The sunshine sifts through the windows as it rises over the tree line. Jamie sees freckles of light rest on the polished hardwood floor. She wants to take in every inch of the hallways, door frames, and lounge areas of the expansive mansion that would be her home for a while.
No one else was awake yet, so the halls were comfortably quiet, almost like the calm before a storm. Making friends was never hard for Jamie before, so why was it now that she felt so nervous to meet the other students here? The Jamie before could fake relating to the other guys and their interests, so what would be so different now? It could be that this time around, she wasn't planning on faking it. She would be sharing her true interests and personality with them.
As she ponders over these things, one of the teachers comes out of the classroom. Walking beside her is the same man from the hospital who traveled with Professor Xavier.
"You are up awfully early. Excited for your first day?" This teacher was beautiful, with long red hair and a genuine smile, and her reading glasses were pushed back on her head as a makeshift headband.
"Oh, I don't really sleep, so I'm always up," Jamie meant for the statement to be a fact of her nature, but worried it came off as being rude. She just didn't need much sleep, just an hour or two for her brain to take a break. Considering her body, the original male body, was in a constant state of sleep in the form of a coma, she always felt well rested.
"Yes, but I haven't seen you out amongst the students since you arrived here," Replied the teacher, still holding that kind composure in her face.
It had been a week since Professor Xavier and Scott Summers transported her body from the hospital to the upscale mansion in Winchester, New York. She couldn't remember the ride, in fact the last thing she remembered was just open blackness. No feeling, no sensations, no way to tell depth of the space, just nothingness all around her. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, and sweat dripping down her face.
She could feel someone else was in there too, but she couldn't see them. Watching. It was like that same feeling of thinking you heard your name being said in a crowded place, but you look around and can't see anyone you know.
Panic rushed through her body, choking all the oxygen out of her lungs. It felt like it was only seconds in there, in that dark space, but when she finally focused herself to fall back to the ground, to reenter the room she was in with her family, the world around her wasn't the same.
It was still a hospital room, sort of, but more like a lab used for experimentation. Her body lay on the bed, and admittedly it did look better, but still needed more work until she could reconnect. The Professor explained how he managed to convince her parents that their son would do better in a private, high-tech facility, and she was honestly glad she wasn't there to see it. It would have been too painful. However, she knows that one day they would meet again, in what manner of physical form, she still doesn't know.
Pulling herself out of her memories, Jamie responds to the teacher's remark,
"I've been out. Ya know, getting to know the place". She was starting to remember that this teacher's name was Jean Grey. She was one of the first teachers to greet her when she first arrived and also took care of her body in the lab below the school.
"I know you have, I just haven't seen you, is all." This teacher was also a telepath, like Professor Xavier. Even though Jamie roamed the halls of the school, she only did it at night, in fear that she might have to talk to somebody. Professor Grey could still sense her presence.
"Well," continues Professor Grey, "breakfast is from 7 to 8:30."
"Oh, I don't really eat, either," answers Jamie. She took the courtesy to ask all these questions of Jamie, even though she could easily read her thoughts and intentions.
Professor Grey whispers over her shoulder as she and Mr. Summers heads down the hallway, "I know."
Don't worry, you'll make friends in no time, she continuesin her telepathic message.
Thanks, I hope so, Jamie thinks back.
Soft chatter comes from the dinning hall area. For a second, Jamie thought about going invisible and scoping out the place before walking into the space, but realizes that would be the loser way of approaching this. If playing competitive sports taught her anything, it's that whatever you do in the game, you do it with dignity.
She thought it would be easy to tell right away the hierarchy of students based on seating arrangements and group dynamics. But she had never seen such diversity in a group! It wasn't like an "ad campaign for a children's hospital" diverse, but more like a poster for a sci-fi blockbuster trilogy. People of different shape, size, color, and even mineral element composition, congregated here. The only thing that unified the group was their matching maroon sweater vests with the x emblem located on the left upper chest.
A girl with pink dragonfly wings flies past and nearly clips Jamie in the head. "Sorry, my bad!" the girl yelled back, avoiding hitting a light fixture on the way.
"If you think she's bad at flying, you should see her try to drive a car."
Jamie looks around to see who was talking to her, and has to contain her reaction once she sees who it was. A boy, probably the same age she was, walked toward her side holding a tray of food with oven mitts on his hands. That wasn't the oddest thing about him, though. His skin was layered with black scales, which slightly shifted back and forth as he moved across the room. His eyes were completely stunning; the irises were metallic silver and reflected the light. They reminded her of tinfoil, and actually made it hard for her to stand in front of him at certain angles.
"Hey, the names Quincy. I'd shake your hand, but…" He shrugged his shoulders and nodded towards his hands.
"I get it, your hands are full," Jamie replied
"No, they'd burn your freak'n hands off," Quincy answered.
Jamie nervously laughed back, "What, seriously?"
"Yeah, just this little uncontrollable quirk I have. Professor Xavier thinks I'll grow out of it though, like it's a stutter or something. Until then though, I've got these bad boys to protect me." He holds up his hand and moves his fingers and thumb like a lobster might do with its claws.
"Isn't this place, like, a multimillion dollar facility? Can't they afford better fire restrictive materials than kitchenware?"
"Well, actually, they can," Quincy retorted, "but I keep losing them. I've made enough of an impression on the kitchen staff here that they know that if they see me without the gloves on, they better provide something, unless I'm likely to melt all their plastic trays."
"So you're ability is destroying other people's food carrying devices?" Jamie asks.
"I mean, yeah, but not so specifically. Ya see, you probably hadn't noticed, but my skin is covered in these black scale things,"
"No, I hadn't noticed. Thanks for bringing that up,"
"Yeah, it is. And they are like little, tiny solar panels, absorbing all this light, all the time. Well, what do you think happens when a bunch of light is collected in one place?"
Jamie knew where he was going with this, but couldn't resist the urge to mess with him. "I don't know, what does happen when a bunch of light is collected in one place?"
"Well it ain't a puppet show, I'll tell you that! Things tend to go all melty. And if I get too much light, things tend to go all 'Boom!', including me. So, basically…"
"Avoid contact, and stay in the shade," finishes Jamie.
"So, I told you my power, what's yours?"
"Oh, um…" Jamie hadn't thought about what to tell other students about her power. Basically, what she was, was the power. She was about to divert the topic, when fate intervened.
"Oh hi, Quincy-Wincy. I need your help with something." A slender blonde with a skirt way too short for her leg length strode up to the two. Although Jamie never had to deal with girls like this before as a boy, she definitely know what type of female this was. She was popular.
"Quincy, I'm in a rush for my music lesson, and I don't have time to wait in line for breakfast. Do you mind if I have yours?"
"Yes, of course Harmony, here," he practically shoved the tray into her torso. Jamie giggled at the sight of Quincy's eagerness towards this girl. Harmony noticed, and didn't hide her disdain for the remark.
"And who is this you're with, Quincy? Are you starting to get eyes for another girl?" Harmony's eyes never left Jamie's as Quincy tried to back-peddle the situation.
"No, of course not! This is a new student, her name is, um,…"
"Jamie. My name is Jamie. And isn't your name a little too on the nose with your hobby?"
"Yeah, that is weird," Quincy adds, not noticing the death stares the two girls were giving each other, "Did your parents really name you that, and then you took up music, or are you forced to do it because of your name?"
Irritated, Harmony decides to end the conversation and leave with what she came for. "Before I go Quincy, let me just say, that if I could,…"
"Give me a kiss, you would," Quincy answered back, making it clear that this was an on-going, one sided struggle.
"And thanks for the food," Harmony sauntered off to a table occupied by other equally impressive looking people.
"SO, is that your girlfriend?" Jamie asked drily.
"Pssh, ha, yeah, right, like, I wish! Like everyone wishes! She is the most loved and admired girl in this school. Man, I'd kill, just to be able to call her my girl."
"Well then, let me steer clear, as to not be a victim of your conquest for love."
"Aww, come on, its just an expression," Quincy moans, "Let's get you some food before it all runs out."
Jamie snidely replies, "Once again, multimillion dollar facility, can't even afford to feed all of its students?"
"It Is Just An EXPRESSION," he bellows good-naturedly. Half way to the food, the pair are stopped by a question spoken in unison.
"Hello Quincy, Harmony take your food again?" Two identical sisters sit next to each other, looking up at Jamie and Quincy. They continue,
"It doesn't take a set of mind readers to know…."
"…that she only uses you when she needs something."
The sister's every movement was in sync. Even the foods on their plates were identical, probably eaten in the same order.
Great, thought Jamie, right off the bat, I meet a couple of telepaths! How did I hope to keep my secret in a place like this? But the girls didn't show any sign of interest in what was going on in Jamie's mind. They just kept a pleasant demeanor on their faces as she introduced herself.
Quincy presses his hands on the table, and leans toward the twins to emphasize his statement, "You two think you know everything, but the fact of the matter is that Harmony and I have a special bond, that no words can ever destroy."
"Oh yeah, Quincy Adams? If what you have is so special, then why…"
"…is she rubbing up next to Shawn Newton?"
With a sharp turn of the head, Quincy looks over at what could be considered the popular table and sees Harmony wrapping her arms around a lean, athletic type with thick black hair, perfectly swooped out of his face to frame his sharp, hazel eyes. Quincy's demeanor seemed to drop upon the sight, but he played it off fairly well, in Jamie's opinion.
"They are team mates," he says, "There is a certain level of trust and intimacy that comes with being apart of a War Breaker game. If you two ever played the sport, you would know what that is like. Besides, you know I don't need to eat anyways, I just do it because I like the taste of food."
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Jamie asked.
"I don't need food for energy. I get all I need from sunlight." Quincy demonstrates with his left arm. "All I have to do is raise my scales up, and let the light hit 'em," a soft glow emits from below his scales, making him look like a dragon from a fantasy movie. "See, I don't even need sleep either, which makes cramming for an exam, still ill-advised, but way easier."
"No, I get that part," says Jamie, "I'm asking about the 'War Breaker games', what is that?"
"Oh, that," Quincy leans in closer and lowers his voice. This made Jamie nervous. Not because she could feel the heat radiating off of Quincy's skin like a hot lamp over cooked meats, but because she didn't know how convincing her projection would be to others this close up.
"They are these serious of battles fought between teams, and each team has an assigned color. Each game lasts for 45 minutes, in which you have to make it the whole game without getting tagged by an opposing color. The team with the most hits, wins. Each time your team wins, you earn credits from any opposing team member you choose. It is the ultimate challenge and honor in the 'Professor X's School of Misfit Heroes'!"
"And it's totally against the rules", the twins sing-song together.
"You know, I'm so glad you two don't do that weird, creepy twin-thing that is always portrayed in horror movies," jeered Quincy.
Jamie questions further, "So, what are these credits you win?"
With enthusiasm, Quincy crouches closer to the table and whispers, "So, credits are favors we do for each other, usually having to do something with our ability sets. Like, if I was really craving a deep dish pizza from my favorite restaurant in Boston, I'd use my credit with a speedster to get that for me. I think the craziest thing I've seen someone ask for was to be flown around campus, just because the kid wanted to know what it felt like to fly. Credits can be money, too, if that's what you want. Most people don't ask for that though, because we know that not all of us get support from our parents to send us cash. Each game is assigned a dollar amount per head, usually no more than twenty bucks. Depending on if what is asked of you is too much, you can opt out of the favor and pay instead."
"And what is a favor that is too much?" asks Jamie.
The girls and Quincy look at each other, and Jamie could tell that they slightly agreed not to mention what he meant. "Oh, nothing really too much, the game is more about bragging rights than credits, any ways."
Not wanting to press too hard into this sensitive area, but wanting to know more, Jamie asks, "What credits have you used, Quincy?"
The girls started laughing before Jamie could even finish her sentence.
"You have to win…"
"…To earn credits!"
Before Quincy could give a retort back, the first bell range for classes. Students shuffle up from their chairs.
"Dang, we didn't get you any breakfast, I'm sorry," said Quincy.
"That's okay," replied Jamie, "I don't really need to eat, either."
"Oh yeah? Just met, and already, we have so much in common."
Jamie mumbles under her breath, "Probably more than you know..." Quincy doesn't seem to notice the comment; instead he's too busy looking at Harmony leave the dining hall, holding hands with the Shawn guy.
"Do you know where to go for your first class?" Asks one of the sisters. Jamie waits for the other sister to follow up the question, but realizes that that was the end of the question.
"I think so, but I would like to have someone I already know walk with me, just in case." Looking down at Jamie's class roster, Quincy huffs back,
"Well, it will be more like some-twos in this case. My first class is in the opposite direction. Amy and Anne can take you to your class."
"Sure, that'd be great…." Jamie's mind couldn't process fast enough what her eyes were seeing. As the twins stood up, she noticed that there was only one pair of legs for the two of them. Conjoined, from the hip down.
Quincy's warm breath whispered into Jamie's ear, "Amy is on the left, Anne is on the right. Unless you see them from behind, then Amy's on the,"
"I get it Quincy, thank you." Interrupted Jamie
"My pleasure, I'll be seeing you ladies in third period. Until then," Quincy bows from his waist, and fans his right arm out in their direction, before awkwardly stumbling backwards into the sea of students.
"And he wonders why he sits at the unpopular table with us…" Amy sighed.
"Well no, actually, right now he is wondering," Anne's eyes go white, and her side of the body stands motionless. "He's thinking about if he stacked a bunch of hamsters on-top of one another, how many would it take for the tower to reach the ceiling?" Amy chuckles at her sister's comment as the group walks toward their class.
"What you just did back there, what was that?" A few hours ago Jamie thought the question would be rude to ask so bluntly, but she is starting to see that bragging about one's abilities was slightly the norm here. Or maybe that was what got you at the unpopular table?
"We're telepaths, but when we use our ability, the rest of our other senses stop working. Basically, we become completely blocked off to the world while we read someone's mind."
Jamie understood how that felt, and hated that the only way these girls could use such incredible abilities was to put themselves in such physical pain and discomfort.
"Don't worry about us though," chimed in Anne, "We have each other to help."
"We take care of each other while we use our ability," finishes Amy.
"That's really great you two have each other, but how did you know that I was concerned, neither one of you looked the way Amy did before when she read Quincy's mind?"
"That's because it was written on your face," They both answered. "When you are born the way we are, you learn to read people's expressions pretty easily." Luckily for Jamie, the trio had arrived to the classroom, cutting off the conversation where it was.