Deciding that it wasn't fair to hurt the fuzzball after he had done nothing, I set off to the kitchen once more. This time, however, more people were there. Obviously, I had come in at lunch time. I tried to help, but everyone seemed to have it under control. But before I could protest, all the seats were taken except for one. Can you guess who it was by? No? Let me give you a hint. Only person in the place who doesn't use utensils, but himself to eat. Still nothing? Wow. Denser than I thought. Anyhoo, it was Logan.
Wearily, I trudged over and flopped down into the seat. He sat to my left, so, looking up, I saw that Kurt was on my right. Grinning like the Chesire Cat who had just heard the funniest joke in the world. I glared at him, but it didn't make a dent in his perkiness, nor did it stop him from poking me in the side with his tail, trying to get me to laugh. I didn't break a sweat. On the outside at least. On the inside, I was getting ready to blow my top from laughter.
I managed to keep it in though, so no one at the table gave me weird looks. There was an odd silence, so Jean tried to start a conversation.
"So, Crys, what grade are you in?"
I pushed some food around my plate and didn't look up.
"Tenth."
"Oh! You'll be in Kurt's grade! Maybe you can even get in some of his classes. Have you been enrolled yet; do you have your schedule?"
I sighed.
"I'm not going to Bayville High."
A confused expression came upon the redhead's face.
"Why?"
"My emotions trigger my gift and until I can control it I don't think it's a good idea to go out in public because I could hurt someone. Right Professor?" I asked, finally looking up from my lunch. He nodded and said,
"Crys will be home-schooled until she can control her gift, as she said."
At this statement, my eyes traveled to land on the person sitting on my right. Logan. He would teach me. Not Chuck. Not Ororo. Not some mutant teacher found through Cerebro. Logan. He looked over at me suspiciously. I immediately cast my glance back downwards. Kitty spoke up.
"Trust me Crys. Consider yourself, like, lucky. Most of the guys at Bayville High are jerks anyway. Like, who'd want to go there?"
I gave a half smile, but it didn't reach my eyes, so I gave up and continued to eat slowly. Then Kurt commented,
"Besides, vhy vould you vant to eat zee high school's food anyvay? If you get school here, zee food is much better."
I snorted at this comment and replied,
"Only you would comment on the food, Kurt."
"Vat?" he asked innocently. "Isn't zat your favorite part of zee school day?"
"Is there such a thing as a favorite part of the school day?"
"Ah certainly don't think so," came the reply from the normally silent Rogue.
"Finally, someone agrees with me!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air. Rogue smirked at me and said,
"Ya' may be a little too enthusiastic fer' mah tastes, but at least yah've got yer priorities straight."
I smiled back.
"We'll have to talk about the importance of valley girls in society sometime. Very interesting topic, if I do say so myself." I looked over at Kitty, who was frowning at my comment, then back to Rogue, who had now crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ah'll be willin' ta' talk with ya' about that, Crys. Just remember ta' read up on the use of the word 'lahke' in every sentence. Ah'll talk with ya' about that, too."
We both smiled, but Kitty looked flustered. Evan was trying not to laugh for Kitty's sake, and Kurt was shaking his head and smiling. Oh, yes. This was going to be a wonderful place to live.
~*~
I got a rude awakening the next morning(10:00) after being allowed to sleep in. Everyone else was already at school. Me? I was snuggled deep in my covers, warm and content. At least I was, until someone splashed cold water on my face, making me shoot straight up, looking around for the schemer who dared to attack me with my own element.
I glanced around, but then my eyes flew to my open door, and a figure standing there, slouched against the frame. Instantly, I could tell by the position who it was.
"Badger?" I managed in a small whisper between gritted teeth. He turned to look at me, nonchalantly strolling up to my bed. Focusing on the H2O in my bed, I brought all of it out so that I was dry once again. Logan either didn't notice, or didn't care, because he said,
"Unless Mystique got past our defenses, then it's me, Tidepool. Ready fer' school, my way?"
The water floated next to me, hovering like a hummingbird.
"Well, I would be ready, if I was dressed, out of my bed, and didn't have water suspended in mid-air next to me. What do you have to say to that?" I replied. The strain of keeping it up started to show as beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. Logan noticed this and kicked a bucket that I hadn't seen before over to the side of me.
"I say ya' should drop the liquid 'fore ya' kill yerself."
Letting the clear fluid plop into the metal container, I sighed and leaned back against my headboard.
"What else ya' got ta' say?"
"Get up, get dressed, and get into the rec room."
"Get it, got it, good," I muttered under my breath as he walked to the door. Stopping in mid-stride, Logan seemed to consider something, then disregarded it and left the room. Yawning widely, I stretched my arms toward the ceiling and threw my legs onto the floor. I stumbled over to the dresser, picked out my ususal style of clothing, then closed and locked the door for privacy.
After washing up, yawning a couple more times, and brushing my hair, I managed to find the rec room without too much trouble. Almost tripping over my feet, I plunked down onto the couch and looked up. It seemed as if Logan wasn't here yet.
Cool, my teacher is late. Guess that means he can't mark me tardy. A sudden image of Logan behind a teacher's desk flashed in my mind and I snickered.
"Mind sharin' the joke with the class?"
I turned my head to face my 'instructor.' He was standing before me, slouched as always, with blue jeans and a tucked in T-shirt.
"Sure, I love talking to imaginary people, I do it all the time." He growled , then shook his head and sat down next to me and looked straight into my eyes.
"You know I can't refuse this 'job' because Charles asked me to do it. So if we're going to be here for awhile, we need to stop this."
"Stop what?" I asked innocently. Logan glared at me, so I tore my pupils away from his gaze to stare at the ceiling.
"You need to stop the sarcasm, and I guess I could try and not be so aggressive."
At the last part I snorted. Less aggressive? Right. And Kurt would wake up in the morning looking like Noah Wile.
"I guess I could try," I said, sighing dramatically. A period of awkward silence over came the room. "So!" I exclaimed, my mood changing drastically. "What subjects we gotta' cover?"
He looked down.
"Charles just said to give ya' these. Ya' can finish 'em, right?"
Out of seemingly no where, he handed me a stack of papers about one foot high. Flipping through them, I surmised that they were, for the most part, easy.
"Right, so you're here for.........?"
"Ta' ensure that ya' don't run, I guess."
Sighing, I grabbed a pencil off of a nearby table and began to fill out the worksheets. Logan just glanced over every now and then to make sure I wasn't going A-wall. I kept on swearing because my pencil wouldn't stop breaking.
"Damn it, damn it, and damn it!"
Logan watched in what I took to be amusement.
"Ya' do know there is a pencil sharpner' ta' yer' left?"
Looking over, I saw he was telling the truth. I grumbled and sharpened it, only to break it once again. Throwing the broken writing utensil down in frustration, I growled and gritted my teeth.
"Having trouble, Tidepool?"
"How'd ya' know?" I asked sardonically.
"Lucky guess?" he replied, smirking. I growled again. Then I smiled mischievously.
"Hey, Badger. How 'bout we have a different type of class?"
He looked at me suspiciously.
"What d' ya' mean?"
"What do you do best?"
Finally, Logan figured it out.
"Fight."
"Exactly."
"None 'o the squirts ever wanted ta' face me intentionally. You got a death wish 'er somethin'?"
"You won't be sayin' that after we get out, Badger. Bet no one has ever beaten 'The Wolverine.'"
He smirked pridefully.
"And no one ever will, kid."
"We'll just see 'bout that."
Wearily, I trudged over and flopped down into the seat. He sat to my left, so, looking up, I saw that Kurt was on my right. Grinning like the Chesire Cat who had just heard the funniest joke in the world. I glared at him, but it didn't make a dent in his perkiness, nor did it stop him from poking me in the side with his tail, trying to get me to laugh. I didn't break a sweat. On the outside at least. On the inside, I was getting ready to blow my top from laughter.
I managed to keep it in though, so no one at the table gave me weird looks. There was an odd silence, so Jean tried to start a conversation.
"So, Crys, what grade are you in?"
I pushed some food around my plate and didn't look up.
"Tenth."
"Oh! You'll be in Kurt's grade! Maybe you can even get in some of his classes. Have you been enrolled yet; do you have your schedule?"
I sighed.
"I'm not going to Bayville High."
A confused expression came upon the redhead's face.
"Why?"
"My emotions trigger my gift and until I can control it I don't think it's a good idea to go out in public because I could hurt someone. Right Professor?" I asked, finally looking up from my lunch. He nodded and said,
"Crys will be home-schooled until she can control her gift, as she said."
At this statement, my eyes traveled to land on the person sitting on my right. Logan. He would teach me. Not Chuck. Not Ororo. Not some mutant teacher found through Cerebro. Logan. He looked over at me suspiciously. I immediately cast my glance back downwards. Kitty spoke up.
"Trust me Crys. Consider yourself, like, lucky. Most of the guys at Bayville High are jerks anyway. Like, who'd want to go there?"
I gave a half smile, but it didn't reach my eyes, so I gave up and continued to eat slowly. Then Kurt commented,
"Besides, vhy vould you vant to eat zee high school's food anyvay? If you get school here, zee food is much better."
I snorted at this comment and replied,
"Only you would comment on the food, Kurt."
"Vat?" he asked innocently. "Isn't zat your favorite part of zee school day?"
"Is there such a thing as a favorite part of the school day?"
"Ah certainly don't think so," came the reply from the normally silent Rogue.
"Finally, someone agrees with me!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air. Rogue smirked at me and said,
"Ya' may be a little too enthusiastic fer' mah tastes, but at least yah've got yer priorities straight."
I smiled back.
"We'll have to talk about the importance of valley girls in society sometime. Very interesting topic, if I do say so myself." I looked over at Kitty, who was frowning at my comment, then back to Rogue, who had now crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ah'll be willin' ta' talk with ya' about that, Crys. Just remember ta' read up on the use of the word 'lahke' in every sentence. Ah'll talk with ya' about that, too."
We both smiled, but Kitty looked flustered. Evan was trying not to laugh for Kitty's sake, and Kurt was shaking his head and smiling. Oh, yes. This was going to be a wonderful place to live.
~*~
I got a rude awakening the next morning(10:00) after being allowed to sleep in. Everyone else was already at school. Me? I was snuggled deep in my covers, warm and content. At least I was, until someone splashed cold water on my face, making me shoot straight up, looking around for the schemer who dared to attack me with my own element.
I glanced around, but then my eyes flew to my open door, and a figure standing there, slouched against the frame. Instantly, I could tell by the position who it was.
"Badger?" I managed in a small whisper between gritted teeth. He turned to look at me, nonchalantly strolling up to my bed. Focusing on the H2O in my bed, I brought all of it out so that I was dry once again. Logan either didn't notice, or didn't care, because he said,
"Unless Mystique got past our defenses, then it's me, Tidepool. Ready fer' school, my way?"
The water floated next to me, hovering like a hummingbird.
"Well, I would be ready, if I was dressed, out of my bed, and didn't have water suspended in mid-air next to me. What do you have to say to that?" I replied. The strain of keeping it up started to show as beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. Logan noticed this and kicked a bucket that I hadn't seen before over to the side of me.
"I say ya' should drop the liquid 'fore ya' kill yerself."
Letting the clear fluid plop into the metal container, I sighed and leaned back against my headboard.
"What else ya' got ta' say?"
"Get up, get dressed, and get into the rec room."
"Get it, got it, good," I muttered under my breath as he walked to the door. Stopping in mid-stride, Logan seemed to consider something, then disregarded it and left the room. Yawning widely, I stretched my arms toward the ceiling and threw my legs onto the floor. I stumbled over to the dresser, picked out my ususal style of clothing, then closed and locked the door for privacy.
After washing up, yawning a couple more times, and brushing my hair, I managed to find the rec room without too much trouble. Almost tripping over my feet, I plunked down onto the couch and looked up. It seemed as if Logan wasn't here yet.
Cool, my teacher is late. Guess that means he can't mark me tardy. A sudden image of Logan behind a teacher's desk flashed in my mind and I snickered.
"Mind sharin' the joke with the class?"
I turned my head to face my 'instructor.' He was standing before me, slouched as always, with blue jeans and a tucked in T-shirt.
"Sure, I love talking to imaginary people, I do it all the time." He growled , then shook his head and sat down next to me and looked straight into my eyes.
"You know I can't refuse this 'job' because Charles asked me to do it. So if we're going to be here for awhile, we need to stop this."
"Stop what?" I asked innocently. Logan glared at me, so I tore my pupils away from his gaze to stare at the ceiling.
"You need to stop the sarcasm, and I guess I could try and not be so aggressive."
At the last part I snorted. Less aggressive? Right. And Kurt would wake up in the morning looking like Noah Wile.
"I guess I could try," I said, sighing dramatically. A period of awkward silence over came the room. "So!" I exclaimed, my mood changing drastically. "What subjects we gotta' cover?"
He looked down.
"Charles just said to give ya' these. Ya' can finish 'em, right?"
Out of seemingly no where, he handed me a stack of papers about one foot high. Flipping through them, I surmised that they were, for the most part, easy.
"Right, so you're here for.........?"
"Ta' ensure that ya' don't run, I guess."
Sighing, I grabbed a pencil off of a nearby table and began to fill out the worksheets. Logan just glanced over every now and then to make sure I wasn't going A-wall. I kept on swearing because my pencil wouldn't stop breaking.
"Damn it, damn it, and damn it!"
Logan watched in what I took to be amusement.
"Ya' do know there is a pencil sharpner' ta' yer' left?"
Looking over, I saw he was telling the truth. I grumbled and sharpened it, only to break it once again. Throwing the broken writing utensil down in frustration, I growled and gritted my teeth.
"Having trouble, Tidepool?"
"How'd ya' know?" I asked sardonically.
"Lucky guess?" he replied, smirking. I growled again. Then I smiled mischievously.
"Hey, Badger. How 'bout we have a different type of class?"
He looked at me suspiciously.
"What d' ya' mean?"
"What do you do best?"
Finally, Logan figured it out.
"Fight."
"Exactly."
"None 'o the squirts ever wanted ta' face me intentionally. You got a death wish 'er somethin'?"
"You won't be sayin' that after we get out, Badger. Bet no one has ever beaten 'The Wolverine.'"
He smirked pridefully.
"And no one ever will, kid."
"We'll just see 'bout that."
