcasted on live television due to Betty Goldman's attempts at pulling a few strings… not even Lyra herself.
"It's the freak!" Alan shouted in outrage, eyes widening in shock as he stood up. "She's the one I was portraying in my comedy skit!"
Laughter erupted everywhere, but Lyra merely smiled at the insult when Kitty and Jubilee came out with identical scowls on their faces. After all, she had people standing with her this time, so she wasn't afraid of Alan anymore. Slowly stepping forward towards the microphone, the girl took it with a gentle hand and looked at the laughing faces of the crowd, smiling brightly.
"Yes, I am a freak," Lyra stated softly, voice echoing out over the school grounds; the girl slowly blinked and continued smiling at everyone when the laughter died out and people stared at her in blatant confusion. She understood why, too: before she'd gone to the mansion, she would have let an insult slide and chosen to pretend it hadn't been said. Eyes flicked up to look behind her when the massive football screen displaying the school logo switched to the security tapes. Erika immediately moved away, allowing Charles to form a psychic barrier around the video player: he was preventing everybody from messing with it, especially since the images of Lyra being abused by everyone flashed across the screen like a wildfire.
"Even she admitted it!" Alan laughed, pointing at the security videos. "Look at all the crazy shit she can do! What a weirdo!"
When he burst into hysterics, nobody laughed with him this time… not even Salem. The Italian boy was staring at the screen in horror, watching himself restraining Lyralianna as his two friends beat her dog to death in front of her. Salem's brown eyes slowly widened when he saw her stricken expression mirrored through the video camera... and he finally looked down at his hands, feeling a knotted expression tightening up in his stomach when he remembered the blood that had been on his friends' fingers.
His buddy was having a similar reaction.
"I am a freak," Lyra quietly repeated, blinking rapidly and attempting to hide the battle of fighting back all the tears she'd been repressing. "None of you know how awful it feels to be me… to want a friend who will love you. None of you know what it's like to be completely alone because of all your differences. I want to sing a little song for all of you tonight… to help you understand."
"Go get 'em, Lyra," Erika whispered, clasping her hands when Kitty started playing the music on the piano and Jubilee stepped forward on the microphone. Looking up at the screen displaying all of her torment, Lyralianna saw everything that had happened to her being played out all over again… being beaten, abused, thrown around, and hurt repeatedly by everyone she'd known. Her eyes became misty and she blinked before looking at the crowd with a smile. Everyone was so riveted by that one, simple smile that some people froze: it was her first time smiling at them, but it was so sad and broken that several people had tears welling up in their eyes. Without even realizing it, she had captured everyone's attention.
"When you were here before…" the girl sang softly, closing her eyes and letting her emotions well up. "I couldn't look you in the eyes… you all looked like angels… your skin made me cry..."
"What song is she singing?" a girl whispered, staring at Lyra's face with wide eyes. "It sounds familiar."
Her question went unanswered.
"You all floated like feathers… in a beautiful wooooorld…" Lyra sang, expression filling with pain even as she smiled at everyone; the girl blinked a few times and looked at Alan before singing the next lyrics. "You're so fucking special… and I wish I… was special…"
Lyralianna, you are special… Logan silently thought, looking at the broken expression behind her smile with unhappy eyes before he looked at all of the sickening images flashing across the big screen. Haven't you realized that you're special to everyone?
"But I'm a creeeeeep…. I'm a weirdoooo…" Lyra sang softly, holding the microphone with both hands before swaying back and forth. "What the hell am I doing here...? I don't belong here…"
Everybody was staring at the images flashing on the screen: several tears were trickling down the faces of students and teachers alike as they watched the horrors that had befallen Lyra after she'd enrolled. When the images zoomed in on the girl's gentle smile as she fed all of her lunches to her dog each and every day, a girl from her class started crying; when the images showed Lyra crying alone in her classroom several hours after school had gotten, her old homeroom teacher shakily covered his face to hide his watering eyes; more and more people when they saw everything Lyra had endured when she was away from prying eyes.
There was even a clip of her sitting with Bandit on the school lawn, both of them fast asleep and silently happy.
The image was perfect... but then, they saw the events that led up to the husky's death.
"I don't care if it hurts…" Lyra gently belted out, catching everyone's attention again.
"I don't care if it hurts…" Jubilee mirrored, closing her own slanted eyes.
"I wanna have control…" Lyra sang, smiling brokenly at the crowd.
"I wanna have control…" Jubilee echoed.
"I want a perfect body…" Lyralianna trilled.
"I want a perfect body…" Jubilee whispered.
"I want a perfect soul…" Lyra laughed, staring at the sky as she choked back a sob.
"I want a perfect soul…" Jubilee echoed.
"I want you to notice… when I'm not arooooound!" Lyra sang clearly, looking at all of her former teachers and classmates with fiery golden eyes. "You're so fucking special! I wish I… was special... but I'm a creeeeeep! I'm a weirdoooo! So what the hell am I doing here…? I don't belong here… so I'm running out! I'll run, run, run, run! RUUUUUUUN AWAAAAAAAAY! RUUUUUUUUUN AWAAAAAY!"
Even as she screamed out the lyrics, Lyra flexed her muscles and arched her back, flinging her arms out only a split second before her wings exploded out of her clothin. A cloud of silver sparkles went flying from her feathers as her beautiful appendages extended and spread themselves wide: she looked at the crowd with yellow eyes full of tears, hurt, and anger, and everyone froze like marble statues in the face of that stare. Lyra slowly lowered her arms and flapped her wings, looking like a true angel for the first time. Gently taking the microphone again, she finally smiled again… and tears left trails down her pearly skin when she blinked, taking several sparkles to the ground.
"Whatever makes you happy," Lyra trilled into the microphone, singing the last of the lyrics in a shaken tone. "Whatever you all want… you're all so fucking special… and I… I'm not special... I'm a creeeeeeep… I'm a weirdoooo... what the hell am I doing here…? I don't belong here... I'm a creeeeeep… I'm a weirdoooo… you said you want me gone… so this is my goodbyeeeeee…"
"This is her goodbye…" Jubilie echoed.
"This is her goodbye," Kitty softly added.
"This is our... good byeeeeeeeee….." all three girls sang, harmonizing their voices; when Lyra folded her wings around and stepped away from the microphone, she looked at the screen and swallowed when she saw Little Bandit being beaten to death. Her expression slowly twisted and she covered her face with both hands before bolting off the stage, running right past Kitty and darting out of sight.
For several moments, nothing but total silence reigned free… but then… clapping… and weeping… and wailed apologies filled the air. The applause created an uproar so loud that it echoed for several miles down the roads in every direction. In one of the houses along many suburban streets, a woman with green eyes and fiery red hair was standing in front of her television with a shattered beer bottle on the floor and tears streaming down her face. Lyra was oblivious to everything but the demon holding her in his arms as she cried. He hadn't been expecting to see a piece of her history being broadcasted on television, and he had been enraged by what he'd seen.
However, nothing mattered but the girl in his arms.
"Let's go home," the angel whimpered with watering eyes. "I want to go home, Kurt…"
"Alvight…" he sighed, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her towards the jet. When he teleported inside the aircraft, he set her down on one of the chairs and snuggled up beside her. The two of them were found twenty minutes later by Scott, fast asleep and cradled in each other's arms. The man merely sighed and got a blanket out of the jet's back cases and covered them up with it.
"You reminded me of Jean... I wish she were still alive," he whispered, patting Lyra's head. "She would have loved you..."
Little did he know, that wish had already come true the moment she was sealed away under the water.
If you want to hear the song Lyra was singing, look up this rendition of it: this is where I got the mental image of her singing it, so check it out on youtube. Just copy and paste Creep (Radiohead) - Carrie Manolakos into the video search bar