Disclaimer: None of Marvel's characters belong to me *sob*. Everyone else is a product of my twisted mind.
Chapter 7:
I traced my hand on the floor, my fingers forming a mindless swirl that was visible only to me. "I have a brother," I began. "and his name's Hayden. Hayden Trey Rias." My hand splayed flat several inches above the ground, and ice poured from my hands as I thought of his face with brimming hatred, a sculpture of his likeness forming rapidly. A headache materialized from out of nowhere, and I winced slightly. It came out of nowhere, and I wondered why. "He was born 5 years before I was. I guess that would make him the older of us two."
"Ah would never have guessed." Sam murmured. "Hey - you're bleedin'! Your cheek -,"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's trivial." I really didn't care if my cheek was bleeding. I've been hurt worse.
He motioned at me to continue.
"Our life was as normal as one could get, I guess. My mom was a florist, my dad a jeweller. Both were professionals - or as professional as one could get tending flowers and creating and repairing jewellery. Hayden was starting Grade 1 when I was born. He was always the brain of my family." I smiled, though it felt bitter.
"My brother was also the one who was born attractive. He broke hearts like it was nobody's business. He even once said that they meant nothing to him, even joked that he'd be forever single, or might even find someone of the same sex. Anyways, he finally did find a girl, and this was when I was seven. Or eight. Or was it nine?" I frowned, and Sam sighed.
"Does it matter?"
I shrugged. "I guess not. Her name was Tia, I think. Or was it Sarah?"
"Kelsey!"
I jumped"Sorry! Okay, where was I...oh, yes. I was only 8 when they started seeing each other. it looked promising, I remember my mother telling me once. She had seemed really happy for the two of them." A lump formed in my throat from out of nowhere, and I swallowed it down. I couldn't start now. That would be bad. That would be girlish.
"Then something happened when I was 9. I don;t know what, but one day Hayden just came home without Tia. See, she always came over daily. I liked her. She was always nice to me. Gave me a gift everyday." I was blabbing by now, but I didn't like the part that came next. And I had to take my mind off the re-rising lump. Blasted thing. What was wrong with me anyway?
"Yeah, anyways, Hayden came home, and it was just him and my dad. My mom had gone out. I was still at school. It was lunch-time though, so I was going home for awhile. The moment I laid my hand on the door however, I heard my brother shouting at my dad, something about mutants and his girlfriend. Something about mutants having done something to his girlfriend Lyra. Yes, that's her name. Lyra Comerelli."
Something squeezed out of the corner of my eye. I caught the offending droplet quickly. "I don't remember what exactly they were yelling about. I jut remember a lot of screaming, a lot of crashes - and I - I remember -," This time I couldn't hold back those bleedin' tears. Crap. Great time to look feminine. Why couldn't I have been born a guy?
"Ya don't have to do this, Kelsey," Sam quietly said. "Ah'm not forcin you to do anything."
"I started it, I'm going to finish it." I retorted, dashing away the collecting moisture. I licked my lips, tasting the salt. "I remember a g-gunshot going off. B-boom - just like that. And - and - oh God, and there was a - a silence after t-that. And I knew - I mean, I was nine, but I still knew...that - that -," I couldn't continue, and instead bowed my head, my hands lying placidly on the melting ice sculpture I had created and forgotten of Hayden's likeness.
"That ya dad had just been shot?" Sam finished soberly. I didn't look up. "Ah'm sorry, Kelsey. Ah shouldn't have asked."
Oh, don't give me that. "Forget it." I shortly replied, my tears vanishing with a supreme effort. "It's in the past. The past can't come back to haunt me." Not really anyway. "Everything else just went downhil from then. My dad's body was taken away. My mom disappeared for a week, reappearing only for my dad's funeral. I never saw her again." I shrugged, trying my hardest to appear as nonchalant as possible. My mother's disappearance didn't bother me. Much. "I lived with my brother from that day on, until Sabretooth came after me and, uh, you know..." This was a touchy subject. I do NOt enjoy mentioning about my past hurts. It's painful.
He smiled slightly. "Until we found ya, ah know." He got up, extending a hand for me, one which I accepted upon realizing that BOTH my feet had fallen asleep. He walked with me out the door.
"You know, Sam," I hesitated. "Thanks. I guess."
"You guess?" He arched an eyebrow. I wrinkled my nose at him. "Then ah guess ya're welcome. Oh yeah - one more thing." It was my turn to arch an eyebrow at him. "Yesterday and the day before or so you were limpin'. Today ya're not. How come?"
My mind drew a blank, until I remembered the incident with the computer. "Oh, uh - I dunno." I replied intelligently - not. But Sam was right. I wasn't limping any longer. I didn't know why.
"Maybe you're like Wolverine." He mused. "He has a healing factor. Maybe ya do as well. But then you're still bleeding though..." He began walking off, mumbling to himself.
I stared at his retreating back, remembering my cheek when he reminded me, then shrugged, wiping away the blood with the back of my hand. Then I glanced at my watch. It was 2:39pm. I groaned. I had just been in there for about 3 hours, and within 20 minutes I would have to return for yet another bout with death.
I jump for joy. Whoopdeedo.
I settled down by the door to wait. No point in going back upstairs to change and then coming back down to have my clothes (all courtesy of the X-Mansion, thank goodness...I couldn't afford anything on my own) fried. I should really unpack my stuff sometime soon. Okay, that was really random, but I HAD to do something to pass the 20 minutes, right?
---
HA!
I showed the Professor!
He told me to stay alive for more than a minute before initiating the program...and I DID! I showed him I could do it! I showed him that I wasn't THAT pathetic!
I stayed 'alive' for TWO minutes!
---
Jubilee accosted me on the way out of the Medi-Lab, where I had undergone repair to my cheek and to my entire right side of my body. It STILL felt kinda tingly from the after-effects of the electric shock...
"Sooooooo...Kelsey...," She near-purred. A warning chill went down my spine. That tone only meant one thing. It started with T, ended with E, and went for 7 letters long.
"Um, hi?"
"Rough time in the Danger Room?"
What do you think? I merely glared at her in response.
"Wanna chill for a while?"
More alarm bells. I should have heeded my Internal Warning System...but I was tired, and didn't want to anything. I just wanted to flop onto my bed and pass out for the rest of the day. Instead...
"Doing what?" I yawned.
She grinned happily. "Come with me."
I complied. BAD move. But how was I supposed to know that I would be sealing my fate for all of eternity?
---
"Oh, not YOU too," A familiar voice moaned, and I blanched, spinning onto the person.
"What are YOU doing here?" I managed to choke out. It was, naturally, Bobby Drake, sporting the bruise I gave him on his jaw. He rubbed it ruefully as I glared at him.
"Same reason you two are, ah s'pose," Another familiar voice spoke up from the left, and I turned to see Sam rubbing the back of his neck in resignation.
"Alright guys...WHAT'S going on?" I said before anyone else spoke.
Drake shot me a wry smile. "We're going shopping, Kelsey. Or rather, Jubes is going shopping. We're her prisoners of war."
I stared at him. Then I laughed. Nervously. "No, seriously, guys."
He arched an eyebrow at my reaction. "Don't die from the shock, but I AM being serious."
I blinked slowly at him.
Jubilee's voice piped up from out of nowhere. "In, guys! I'm driving!"
Simultaenously, Sam and Drake groaned. I moaned.
"Can I NOT go?" I whined.
"Call it payment for this morning." She retorted, and a rude noise emerged from the back of my throat.
"That was SO NOT my fault," I argued. "That moron got -," Jubilee glared at me, and something akin to multi-coloured firework-things sparked from her fingers menacingly. They looked DANGEROUS. Cowered into submission, my words died in my throat as I hastily ducked my head and slipped into the backseat of the vehicle, as did Drake, sighing.
"Oh, thanks," Sam glared at the both of us, and sat in the passenger seat. Jubilee got into the driver's seat, starting the engine with an unhealthy delight.
Then it hit me as to who I was sitting beside.
"Hey! I don't wanna sit by HIM!"
The HIM snickered. "Reeeal mature, Kelsey."
"Oh, shut up."
---
Five minutes later, Jubilee skidded to a halt crookedly in a parking slot, killing the engine and sliding out of the car in one smooth movement. And us? The sudden lack of momentum threw all of us forward, and I winced as my face was squashed into the back of Jubilee's seat, as was Bobby's into Sam's seat.
"Who EXACTLY was insane enough to give her her license?" The words spilled from my mouth as I staggered out of the side door. Jubilee ignored me, but smiled brilliantly, brandishing a fan of gold and silver cards - none of which boasted her name on, I later found out - and counting them with a perverse glee.
"Blame Scott," Drake swallowed, and his face looked a little green. "It's because of him she ended up driving."
"Oh, come on, guys." She said with an insulted look on her face. "It wasn't that bad."
"Says you, but we know better," He muttered. She heard him, and shot him a glare so hot it would have melted anything he would have made out of ice.
"Ah think - we should - split up." Sam hastily said through gulps of (fresh) air. He reached into his pocket, pulling out an unnaturally long list. "Seems like - everyone - needs somethin' - or - another."
"I'll go with you," Drake quickly volunteered. I growled at him as best I could.
"No, I'LL go with him. You can go with Jubilee. It's fairer - I mean, a girl and a guy in each group."
"But I'm always paired with Bobby whenever we go shopping," Jubilee whined. "Do I have to go with him? I'd rather go with either you or Sam." She looked at her watch. "And can we hurry? It's, like, almost four, you know."
"That's fine with me," Drake quickly countered, entirely ignoring Jubilee's last comment. "How 'bout you go with Sam and Kelsey then, and I'll go alone and do the shopping for Sam?"
"Ya ain't weaseling out of this one, Bobby. Ah ain't gonna let you. Look, it's not goin' to hurt if -," I sighed, tuning out of the conversation. I really didn't give a cahoot about who I would be paired up with. I just wanted to sleep. Go back and sleep.
A shout caught my attention, and I turned in time to see an elderly woman pointing at a man clutching a handbag. How typical. A young man robbing an elderly. Either that or the woman just wanted the bag which the man had.
"Thief!" The woman shrilly declared. "That bas- " Whoa! Strong language usage here! " - has my purse!"
The would-be mugger fled in our direction, and I deliberately stuck my foot out at the last possible second, sending him sailing through the air as I caught the flying handbag a second later. He groaned, and focused his attention on me. He had shifty gray eyes, and really dirty and crooked teeth. But his clothes were clean. And that struck me as very odd.
"You frigging bi-," People! What's with the swearing today? "I'm gonna get you for that! You just wait - I'll murder you!"
Drake was on him in a second, his hand gripping the thief's collar and lifting him into the air at least five inches above the ground. The thief was short. AND Drake was tall. "I suggest you apologize sometime soon," He suggested amiably. "That's not how you talk to m - a girl." Wow. He was actually sticking up for me. This felt weird. And at that precise moment, I felt a wave of anger wash over me. Then, the sensation disappeared, leaving me feeling decisively hollow. And yet I couldn't shake off the sense of deja vu. It was as if I had felt this sort of a sensation before...but where?
The young adult spat at him in defiance. "Apologize to HER? Sh-," Another swear. "-man, I don't goddamn need to apologize! That fu - ," Oh, the profanities. "girl tripped me up! Sticking her nose into things she damn well shouldn't! I ain't make me friggin' apologize!"
Bobby narrowed his eyes at him, and when he spoke, I shivered, though it must have been at least 25 degrees (Celsius) out. His voice sounded unnaturally wintry and brittle. Icy cold. An "Oh?" was all that he said. Ice began forming on the runt's sideburns. His eyes widened.
"Stinkin' mutie!" He hollered, his eyes large with fright. Luckily, there was no one around to here his exclamation. With a disgusted look on his face, Bobby flung him to the side. He scampered away, but not without shooting me one last look of pure hatred. And without a parting thought that warmed me to the heart.
"I'll get you one day, mutie! I'll KILL you! I swear it!"
Then he was gone, leaving me standing there holding the handbag.
"You okay?" Sam asked worriedly. I nodded, shivering again. His words felt like a premonition. It was enough to unnerve me. I turned to the woman, jerkily walking towards her. She got to her feet, and gently took the outstretched handbag I proffered to her. Thank goodness she didn't seem to care that we were all mutants.
"Thank you, Miss...?"
"Kelsey," I replied. Then I blinked. For a split second she looked like someone I recognized. Blink. The image was gone. Just a figment of my imagination. "Kelsey Rias."
I turned to walk back towards the other three, who were back to their bickering. I snorted. We were going to be here all day. This was just about guaranteed.
"Kelsey...Rias?" The woman behind me whispered. I turned back to her.
"Yes?" That's what I said, if I recall...
There was an odd look on her face now, and she looked like she wanted to cry. I frowned puzzledly. " 'Scuse me, but do I know you?"
The woman reached beneath the neck of her sweater, and pulled out a beautifully carved heart-shaped pendant, half green, half blue, split down the middle and strung on two different chains, both of which she wore around her neck. I knew they were respectively an emereald and a sapphire. And I only knew of ONE person in the world who had this sort of a pendant. SOMEONE whose husband was - had been - a professional jeweller, one who's work surpassed most, if not all, of his other colleagues. But it was probably just coincidence. Right?
"Has it really been that long, Kelsey Carol Selena Rias? You - you don't remember me?"
Wrong. It wasn't just coincidence. I remembered her now. She hadn't changed much since six years ago. Since I was ten. I couldn't control the scream that burst from my lips. I couldn't help it. I had just found someone that had been gone for the past several years.
"MOM?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And so chapter 7 ends. *Wince* I thought the ending was kinda obvious though...Opinions? Feedback? Reviews (*hint hint*)?
MidnightRebel: I still don't like the security...takes longer for me to log in and check to see if each story is updated or not. Oh well.
Zero-0 & angelbelle-ariana: Thank you! XD
Chapter 7:
I traced my hand on the floor, my fingers forming a mindless swirl that was visible only to me. "I have a brother," I began. "and his name's Hayden. Hayden Trey Rias." My hand splayed flat several inches above the ground, and ice poured from my hands as I thought of his face with brimming hatred, a sculpture of his likeness forming rapidly. A headache materialized from out of nowhere, and I winced slightly. It came out of nowhere, and I wondered why. "He was born 5 years before I was. I guess that would make him the older of us two."
"Ah would never have guessed." Sam murmured. "Hey - you're bleedin'! Your cheek -,"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's trivial." I really didn't care if my cheek was bleeding. I've been hurt worse.
He motioned at me to continue.
"Our life was as normal as one could get, I guess. My mom was a florist, my dad a jeweller. Both were professionals - or as professional as one could get tending flowers and creating and repairing jewellery. Hayden was starting Grade 1 when I was born. He was always the brain of my family." I smiled, though it felt bitter.
"My brother was also the one who was born attractive. He broke hearts like it was nobody's business. He even once said that they meant nothing to him, even joked that he'd be forever single, or might even find someone of the same sex. Anyways, he finally did find a girl, and this was when I was seven. Or eight. Or was it nine?" I frowned, and Sam sighed.
"Does it matter?"
I shrugged. "I guess not. Her name was Tia, I think. Or was it Sarah?"
"Kelsey!"
I jumped"Sorry! Okay, where was I...oh, yes. I was only 8 when they started seeing each other. it looked promising, I remember my mother telling me once. She had seemed really happy for the two of them." A lump formed in my throat from out of nowhere, and I swallowed it down. I couldn't start now. That would be bad. That would be girlish.
"Then something happened when I was 9. I don;t know what, but one day Hayden just came home without Tia. See, she always came over daily. I liked her. She was always nice to me. Gave me a gift everyday." I was blabbing by now, but I didn't like the part that came next. And I had to take my mind off the re-rising lump. Blasted thing. What was wrong with me anyway?
"Yeah, anyways, Hayden came home, and it was just him and my dad. My mom had gone out. I was still at school. It was lunch-time though, so I was going home for awhile. The moment I laid my hand on the door however, I heard my brother shouting at my dad, something about mutants and his girlfriend. Something about mutants having done something to his girlfriend Lyra. Yes, that's her name. Lyra Comerelli."
Something squeezed out of the corner of my eye. I caught the offending droplet quickly. "I don't remember what exactly they were yelling about. I jut remember a lot of screaming, a lot of crashes - and I - I remember -," This time I couldn't hold back those bleedin' tears. Crap. Great time to look feminine. Why couldn't I have been born a guy?
"Ya don't have to do this, Kelsey," Sam quietly said. "Ah'm not forcin you to do anything."
"I started it, I'm going to finish it." I retorted, dashing away the collecting moisture. I licked my lips, tasting the salt. "I remember a g-gunshot going off. B-boom - just like that. And - and - oh God, and there was a - a silence after t-that. And I knew - I mean, I was nine, but I still knew...that - that -," I couldn't continue, and instead bowed my head, my hands lying placidly on the melting ice sculpture I had created and forgotten of Hayden's likeness.
"That ya dad had just been shot?" Sam finished soberly. I didn't look up. "Ah'm sorry, Kelsey. Ah shouldn't have asked."
Oh, don't give me that. "Forget it." I shortly replied, my tears vanishing with a supreme effort. "It's in the past. The past can't come back to haunt me." Not really anyway. "Everything else just went downhil from then. My dad's body was taken away. My mom disappeared for a week, reappearing only for my dad's funeral. I never saw her again." I shrugged, trying my hardest to appear as nonchalant as possible. My mother's disappearance didn't bother me. Much. "I lived with my brother from that day on, until Sabretooth came after me and, uh, you know..." This was a touchy subject. I do NOt enjoy mentioning about my past hurts. It's painful.
He smiled slightly. "Until we found ya, ah know." He got up, extending a hand for me, one which I accepted upon realizing that BOTH my feet had fallen asleep. He walked with me out the door.
"You know, Sam," I hesitated. "Thanks. I guess."
"You guess?" He arched an eyebrow. I wrinkled my nose at him. "Then ah guess ya're welcome. Oh yeah - one more thing." It was my turn to arch an eyebrow at him. "Yesterday and the day before or so you were limpin'. Today ya're not. How come?"
My mind drew a blank, until I remembered the incident with the computer. "Oh, uh - I dunno." I replied intelligently - not. But Sam was right. I wasn't limping any longer. I didn't know why.
"Maybe you're like Wolverine." He mused. "He has a healing factor. Maybe ya do as well. But then you're still bleeding though..." He began walking off, mumbling to himself.
I stared at his retreating back, remembering my cheek when he reminded me, then shrugged, wiping away the blood with the back of my hand. Then I glanced at my watch. It was 2:39pm. I groaned. I had just been in there for about 3 hours, and within 20 minutes I would have to return for yet another bout with death.
I jump for joy. Whoopdeedo.
I settled down by the door to wait. No point in going back upstairs to change and then coming back down to have my clothes (all courtesy of the X-Mansion, thank goodness...I couldn't afford anything on my own) fried. I should really unpack my stuff sometime soon. Okay, that was really random, but I HAD to do something to pass the 20 minutes, right?
---
HA!
I showed the Professor!
He told me to stay alive for more than a minute before initiating the program...and I DID! I showed him I could do it! I showed him that I wasn't THAT pathetic!
I stayed 'alive' for TWO minutes!
---
Jubilee accosted me on the way out of the Medi-Lab, where I had undergone repair to my cheek and to my entire right side of my body. It STILL felt kinda tingly from the after-effects of the electric shock...
"Sooooooo...Kelsey...," She near-purred. A warning chill went down my spine. That tone only meant one thing. It started with T, ended with E, and went for 7 letters long.
"Um, hi?"
"Rough time in the Danger Room?"
What do you think? I merely glared at her in response.
"Wanna chill for a while?"
More alarm bells. I should have heeded my Internal Warning System...but I was tired, and didn't want to anything. I just wanted to flop onto my bed and pass out for the rest of the day. Instead...
"Doing what?" I yawned.
She grinned happily. "Come with me."
I complied. BAD move. But how was I supposed to know that I would be sealing my fate for all of eternity?
---
"Oh, not YOU too," A familiar voice moaned, and I blanched, spinning onto the person.
"What are YOU doing here?" I managed to choke out. It was, naturally, Bobby Drake, sporting the bruise I gave him on his jaw. He rubbed it ruefully as I glared at him.
"Same reason you two are, ah s'pose," Another familiar voice spoke up from the left, and I turned to see Sam rubbing the back of his neck in resignation.
"Alright guys...WHAT'S going on?" I said before anyone else spoke.
Drake shot me a wry smile. "We're going shopping, Kelsey. Or rather, Jubes is going shopping. We're her prisoners of war."
I stared at him. Then I laughed. Nervously. "No, seriously, guys."
He arched an eyebrow at my reaction. "Don't die from the shock, but I AM being serious."
I blinked slowly at him.
Jubilee's voice piped up from out of nowhere. "In, guys! I'm driving!"
Simultaenously, Sam and Drake groaned. I moaned.
"Can I NOT go?" I whined.
"Call it payment for this morning." She retorted, and a rude noise emerged from the back of my throat.
"That was SO NOT my fault," I argued. "That moron got -," Jubilee glared at me, and something akin to multi-coloured firework-things sparked from her fingers menacingly. They looked DANGEROUS. Cowered into submission, my words died in my throat as I hastily ducked my head and slipped into the backseat of the vehicle, as did Drake, sighing.
"Oh, thanks," Sam glared at the both of us, and sat in the passenger seat. Jubilee got into the driver's seat, starting the engine with an unhealthy delight.
Then it hit me as to who I was sitting beside.
"Hey! I don't wanna sit by HIM!"
The HIM snickered. "Reeeal mature, Kelsey."
"Oh, shut up."
---
Five minutes later, Jubilee skidded to a halt crookedly in a parking slot, killing the engine and sliding out of the car in one smooth movement. And us? The sudden lack of momentum threw all of us forward, and I winced as my face was squashed into the back of Jubilee's seat, as was Bobby's into Sam's seat.
"Who EXACTLY was insane enough to give her her license?" The words spilled from my mouth as I staggered out of the side door. Jubilee ignored me, but smiled brilliantly, brandishing a fan of gold and silver cards - none of which boasted her name on, I later found out - and counting them with a perverse glee.
"Blame Scott," Drake swallowed, and his face looked a little green. "It's because of him she ended up driving."
"Oh, come on, guys." She said with an insulted look on her face. "It wasn't that bad."
"Says you, but we know better," He muttered. She heard him, and shot him a glare so hot it would have melted anything he would have made out of ice.
"Ah think - we should - split up." Sam hastily said through gulps of (fresh) air. He reached into his pocket, pulling out an unnaturally long list. "Seems like - everyone - needs somethin' - or - another."
"I'll go with you," Drake quickly volunteered. I growled at him as best I could.
"No, I'LL go with him. You can go with Jubilee. It's fairer - I mean, a girl and a guy in each group."
"But I'm always paired with Bobby whenever we go shopping," Jubilee whined. "Do I have to go with him? I'd rather go with either you or Sam." She looked at her watch. "And can we hurry? It's, like, almost four, you know."
"That's fine with me," Drake quickly countered, entirely ignoring Jubilee's last comment. "How 'bout you go with Sam and Kelsey then, and I'll go alone and do the shopping for Sam?"
"Ya ain't weaseling out of this one, Bobby. Ah ain't gonna let you. Look, it's not goin' to hurt if -," I sighed, tuning out of the conversation. I really didn't give a cahoot about who I would be paired up with. I just wanted to sleep. Go back and sleep.
A shout caught my attention, and I turned in time to see an elderly woman pointing at a man clutching a handbag. How typical. A young man robbing an elderly. Either that or the woman just wanted the bag which the man had.
"Thief!" The woman shrilly declared. "That bas- " Whoa! Strong language usage here! " - has my purse!"
The would-be mugger fled in our direction, and I deliberately stuck my foot out at the last possible second, sending him sailing through the air as I caught the flying handbag a second later. He groaned, and focused his attention on me. He had shifty gray eyes, and really dirty and crooked teeth. But his clothes were clean. And that struck me as very odd.
"You frigging bi-," People! What's with the swearing today? "I'm gonna get you for that! You just wait - I'll murder you!"
Drake was on him in a second, his hand gripping the thief's collar and lifting him into the air at least five inches above the ground. The thief was short. AND Drake was tall. "I suggest you apologize sometime soon," He suggested amiably. "That's not how you talk to m - a girl." Wow. He was actually sticking up for me. This felt weird. And at that precise moment, I felt a wave of anger wash over me. Then, the sensation disappeared, leaving me feeling decisively hollow. And yet I couldn't shake off the sense of deja vu. It was as if I had felt this sort of a sensation before...but where?
The young adult spat at him in defiance. "Apologize to HER? Sh-," Another swear. "-man, I don't goddamn need to apologize! That fu - ," Oh, the profanities. "girl tripped me up! Sticking her nose into things she damn well shouldn't! I ain't make me friggin' apologize!"
Bobby narrowed his eyes at him, and when he spoke, I shivered, though it must have been at least 25 degrees (Celsius) out. His voice sounded unnaturally wintry and brittle. Icy cold. An "Oh?" was all that he said. Ice began forming on the runt's sideburns. His eyes widened.
"Stinkin' mutie!" He hollered, his eyes large with fright. Luckily, there was no one around to here his exclamation. With a disgusted look on his face, Bobby flung him to the side. He scampered away, but not without shooting me one last look of pure hatred. And without a parting thought that warmed me to the heart.
"I'll get you one day, mutie! I'll KILL you! I swear it!"
Then he was gone, leaving me standing there holding the handbag.
"You okay?" Sam asked worriedly. I nodded, shivering again. His words felt like a premonition. It was enough to unnerve me. I turned to the woman, jerkily walking towards her. She got to her feet, and gently took the outstretched handbag I proffered to her. Thank goodness she didn't seem to care that we were all mutants.
"Thank you, Miss...?"
"Kelsey," I replied. Then I blinked. For a split second she looked like someone I recognized. Blink. The image was gone. Just a figment of my imagination. "Kelsey Rias."
I turned to walk back towards the other three, who were back to their bickering. I snorted. We were going to be here all day. This was just about guaranteed.
"Kelsey...Rias?" The woman behind me whispered. I turned back to her.
"Yes?" That's what I said, if I recall...
There was an odd look on her face now, and she looked like she wanted to cry. I frowned puzzledly. " 'Scuse me, but do I know you?"
The woman reached beneath the neck of her sweater, and pulled out a beautifully carved heart-shaped pendant, half green, half blue, split down the middle and strung on two different chains, both of which she wore around her neck. I knew they were respectively an emereald and a sapphire. And I only knew of ONE person in the world who had this sort of a pendant. SOMEONE whose husband was - had been - a professional jeweller, one who's work surpassed most, if not all, of his other colleagues. But it was probably just coincidence. Right?
"Has it really been that long, Kelsey Carol Selena Rias? You - you don't remember me?"
Wrong. It wasn't just coincidence. I remembered her now. She hadn't changed much since six years ago. Since I was ten. I couldn't control the scream that burst from my lips. I couldn't help it. I had just found someone that had been gone for the past several years.
"MOM?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And so chapter 7 ends. *Wince* I thought the ending was kinda obvious though...Opinions? Feedback? Reviews (*hint hint*)?
MidnightRebel: I still don't like the security...takes longer for me to log in and check to see if each story is updated or not. Oh well.
Zero-0 & angelbelle-ariana: Thank you! XD