Aysel Mithren rolled over in bed. She looked around the dorm room
that she had been lying in for at least two hours and sighed. Her new
roommates, Rogue and a boy named Pyro, were fast asleep, yet Aysel had a
strange feeling that Pyro was still flicking his lighter on and off
underneath his covers. (Judging by the iridescent light that was emitting
from his bed, Aysel guessed that he was still wide-awake.)
She, however, made no move to rouse him. Instead she turned over to the opposite side of the room and closed her eyes, slowly, calmly taking breaths as she attempted at falling asleep. At length, she began snoring, and it was apparent that she had entered her slumber full of dreams and memories from the time before her coming to Xavier's.
* * *
It was a particularly warm midsummer night. The Middlebrooke Manatees Football Team was changing in the locker-room just outside of the grand football field that graced the ominous Middlebrooke High School. On the other side of the building, the Middlebrooke Cheerleading Team was going over their routines, many of which were extremely difficult for sixteen- year-old girls. But they could stand it-they were tough cheerleaders. Everything was right. Everything was perfect.
"Okay, everyone, let's take a break!" yelled the cheerleading captain, Aidan Lord; a skinny girl with short, spiky hair and a very perky personality, as she crossed the practicing area. "Aysel, let's try to work on that pyramid! Madison, I'd like to see more effort into that round-off, please-and next time be sure not to knock Kellie down as you're attempting one.Other than that, girls, let's show some Manatee Spirit and kick some serious butt out there!"
This earned approving cheers from the rest of the squad, who all filed into the locker-room where they would wait for the match to finally begin. Aysel Mithren sat down in a shadowy corner near the edge of the locker-room with her group of friends; Rachel, Maggie, Emma, and lastly Vikki. For a while they discussed typical teenage gossip; then Aysel turned the topic round to what was expected of the Manatees as they played against the most vigorous team in Cardiff: the Ryance Rednecks. At long length Aidan was alerted by the assistant headmaster that the time had come for the opening show by the home cheerleaders-them-so they all piled out of the locker-room to the gigantic stadium.
It lasted a while, and it was hard, but the squad was grateful when it was finally over and the crowd was going wild for the round-offs that they had completed. Without hesitation they all sat down and waited until they were needed, slight intervals throughout the game, until it was finally over, the scoreboard reading, "Home: 56, Visitors: 59." It had been a hard, long match, and the Manatees were looking extremely put-out as they walked disgracefully to the showers, where some of them would probably attempt to drown themselves.
Aysel and her friends all hiked sorrowfully back to their locker- room, where Aidan kept going over the great job that they had done and how very sadly, it didn't affect the match as she had hoped. For about five minutes she went over the plan that she expected of them the next time their team had a game, and at last she let them get their uniforms out of the gym lockers so that they could change when they got home. (Most of the girls anticipated bringing their uniforms home to wash, so no one bothered to change back into their school-clothes before leaving.)
Mrs. Mithren, Aysel's mother, was currently on her way from work to the match, a choice which would leave Aysel and her friends waiting outside the stadium for her. They all put down their rucksacks and leaned over on the wooden fence, which had become a "bench" for all of the students at the high school. A few of the football players were also loitering around near its wooden surface, many of which were very close to the girls. One particular player, Adam Grint, leant over and whispered in Aysel's ear, "Pretty foxy uniform you got there, Mithren."
"Excuse me, Grint, I'd very much enjoy it if you backed away about five feet from me," she said politely, her rage getting the better of her. Adam grinned and went on about the short skirts and tankini-tops, but Aysel kept thinking of flames and hatred towards him. As he babbled on, and Aysel, Rachel, Maggie, Emma and Vikki became more and more irritated, the flames inside of Aysel grew larger and larger until she felt that they were about to burst. Just to her very luck, that's just what they did. They burst, and erupted right near where Adam was standing-the boys' locker- room.
Everyone let out a scream and made a run for it. Adam, who was extremely tall and had lots of things in his bag, sat for a moment as if nothing had happened. Then . . . as he tried to lift his rucksack . . . he realized that it had been caught on to the locker-room doorknob. He shrieked and kept pulling at it. It burst and he scampered around to pick up his beloved belongings, but it was too late. The flames had already consumed him.
* * *
Aysel bolted up in bed. She was breathing very fast and unsteady, as if she had just run five miles and was recovering. Her dark brown eyes moved cautiously around the room and thanked God that everyone was safely asleep. No fire. Nothing . . . Without any hesitation Aysel turned over and let out a sigh. It was just a dream. She didn't have to worry. Adam Grint was dead . . . There was no changing it. But from now on, reasoned Aysel, she'd have to control her powers, for better . . . and for worse.
She, however, made no move to rouse him. Instead she turned over to the opposite side of the room and closed her eyes, slowly, calmly taking breaths as she attempted at falling asleep. At length, she began snoring, and it was apparent that she had entered her slumber full of dreams and memories from the time before her coming to Xavier's.
* * *
It was a particularly warm midsummer night. The Middlebrooke Manatees Football Team was changing in the locker-room just outside of the grand football field that graced the ominous Middlebrooke High School. On the other side of the building, the Middlebrooke Cheerleading Team was going over their routines, many of which were extremely difficult for sixteen- year-old girls. But they could stand it-they were tough cheerleaders. Everything was right. Everything was perfect.
"Okay, everyone, let's take a break!" yelled the cheerleading captain, Aidan Lord; a skinny girl with short, spiky hair and a very perky personality, as she crossed the practicing area. "Aysel, let's try to work on that pyramid! Madison, I'd like to see more effort into that round-off, please-and next time be sure not to knock Kellie down as you're attempting one.Other than that, girls, let's show some Manatee Spirit and kick some serious butt out there!"
This earned approving cheers from the rest of the squad, who all filed into the locker-room where they would wait for the match to finally begin. Aysel Mithren sat down in a shadowy corner near the edge of the locker-room with her group of friends; Rachel, Maggie, Emma, and lastly Vikki. For a while they discussed typical teenage gossip; then Aysel turned the topic round to what was expected of the Manatees as they played against the most vigorous team in Cardiff: the Ryance Rednecks. At long length Aidan was alerted by the assistant headmaster that the time had come for the opening show by the home cheerleaders-them-so they all piled out of the locker-room to the gigantic stadium.
It lasted a while, and it was hard, but the squad was grateful when it was finally over and the crowd was going wild for the round-offs that they had completed. Without hesitation they all sat down and waited until they were needed, slight intervals throughout the game, until it was finally over, the scoreboard reading, "Home: 56, Visitors: 59." It had been a hard, long match, and the Manatees were looking extremely put-out as they walked disgracefully to the showers, where some of them would probably attempt to drown themselves.
Aysel and her friends all hiked sorrowfully back to their locker- room, where Aidan kept going over the great job that they had done and how very sadly, it didn't affect the match as she had hoped. For about five minutes she went over the plan that she expected of them the next time their team had a game, and at last she let them get their uniforms out of the gym lockers so that they could change when they got home. (Most of the girls anticipated bringing their uniforms home to wash, so no one bothered to change back into their school-clothes before leaving.)
Mrs. Mithren, Aysel's mother, was currently on her way from work to the match, a choice which would leave Aysel and her friends waiting outside the stadium for her. They all put down their rucksacks and leaned over on the wooden fence, which had become a "bench" for all of the students at the high school. A few of the football players were also loitering around near its wooden surface, many of which were very close to the girls. One particular player, Adam Grint, leant over and whispered in Aysel's ear, "Pretty foxy uniform you got there, Mithren."
"Excuse me, Grint, I'd very much enjoy it if you backed away about five feet from me," she said politely, her rage getting the better of her. Adam grinned and went on about the short skirts and tankini-tops, but Aysel kept thinking of flames and hatred towards him. As he babbled on, and Aysel, Rachel, Maggie, Emma and Vikki became more and more irritated, the flames inside of Aysel grew larger and larger until she felt that they were about to burst. Just to her very luck, that's just what they did. They burst, and erupted right near where Adam was standing-the boys' locker- room.
Everyone let out a scream and made a run for it. Adam, who was extremely tall and had lots of things in his bag, sat for a moment as if nothing had happened. Then . . . as he tried to lift his rucksack . . . he realized that it had been caught on to the locker-room doorknob. He shrieked and kept pulling at it. It burst and he scampered around to pick up his beloved belongings, but it was too late. The flames had already consumed him.
* * *
Aysel bolted up in bed. She was breathing very fast and unsteady, as if she had just run five miles and was recovering. Her dark brown eyes moved cautiously around the room and thanked God that everyone was safely asleep. No fire. Nothing . . . Without any hesitation Aysel turned over and let out a sigh. It was just a dream. She didn't have to worry. Adam Grint was dead . . . There was no changing it. But from now on, reasoned Aysel, she'd have to control her powers, for better . . . and for worse.
