Disclaimer: If X-Men is mine, then monkeys currently rule the world. No comments allowed.
Ali groaned and hustled back down to the other end of the court, her chest burning with each intake of breath. Each and every one of the girls on the basketball girls was running for the entire practice. They had easily been defeated in their last game, making Coach Ryan furious. Now, they were paying the price.
Jean leaned against the wall, her faced beaded with sweat and her eyes closed. Ali leaned against the wall beside her, breathing deeply, ignoring the fire that was in her chest. Suddenly, the whistle blew again, and the two took off down the court for the twentieth time that day.
"I want you ladies to hustle until the overconfidence that clouded our game yesterday is gone from your systems!" yelled the coach. "Then, you're gonna run even more to make sure that it stays out of your minds for the rest of your lives!"
Practice continued. Coach Ryan continually screamed at them, telling them to pick up the pace, or she'd push practice further. The team continued to run from wall to wall of the gym, their chests and legs aching with the effort. Their muscles screamed for them to stop, their chests yelled for a rest. But they didn't. The girls continued to run for the next half hour, back and forth across the gym. No one stopped; none of the girls spoke. They just ran.
Jean and Ali trudged back to the institute, lugging their bags over their shoulders. Neither spoke; they didn't have the energy to even think of doing anything but making it to the institute without collapsing. They reached the gates and were immediately let in. They trudged up the long driveway, thinking to themselves, Only one more step. One step closer to a bed.
Rogue looked out the institute windows and hurried out to help Ali, followed by Kitty, Kurt, and Bobby.
Bobby slung one of Ali's arms over his shoulders. "You look exhausted, Ali," he commented, for once being serious.
Ali merely nodded. She didn't want anything but to lie down and go to bed for a few days.
Ali and Jean were half-carried, half-dragged into the institute and up to their rooms. Yes, they might have been able to make it themselves, but today was different. They had run for about an hour straight. They wouldn't have been able to find the strength to take another step if their lives depended on it.
Bobby helped Rogue lay Ali out on her bed and left. Rogue looked at Ali and shook her head. "Practice was as murderous as you thought it would be?" she asked softly.
Ali painfully nodded. Suddenly, Kitty walked into the room carrying a glass of water. Ali drank the cup in one swallow and stretched out on her bed. She wasn't disturbed for the two hours in which she slept.
*
Rogue walked up to Ali the next day at breakfast, where the electric mutant sat at the table nibbling on a piece of toast. She looked up when Rogue entered and smiled.
"Ya feelin' ok, Al?" Rogue asked as she poured a glass of orange juice for herself.
"I'm a little exhausted, but otherwise, I'm fine," Ali replied with a shrug.
Rogue nodded. "We've got a trainin' session today. You comin'?"
Ali nodded her response. Rogue watched Ali for a second. The normally talkative mutant now seemed to be swallowed by her own thoughts. Her eyes started continually at one spot on the wood table, never blinking. Ah wonder what she's thinking about, Rogue thought. She voiced the thought softly, causing Ali to jump slightly.
"Oh, sorry," Ali mumbled. "I was just thinking about how it was in Britain."
Rogue sat down beside her. "Do ya really miss it?" she asked quietly.
Ali didn't answer for a moment. "Yes," she said slowly. "The country was beautiful, and I miss my friends who live there. I want to see them, but they probably think I'm dead. It just wouldn't work," she said, shaking her head despondently.
"Are ya sure?" Rogue asked.
Ali nodded and looked at Rogue, plastering a smile on her face. "But I'm happy here," she added.
Rogue nodded, unconvinced. Suddenly, Ali asked her something that she wouldn't have expected.
"Do you miss your friends from Mississippi?" Ali asked.
Rogue looked down at the cup in her hand. "Ah didn't really have any," she replied, her eyes never leaving her hands.
"I'm sorry," Ali whispered.
Rogue shook her head. "It's ok," she replied. "Ah've adjusted to things here, and, ya know, Ah think it's better here, because I'm with people who are just lahke meh." Rogue shook her head. "Maybe it's the craziness getting' to mah head," she added.
Ali smiled. "You never know," she said. "It is pretty insane here."
"Got that rahght."
Suddenly, Logan, every the early bird, walked into the kitchen carrying the paper.
"Logan, where've you been? You're usually in the kitchen reading the paper by now," Ali said.
Logan grunted. "I was working on my bike," he growled.
Ali and Rogue nodded. Lucky them, it was a Saturday. They had the entire day to relax.
Ali yawned, stood up, and stretched. "C'mon, Rogue. Let's go to the mall," she said.
Rogue groaned. "We've gone there for the past three weeks, Al," she complained. "Can't we go someplace else?"
Ali shook her head. "Nah, I wanna go to the mall," she replied.
Logan suddenly perked up his ears. That was strange. There had to be some reason that Ali was going to the mall. But what was it?
Suddenly, it hit him: it was a guy. A guy who was not at the institute. A guy that Logan did not know, and probably didn't approve of. This was definitely not good.
Rogue sighed. "Fahne. But only if we get to go someplace of mah choice afterwards," she demanded.
Ali nodded. "Fair enough," she replied.
Rogue, satisfied with the answer, stood and followed Ali out of the kitchen.
Logan definitely didn't have a good feeling about this anymore. The problem was, he couldn't follow them himself. He never went anywhere near malls; the students knew that. It would look too suspicious for him to go.
So he went to his next option: bribe a student to do the dirty work.
In this case, Scott.
Scott came into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of orange juice, Jean right behind him. "Hey, Logan, we're going to the mall, we'll be back later," Scott called as he and Jean left.
Logan grunted and turned back to the paper. Well that solved his problem.
*
Ali looked at the many different tops in one of the stores.
"Ali, just pick one!" Rogue groaned.
Ali glared at Rogue. "I'm sorry, but I'm actually trying to find one that I like," Ali replied.
"You like all of mah clothes, just stick with mah style!" Rogue pleaded.
Ali shook her head. "I don't want to be a copy-cat. I wanna be a bit different from you, Rogue."
"Be different some other time."
"Shut up."
Rogue turned to another rack of clothes and began to skim through them. Trash, all of it was trash. Nothing good. Why had she allowed Ali to drag her into this store? It wasn't that she didn't like the store. She loved shopping here, but not today. She had been to this store every single time that they had gone to the mall, and was sick of it by now.
Ali pulled out a red halter-top and held it up. Five dollars. Very good buy. There was a black one there, too. It would have been perfect for Rogue, if she didn't have her poisonous skin. Ali suddenly felt sorry for Rogue, something that the other mutant hated. She didn't want pity. She wanted to be left alone and thought of as the same.
Ali sighed, and put the halter back on the rack. She didn't need it. She could get along without it.
Rogue walked over and spotted the top, and then the price. "You gonna get it, Al?" she asked.
Ali shrugged. "I dunno," she replied.
Rogue rolled her eyes and yanked the shirt off the rack and threw it into Ali's arms. "Get it, you'll get a boyfriend."
Ali glared at Rogue. "I told you, I don't want a boyfriend. I wish you people would listen to me," she said angrily. Rogue made her buy the shirt anyway, saying that it was too good of a buy to pass up.
Ali walked out of the store, scanning the crowd for a certain someone. Where was he? He was usually here around this time? She began to lose hope of seeing him when suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around and came face-to-face with John.
"Hey, sheila. How're you doing?" he asked.
Ali smiled. "Hey, John. I'm ok, what about you?" she asked.
John shrugged. "I'm alright. Bloody tired of Magneto, though," he added.
Ali nodded. Rogue had filled her in on John and the Acolytes after the first encounter with Remy and John.
"But onto a happier note," John said brightly.
"Which would be?" Ali asked hopefully.
John shrugged. "I don't know. I was hoping that you would say something.
Ali rolled her eyes, still smiling. "You are strange," she said.
"I'm a bloody Aussie, what'd you expect?" he asked with grin.
Ali laughed. "True. I don't know what I expected, but next time, I'll keep in mind that you're a little crazy," she replied.
John grinned. "I think I'm a little past crazy," he said. "You can ask Remy if you want to."
"Is Remy here?"
John nodded. "He's buggin' the sheila just like usual," he explained.
Ali groaned. "Rogue's gonna hate me," she muttered. "She'll skin me alive."
John grinned. "How about we high tail it outta here, then?" he asked.
Ali grinned. "Tempting, but Rogue would hunt me down, and so would Logan."
John visibly winced. The thought of Logan coming at him with claws barred made him want to go hide in a corner.
Ali smiled. "Don't worry, I'll just lie about it. Logan won't come after you," she explained. "He doesn't even know that we've been meeting here."
A wave of relief washed over John. "Good," he said.
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed through the air. "Ali! What are you doing with him?"
Ali whirled around, only to see Scott shoving through the crowd towards them, Jean in tow.
Scott arrived only a second later, looking thoroughly pissed off. "Acolyte, if you've done anything to her—" Scott began.
Ali and John glared at him. Jean noticed, but said nothing.
"I've done nothing but talk to her. What, is that a crime?" John challenged.
"In my eyes, yes," Scott growled.
Ali shoved forward, glaring daggers at Scott. "What are you doing?" she asked through gritted teeth.
Scott was visibly surprised, but quickly recovered his mean look. "You shouldn't be hanging around him. He's an Acolyte; the enemy," Scott explained.
"An enemy in your eyes," Ali replied. "He's a friend in mine."
Scott was surprised. "What? Do you mean to tell me that you've been hanging out with him?" he choked.
Ali nodded. "Is there a problem with that?" she asked angrily.
Scott narrowed his eyes. "You don't know what he'll do to you," he replied. "You don't know him well enough."
"I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't hurt me," she replied, her face a calm exterior. "He's had plenty of chances, but he hasn't. That's reason enough to believe that he wouldn't do anything to me."
"What?" Scott cried. "Do you mean to tell me that you've been seeing him without any of us knowing for a long time?"
Ali stared at him. "I've been bumping into him and talking to him, if that's what you mean," she replied with a shrug.
Scott gaped. He was speechless. Why was Ali befriending someone who was clearly the enemy? It didn't make any sense. "Wait till the professor hears," he choked. With that, he turned to leave, but Ali's voice stopped him.
"This isn't a war, Scott," she called. "There is no clear division. We're divided, yes, but we do have a common enemy. John isn't one of them."
Scott was at a loss for words. Jean tugged on his arm, and he followed, his mind swirling with thoughts.
Ali turned back to John, her face slightly whiter than before.
"You okay, Ali?" John asked, a note of concern in his voice.
Ali nodded. "I think Rogue and I need to get back to the institute," she replied and turned to leave.
"I'll see you around, sheila," he called.
If Logan doesn't hear about this, you will, she thought worriedly. She saved Rogue from the pestering Cajun and then hurried back to the institute, explaining the situation as they left the mall.
"Oh mah gawd," Rogue grumbled. "Yer in a real mess, Al."
Ali nodded. "I know," she muttered. "How am I going to get out of this one?"
***
well, Scott and Jean find out about Ali meeting John. Jean's opinions are yet to come.
I'm sorry that it took so long for this one to be put up, but I had a huge American history project due in school, and it took all of yesterday and some of today to finish. And on Friday, I had my basketball game then went someplace else to hang out with some friends, so I've been busy. I'm really sorry, and I'll try to post sooner.
Oh, a note on the last chapter: Sam and Ray stringed the room after hearing Rogue's story. Think about it: how often does Rogue talk to them? She would only talk to them if she needed something. Sorry I didn't make that clearer in the text. I'll remember to include what I actually think next time…
I love your reviews. Please, keep reviewing. I'll post my replies next time in the author's note. I'm tired of not responding. Email wont work unless I clean it out (which I already did) so I'm just gonna do this…
~Jojo~