Dreamers Die Young - Chapter 5
The next morning was absolute chaos at Riley's house. Tria was expecting, so Tom rushed her to the hospital. Since it was their first child, they were determined that everything should go off without a hitch. That meant that Riley was ignored and left at home so she wouldn't 'disturb the baby' when it was passed around the room so people to goggle at. It was fine with her, but the way they had told her had ticked her off.
Cail had dropped by early in the morning, just because and got told off by Tria who still had a vicious temper for someone in pain. He had promised Riley that he would come back once 'the ogress' had left. It made the day easier to bear. Cail had said that he would come by early in the afternoon, so it came as a surprise when she was halfway through her PBJ sandwich, around noon, that a knock came at the door. She finished chewing on her way to the door and opened it to three people she had never seen before. Correction, two people she hadn't seen before. One of them looked disturbingly like the Bobby from her dream. She shook it off and eyed them.
"Yeah? What'd you want?"
"We want you to come with us," a scruffy looking guy said. The girl next to him whacked his arm and smiled at Riley.
"You'll have to forgive Logan. He really doesn't know how to talk to people," she said. Her accent stood out to Riley and she nodded.
"So what is it you really want?" she asked, leaning against the door jamb.
"Well, first, my name's Rogue and this is Logan and Bobby. We're here because a private institute upstate has had its eye on you and would like you to come join 'em. The school's made specifically for people like you and me." Riley nodded slowly.
"Why should I go? I mean, what'll I do there that's different from the school I attend now?" Rogue nodded as well.
"I thought you'd say that. The institute focuses on what you're good at instead of trying to make you a well-rounded person like your school here. You will have regular classes, like History and Language but also some personified classes that will help your talents."
"Did you say Bobby?" Riley asked. A bit surprised at the change in subject, Rogue nodded.
"Yeah, I did. Is there something.?" Riley shook her head.
"Naw, it's just I had this dream, but it's stupid, plus I don't really know you. I'll have to think over this thing. My foster parents are gunna want to know all about it and stuff, so, I guess you could come back tomorrow or I guess you could visit Tria in the hospital. Her baby's due, I think." Riley shrugged. "So, whatever I guess." She grinned.
"I guess a lot, could ya tell?" Rogue laughed and Bobby cracked a grin. Logan remained stony and looked around at the neighborhood.
"Well, I think we have to be at the institute to tell the Professor how we did in recruiting ya, so I guess we'll leave now," Bobby said. He smiled at Riley and bowed a little.
"We all guess," he said, making her grin too. After they left, Riley shut the door and leaned against it. She breathed out heavily and thumped upstairs to her room, the rest of her lunch forgotten. She say on her bed, thinking about that Rogue had said for a long while and, so absorbed was she in her thoughts, that she didn't hear Cail knock on the door. He had to throw a rock into her open window to finally get her attention. Riley gasped; she had forgotten about the meeting he had promised. She hurriedly opened the front door and let him in. He took it in good grace, 'borrowing' some food from the pantry to take up to Riley's room to eat while they talked.
"So," he said, opening a bag of Doritos, "who came and what now?" Riley grinned.
"Two kids and some guy came by, asking me to join some private institute up in Westchester. I told them I'd think about it 'cuz I really don't want to."
"But you could make friends there, real friends," Cail protested. "What's this school for anyway?"
"To develop my talents and focus on them in stead of trying to teach me things I can't get," Riley said, grabbing a handful of chips and sitting on her bed cross-legged. Cail pulled up her desk chair and they looked at each other.
"Interesting," Cail said, nodding his head. "What's keeping you here?"
"You," Riley answered simply. She saw no point in lying to him, he'd probably know it if she tried. "You're the only friend I've ever had." Cail looked up at a spot above Riley's head. His eyes unfocused and his face became serious, like he was thinking. Normally, Riley wouldn't bother Cail when he was thinking, but this time, she needed to know.
"Cail," she said, waving a hand in front of his face. "What is it?"
"Ah, it's nothing," he told her dismissively, rubbing a hand over his eyes.
"Nu uh," Riley said, grabbing his hand and pinning it at his side. He looked at her with something that looked halfway between amusement and anger.
"Look, Riley, it's nothing ok?" he said, shrugging because he couldn't use his hand to gesture otherwise. "I don't think that."
"No, you don't think, Cail. What can't you tell your best friend?"
"It's nothing!" Cail half yelled, wrenching his hand out of Riley's grasp. "Look. I don't want to talk about it, ok?" You have your secrets, let me have mine!" With that, Cail stormed out of the door and to his car, the engine starting up angrily. Riley watched his car disappear along the street then pulled from her back pocket a piece of paper Rogue had given her.
Curiosity got the best of you I see. If you're looking at this, Bobby, Logan and I are on our way back to the Institute. Here's Bobby's cell number if you want to join us.
Without hesitating, Riley ran down the stairs and picked up the phone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ya really think she'll call?" Logan asked, disturbing the silence of the car. Bobby looked up from staring at his hands.
"I'd say there's a chance she could. She seemed at least a little interested." Logan shrugged and gazed out the front window. There was silence for a while, each alone with their own thoughts. Logan wondered why they even bothered going to the girl when she'd most likely come to them sooner or later. Bobby hoped they wouldn't wear out the cell battery waiting for Riley to call. Rogue sat holding the phone, staring at it like it she stared long enough, it would ring of its own accord.
All three of them jumped when the phone did ring and it took Rogue a little while to compose herself. Before she could say anything, however, Riley steamed ahead.
"Hi to whoever this is. Tell whoever's driving to turn around and get me, I'll be packed when you get there." Rogue arched an eyebrow.
"Alright, Riley. We'll be there in about thirty or forty minutes." Riley hung up first and Rogue stared at the cell as if it might bite her.
"Wow. Girl certainly isn't a very shy one when it comes to business."
[Alright. First time I've updated in a while, hope you like it. Oh, and I do own X-Men so using them in my story is perfectly legal. Get real. I don't but I'm working my way through the paperwork and I will soon! So R&R people! And pray this chapter didn't end up like chap. 3. *crosses fingers*]
The next morning was absolute chaos at Riley's house. Tria was expecting, so Tom rushed her to the hospital. Since it was their first child, they were determined that everything should go off without a hitch. That meant that Riley was ignored and left at home so she wouldn't 'disturb the baby' when it was passed around the room so people to goggle at. It was fine with her, but the way they had told her had ticked her off.
Cail had dropped by early in the morning, just because and got told off by Tria who still had a vicious temper for someone in pain. He had promised Riley that he would come back once 'the ogress' had left. It made the day easier to bear. Cail had said that he would come by early in the afternoon, so it came as a surprise when she was halfway through her PBJ sandwich, around noon, that a knock came at the door. She finished chewing on her way to the door and opened it to three people she had never seen before. Correction, two people she hadn't seen before. One of them looked disturbingly like the Bobby from her dream. She shook it off and eyed them.
"Yeah? What'd you want?"
"We want you to come with us," a scruffy looking guy said. The girl next to him whacked his arm and smiled at Riley.
"You'll have to forgive Logan. He really doesn't know how to talk to people," she said. Her accent stood out to Riley and she nodded.
"So what is it you really want?" she asked, leaning against the door jamb.
"Well, first, my name's Rogue and this is Logan and Bobby. We're here because a private institute upstate has had its eye on you and would like you to come join 'em. The school's made specifically for people like you and me." Riley nodded slowly.
"Why should I go? I mean, what'll I do there that's different from the school I attend now?" Rogue nodded as well.
"I thought you'd say that. The institute focuses on what you're good at instead of trying to make you a well-rounded person like your school here. You will have regular classes, like History and Language but also some personified classes that will help your talents."
"Did you say Bobby?" Riley asked. A bit surprised at the change in subject, Rogue nodded.
"Yeah, I did. Is there something.?" Riley shook her head.
"Naw, it's just I had this dream, but it's stupid, plus I don't really know you. I'll have to think over this thing. My foster parents are gunna want to know all about it and stuff, so, I guess you could come back tomorrow or I guess you could visit Tria in the hospital. Her baby's due, I think." Riley shrugged. "So, whatever I guess." She grinned.
"I guess a lot, could ya tell?" Rogue laughed and Bobby cracked a grin. Logan remained stony and looked around at the neighborhood.
"Well, I think we have to be at the institute to tell the Professor how we did in recruiting ya, so I guess we'll leave now," Bobby said. He smiled at Riley and bowed a little.
"We all guess," he said, making her grin too. After they left, Riley shut the door and leaned against it. She breathed out heavily and thumped upstairs to her room, the rest of her lunch forgotten. She say on her bed, thinking about that Rogue had said for a long while and, so absorbed was she in her thoughts, that she didn't hear Cail knock on the door. He had to throw a rock into her open window to finally get her attention. Riley gasped; she had forgotten about the meeting he had promised. She hurriedly opened the front door and let him in. He took it in good grace, 'borrowing' some food from the pantry to take up to Riley's room to eat while they talked.
"So," he said, opening a bag of Doritos, "who came and what now?" Riley grinned.
"Two kids and some guy came by, asking me to join some private institute up in Westchester. I told them I'd think about it 'cuz I really don't want to."
"But you could make friends there, real friends," Cail protested. "What's this school for anyway?"
"To develop my talents and focus on them in stead of trying to teach me things I can't get," Riley said, grabbing a handful of chips and sitting on her bed cross-legged. Cail pulled up her desk chair and they looked at each other.
"Interesting," Cail said, nodding his head. "What's keeping you here?"
"You," Riley answered simply. She saw no point in lying to him, he'd probably know it if she tried. "You're the only friend I've ever had." Cail looked up at a spot above Riley's head. His eyes unfocused and his face became serious, like he was thinking. Normally, Riley wouldn't bother Cail when he was thinking, but this time, she needed to know.
"Cail," she said, waving a hand in front of his face. "What is it?"
"Ah, it's nothing," he told her dismissively, rubbing a hand over his eyes.
"Nu uh," Riley said, grabbing his hand and pinning it at his side. He looked at her with something that looked halfway between amusement and anger.
"Look, Riley, it's nothing ok?" he said, shrugging because he couldn't use his hand to gesture otherwise. "I don't think that."
"No, you don't think, Cail. What can't you tell your best friend?"
"It's nothing!" Cail half yelled, wrenching his hand out of Riley's grasp. "Look. I don't want to talk about it, ok?" You have your secrets, let me have mine!" With that, Cail stormed out of the door and to his car, the engine starting up angrily. Riley watched his car disappear along the street then pulled from her back pocket a piece of paper Rogue had given her.
Curiosity got the best of you I see. If you're looking at this, Bobby, Logan and I are on our way back to the Institute. Here's Bobby's cell number if you want to join us.
Without hesitating, Riley ran down the stairs and picked up the phone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ya really think she'll call?" Logan asked, disturbing the silence of the car. Bobby looked up from staring at his hands.
"I'd say there's a chance she could. She seemed at least a little interested." Logan shrugged and gazed out the front window. There was silence for a while, each alone with their own thoughts. Logan wondered why they even bothered going to the girl when she'd most likely come to them sooner or later. Bobby hoped they wouldn't wear out the cell battery waiting for Riley to call. Rogue sat holding the phone, staring at it like it she stared long enough, it would ring of its own accord.
All three of them jumped when the phone did ring and it took Rogue a little while to compose herself. Before she could say anything, however, Riley steamed ahead.
"Hi to whoever this is. Tell whoever's driving to turn around and get me, I'll be packed when you get there." Rogue arched an eyebrow.
"Alright, Riley. We'll be there in about thirty or forty minutes." Riley hung up first and Rogue stared at the cell as if it might bite her.
"Wow. Girl certainly isn't a very shy one when it comes to business."
[Alright. First time I've updated in a while, hope you like it. Oh, and I do own X-Men so using them in my story is perfectly legal. Get real. I don't but I'm working my way through the paperwork and I will soon! So R&R people! And pray this chapter didn't end up like chap. 3. *crosses fingers*]