A little fic I started at three in the morning after drawing three Jamie pics…They weren't too bad, if I may say so myself…
X-men and X-men evolution aren't mine…I've already told the world what I would do to it if I did own the rights…believe me, things would be different. Perhaps not as good, but different all the same.
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The Birthday Party
Jamie walked through the school focusing solely on his feet. It was pretty interesting watching one foot chase the other. It was like a race neither side could win. Although he knew the pointlessness of it, Jamie held a secret hope that one might triumphantly pull ahead and reach the finish line. The only drawback was what it might do to his balance if a foot should suddenly shoot out from under him.
But the inner musings of Jamie's mind were inconsequential. It was the same thoughts that passed through his head every other day walking back to the mansion. After all, he was the only one in middle school; in fact, the only one not yet a teenager in the entirety of Professor Xavier's institute. And Jamie couldn't even use his stinking powers for company cause the professor called such usage "a dangerous display of your gifts which can potentially endanger the safety and secrecy of this institute". None of the other mutants had to be told that they were a risk. They weren't reminded every morning that one false step could destroy the security of the mansion. Nope, just Jamie. Cause Jamie was eleven and could not be trusted.
He glanced up and saw a small park on his right. Jamie always stopped here after school for a while. Going "home" was no better than being outside. At least in the playground no one said he was too little. And in the playground he got to see Wendy.
Wendy. The name sent shivers up Jamie's spine and flames on his cheeks. She was in his math class; sat right in front of him. Her blonde ponytail just reached down to his desk when she sat up straight. Jamie stared at that cascade of glossy gold every day, wishing he could just touch it; see how it felt. But that would be a bad idea so Jamie kept his fingers to himself and just imagined instead.
He started coming to the park after he discovered where she went every afternoon. Jamie thought that maybe by just being on the edges of her sight at all times, she would notice him, even if only subconsciously. Someday he was sure it would pay off.
Jamie took his usual seat on the swings, rocking slowly back and forth and staring intently at Wendy. Maybe today, maybe today.
She was sitting at a table, surrounded by group of girls giggling over some trivial matter. She was the leader, queen of the pack, ruler over these plain-faced, empty-headed commoners. All who looked upon her were graced…or so was Jamie's thoughts on the matter. He would never dare approach her royal court though. Imagine that! He could see it now…
There goes Jamie, he's walking over to Wendy. It looks like he's gonna make it this time and – ohhh! He's down! Felled in one mighty glance!
Nope. No thanks.
So Jamie just sat on the sidelines, watching and pretending he was over there. More than once was Jamie wondered what they were talking about. Perhaps it's who so and so has a crush on. Or maybe it's some embarrassing story about that girl in gym class.
But maybe today. Maybe today he would be noticed.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Once again, Jamie was staring at his feet. This time they were suspended in mid air, rocking back and forth. His sneakers looked very interesting when they were moved at great speeds. The things you learn when you don't have friends.
"Ahm." There was a small noise next to him. Jamie looked up. Wendy stood there.
Jamie nearly fell off his swing and had a heart attack. For a moment he wasn't sure if he had nodded off while in the park. WENDY?! Wendy GRISHANK is actually standing here next to ME?! By herself?!
Ok, Jamie. Here's your moment to impress her with your conversation…
"Hi, Wendy." Good job What a creative opener. Definitely going to make this moment memorable.
"Hi." She looked at her own shoes for a moment. "I want you to have this." She handed him a purple envelope covered in stickers of stars and smiley faces. She stayed a moment longer while Jamie took what she had presented to him, before running off back to the safety of her friends.
Delicately, Jamie opened the flap and removed the card. It was an invitation to Wendy's birthday party. He had died and gone to heaven.
*~*~*~*~*~*
That afternoon when he got back to the mansion he was on cloud nine. Kitty and Kurt's feuds could not faze him, nor could Bobby's insults or Wolverine's attitude. Rogue still managed to creep him out a bit so he gave her a wide berth. She seemed to be on the rampage, and everyone was just a little terrified of her when that happened. Other than that, his day could not have been ruined by anything.
Well…
It wasn't long before someone finally noticed Jamie's exceptionally good mood. That some one had to have been, of course, Ray, who teased Jamie loud enough for the entire town of Bayville to hear, let alone the professor. Within approximately three minutes and twenty-two seconds, the unmistakable sound of the professor's wheelchair could be heard trudging its way through the halls. Had the new carpeting not been put down on the back passages, the arrival time could have been cut down to a minute-forty. The professor silently cursed the crackpot idea to purchase wall to wall carpeting while his only mode of transportation was a wheelchair. Not one of his more brilliant plans.
Professor Xavier read over the invitation. He analyzed the data acquired before pronouncing a firm and unarguable, "No".
Well that just burst Jamie's bubble.
"Professor!?" Jamie whined. "What do you mean, 'no'? I have to go to this party!"
"I'm sorry Jamie but - " and here it comes "We cannot put the institute and mutants on a whole at risk. It is just not a safe idea letting you go to this party while your powers are still so uncontrolled."
Translation: No, no, and more no. Why? Cause I said so. Also: you are too young to be trusted.
Wasn't Jamie painfully aware every time he was at the mansion of just how much younger than everyone else he was? Did he really need the professor to point it out one more time?
"But you don't understand! I need to go to this! Wendy – well…" A small blush rose to his face. "Well…It's important that I am allowed to attend." Perhaps the big words will make me seem more responsible…
"I'm sure you think it is absolutely vital, but the answer is still no." And with that, the professor wheeled out of the room, still holding onto the invite. For safe keeping.
Jamie wasn't going to let this go without a fight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next day came and he hadn't given up yet.
Sometime over the course of the past month, Jamie had acquired a small fortune. Well, a fortune to an eleven year old at least. Forty bucks wasn't too shabby for odd jobs around town.
And Jamie planned to spend it on the most perfect birthday present for Wendy. The tricky part was how to get it inside the mansion and not let the professor know he was hiding something.
Instead of visiting the park that afternoon, Jamie walked over to some small shops by the Middle School. Fortunately, he had an extra half an hour before the High School let out and everyone from the institute might come wandering by to see him shopping for Wendy.
Of course Jamie had forgotten Kitty had last period free.
"Jamie?" Oh no…Just ignore her…maybe if I don't move she won't see me…
"Jamie, what are you doing all the way over here? Why aren't you going back to the mansion?" Kitty's bright and chipper form came to stand next to Jamie, blocking his view of the stationary sets he had been formerly pondering.
"Uh, not much, Kitty. Just looking around." Get the hint, get the hint…
"Really, what for?" Perhaps she is dense. Why can't she just leave me alone?
"Nothing, just looking."
"At stationary?"
"I have to keep up my writing…"
"With glitter and pink flowers?"
Jamie had no response to that.
"Ok! I give up!"
Kitty watched with an amused expression. "Really? What's the truth then?"
"It's – it's for my mother."
He thought this time she was laughing at him somewhere deep in her mind. "Your mother, Jamie? In a toy store?"
That was the major flaw in his explanation.
"Does your mother's name happen to be Wendy?"
The other flaw was the speed at which news travels in the mansion.
"How did you find out about Wendy?" Jamie asked, as if he couldn't imagine thirty possible routes, all starting with yesterday's "heated discussion" with the professor.
"Well Bobby was hiding in the closet next to the room you and the prof were in talking cause I was chasing him and Kurt around cause they knew where Ray was hiding and he had taken my English homework that I had spent three hours on last night so I felt he needed to have his head stuck in a wall for a while. Reasonable, right?"
"Quite." Jamie wished he could stick the professor's shiny head through a wall…Oh to be fifteen and trustworthy.
"But anyway, I heard about your situation, Jamie, and I'm willing to help you out."
He just looked at her. Can I trust her to not tell the professor? She couldn't be that mean, could she? After all, she sneaked out tons of times against the professor's "commands".
"Really? That would be great."
Kitty gave him a genuine smile this time. She ruffled his hair around, and for once it didn't make him feel like he was five.
"First of all, no girl likes this stationary stuff. Let's go find what she'll really want." Kitty took his hand and led him away from the sparkling papers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jamie was contented as Kitty drove him back to the mansion. Wendy was sure to love the gift. Perhaps Kitty wasn't so bad after all. It's not like she went out of her way to get him in trouble like some other people did.
Now to hope the professor wasn't going to pounce on him when he passed through the doors. It would take some impressive skills to sneak out of that one. Same would go if one of the older kids found him before he reached the safety of his room. Jamie could only hope Bobby would not be there; hope for a lot of luck.
And because Jamie had already used up his reserves of luck by finding Kitty, Bobby was of course standing right inside the door.
Spying the shiny gift wrapping of Wendy's present and the bulky shape, even under Jamie's coat, Bobby waltzed over to him.
"Well, well, well! What's this? Not a present for little Jamie's girlfriend now is it?"
Jamie swallowed nervously. This would take a complex and highly orchestrated plan to escape. Three…Two…One…
Jamie's form shattered into about twenty different figures and with a sharp "GO!" they scattered for the stairs and safety. Bobby was so bewildered by the sudden explosion of Jamies that he stood dumbfounded where he had found the original.
Three minutes later Jamie collected himself together and looked at the bright wrapping of Wendy's gift. Just five more days until he would give it to her. He couldn't wait that long.
In fact, he wasn't sure he could survive five more days in the mansion.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thus ends part one of the adventures of Jamie and Wendy!
I know there are a bunch of you out there who have a soft spot for Jamie; I found you!!! You cannot hide from the Jamie!!! He shall find you and demand reviews in exchange!!! Mwahahaha. . .ha. . .ahem.
Well, I really want to finish this but you know, junior year, karate, lack of time. Figure I'll get it out there and perhaps the second half will be forth coming. . .reviews always speed the process of my procrastination along. . .motivation, don't cha know.
And if anyone, anyone at all, read my other Jamie story, I didn't mean to abandon it. . .it's not really forgotten, just suffering the same disease of time depravation that I know all my artistic outlets are. Drawing, writing, staring at walls. . .junior year has murdered them. . .damn you, school. Taught me to write now won't let me continue doing so!!! No. . .the Crucible is more important. . .or Hawthorne. . .oh well. . .*sigh* I give up. . .at least I'm awake ton – zzzzzzzzz. . .
Oh and by the way, read Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix. . .three really awesome books!!!
See ya!!!