All right everyone, now on to chapter 2. This is where you all find out what happened in the phone call Bobby made to his parents.
He had wanted to tell his parents that he was safe and at the school, he hadn't spoken to them since he had had to be rescued from his own home on the jet. Bobby thought that his parents would have been worried, that they would have been glad he phoned. He had phoned from the Professor's office, the Professor giving him a sympathetic smile before quietly wheeling out. Bobby felt nervous all of a sudden as he dialed his home number. Ringing once, twice…"Hello?" It was Ronnie.
"Hey Ronnie, it's Bobby, is Mom or -."
"Mom, it's the mutant," said Ronnie, clearly not trying to cover the speaker.
Bobby felt his throat tighten up. His own brother wouldn't call him by name. He heard the phone being handed over to a different person.
"Bobby?" he heard his mother say tentatively.
"Mom," he didn't get any farther. His mom burst into tears. "Mom, Mom, it's okay. I'm safe, not a scratch on me. You don't have to cry…"
"Bobby, listen to me," his mother said between sobs. "You-, you've got to stop doing this mutant stuff, Bobby, it's dangerous, those people, mutants, they're dangerous. That incident on Saturday, oh, I don't know Bobby, we all could've been hurt, killed even! You've got to stop doing this!"
Bobby couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Mom, I can't stop being a mutant, it's not something you can turn on or off, it's who I am! And the things about mutants being dangerous, I will admit that maybe John went a little overboard but the whole thing wouldn't have happened if Ronnie hadn't called the police!"
His mother wasn't listening.
"Bobby, your father and I-,"
"Let me speak to him," his father's voice was heard in the background. There was a click and Bobby's father came on the phone. "Robert, are you there?" his father's voice was chilly and formal.
"Yeah, I'm still here, Dad."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm back at the school, I probably could've come home seeing as break starts tomorrow but I didn't want to put you guys in any danger."
"Hmm, well in my opinion you have already put this family in danger when you brought your friends home. Did you know that the total cost for all the damage was over 300,000 dollars and your 'friend' put 5 police officers in the hospital, two with 3rd degree burns."
Bobby swallowed, he hadn't thought that the police officers had been that hurt. He remained silent. His father continued.
"Your mother, or Ronnie, or I could've been hurt in that way or worse. I can't tolerate that. I won't tolerate that. Do you understand me Robert?"
"Yes, sir," Bobby said quietly .
"Good. Now if you want to be part of this family you can't be abnormal, you can't have any monstrosities… you can't be a mutant."
Bobby winced. "Dad, I can't stop being a mutant."
Silence.
"Very well." A pause, "then I suggest you find a place for yourself to stay for the break, and start to look about finding a place to live for the summer. You can't live at our home. You are not part of this family."
"Dad, please. I- you can't do this! I'm your son!" Bobby's voice cracked. He felt tears prickling at the back of his eyes.
"You are a monster! I don't have a son who is a mutant!" his father thundered, then more quietly. "If you come near me or my family or try to contact us, I'll call the police."
"Dad!" Bobby's cry was anguished.
"Goodbye Robert."
There was a click, then a dial tone. Bobby stared at the phone through a haze of tears. In his wildest dreams he had never imagined a day where his family would disown him. He scrubbed at his tears angrily and left the office, not looking to see if the Professor was still around. He hid in one of the study rooms until suppertime, avoiding all his friends. He ate a quick supper, not talking to anyone. Later he went to his room and locked the door. Bobby wasn't-
* * * *
"Bobby, there you are! I was looking for you this afternoon. Where were you?"
It was Rogue.
To be continued…
