Through Hellfire and Back,
Part 17
Disclaimer: X-men Evolution is the property of Marvel and Kids WB. All the characters in this story are the property of Marvel, although, once again, some have been slightly Evolution-fied for this story. I normally don't post a chapter a week since I tend to work with two or three chapters at a time, but I finished most of this one a ahead of schedule so....
Enjoy!
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In between the halls of the Massitusits Academy, the air was filled
with conversation. Talks of present enrollment and the school budget.
Current affairs on the state, country and worldwide scale.........
Educated theological musings on a wide variety of scholastic
subjects...... Future plans, hopes and dreams....
"So then he say 'well, if that's how you going to play, then I think
we is finished!'"
"No way! He actually said that?"
Pointless gossip.......
"Mmm-hmm! Was very big scene, right in meal hall! But, I think bitch
girl have no right be very angry. Others say she sleeping with his
best friend at time." Sharon Porter gave a nod of her head as she and
her friend Kitty Pryde continued down the halls, heading to pick up
their next books. In the time that the duo had somehow become
friends, currently Kitty was Sharon's favorite companion, and vice
versa. They had a lot in common after all, from similar interests and
classes, to ..... extracurricular activities, although Sharon would
admit Kitty was by far a more advanced student then her. Regardless,
it was nice, Sharon admitted, to have someone to talk to, and if that
someone didn't frequently put her down, irritate or depress the heck
out of her, well, all the better.
"Oh yeah, she's a real moral person." Kitty rolled her eyes even as
she listened to Sharon's tale, stopping right before her shining red
locker, as Sharon opened up her own on the left. Since Kitty was now
enrolled in the same 'gifted' class as her other star pupils,
Headmistress Frost had made a point of transferring her original
locker to one of the nicer ones with the rest of her little group. It
was a simple thing really, but it allowed the headmistress to have
one general area to go to, rather then half the school, if she needed
to contact any of her private students in person.
Switching a brown textbook with blue and pulling out a notepad with
graph paper, Kitty closed the door with a click, stopping only once
to check herself in the side panel vanity mirror. Absently, she ran
her fingers through the end of her ponytail, flipping it slightly
back.
"Kitty-kat is so vain, yes?" Sharon giggled, as she observed the
motion.
"Oh yeah, I'm really vain." Kitty rolled her eyes once more, then
smirked, as her lock shut tight. "As I recall, who was it who was
almost late for our last practice because she was brushing her
hair?"
"Hey, it not like that!" Sharon objected. "I just like feel of brush!
Is very smooth and gentle on head yes? Besides...." she huffed
indignantly, before releasing a wry grin, "at least I no take time
for eyeliner!"
"Yeah, that was pretty silly huh? I don't think Frost was impressed
with Jenny that time!" Kitty started to giggle. Books grasped firmly
in her hands, she was about to suggest they head off, when a pair of
lightly bronzed hands caught her unawares, unexpectedly moving to
rest on each of her shoulders, fingers brushing against the smooth
fabric of her uniform blouse.
"I don't think taking time to look pretty is a waste at *all*......."
A sultry smooth voice teased behind her. "Particularly not when it
comes to a pair of such attractive, appealing, luscious ladies as
yourselves....."
Kitty groaned. Sharon scowled. Why did Manuel have to show up now, of
all times? The annoying prick.
"I see someone's in rare form today." A tall Apache boy dressed in
brown pants, white shirt and blazer joined the group to the trio's
right. He rolled his eyes at the scene, even as another two students
joined him, the first one Moroccan in decent, with deep dark brown
skin and a slightly shorter build. This student folded his arms in
clear unamusement. The second student to step in was a blond girl
with slightly- and purposely- teased up hair, leaning on her
classmate slightly. A more quiet, reserved goth girl with shining red
hair, dyed slightly black at the ends, took a position next to
Sharon. Although uniform requirements prevented her from donning her
normal long black skirt and meshed off-the-shoulder shirt, she
nonetheless still wore a rather large amount of makeup, with black
lipstick and a silver talisman dangling around her neck.
Ignoring the others, Manual kept his attentions on the girl ahead of
him, fingers forming small circles on her shirt. "Tell you what Kits,
how 'bout you and I skip next period? Maybe have us a little extra
tutoring session outside, or in my dorm?" He leaned in a little
closer, smacking his lips and giving a light kiss to the air in
demonstration of what he thought the 'tutoring' could be like.
"Sneaky bad boy trying to make more trouble? Like he try do with
Kitty in closet at George Hawk's big party last week? Would have
thought getting cold slug in eye smarten him up!" Sharon hissed, a
low growling sound emitting from her throat.
For her part, the french goth beside deeply frowned at this as she
glared at the black-eyed youth and the brunette freshman.
The boy however, didn't so much as bat an eye. "Hey, she liked it as
much as I did babe. That hit was her way of being affectionate, right
pretty Kitty?"
Before him, Kitty's eyes narrowed, both at Manuel's unbelievably
superior attitude, and his words in general. She'd said it once and
she's say so again- she'd rather sleep with a dead sewer rat then
touch the slimy scum so much as once again. Fortunately, she was wise
to his tricks now, he wouldn't easily get so 'lucky' again. One mouth
to mouth was enough to make her want to rip her lips off as it
stood.
Far, far back in the corners of her mind, something also bothered her
about his use of the words "pretty Kitty". It wasn't serious, but
when men like Manuel said the words, they seemed to run her temper
just a little bit deeper.
Sharon snorted and turned to her friend, waiting to see her response.
Of all of Frost's 'gifted students', Sharon was the only member of
the group Kitty really associated with. Although some of the others
weren't bad companions, none of them managed to forge the same bonds
of friendship. James, while polite, had a temper that he could never
keep in check. Nor did he appreciate Kitty's current status in
Frost's eyes, which he admitted was better then his own even if he
was the oldest. Haroun was a nice guy but somewhat condescending
because of her age; it was going to take him a long time to accept
Kitty as much more then a freshman, even if she could outmatch him in
her sleep. Marie wasn't so bad, or wouldn't be if it wasn't for one
important detail: the gothic girl was almost completely antisocial;
very much a quiet person who usually preferred to be left on her own.
As for the other two, well, in all honesty Jennifer was somewhat of a
prep-queen shrew, while Manuel.....
Manual was looking pretty good in her mind right now....
Which could only mean........
"Sneaky bad boy gonna loose his teeth if he don't shut up and knock
it off!" Kitty used a bit of leverage to smack the bronze boy in the
shoulder, forcing him to back off as she waved a fist in his
direction, daring him to try and manipulate her again. To his credit,
Manuel La Rocka had the decency to slink back and wince.
"Getting back on topic.... so what's this about you and the stud?"
Jenny, the short blond bombshell slid into the conversation, stepping
away from James and Haroun.
"Stud?" Marie repeated curiously.
"Yeah!" Jenny made a rather obscure motion with her hands. "I saw him
walk outta there like a kicked puppy. Tall, dark and totally
mysterious- talk about eye candy!C'mon Kitty!" she leaned in close.
"Tell us all about'm! What's his name? Where's he from? You put him
on the leash or is he a-val-able? Does he like blonds?"
"God, Jenny....." Kitty crunched up a hand by her forehead in
frustration, shaking her head sadly. "Don't you ever have anything
better to talk about?"
"Lucky girl want to get more luck?" Sharon raised an eyebrow. From
what Kitty had heard, she and Jenny had temporarily split a dorm room
once, until Jenny moved out when a single had opened up. Kitty
thanked all her lucky stars there had been a single room available
when she first moved in. Heaven only knew what her life would have
been like if she had ever been forced to deal with a roommate.
"Hey, I'm just enjoying my youth." Switching from Kitty to the
Apache, the Caucasian sophomore circled rings around the senior's
chest. "So James .... what are you doing tonight?"
Kitty shook her head once more, this time in disbelief. Jennifer
Stavros, the Academy's biggest bar wench. How she managed to keep up
with her studies and her 'extracurricular' activities was a question
the freshman could never answer. It wouldn't have surprised Kitty in
the least if, along with other things, Jenny spent some time getting
extra 'tutoring' with a few of the professors.
Her stomach now officially threatening to make her turn green, she
headed off to geometry, her lavender haired friend following not far
behind.