Roxy chatted lightly with her friend while in line outside the infirmary. They were waiting for their turn to take the genetic test.
"Kerrigan, Audrey"
A girl with dark hair stepped out of the line and into the office.
"Killian, Kyle"
"Kelly, Roxeanne"
Roxy gave one last smile to her friends and followed the boy with blonde hair into the office. He must be Kyle Killian. Kyle sat down in a chair and the nurse plucked out a hair from his head and sat it on what looked like a copy machine. The light next to it turned green, as it let out a soft ping. Roxy sat down next. The nurse picked out a strand of her perfect blonde hair and sat it down gingerly on the scanner. It scanned once, as it had before with Kyle, then twice then three times. It didn't take this long before. Then the light turned red, and let out a resounding noise that sounded somewhat like a car alarm. The nurses eyes got wide.
"Of all people, I definitely did not expect this from you!" She snapped snidely.
"Told you so." Jean chirped.
"There must be some mistake. Please scan it again I'm sure--"
"The scan is never wrong. Take her away." She made a motion that seemed to say get-her-out-of-my-sight. Two of the school's biggest football players escorted her roughly out of the room. Tears streamed down Roxy's face. She looked over to her friends standing at the wall. They simply looked away.
"I'm here don't worry" Jean assured her from behind. "You'll be okay."
As she was dragged down the hall, some kids whispered, some just talked, but everybody looked the other way*. So this is what it is like to be shunned. They dragged her to the principal's office who, in turn, sat a phone down in front of her.
"Call someone to come get you. You are hereby expelled." She snarled
"You don't understand. My mother will disown me. She'll hate me forever--"
"Then call someone else. I don't care. Just get out of my sight."
Roxy had all she could stand. She burst into sobs.
"Roxy," She heard Jean whisper. "Calm down. Call 642-8307** Ask for Storm. Tell her to come get you. She will understand." Reluctantly, She picked up the receiver and dialed.
"H-hello?" Her voice quavered, and she fought off the urge to sob right into the phone.
"M-may I s-s-s…" She broke off, regained her composure and then said it all in one breath, "I-need-to-speak-to-Storm."
"This is Storm." The voice on the other end said.
"Please. You have to come get me." Roxy had started to cry again.
"Okay sweetheart where are you?" She asked.
"Hart Academy in Pennsylvania." Roxy said softly.
"We coming to get you." Storm said comfortingly. The principal reached forward and took the phone away. She quickly sprayed it with disinfectant, and carried out of the room.
"Jean?" Roxy hissed. "Who did I just call?"
"Xavier's institute for gifted youngsters."
"The mutant school?!?!" Roxy whispered, horrified. "So the woman coming to get me is a, a--"
"Mutant."
"Remind me again why I started listening to you?" Roxy said under her breath.
"Because I am currently the only who hasn't condemned you for your mutant genes."
"Oh yeah." Roxy went back to silently letting tears roll down her cheeks. Time passed, silence did too.
"Isn't the Xavier institute in New York?" Roxy said suddenly.
"Yes it is." Jean replied.
"Isn't that a bit far to drive?" Roxy said in between sniffles.
"You'd be surprised."
The principal came in and told her to go wait outside. Roxy stepped out of the office.
"No. I mean Outside. As in outside of the building."
"But it's snowing."
"I don't care."
"I won't go." Roxy said defiantly.
"Yes you will." She grabbed Roxy by the scruff of her neck and dragged her out of the room to the front door. She opened the door and threw her out.
"What are you doing?" A voice boomed. Roxy looked up from the snow with her tear streaked face and bloodshot eyes. A woman with white hair stood in front of her.
"Throwing a child out into the snow. You ought to be ashamed." The woman added. Roxy looked back. Jean was standing near behind her. She was crying.
"Storm." She said softly.
Storm reached down and helped Roxy up. She dusted the snow off of her and wrapped a jacket around her shoulders.
"Come on." She said softly. Any other time Roxy would have cringed at being this close to a mutant. Now, this one was her saving grace.
"I'm Ororo Monroe." The woman said gently.
"Also known as Storm I take it?" Roxy said softly as they walked out towards the parking lot.
"Yes, How did you know?" She smiled. "Are you a telepath?"
"A what? No. I don't think so anyway." She said suddenly.
Storm opened the door to a small car nearby. Roxy climbed in to the back. Storm was about to let the seatback when Roxy exclaimed:
"Wait! My friend. She has to come too."
"Oh my, Did we leave her inside?" Storm said suddenly.
"No, you--" Roxy broke off for a moment. "can't-see-her" She said quickly and quietly.
"What?" Storm said.
"You can't see her. Don't ask. Long story." She quipped.
"Okay." Storm replied quickly.
The ride home was shorter than Roxy expected. They had hardly driven out of town when the stopped at a car rental dealership.
"What are we doing here?" Roxy asked.
"Returning the car." Storm replied.
"You didn't drive here?"
"Nope." Storm smiled. "I came here in a jet."
…………………..Later in the jet…………………………….
"You know, I don't think I ever caught your name." Storm said quickly to break the silence.
"It's Roxy." She replied.
"Do you have a last name?" Storm asked.
"Does it matter?" she snapped.
"As a matter of fact, It does." Storm replied.
"Kelly."
"Any relation to the late Robert Kelly?" Storm went on.
"My father."
"Wait a moment." Storm said. "Are you a mutant?"
"Yes. Would you just leave me alone!" Roxy yelled. She had enough excitement for one day. She turned around and went to sleep.
AN: Ta-Da! Chappy 2! Do you like??
*From Independence Day by Martina McBride
** Not a real number
By the way, I don't know if I have really made her mutation clear so I will just tell you what it is. Roxy can see dead people so to speak.