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Author's Note:
Greetings.
Read, REVIEW, and enjoy. ;) Pretty please. Comments on reviews are at the bottom again.
As a side note, this may be my last update for a while. I'm going to get kicked out of my apartment if I cannot come up with rent money in the next week or so and since I'm currently out of a job, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. :( I may be out on the street by this time next week.
Cheers.
Jack
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Friday went by a little too quickly - even for me. School, for instance, sped past almost without notice. I honestly don't remember a thing about it. All I can say for certain is that I didn't get beaten to a pulp. I'm sure I'd have remembered that. I was too preoccupied with the Rahne/Kurt situation to pay attention to anything else.
Ah, I hear you ask, but wasn't the problem solved? Was I not going to take Rahne to an early dinner and still go with Kurt to the concert? No, as it turned out, I was not.
It boiled down to a communications problem. I forgot to tell her I had an early date planned and she neglected to tell me that between piano lessons and drama club she was booked until six-thirty. There was no way I'd be able to take her to Delphini's, the new (and currently only) upscale Italian restaurant in Bayside and still make the concert. This was a bit of a snag, to put it lightly.
To make matters worse, she'd overheard Bobby telling Amara that he'd heard from Sam that Kurt asked the Professor if he could borrow the van to go to the concert. At least I think that was the chain. I swear, sometimes it was like living in a house with a dozen siblings. The gossip mill at the Institute was well developed. Anyway, as it turned out, Rahne happened to really like Savage Garden. Would you believe she asked Kurt if he could get a couple more tickets? She thought it would be a great idea to double date with him and Amanda. I wish I was kidding.
It goes without saying that I just about had a stroke when he invited her along.
"That concert's been sold out for weeks, man," I told him in a waspish tone. "What were you thinking?" I'd managed to corner the little blue guy after school. Lance had offered him a ride home, at my suggestion, so that I could have this particular conversation. You might say we were taking the scenic route back to the Institute. I wanted to get this out of my system.
Kurt shrugged, hair flapping in the wind. Lance's jeep is a great way to get around except for the occasions when it rains. The two of us were sitting in the back, talking over the heavy metal Lance had cranked up on the stereo.
"Ve don't need extra tickets," he patiently explained. "I reserved a box." He could be so oblivious sometimes. Too much hanging around Summers, I thought.
"No, I mean asking Rahne to come on our date!" Possessive? Me? Nah. "My God, what were you thinking?!" I seethed. As if having to be on a date with that Amanda witch wasn't bad enough. He shrugged again. I had to physically restrain myself from shaking him like a doll. That's how irritated I was. The fact that I didn't said volumes about my self- control.
"So vhat? You asked her out vithout knowing about the concert. I'm just trying to help fix the situation."
"Let me lay things out for you here, buddy," I growled. He just wasn't getting it. "You and me are going out. You and Amanda are going out. I've asked Rahne on a date." He still looked blank. "Don't you see how freakin' complicated this is getting?!" That was a little loud. Lance looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head at him and turned back to my problem.
Kurt started to shrug and I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't. Do. That. Again," I said slowly and carefully. I felt my ears twitch, a nervous tic that's irked me all my life. Give me a break. I was tense, all right?
"I still don't see the problem here, Pietro," he told me.
Obviously.
"Does it seem at all strange to you that my boyfriend is helping me work out a date with my possible girlfriend?" I snapped. His eyes widened. Bingo. Getting him to understand anything is just a matter of phrasing it correctly.
"Oh heavens," he said. Not the phrase I'd have used, but children might be reading this.
His face screwed up in concentration, an expression I'd grown fond of. He just looked so darn cuddly when he did that. Most of the time, anyway. I shook my head. I definitely liked him better without the hologram. What can I say? I'm a hair and eyes man and he had fine hair and gorgeous eyes. The hologram didn't do him justice.
I shook my head, getting rid of that distracting line of thought.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be upset about this." Bother. Try as I might, I just couldn't stay mad at him.
"Ah, forget about it," I said, slipping my arm around him. "What are we going to do about this, though?"
"About vhat?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at me with a sidelong glance. "Your double - triple, vhatever - date tonight or your hangup about this whole thing?" There was a trace of amusement in his voice. I hate it when people enjoy my discomfort. "Pretend it's not a date," he went on. "Just four friends going to a concert. You can take Rahne out another time and I'll take you out tomorrow night."
I tried to find the hole in his suggestion, I really did. Trouble is, I couldn't come up with one. That made it hard to keep this argument going. "And Amanda?"
He shifted slightly. "Ve don't need to tell her this isn't a date, ja?"
Good point. I leaned into him, through with conversation for a while. Maybe this would work out. Hopefully.
"When did you get so smart?" I asked with a smirk.
"German character. Ve're a very practical people."
"Rahne?" Amanda asked. "That British exchange student?" Kurt had just pulled up to the school. Thanks to time constraints, we had to pick her up and then burn rubber to get to Carnegie Hall on time. Not literally, of course, but it would be a close thing either way. Parking in the city is a real pain. Most of the extra time would be spent finding a parking garage in which the van would be safe. Something told me that Xavier wouldn't be happy with us if the van was stolen. Call it a hunch.
"Scottish," I corrected. Amanda leaned around the seat to glower at me. She'd insisted on sitting up front with Kurt. I didn't object, primarily for reasons of health. I'd already gotten smeared once this week and didn't want a second helping. The fact that I was doped up to the eyeballs with codeine probably helped my attitude.
I'd made the mistake of complaining about various aches in front of Doctor MacTaggart, who apparently hadn't been told that my metabolism is wonky. She'd made me swallow an entire 800 milligram tablet of Tylenol-3. For me, it was like popping four of the darn things. As you can imagine, I was feeling really, really good. That did wonders for my mood. If she wanted to sit up front, fine with me.
I returned her glare with a shrug. "If you call her British, you'll get a lecture. Trust me on this one." Having had that lecture from Rahne, I felt it my duty to warn people in advance. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I guess some people can be touchy about such insignificant things like nationality. Weird, huh?
"And why is she coming along on this date, anyway?" she demanded. "I can't believe he didn't tell me she was coming along until he picked me up!"
I spread my hands, giving her my most innocent look.
"Come on, you know Kurt," I said, truthfully. What came next was pure speculation on my part. "If he can make someone happy, he does. Maybe she likes Savage Garden and he thought it would cheer her up to bring her along." I had no idea if he would do something like that. Sure we were dating, but I still didn't know that much about him. Maybe I liked the air of mystery that surrounded him. A better bet was that I didn't want to get too close to someone.
Amanda's eyes softened, which was a pretty good sign that she'd bought it. She turned around, sliding back into her seat just as the other two came out of the school. Rahne was looking surprisingly cheerful, despite having spent the last twelve hours in that building. Better her than me. Despite the fact that junior year is supposed to be the toughest, I'd been bored silly both days I'd been in class. The sooner I graduated the better.
Rahne tossed her backpack into the seat behind us, dropping a stack of books on top of it. Her outfit made me wonder just what on earth she was rehearsing. If the black mini-skirt was any more mini, it would have been a belt. The blood-red halter top didn't help her image. Her reddish- brown hair looked wholly out of place, bobbed into a rather conservative cut that just didn't match the rest. It was, in a word, interesting.
"Hi Amanda," she said as she got into the van. "Hi Pietro."
"Hello," Amanda said from the front seat. Her voice was carefully neutral. Maybe she hadn't believed me after all.
"You do realize that where we're going, you're going to stand out like a sore thumb," I said, nodding at her outfit. Rahne looked down and, I'm not kidding, adjusted her chest underneath the shirt.
"It's no' that bad, is it?" she asked.
"I've seen hookers with more modesty."
Kurt suppressed a snort as he started the van. Between that and Rahne's horrified look, I realized that I'd been an idiot. It should tell you how shocking the outfit was that I didn't realize that the moment I said anything. I tried to salvage the situation. "So, uh, what musical are you guys doing this year?"
It must have worked, because the frown disappeared from her face.
"'Grease,'" she said, tapping the skirt. I looked a little closer and saw a small dog embroidered on it.
"Wait, don't tell me. That's supposed to be a poodle skirt." The doubt must have sounded in my voice because she nodded, smoothing the fabric.
"Aye." Thing is, that musical is set in the nineteen-fifties. "It's an updated version," she explained. No kidding. If a girl went around wearing that back then, who knew what would happen to her?
"Let me know the date. If everyone is dressed like that, I've got to see it," I said with a mock leer. Rahne laughed. It was one of those high, bubbly ones that echo. Especially in close spaces. I smiled back at her. She responded by moving a little closer to me and leaning on my shoulder. After a moment's hesitation, I put my arm around her.
"Speaking of clothing, Pietro, what made you wear that tonight?"
Amanda's question sounded innocent, but I couldn't help but be paranoid. I looked down at myself. Black Levi's tastefully buttoned. A midnight blue, collarless button-down shirt. Black sneakers, though I could have worn clown shoes for all the walking I was going to be doing tonight. I thought it looked fine.
"What's wrong with what I've got on?" I asked in surprise. I glanced at Rahne, who shrugged and nodded, as if to indicate that I looked fine.
"You're dressed like a bruise," Amanda said. "All that black and blue makes you look splotchy." This was news to me. I tried to make light of it, sure that she was just picking on me out of spite.
"I've got a chalky complexion. Everything I wear makes me look splotchy. Besides," I said as I unbuttoned the shirt, "if you want to see what a bruise looks like on me, I'll show you." I saw Kurt's eyes flicker up into the rear-view mirror and I frowned at him. "Keep your eyes on the road," I told him. "This strip show isn't for you."
His eyes told me quite plainly that he wished that it was for him. I squelched the urge to blush. It took an effort.
Amanda pulled down sun visor and flipped open the mirror on the back. Her eyes went wide as I pulled my shirt open and bared my chest. I don't know what surprised her more. The extensive bruising, most of which looked a lot worse than they felt, or my ribs, which were clearly outlined underneath the mottling. I've a bony chest. There's no nice way of putting it. No matter how hard I try to put muscle on my upper body, it just doesn't work. I've learned to live with thinking of myself as slender or, if necessary, petite. Logan, who had the onerous duty of helping me with a bath the previous night, was a little more plain-spoken: he said I looked starved. I spread the shirt wide, giving her an eyeful.
I avoided Amanda's surprised look. Since I didn't want to see Rahne's expression either, I settled for looking out the window instead. Unfortunately, Kurt had been keeping pace with the car to the right of us and my movement drew the eyes of the little old lady behind the wheel. She and I exchanged a startled look for a moment and I realized how ridiculous it probably looked to her. A moment later, she gave me a thumbs-up, flashed me a full set of dentures, and changed lanes, heading for the exit.
I'd just been hubba-hubba-ed by a woman old enough to remember the Depression. Ew.
"What happened?"
Amanda's voice pulled my attention back into the van. I carefully buttoned the shirt back up, still avoiding her eyes.
"The black-and-purple ones are from the..." I trailed off, unsure just how much Amanda knew about the X-Men and their after-school activities. For all I knew, she'd have a kitten if she knew that our boyfriend (man that sounded weird) was on a team of do-gooder mutants. To my relief, Kurt picked up almost without missing a beat.
"...accident that paralyzed his legs." Amanda looked over at Kurt for a moment. I took the opportunity to shake my head at Rahne's questioning glance. She nodded. That was a close call.
"The rest are because Duncan graciously offered to decorate whatever parts of me were still intact," I said, leading the conversation away from my 'accident.' I wish I'd come up with a better lie. If she asked questions later, I'd have to fake it and that would be awkward.
"Duncan? Duncan Matthews did that?" she asked quickly.
That wasn't really the reaction I was expecting, so I nodded warily. "Yeah. A sort of welcome back to school gift, you might say." Something about Amanda's expression troubled me. For an instant, I thought she was about to speak. Then her eyes flickered over to Rahne, who was listening to the whole conversation, and she shut her mouth, turning back around. I had a niggling feeling that I'd find out why she looked so alarmed soon enough.
"What's going on, Pietro?" Rahne asked quietly.
We'd actually managed to find a parking space in a reasonably well- lit area with lots of police officers around. The odds were in our favor that it would still be there when the concert let out. I honestly wondered if we were in the right city. One just didn't find good parking spaces in New York.
Kurt and Amanda were walking perhaps ten feet in front of us. Rahne had offered to push me around and Kurt hadn't objected. He'd told me earlier that he hadn't had a chance to be alone with Amanda all week outside of school. Maybe he was jumping on the long walk from the parking garage as a way to rectify that. Either way, he left me in Rahne's care with that infectious grin of his and a promise whispered in my ear that I'd get my 'alone time' later on. I can't put into words just how warm that made me feel inside. He might be dating two people at once, but he was very meticulous about keeping them both happy. Naturally I wondered when the other shoe would drop, but then I'm a suspicious kind of guy.
I realized I was checking out Kurt's butt and dragged my gaze away, looking over my shoulder at Rahne. He might be able to manage two relationships at once without breaking a sweat, but I just wasn't that good. Heck, if he pulled it off then Casanova wasn't that good.
"What's going on with what? You've lost me," I said, still slightly distracted.
"Well, fer starters ye've been eyein' Kurt all night." That sobered me up really quick. Oh man, was it that obvious? How the heck was I supposed to respond to that statement?
I lied, of course.
"It's his hologram thingy. I've been trying to figure out where his tail goes when he turns it on," I said in my most sincere voice. "My best guess so far is under his shirt somewhere."
"Yer so full of it, yer eyes should be brown, no' blue."
"You're right. You're absolutely right. It's probably under the pants. Why didn't I think of that earlier?"
Rahne growled and it sounded for all the world like she'd shapeshifted into a wolf-man-woman-thingy-whatever right there on the street. She hadn't, but the sound was uncanny - not to mention unsettling. Made me wish I had a piece of silver on me. Intellectually I knew she wasn't a werewolf in the folklore sense, but I'd have felt safer for some reason.
"So I guess I've been a little obvious, huh?"
"Just a wee bit, aye."
I smiled faintly. "Think you'd believe me if I said it was too long a story to get into right now?"
Three seconds on the clock; Maximoff has the ball. He shoots.
"Shorten it," she said in a firm voice.
And misses.
I considered telling her everything. How I'd figured out that Kurt liked me, how he'd finally asked me out, how Amanda had barged into my room and how she'd accepted that fact that he was dating both of us at once. Yeah, I gave it serious thought. A whole three, maybe five seconds in fact before mentally giving up. There just wasn't a way to shorten it that didn't sound like the script from a particularly strange chick flick.
"How open are you to the possibility of a sort of loose relationship?"
The wheelchair jerked to a stop. I had to scramble to keep from falling and looking like a complete ass. Amanda heard the commotion and looked back. I waved them ahead, not wanting an audience. Bad enough that I had to do this as it was.
Rahne came around in front of me. It was a nice change from having to crane my neck to see her. I should point out that now that we were in the city, her outfit wasn't that much more outlandish than some of the ones I could see. Downright conservative compared to a couple.
She didn't look happy and it wasn't because of her clothing, either.
"How loose are ye talkin'?"
"Loose enough to accept that I've already got a boyfriend?" She nodded as though it wasn't that much of a shock. Big surprise there. Someone at the Institute couldn't keep their mouth shut. When I found out who, I'd...I'd...I don't know, sic Logan on them or something.
"Yer tellin' me he's," she flipped her head at Kurt, "goin' out wi' the both o' ye at once?"
"Yeah. His organizational skills are off the charts.
"And ye asked me out before or after the two o' ye hooked up?"
I felt a flush start to creep up my neck. "Um. After."
She shook her head. "So I'm t' be goin' out wi' ye, while yer goin' out wi' Kurt, while he's goin' out wi' Amanda?"
I looked at her helplessly. "Well, uh..."
"ARE YE BLOODY MAD?!" Rahne demanded. People around us were starting to stare as they walked past. We really could have picked a better place to have this conversation. The corner of Seventh Avenue and 59th was a little too public for my taste. Central Park was just over that fence, and her voice had attracted the attention of quite a few people feeding the pigeons.
"I take it that's a no?"
"Oh, aye. Ye got tha' right." Thankfully, she started us moving again. "Wha' were ye thinkin', ye git?"
Ironic choice of words. I'd said the same thing to Kurt less than two hours earlier.
"I wasn't thinking. That's the problem," I muttered. She either didn't hear me or didn't care to respond. Can't say I blamed her, either. If the situation had been reversed, I'd have left her to fend for herself back at 59th. She must have had more patience than I would have. Or she didn't want to get grounded for losing me in the wilds of New York. Probably the latter.
We caught up with Amanda two blocks later, outside the Hall. Kurt was inside dealing with the seating arrangements. I looked at the people around us and began to feel underdressed. We were surrounded by people in evening wear.
Amanda noticed my look. "It's a benefit concert," she told us.
"I see."
"If ye'll both excuse me," Rahne said as we all tried to fade into the background, "I've t' find the ladies room." I could tell she was irked at me from the way she pointedly avoided looking my way. What was I supposed to do now? She disappeared into the building without a backward glance, leaving me alone with Amanda.
"You two have a nice chat?" Amanda asked. Her voice was loaded to the gills with dark amusement.
"No," I sulked. I can't believe she actually laughed at me. I didn't bother to dignify that with any response other than a glare.
A few minutes later, Kurt came out and fetched us inside to our box. No one said a word to one another. This was going to be a long night.
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To Be Continued.
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To My Reviewers:
Sailor X1: Thanks again. I wasn't aware of the realism element in my stories. Thanks for pointing that out. No, only the staff (Ororo, Logan, Sean, Moira, and Hank) was informed after Lance told the Professor. He kept the information from the kids because he felt that if Pietro and Kurt wanted to keep a low profile that was their right. As far as most of the kids are concerned, Duncan is just a jock with a mean streak. I say 'most' because trying to keep secrets when a score of people live in the same house is like trying to fly by flapping your arms. The leak is coming soon. Pietro gets himself into deep holes without trying. His life is a shambles, so his normal control over events around him is constantly eluding his grasp. Lance will get as much 'screen time' as everyone else, which is to say an appearance every other chapter or so. Wanda is coming soon, though maybe not in the way you'd expect. Regarding the whole society paragraph...I don't really use the word civilized when I describe life in the place I live. It's too generous. This place is Redneck Central and there are days when I wish shrapnel grenades were a viable option for population control.
Ultramatt17: Logan is always a hoot to write. He's a bundle of attitude in a five-foot-five package that just appeals to me for some reason. Probably because his first reaction to trouble is to chop it off at the knees. Yes, I've written Murdock as the lawyer for a reason. Expect him next chapter, in fact, or perhaps the tail end of this one. Now, the way I imagine Pietro's mind working in regards to Lance is probably best described with the revelation that Pietro is a mild sociopath. People aren't really real to him, except as a means to an end. He's learning differently, obviously, but has a long way to go. Of course Lance cares about him. Pietro is too shortsighted to see that, however. When it comes to feelings and people, he's out of his element if there is nothing Machiavellian involved. That's why I've written such a sarcastic streak into him. It's his usual defense. Wanda will appear shortly. Probably in a couple chapters. You'll hear about her in the next update, but actually see her later. Remember that I'm not chronicling Pietro's entire day (despite my writing style on occasion). He's managed to make an impression on the people in the house, even if I haven't written it, so the chance of others being upset over his most recent beating isn't entirely impossible.
Mizzan: I'm glad I have that effect on people. It will indeed most likely end up with a firm Kurt/Pietro pairing, though as you can imagine it will be a long, rocky road. Personally, I'd use something harder than a frying pan on Duncan. A baseball bat, perhaps. More devastating.
Here's a nibbler in case you guys are hungry for Wanda, incidentally: she did go after Duncan - and succeeded. More to come. ;)
Author's Note:
Greetings.
Read, REVIEW, and enjoy. ;) Pretty please. Comments on reviews are at the bottom again.
As a side note, this may be my last update for a while. I'm going to get kicked out of my apartment if I cannot come up with rent money in the next week or so and since I'm currently out of a job, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. :( I may be out on the street by this time next week.
Cheers.
Jack
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Friday went by a little too quickly - even for me. School, for instance, sped past almost without notice. I honestly don't remember a thing about it. All I can say for certain is that I didn't get beaten to a pulp. I'm sure I'd have remembered that. I was too preoccupied with the Rahne/Kurt situation to pay attention to anything else.
Ah, I hear you ask, but wasn't the problem solved? Was I not going to take Rahne to an early dinner and still go with Kurt to the concert? No, as it turned out, I was not.
It boiled down to a communications problem. I forgot to tell her I had an early date planned and she neglected to tell me that between piano lessons and drama club she was booked until six-thirty. There was no way I'd be able to take her to Delphini's, the new (and currently only) upscale Italian restaurant in Bayside and still make the concert. This was a bit of a snag, to put it lightly.
To make matters worse, she'd overheard Bobby telling Amara that he'd heard from Sam that Kurt asked the Professor if he could borrow the van to go to the concert. At least I think that was the chain. I swear, sometimes it was like living in a house with a dozen siblings. The gossip mill at the Institute was well developed. Anyway, as it turned out, Rahne happened to really like Savage Garden. Would you believe she asked Kurt if he could get a couple more tickets? She thought it would be a great idea to double date with him and Amanda. I wish I was kidding.
It goes without saying that I just about had a stroke when he invited her along.
"That concert's been sold out for weeks, man," I told him in a waspish tone. "What were you thinking?" I'd managed to corner the little blue guy after school. Lance had offered him a ride home, at my suggestion, so that I could have this particular conversation. You might say we were taking the scenic route back to the Institute. I wanted to get this out of my system.
Kurt shrugged, hair flapping in the wind. Lance's jeep is a great way to get around except for the occasions when it rains. The two of us were sitting in the back, talking over the heavy metal Lance had cranked up on the stereo.
"Ve don't need extra tickets," he patiently explained. "I reserved a box." He could be so oblivious sometimes. Too much hanging around Summers, I thought.
"No, I mean asking Rahne to come on our date!" Possessive? Me? Nah. "My God, what were you thinking?!" I seethed. As if having to be on a date with that Amanda witch wasn't bad enough. He shrugged again. I had to physically restrain myself from shaking him like a doll. That's how irritated I was. The fact that I didn't said volumes about my self- control.
"So vhat? You asked her out vithout knowing about the concert. I'm just trying to help fix the situation."
"Let me lay things out for you here, buddy," I growled. He just wasn't getting it. "You and me are going out. You and Amanda are going out. I've asked Rahne on a date." He still looked blank. "Don't you see how freakin' complicated this is getting?!" That was a little loud. Lance looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head at him and turned back to my problem.
Kurt started to shrug and I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't. Do. That. Again," I said slowly and carefully. I felt my ears twitch, a nervous tic that's irked me all my life. Give me a break. I was tense, all right?
"I still don't see the problem here, Pietro," he told me.
Obviously.
"Does it seem at all strange to you that my boyfriend is helping me work out a date with my possible girlfriend?" I snapped. His eyes widened. Bingo. Getting him to understand anything is just a matter of phrasing it correctly.
"Oh heavens," he said. Not the phrase I'd have used, but children might be reading this.
His face screwed up in concentration, an expression I'd grown fond of. He just looked so darn cuddly when he did that. Most of the time, anyway. I shook my head. I definitely liked him better without the hologram. What can I say? I'm a hair and eyes man and he had fine hair and gorgeous eyes. The hologram didn't do him justice.
I shook my head, getting rid of that distracting line of thought.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be upset about this." Bother. Try as I might, I just couldn't stay mad at him.
"Ah, forget about it," I said, slipping my arm around him. "What are we going to do about this, though?"
"About vhat?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at me with a sidelong glance. "Your double - triple, vhatever - date tonight or your hangup about this whole thing?" There was a trace of amusement in his voice. I hate it when people enjoy my discomfort. "Pretend it's not a date," he went on. "Just four friends going to a concert. You can take Rahne out another time and I'll take you out tomorrow night."
I tried to find the hole in his suggestion, I really did. Trouble is, I couldn't come up with one. That made it hard to keep this argument going. "And Amanda?"
He shifted slightly. "Ve don't need to tell her this isn't a date, ja?"
Good point. I leaned into him, through with conversation for a while. Maybe this would work out. Hopefully.
"When did you get so smart?" I asked with a smirk.
"German character. Ve're a very practical people."
"Rahne?" Amanda asked. "That British exchange student?" Kurt had just pulled up to the school. Thanks to time constraints, we had to pick her up and then burn rubber to get to Carnegie Hall on time. Not literally, of course, but it would be a close thing either way. Parking in the city is a real pain. Most of the extra time would be spent finding a parking garage in which the van would be safe. Something told me that Xavier wouldn't be happy with us if the van was stolen. Call it a hunch.
"Scottish," I corrected. Amanda leaned around the seat to glower at me. She'd insisted on sitting up front with Kurt. I didn't object, primarily for reasons of health. I'd already gotten smeared once this week and didn't want a second helping. The fact that I was doped up to the eyeballs with codeine probably helped my attitude.
I'd made the mistake of complaining about various aches in front of Doctor MacTaggart, who apparently hadn't been told that my metabolism is wonky. She'd made me swallow an entire 800 milligram tablet of Tylenol-3. For me, it was like popping four of the darn things. As you can imagine, I was feeling really, really good. That did wonders for my mood. If she wanted to sit up front, fine with me.
I returned her glare with a shrug. "If you call her British, you'll get a lecture. Trust me on this one." Having had that lecture from Rahne, I felt it my duty to warn people in advance. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I guess some people can be touchy about such insignificant things like nationality. Weird, huh?
"And why is she coming along on this date, anyway?" she demanded. "I can't believe he didn't tell me she was coming along until he picked me up!"
I spread my hands, giving her my most innocent look.
"Come on, you know Kurt," I said, truthfully. What came next was pure speculation on my part. "If he can make someone happy, he does. Maybe she likes Savage Garden and he thought it would cheer her up to bring her along." I had no idea if he would do something like that. Sure we were dating, but I still didn't know that much about him. Maybe I liked the air of mystery that surrounded him. A better bet was that I didn't want to get too close to someone.
Amanda's eyes softened, which was a pretty good sign that she'd bought it. She turned around, sliding back into her seat just as the other two came out of the school. Rahne was looking surprisingly cheerful, despite having spent the last twelve hours in that building. Better her than me. Despite the fact that junior year is supposed to be the toughest, I'd been bored silly both days I'd been in class. The sooner I graduated the better.
Rahne tossed her backpack into the seat behind us, dropping a stack of books on top of it. Her outfit made me wonder just what on earth she was rehearsing. If the black mini-skirt was any more mini, it would have been a belt. The blood-red halter top didn't help her image. Her reddish- brown hair looked wholly out of place, bobbed into a rather conservative cut that just didn't match the rest. It was, in a word, interesting.
"Hi Amanda," she said as she got into the van. "Hi Pietro."
"Hello," Amanda said from the front seat. Her voice was carefully neutral. Maybe she hadn't believed me after all.
"You do realize that where we're going, you're going to stand out like a sore thumb," I said, nodding at her outfit. Rahne looked down and, I'm not kidding, adjusted her chest underneath the shirt.
"It's no' that bad, is it?" she asked.
"I've seen hookers with more modesty."
Kurt suppressed a snort as he started the van. Between that and Rahne's horrified look, I realized that I'd been an idiot. It should tell you how shocking the outfit was that I didn't realize that the moment I said anything. I tried to salvage the situation. "So, uh, what musical are you guys doing this year?"
It must have worked, because the frown disappeared from her face.
"'Grease,'" she said, tapping the skirt. I looked a little closer and saw a small dog embroidered on it.
"Wait, don't tell me. That's supposed to be a poodle skirt." The doubt must have sounded in my voice because she nodded, smoothing the fabric.
"Aye." Thing is, that musical is set in the nineteen-fifties. "It's an updated version," she explained. No kidding. If a girl went around wearing that back then, who knew what would happen to her?
"Let me know the date. If everyone is dressed like that, I've got to see it," I said with a mock leer. Rahne laughed. It was one of those high, bubbly ones that echo. Especially in close spaces. I smiled back at her. She responded by moving a little closer to me and leaning on my shoulder. After a moment's hesitation, I put my arm around her.
"Speaking of clothing, Pietro, what made you wear that tonight?"
Amanda's question sounded innocent, but I couldn't help but be paranoid. I looked down at myself. Black Levi's tastefully buttoned. A midnight blue, collarless button-down shirt. Black sneakers, though I could have worn clown shoes for all the walking I was going to be doing tonight. I thought it looked fine.
"What's wrong with what I've got on?" I asked in surprise. I glanced at Rahne, who shrugged and nodded, as if to indicate that I looked fine.
"You're dressed like a bruise," Amanda said. "All that black and blue makes you look splotchy." This was news to me. I tried to make light of it, sure that she was just picking on me out of spite.
"I've got a chalky complexion. Everything I wear makes me look splotchy. Besides," I said as I unbuttoned the shirt, "if you want to see what a bruise looks like on me, I'll show you." I saw Kurt's eyes flicker up into the rear-view mirror and I frowned at him. "Keep your eyes on the road," I told him. "This strip show isn't for you."
His eyes told me quite plainly that he wished that it was for him. I squelched the urge to blush. It took an effort.
Amanda pulled down sun visor and flipped open the mirror on the back. Her eyes went wide as I pulled my shirt open and bared my chest. I don't know what surprised her more. The extensive bruising, most of which looked a lot worse than they felt, or my ribs, which were clearly outlined underneath the mottling. I've a bony chest. There's no nice way of putting it. No matter how hard I try to put muscle on my upper body, it just doesn't work. I've learned to live with thinking of myself as slender or, if necessary, petite. Logan, who had the onerous duty of helping me with a bath the previous night, was a little more plain-spoken: he said I looked starved. I spread the shirt wide, giving her an eyeful.
I avoided Amanda's surprised look. Since I didn't want to see Rahne's expression either, I settled for looking out the window instead. Unfortunately, Kurt had been keeping pace with the car to the right of us and my movement drew the eyes of the little old lady behind the wheel. She and I exchanged a startled look for a moment and I realized how ridiculous it probably looked to her. A moment later, she gave me a thumbs-up, flashed me a full set of dentures, and changed lanes, heading for the exit.
I'd just been hubba-hubba-ed by a woman old enough to remember the Depression. Ew.
"What happened?"
Amanda's voice pulled my attention back into the van. I carefully buttoned the shirt back up, still avoiding her eyes.
"The black-and-purple ones are from the..." I trailed off, unsure just how much Amanda knew about the X-Men and their after-school activities. For all I knew, she'd have a kitten if she knew that our boyfriend (man that sounded weird) was on a team of do-gooder mutants. To my relief, Kurt picked up almost without missing a beat.
"...accident that paralyzed his legs." Amanda looked over at Kurt for a moment. I took the opportunity to shake my head at Rahne's questioning glance. She nodded. That was a close call.
"The rest are because Duncan graciously offered to decorate whatever parts of me were still intact," I said, leading the conversation away from my 'accident.' I wish I'd come up with a better lie. If she asked questions later, I'd have to fake it and that would be awkward.
"Duncan? Duncan Matthews did that?" she asked quickly.
That wasn't really the reaction I was expecting, so I nodded warily. "Yeah. A sort of welcome back to school gift, you might say." Something about Amanda's expression troubled me. For an instant, I thought she was about to speak. Then her eyes flickered over to Rahne, who was listening to the whole conversation, and she shut her mouth, turning back around. I had a niggling feeling that I'd find out why she looked so alarmed soon enough.
"What's going on, Pietro?" Rahne asked quietly.
We'd actually managed to find a parking space in a reasonably well- lit area with lots of police officers around. The odds were in our favor that it would still be there when the concert let out. I honestly wondered if we were in the right city. One just didn't find good parking spaces in New York.
Kurt and Amanda were walking perhaps ten feet in front of us. Rahne had offered to push me around and Kurt hadn't objected. He'd told me earlier that he hadn't had a chance to be alone with Amanda all week outside of school. Maybe he was jumping on the long walk from the parking garage as a way to rectify that. Either way, he left me in Rahne's care with that infectious grin of his and a promise whispered in my ear that I'd get my 'alone time' later on. I can't put into words just how warm that made me feel inside. He might be dating two people at once, but he was very meticulous about keeping them both happy. Naturally I wondered when the other shoe would drop, but then I'm a suspicious kind of guy.
I realized I was checking out Kurt's butt and dragged my gaze away, looking over my shoulder at Rahne. He might be able to manage two relationships at once without breaking a sweat, but I just wasn't that good. Heck, if he pulled it off then Casanova wasn't that good.
"What's going on with what? You've lost me," I said, still slightly distracted.
"Well, fer starters ye've been eyein' Kurt all night." That sobered me up really quick. Oh man, was it that obvious? How the heck was I supposed to respond to that statement?
I lied, of course.
"It's his hologram thingy. I've been trying to figure out where his tail goes when he turns it on," I said in my most sincere voice. "My best guess so far is under his shirt somewhere."
"Yer so full of it, yer eyes should be brown, no' blue."
"You're right. You're absolutely right. It's probably under the pants. Why didn't I think of that earlier?"
Rahne growled and it sounded for all the world like she'd shapeshifted into a wolf-man-woman-thingy-whatever right there on the street. She hadn't, but the sound was uncanny - not to mention unsettling. Made me wish I had a piece of silver on me. Intellectually I knew she wasn't a werewolf in the folklore sense, but I'd have felt safer for some reason.
"So I guess I've been a little obvious, huh?"
"Just a wee bit, aye."
I smiled faintly. "Think you'd believe me if I said it was too long a story to get into right now?"
Three seconds on the clock; Maximoff has the ball. He shoots.
"Shorten it," she said in a firm voice.
And misses.
I considered telling her everything. How I'd figured out that Kurt liked me, how he'd finally asked me out, how Amanda had barged into my room and how she'd accepted that fact that he was dating both of us at once. Yeah, I gave it serious thought. A whole three, maybe five seconds in fact before mentally giving up. There just wasn't a way to shorten it that didn't sound like the script from a particularly strange chick flick.
"How open are you to the possibility of a sort of loose relationship?"
The wheelchair jerked to a stop. I had to scramble to keep from falling and looking like a complete ass. Amanda heard the commotion and looked back. I waved them ahead, not wanting an audience. Bad enough that I had to do this as it was.
Rahne came around in front of me. It was a nice change from having to crane my neck to see her. I should point out that now that we were in the city, her outfit wasn't that much more outlandish than some of the ones I could see. Downright conservative compared to a couple.
She didn't look happy and it wasn't because of her clothing, either.
"How loose are ye talkin'?"
"Loose enough to accept that I've already got a boyfriend?" She nodded as though it wasn't that much of a shock. Big surprise there. Someone at the Institute couldn't keep their mouth shut. When I found out who, I'd...I'd...I don't know, sic Logan on them or something.
"Yer tellin' me he's," she flipped her head at Kurt, "goin' out wi' the both o' ye at once?"
"Yeah. His organizational skills are off the charts.
"And ye asked me out before or after the two o' ye hooked up?"
I felt a flush start to creep up my neck. "Um. After."
She shook her head. "So I'm t' be goin' out wi' ye, while yer goin' out wi' Kurt, while he's goin' out wi' Amanda?"
I looked at her helplessly. "Well, uh..."
"ARE YE BLOODY MAD?!" Rahne demanded. People around us were starting to stare as they walked past. We really could have picked a better place to have this conversation. The corner of Seventh Avenue and 59th was a little too public for my taste. Central Park was just over that fence, and her voice had attracted the attention of quite a few people feeding the pigeons.
"I take it that's a no?"
"Oh, aye. Ye got tha' right." Thankfully, she started us moving again. "Wha' were ye thinkin', ye git?"
Ironic choice of words. I'd said the same thing to Kurt less than two hours earlier.
"I wasn't thinking. That's the problem," I muttered. She either didn't hear me or didn't care to respond. Can't say I blamed her, either. If the situation had been reversed, I'd have left her to fend for herself back at 59th. She must have had more patience than I would have. Or she didn't want to get grounded for losing me in the wilds of New York. Probably the latter.
We caught up with Amanda two blocks later, outside the Hall. Kurt was inside dealing with the seating arrangements. I looked at the people around us and began to feel underdressed. We were surrounded by people in evening wear.
Amanda noticed my look. "It's a benefit concert," she told us.
"I see."
"If ye'll both excuse me," Rahne said as we all tried to fade into the background, "I've t' find the ladies room." I could tell she was irked at me from the way she pointedly avoided looking my way. What was I supposed to do now? She disappeared into the building without a backward glance, leaving me alone with Amanda.
"You two have a nice chat?" Amanda asked. Her voice was loaded to the gills with dark amusement.
"No," I sulked. I can't believe she actually laughed at me. I didn't bother to dignify that with any response other than a glare.
A few minutes later, Kurt came out and fetched us inside to our box. No one said a word to one another. This was going to be a long night.
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To Be Continued.
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To My Reviewers:
Sailor X1: Thanks again. I wasn't aware of the realism element in my stories. Thanks for pointing that out. No, only the staff (Ororo, Logan, Sean, Moira, and Hank) was informed after Lance told the Professor. He kept the information from the kids because he felt that if Pietro and Kurt wanted to keep a low profile that was their right. As far as most of the kids are concerned, Duncan is just a jock with a mean streak. I say 'most' because trying to keep secrets when a score of people live in the same house is like trying to fly by flapping your arms. The leak is coming soon. Pietro gets himself into deep holes without trying. His life is a shambles, so his normal control over events around him is constantly eluding his grasp. Lance will get as much 'screen time' as everyone else, which is to say an appearance every other chapter or so. Wanda is coming soon, though maybe not in the way you'd expect. Regarding the whole society paragraph...I don't really use the word civilized when I describe life in the place I live. It's too generous. This place is Redneck Central and there are days when I wish shrapnel grenades were a viable option for population control.
Ultramatt17: Logan is always a hoot to write. He's a bundle of attitude in a five-foot-five package that just appeals to me for some reason. Probably because his first reaction to trouble is to chop it off at the knees. Yes, I've written Murdock as the lawyer for a reason. Expect him next chapter, in fact, or perhaps the tail end of this one. Now, the way I imagine Pietro's mind working in regards to Lance is probably best described with the revelation that Pietro is a mild sociopath. People aren't really real to him, except as a means to an end. He's learning differently, obviously, but has a long way to go. Of course Lance cares about him. Pietro is too shortsighted to see that, however. When it comes to feelings and people, he's out of his element if there is nothing Machiavellian involved. That's why I've written such a sarcastic streak into him. It's his usual defense. Wanda will appear shortly. Probably in a couple chapters. You'll hear about her in the next update, but actually see her later. Remember that I'm not chronicling Pietro's entire day (despite my writing style on occasion). He's managed to make an impression on the people in the house, even if I haven't written it, so the chance of others being upset over his most recent beating isn't entirely impossible.
Mizzan: I'm glad I have that effect on people. It will indeed most likely end up with a firm Kurt/Pietro pairing, though as you can imagine it will be a long, rocky road. Personally, I'd use something harder than a frying pan on Duncan. A baseball bat, perhaps. More devastating.
Here's a nibbler in case you guys are hungry for Wanda, incidentally: she did go after Duncan - and succeeded. More to come. ;)