Whee-hoo! Yeah, I deleted some of my (more abusive) reviews, but oh well! So I'm down to twenty-one, so what? I'm sure I'll be getting more reviews after *this* chapter...well, actually, I don't expect that many, but that's okay.
By the by, I have a little note to "inhale me" if he/she is still reading this: Don't worry (giggle), I know I'm not Lyra Silvertongue, but I just really love the name, that's all. I really *enjoyed* His Dark Materials, except for the last few chapters of the last book (kinda dragged, heh-you know). So, anyway, just wanted you to know.
And now, without further ado:
***
Chapter Eight: A Day of Training (Well, half a day)
***
Knock, knock. "Greta? You awake in there?"
"Mmmph?" She spoke into her pillow.
Click. "This is your first official wake-up call." Greta could hear the smile in Jean's voice. "Hank's going to want to see you downstairs in about a half-an-hour. Think you can manage?" Greta sat up and attempted to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. It didn't work. She looked at the older mutant blearily.
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll see you at breakfast." She started to close the door.
"Wait. Who's Hank?"
"He's another one of the teachers here." There was a mischievous grin on her face. "We call him 'Beast.' You'll be able to guess why when you see him."
"Okay." Click. Greta looked over her shoulder at her brand-new clock radio. 10:30. _Way to sleep late on the first day, Greta._ Standing up, she padded over to her dresser and looked into the mirror above it. Bedraggled. Go figure. She had had more than a little trouble falling asleep the previous night on her new bed, not to mention the fact that she had still been coping with the after-effects of the dinner conversation. The company had been...rowdy, to say the least. And it wasn't as if she could just *sleep* after she had caught Evan looking at her three more times during dinner.
Sigh.
_Okay, now you can *stop* staring at yourself._ She shook herself out of her reverie and opened one of the dresser drawers. She stared, bewildered, at the neatly folded clothes. _Now *here's* a problem I didn't expect to hafta deal with._ After another few moments of thought, she selected a pair of soft jeans and a green top with a penguin on it. Still unsure of herself, she slipped them on and looked at her reflection once more. _Not half bad. Though you could *still* use a haircut._ She put on a pair of sneakers and, after a short trip to the bathroom (and a little difficulty with the toothpaste), made her way downstairs.
"Like, hi!" chirped Kitty from her place at the table. Besides Greta, she and Jean were the only ones in the kitchen. "Did you, like, sleep well?"
"Uh, yeah, I slept okay." _There ya go with the lies, already, Greta. Next time, tell tha truth. They're gonna expect it._
"Like, that's good. Hungry?"
"Sure."
"Cool. You know, I was, like, going to make you some pancakes, in, like, honor of it being your, like, first whole day here? But *Jean* over there," she faked a scowl and chucked a thumb at the stove. "like, wouldn't let me."
"Kitty, once you learn how to cook properly, you *know* I'll let you greet new people with food. But until then..." she smiled and flipped over the eggs in the skillet.
Kitty rolled her eyes, then gestured to Greta. "Like, come on in. Sit, like, next to me." Greta took the invitation and sat down. Jean placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of her. She was just getting a hang of using her fork properly when something huge, blue, and furry walked into the room. Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth, then, fearing looking rude, Greta forced herself to finish the motion.
"Hello, Greta. I'm Hank McCoy." He smiled, and stuck out a hand. Greta put down her fork and shook it, making sure her face didn't show much of a reaction to the fur on a *normal* hand. Kurt's tridactyl ones had been a lot easier to accept, but this... "Are you nearly done with your breakfast?" She nodded, taking a final bite of her eggs. The smile remained on his face. "I'm going to be helping you catch up with your studies, if that's all right. Please put your plate in the sink and follow me to the library." She obliged, and, waving shyly to Kitty and Jean, followed him out into the hall.
***
Some time later...
***
"Dick...said, 'Down,... Spot,... down. I want to see the...li...lit...I want to see the little dogs.'"
"You're making amazing progress, Greta! You're a very fast learner." Greta ducked her head and blushed toward the table. "At this rate, you'll be caught up with the rest of your grade in no time!"
"Hey, how's it goin', you two?" They looked up to see Rogue at the door.
"Oh, very well," rumbled Beast. "In fact, I was just telling Greta what a fast learner she is." Greta looked down at the table again, blushing furiously.
"Well, just wanted to check up on ya. Well, have 'Fun with Dick and Jane'!" Hank chuckled at the joke, then turned back to Greta as Rogue disappeared into the hallway.
"Would you care to continue?"
"Dick said, 'Look...look here, Fa...father...Th..is little dog...likes us...'"
***
Once Hank realized that stories such as "The Cat in the Hat" were becoming less and less of a challenge for Greta, they had moved onto greater things. They were halfway through "Freckle Juice" when Ororo came in to take Greta for another session in the Danger Room. Greta had become comfortable enough with these two teachers that she decided to try cracking a joke.
"Jeez, it seems like all I do around here is work, work, work..." The two adults smiled, seemingly happy with the progress she was making.
***
Ororo began the session with an order to the computer: "Computer, please adjust pressure in the Danger Room to One Atmosphere." Greta's eyes glazed as she focused on her hands. She flexed her fingers slightly.
"Um, forgive me for askin', but how is it that my hands feel so much different?"
"Greta, when you passed out yesterday, it was because of your sensitivity to pressure. All the movement in the mall must have been too much for you."
_How is it that they know so much about this already?_
"We thought that perhaps you might want to put this sensitivity to good use, as well as learning to...well, to not feel changes in pressure so much. It might be useful if you wish to go to any public places." Greta nodded, understanding.
"So what do I hafta do?"
"I'm going to ask the computer to change the atmosphere a few times. But first, I want you to note what the pressure feels like right now. The air pressure is One Atmosphere."
"One Atmosphere," she repeated, squeezing the air in her hands. She was lucky everyone here was so open-minded. If someone on the street had seen her doing that, they would've thought she was...well, weird.
"Got it? All right. Computer, change pressure to One Point One Atmospheres."
_Wow, does that feel weird. And I can feel it in my head, too. Whacko._ Greta squeezed the air in her hands again, then ran a finger over her right temple. "I can feel it up here, too."
Ororo nodded, then proceeded to take Greta and the computer through as many pressures as the two humans could stand. Finally, when Greta was starting to get *really* bored, Ororo informed her that they had both had enough.
"Now for a little test." She walked over to a keypad on one wall and keyed something in. Greta could feel the pressure change immediately. "What is the air pressure now?"
"Point Seven Five Atmospheres," she blurted out immediately. _*How* did I do *that*?_
"That's right! Good job. Now, how about this one..."
It seemed to stretch on forever, but Greta astonished herself by getting every one right. After what seemed like an hour, Ororo announced: "It's time for lunch." She smiled at Greta, and checked her watch. "One o'clock. You had a late breakfast, didn't you?" Ororo's tone was slightly scolding, but she was smiling. "Let's go upstairs and see what we-"
She was cut off by the hiss of the double-doors and Evan's voice. "Hey, Aunty O', Greta, you guys comin' up for lunch, or what?" Greta and Ororo shared a look.
"This is getting to be something of a habit, isn't it?" Greta smiled slightly at Ororo's words, then answered Evan herself.
"Yeah, we're comin'."
***
Ta-dah! There, finished with Chapter Eight. I don't know if it's long enough, but...whatever! Yeah, I'm havin' a little writer's block today, for *some* reason. Sigh. Oh, well. So what didja think? Cool? Okay, so I'm just bidin' my time, here, but stuff's gonna happen soon, I promise! If I can think of something (hee-hee-hee)...
Say, if you have any ideas as to what should happen next, I could use a little help (*smile*).
:-)
By the by, I have a little note to "inhale me" if he/she is still reading this: Don't worry (giggle), I know I'm not Lyra Silvertongue, but I just really love the name, that's all. I really *enjoyed* His Dark Materials, except for the last few chapters of the last book (kinda dragged, heh-you know). So, anyway, just wanted you to know.
And now, without further ado:
***
Chapter Eight: A Day of Training (Well, half a day)
***
Knock, knock. "Greta? You awake in there?"
"Mmmph?" She spoke into her pillow.
Click. "This is your first official wake-up call." Greta could hear the smile in Jean's voice. "Hank's going to want to see you downstairs in about a half-an-hour. Think you can manage?" Greta sat up and attempted to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. It didn't work. She looked at the older mutant blearily.
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll see you at breakfast." She started to close the door.
"Wait. Who's Hank?"
"He's another one of the teachers here." There was a mischievous grin on her face. "We call him 'Beast.' You'll be able to guess why when you see him."
"Okay." Click. Greta looked over her shoulder at her brand-new clock radio. 10:30. _Way to sleep late on the first day, Greta._ Standing up, she padded over to her dresser and looked into the mirror above it. Bedraggled. Go figure. She had had more than a little trouble falling asleep the previous night on her new bed, not to mention the fact that she had still been coping with the after-effects of the dinner conversation. The company had been...rowdy, to say the least. And it wasn't as if she could just *sleep* after she had caught Evan looking at her three more times during dinner.
Sigh.
_Okay, now you can *stop* staring at yourself._ She shook herself out of her reverie and opened one of the dresser drawers. She stared, bewildered, at the neatly folded clothes. _Now *here's* a problem I didn't expect to hafta deal with._ After another few moments of thought, she selected a pair of soft jeans and a green top with a penguin on it. Still unsure of herself, she slipped them on and looked at her reflection once more. _Not half bad. Though you could *still* use a haircut._ She put on a pair of sneakers and, after a short trip to the bathroom (and a little difficulty with the toothpaste), made her way downstairs.
"Like, hi!" chirped Kitty from her place at the table. Besides Greta, she and Jean were the only ones in the kitchen. "Did you, like, sleep well?"
"Uh, yeah, I slept okay." _There ya go with the lies, already, Greta. Next time, tell tha truth. They're gonna expect it._
"Like, that's good. Hungry?"
"Sure."
"Cool. You know, I was, like, going to make you some pancakes, in, like, honor of it being your, like, first whole day here? But *Jean* over there," she faked a scowl and chucked a thumb at the stove. "like, wouldn't let me."
"Kitty, once you learn how to cook properly, you *know* I'll let you greet new people with food. But until then..." she smiled and flipped over the eggs in the skillet.
Kitty rolled her eyes, then gestured to Greta. "Like, come on in. Sit, like, next to me." Greta took the invitation and sat down. Jean placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of her. She was just getting a hang of using her fork properly when something huge, blue, and furry walked into the room. Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth, then, fearing looking rude, Greta forced herself to finish the motion.
"Hello, Greta. I'm Hank McCoy." He smiled, and stuck out a hand. Greta put down her fork and shook it, making sure her face didn't show much of a reaction to the fur on a *normal* hand. Kurt's tridactyl ones had been a lot easier to accept, but this... "Are you nearly done with your breakfast?" She nodded, taking a final bite of her eggs. The smile remained on his face. "I'm going to be helping you catch up with your studies, if that's all right. Please put your plate in the sink and follow me to the library." She obliged, and, waving shyly to Kitty and Jean, followed him out into the hall.
***
Some time later...
***
"Dick...said, 'Down,... Spot,... down. I want to see the...li...lit...I want to see the little dogs.'"
"You're making amazing progress, Greta! You're a very fast learner." Greta ducked her head and blushed toward the table. "At this rate, you'll be caught up with the rest of your grade in no time!"
"Hey, how's it goin', you two?" They looked up to see Rogue at the door.
"Oh, very well," rumbled Beast. "In fact, I was just telling Greta what a fast learner she is." Greta looked down at the table again, blushing furiously.
"Well, just wanted to check up on ya. Well, have 'Fun with Dick and Jane'!" Hank chuckled at the joke, then turned back to Greta as Rogue disappeared into the hallway.
"Would you care to continue?"
"Dick said, 'Look...look here, Fa...father...Th..is little dog...likes us...'"
***
Once Hank realized that stories such as "The Cat in the Hat" were becoming less and less of a challenge for Greta, they had moved onto greater things. They were halfway through "Freckle Juice" when Ororo came in to take Greta for another session in the Danger Room. Greta had become comfortable enough with these two teachers that she decided to try cracking a joke.
"Jeez, it seems like all I do around here is work, work, work..." The two adults smiled, seemingly happy with the progress she was making.
***
Ororo began the session with an order to the computer: "Computer, please adjust pressure in the Danger Room to One Atmosphere." Greta's eyes glazed as she focused on her hands. She flexed her fingers slightly.
"Um, forgive me for askin', but how is it that my hands feel so much different?"
"Greta, when you passed out yesterday, it was because of your sensitivity to pressure. All the movement in the mall must have been too much for you."
_How is it that they know so much about this already?_
"We thought that perhaps you might want to put this sensitivity to good use, as well as learning to...well, to not feel changes in pressure so much. It might be useful if you wish to go to any public places." Greta nodded, understanding.
"So what do I hafta do?"
"I'm going to ask the computer to change the atmosphere a few times. But first, I want you to note what the pressure feels like right now. The air pressure is One Atmosphere."
"One Atmosphere," she repeated, squeezing the air in her hands. She was lucky everyone here was so open-minded. If someone on the street had seen her doing that, they would've thought she was...well, weird.
"Got it? All right. Computer, change pressure to One Point One Atmospheres."
_Wow, does that feel weird. And I can feel it in my head, too. Whacko._ Greta squeezed the air in her hands again, then ran a finger over her right temple. "I can feel it up here, too."
Ororo nodded, then proceeded to take Greta and the computer through as many pressures as the two humans could stand. Finally, when Greta was starting to get *really* bored, Ororo informed her that they had both had enough.
"Now for a little test." She walked over to a keypad on one wall and keyed something in. Greta could feel the pressure change immediately. "What is the air pressure now?"
"Point Seven Five Atmospheres," she blurted out immediately. _*How* did I do *that*?_
"That's right! Good job. Now, how about this one..."
It seemed to stretch on forever, but Greta astonished herself by getting every one right. After what seemed like an hour, Ororo announced: "It's time for lunch." She smiled at Greta, and checked her watch. "One o'clock. You had a late breakfast, didn't you?" Ororo's tone was slightly scolding, but she was smiling. "Let's go upstairs and see what we-"
She was cut off by the hiss of the double-doors and Evan's voice. "Hey, Aunty O', Greta, you guys comin' up for lunch, or what?" Greta and Ororo shared a look.
"This is getting to be something of a habit, isn't it?" Greta smiled slightly at Ororo's words, then answered Evan herself.
"Yeah, we're comin'."
***
Ta-dah! There, finished with Chapter Eight. I don't know if it's long enough, but...whatever! Yeah, I'm havin' a little writer's block today, for *some* reason. Sigh. Oh, well. So what didja think? Cool? Okay, so I'm just bidin' my time, here, but stuff's gonna happen soon, I promise! If I can think of something (hee-hee-hee)...
Say, if you have any ideas as to what should happen next, I could use a little help (*smile*).
:-)
