A note from Spy about this chapter: I personally thought that including
Myra's and my first timetable together was unnecessary, but Raven insisted
that it would help achieve our other motive in publishing this story. She
thinks that putting it in will help add to the picture of what life was
like for a mutant student, and how the classes were not all that different
from anyone else's schedule. I let her stick it in because she writes
better than I do, but if it bores you, just skip it. You won't miss out on
the actual narrative.
A note from Raven Aorla: I hope nobody accuses me of giving Myra a Mary- Sueish past. If anyone becomes inclined to think so, let me point out that Spirit was not perfect. She did not make anyone fall in love with her until a much later date, and then with someone who was not part of the X-Men movies. I would also like to remind you that almost every mutant at the time had painful events in their personal history, those who could remember it at any rate.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As we followed Kurt to his classroom I mentally filled Spirit in about various aspects of the school. She made no comment except when I told her about learning how to use our powers, which produced the sober reflection, ~I really need that.~ Then her mental tone changed to more cheerful. ~The teachers sound like nice people.~
~Sometimes.~ I gave her some mental images of what I saw when, during my first month here, I was caught spying on Wolverine when he was singing and dancing to a CD of the score of "West Side Story" in his bedroom. ~Mr. Summers saw me grinning in class with the glazed expression I have when I'm using my clairvoyance, and I wouldn't tell him when he asked me where I had gone. Then he sent me to Professor Xavier, who pried it out of my brain. I was given two detentions, one for "improper use of abilities" and the other for "not paying attention in class and not admitting to misbehavior".~ The Prof. had sounded stern, though his thoughts were rather amused. ~Wolverine didn't appreciate it. He threatened to rip me into pieces if I ever did that again, but that hadn't kept the news from getting out.~
She responded appropriately with a silent chuckle. ~No wonder people call you Spy. Do you do that sort of thing often?~
I just smiled knowingly, for by then we had reached the classroom. There were untidy stacks of papers on his desk, maps and posters promoting geography and foreign languages on the walls, a whiteboard, and the student's desks. Typical classroom décor, except for the chair bolted to the ceiling. Seeing Spirit's puzzled look, I explained that Mr. Wagner occasionally taught classes upside down. ~He hangs on with his tail,~ I added. ~I've never seen him get a headache.~
"Zhe Professor asked me to speak to you two about how Spirit vill manage classes, since she cannot hear," Kurt said, rummaging through the papers. I transferred everything he said to Spirit, and told Kurt what she responded.
"Well," I said, "I was thinking that if I was in the same classes with S.S. I could transmit what I heard to her mind. I've been doing that so far. Will that work?" Spirit nodded in approval as she climbed onto one of the student desks. It took her a little longer than usual on account of her broken arm.
He must have found the paper he was looking for, since he stopped searching and sat on his desk, facing us. "Zhat vould be fine," he agreed. "Are you sure you can manage it, Amanda? Because sometimes-"
"I know, I know," I interrupted, "I don't always pay attention. But I would if Spirit needed me to!" Suddenly this had become very important to me.
Mr. Wagner said soothingly, "No need to be anxious. I am certain helping her shall be a great motivation for you to focus more." I relaxed. "I have Spirit's schedule here for her. I believe Professor Xavier had similar ideas as you, since you both are in zhe same classes, except for Elective, and you can be in the same class for zhat if you vish."
S.S. beamed, which made me feel truly accepted by her, since she was just as happy as I was. ~Could you hand me the schedule, Spy?~ she asked.
I took it from Kurt and put it in a position where both Spirit and I could see the piece of paper. I still have that agenda to this day. It says:
8:00-9:00 Humanities (English and History) w/ Ms. Munro
9:05-10:00 Geography w/ Mr.Wagner
10:05-11:00 Beginning Algebra w/ Mr. Summers
11:05-12:00 Science w/ Professor Xavier
12:05-12:35 Lunch
12:40-1:40 Special Abilities Training and Ethics w/ Professor Xavier
1:45-2:45 Physical Education w/ Logan
2:50-3:30 Elective
Possible choices for Elective:
Assisted Study w/ any subject and any teacher
European Language (German, French, Latin, or Swedish) w/ Mr. Wagner
Exploring Technology w/ Mr. Summers
Conservation Club w/ Ms. Munro
Self-defense w/ Logan
Great Literature w/ Professor Xavier
Electives are for one semester, with the exception of European Language, which is an entire year and must be taken for at least two years to achieve fluency in your chosen language. Speak to the teacher involved in the class you have decided upon about the particulars of each elective. If you wish to change the class you are in speak to Professor Xavier.
"You don't have to decide now, Spirit, only do so by tomorrow evening," said Kurt as we read the paper. He continued, "There was anozher reason why I asked for you to come here. Since zhere aren't many people here who look different as well as have powers-"
~So you want to talk about our common experiences,~ finished my friend. I told Kurt what she'd thought.
"All I'm saying is," he had me tell her, "if you vant to talk, I vill listen."
Spirit brought up her feet to the table and hugged her knees with her right arm, meditatively scrachting the fur on her broken one. ~Actually, I've wanted for a long time to talk to someone who also has been through life- long prejudice because of his or her genes. I don't mind Spy hearing about it either, because I can tell that we are going to become very good friends.~ I gave her a sort of one-armed sideways hug to thank her, being careful not to hurt her injured bones. ~There isn't much to say, really, that you won't already know, Mr. Wagner. Spy told me that gypsies who pulled you out of a river raised you, then you joined the circus and became an acrobat. People would've made fun of you, and some might have tried to hurt you, those who weren't afraid, that is.~ I could tell that S.S. knew the truth of her last sentence all too well.
I told Kurt what she'd thought. He just nodded gravely and waved his tail around.
My silvery roommate continued, ~I was very lucky, in the sense that my parents loved me. I knew my dad did, anyway, but never knew firsthand how my mother felt until,~ for some reason she stroked the cast on her arm, ~my powers manifested. I had always felt rather guilty, because she died when I was born.~
"I'm sorry," said our ever-compassionate teacher.
~No need to be. I don't feel bad about it anymore, ever since I've heard firsthand from her that she doesn't blame me. That made all the difference in the world,~ Spirit responded after I transferred his sympathy to her. ~ And at least I had my father and one brother, two years older than me. My dad was a mutant too, but nobody knew except us and one or two of his friends. His mutation was rather mild, which was the ability to see in the dark, both normally, in infrared, in ultraviolet, and in pola-pol-you know, that thing that polarized sunglasses show you. The drawback was that normal daylight was too bright for him, so he always had to wear sunglasses. He told people that he had some sort of eye problem.~ She touched her sunglasses. ~My eyes don't see in infrared and that other stuff, but I do see in the dark, and have to wear these all the time during the day. My eyes look just like his.~
"She showed me them," I said to Kurt when I'd finished "interpreting", "they're just huge pupils, no irises or whites. I must say they scared me a bit at first."
"I never knew vhy I had golden eyes," he said, "they don't seem to do anything."
~Just coloring, I guess,~ stated Silent Spirit. ~I have silver hair that doesn't seem to do me any good, though I do like the color. Tried dying it once, along with cutting off some of the fur, in an attempt to look "normal", but I found out that my skin is gray, too, and my hair falls out if it's dyed.~ Her thoughts assumed a detached hue. ~A supervisor at the orphanage once insisted that my eyes could get used to the light if I stopped wearing glasses, and hid them. But I cried so hard and kept squinting and bumping into things so much that he gave them back.~
"That was so mean!" I said aloud, forgetting that I hadn't told Kurt what she'd thought yet.
When I did, he asked, "Vhat happened to your family?"
My friend's chest moved as if she'd sighed. ~ One night when I was five years old, my night-light in my bedroom was malfunctioning, and it set the curtains on fire. I woke up, grabbed my wallet that was on my bedside table and contained all my money, all ten dollars of it, and ran to my dad's room, woke him, and he and I got Ryan, my brother. We were running out, when Ryan remembered that he left his pet guinea pig in his bedroom, and bolted back in before we could stop him. Dad pushed me out the door, and told me to call 911 at the telephone booth at the corner. He went in after my brother. Since the neighbors didn't like me I ran to the telephone booth instead of asking for their help, and called the fire department like my dad had taught me how, since I was four. When the firemen came they asked me some questions, but I could tell that my appearance put them off. I never saw Dad or Ryan come back out.~
I sympathetically kneaded her shoulder while I told Mr. Wagner about her experience. I could sense that he was also felt compassion, and transmitted the feeling. Spirit smiled gratefully and continued. ~A few days later, after my dad's will had been examined, I was sent to the county orphanage. As guardian he had named a friend who turned out to not be willing to take me in because I was a mutant. Tall Cedars was the name of the orphanage. It kept me mainly because a social worker took interest in my "case", and I was never shown to visitors or allowed to be seen in public, all because of how I looked.~ As she thought those words, images flashed through my mind of each event she glossed over. All her life, except from her family, she was greeted with suspicion and fear. When people discovered she couldn't hurt them, they hated her all the same for what she might be able to do in the future.
~I had one friend in the world then. Her name was Lisa. She looked beyond this,~ Spirit pulled out a strand of her hair, ~and stood up for me. She listened to me complain, even though it must have been REALLY boring. Lisa was my outlet for when I wanted to cry or throw things because I felt everything was so unfair. She helped me redo my homework if someone else ripped it up and shared her lunch with me if someone stole mine. When other kids insulted or attacked me, she'd tell them to leave me alone. Lisa even gave me presents every birthday and Christmas, and I made things for her, since I wasn't allowed to go to the store. Naturally she became extremely unpopular, but she once told me that she didn't want to be liked by jerks anyway. We were friends ever since my first week there. Shortly after I was twelve, they took her away. I woke up one morning, and I couldn't find her. I ran out in time to see a car drive out of the orphanage grounds, and I heard a voice screaming my name. She was the only one there who called me Myra.~
Spirit buried her face in her hands. I did my "interpreting", then my roommate raised her head again and went on. ~I really sank low after that. I was just miserable. Nobody ever told me where Lisa went. I had a backpack hidden in my bedroom that had my most precious possessions, and a survival kit, inside it, in case I ever needed to run away. Then the day came, with the assassination attempt. It wasn't Mr. Wagner's fault, really, I was bound to leave sooner or later. I had a vague idea of finding some more mutants, wherever they were, and staying with them. Or with anyone who would let me. The night that my powers manifested,~ again that wince and stroking of her cast, ~I formed a new goal.
~For my parents said that Ryan wasn't dead. My dad dragged Ryan to the window and dropped him out in the hope that the fall wouldn't kill him, and that he would by safe from the smoke and flames. He suffocated shortly afterwards~ I realized that this sounded really weird to me, her account of hearing from her father about his death, ~but my brother only sustained a head injury. When the firefighters found him he still was alive, though unconscious and badly burned. My parents have watched both of us grow up, but they cannot pinpoint where he is, because location has ceased to mean anything to them. They know for certain though, either from the fall or repressed memories, he doesn't remember a single thing in his life before he woke up in a hospital. Then I thought I'd somehow try to find him, but then I was picked up,~ she smiled gratefully again, ~by two of the teachers here. I am going to look for him, though, and someday I will find him.~ Her mind filled with determination, and I felt that she truly would.
After telling Kurt all this I got no more information from my friend. After a few minutes he said to Silent Spirit, "I am alvays ready to listen to you. I discovered when I vas younger how important it can be to be listened to, when the world is prejudiced against you for no good reason."
"Thank you," I said, as Spirit also thought, ~Thank you.~ at the same time.
A note from Raven Aorla: I hope nobody accuses me of giving Myra a Mary- Sueish past. If anyone becomes inclined to think so, let me point out that Spirit was not perfect. She did not make anyone fall in love with her until a much later date, and then with someone who was not part of the X-Men movies. I would also like to remind you that almost every mutant at the time had painful events in their personal history, those who could remember it at any rate.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As we followed Kurt to his classroom I mentally filled Spirit in about various aspects of the school. She made no comment except when I told her about learning how to use our powers, which produced the sober reflection, ~I really need that.~ Then her mental tone changed to more cheerful. ~The teachers sound like nice people.~
~Sometimes.~ I gave her some mental images of what I saw when, during my first month here, I was caught spying on Wolverine when he was singing and dancing to a CD of the score of "West Side Story" in his bedroom. ~Mr. Summers saw me grinning in class with the glazed expression I have when I'm using my clairvoyance, and I wouldn't tell him when he asked me where I had gone. Then he sent me to Professor Xavier, who pried it out of my brain. I was given two detentions, one for "improper use of abilities" and the other for "not paying attention in class and not admitting to misbehavior".~ The Prof. had sounded stern, though his thoughts were rather amused. ~Wolverine didn't appreciate it. He threatened to rip me into pieces if I ever did that again, but that hadn't kept the news from getting out.~
She responded appropriately with a silent chuckle. ~No wonder people call you Spy. Do you do that sort of thing often?~
I just smiled knowingly, for by then we had reached the classroom. There were untidy stacks of papers on his desk, maps and posters promoting geography and foreign languages on the walls, a whiteboard, and the student's desks. Typical classroom décor, except for the chair bolted to the ceiling. Seeing Spirit's puzzled look, I explained that Mr. Wagner occasionally taught classes upside down. ~He hangs on with his tail,~ I added. ~I've never seen him get a headache.~
"Zhe Professor asked me to speak to you two about how Spirit vill manage classes, since she cannot hear," Kurt said, rummaging through the papers. I transferred everything he said to Spirit, and told Kurt what she responded.
"Well," I said, "I was thinking that if I was in the same classes with S.S. I could transmit what I heard to her mind. I've been doing that so far. Will that work?" Spirit nodded in approval as she climbed onto one of the student desks. It took her a little longer than usual on account of her broken arm.
He must have found the paper he was looking for, since he stopped searching and sat on his desk, facing us. "Zhat vould be fine," he agreed. "Are you sure you can manage it, Amanda? Because sometimes-"
"I know, I know," I interrupted, "I don't always pay attention. But I would if Spirit needed me to!" Suddenly this had become very important to me.
Mr. Wagner said soothingly, "No need to be anxious. I am certain helping her shall be a great motivation for you to focus more." I relaxed. "I have Spirit's schedule here for her. I believe Professor Xavier had similar ideas as you, since you both are in zhe same classes, except for Elective, and you can be in the same class for zhat if you vish."
S.S. beamed, which made me feel truly accepted by her, since she was just as happy as I was. ~Could you hand me the schedule, Spy?~ she asked.
I took it from Kurt and put it in a position where both Spirit and I could see the piece of paper. I still have that agenda to this day. It says:
8:00-9:00 Humanities (English and History) w/ Ms. Munro
9:05-10:00 Geography w/ Mr.Wagner
10:05-11:00 Beginning Algebra w/ Mr. Summers
11:05-12:00 Science w/ Professor Xavier
12:05-12:35 Lunch
12:40-1:40 Special Abilities Training and Ethics w/ Professor Xavier
1:45-2:45 Physical Education w/ Logan
2:50-3:30 Elective
Possible choices for Elective:
Assisted Study w/ any subject and any teacher
European Language (German, French, Latin, or Swedish) w/ Mr. Wagner
Exploring Technology w/ Mr. Summers
Conservation Club w/ Ms. Munro
Self-defense w/ Logan
Great Literature w/ Professor Xavier
Electives are for one semester, with the exception of European Language, which is an entire year and must be taken for at least two years to achieve fluency in your chosen language. Speak to the teacher involved in the class you have decided upon about the particulars of each elective. If you wish to change the class you are in speak to Professor Xavier.
"You don't have to decide now, Spirit, only do so by tomorrow evening," said Kurt as we read the paper. He continued, "There was anozher reason why I asked for you to come here. Since zhere aren't many people here who look different as well as have powers-"
~So you want to talk about our common experiences,~ finished my friend. I told Kurt what she'd thought.
"All I'm saying is," he had me tell her, "if you vant to talk, I vill listen."
Spirit brought up her feet to the table and hugged her knees with her right arm, meditatively scrachting the fur on her broken one. ~Actually, I've wanted for a long time to talk to someone who also has been through life- long prejudice because of his or her genes. I don't mind Spy hearing about it either, because I can tell that we are going to become very good friends.~ I gave her a sort of one-armed sideways hug to thank her, being careful not to hurt her injured bones. ~There isn't much to say, really, that you won't already know, Mr. Wagner. Spy told me that gypsies who pulled you out of a river raised you, then you joined the circus and became an acrobat. People would've made fun of you, and some might have tried to hurt you, those who weren't afraid, that is.~ I could tell that S.S. knew the truth of her last sentence all too well.
I told Kurt what she'd thought. He just nodded gravely and waved his tail around.
My silvery roommate continued, ~I was very lucky, in the sense that my parents loved me. I knew my dad did, anyway, but never knew firsthand how my mother felt until,~ for some reason she stroked the cast on her arm, ~my powers manifested. I had always felt rather guilty, because she died when I was born.~
"I'm sorry," said our ever-compassionate teacher.
~No need to be. I don't feel bad about it anymore, ever since I've heard firsthand from her that she doesn't blame me. That made all the difference in the world,~ Spirit responded after I transferred his sympathy to her. ~ And at least I had my father and one brother, two years older than me. My dad was a mutant too, but nobody knew except us and one or two of his friends. His mutation was rather mild, which was the ability to see in the dark, both normally, in infrared, in ultraviolet, and in pola-pol-you know, that thing that polarized sunglasses show you. The drawback was that normal daylight was too bright for him, so he always had to wear sunglasses. He told people that he had some sort of eye problem.~ She touched her sunglasses. ~My eyes don't see in infrared and that other stuff, but I do see in the dark, and have to wear these all the time during the day. My eyes look just like his.~
"She showed me them," I said to Kurt when I'd finished "interpreting", "they're just huge pupils, no irises or whites. I must say they scared me a bit at first."
"I never knew vhy I had golden eyes," he said, "they don't seem to do anything."
~Just coloring, I guess,~ stated Silent Spirit. ~I have silver hair that doesn't seem to do me any good, though I do like the color. Tried dying it once, along with cutting off some of the fur, in an attempt to look "normal", but I found out that my skin is gray, too, and my hair falls out if it's dyed.~ Her thoughts assumed a detached hue. ~A supervisor at the orphanage once insisted that my eyes could get used to the light if I stopped wearing glasses, and hid them. But I cried so hard and kept squinting and bumping into things so much that he gave them back.~
"That was so mean!" I said aloud, forgetting that I hadn't told Kurt what she'd thought yet.
When I did, he asked, "Vhat happened to your family?"
My friend's chest moved as if she'd sighed. ~ One night when I was five years old, my night-light in my bedroom was malfunctioning, and it set the curtains on fire. I woke up, grabbed my wallet that was on my bedside table and contained all my money, all ten dollars of it, and ran to my dad's room, woke him, and he and I got Ryan, my brother. We were running out, when Ryan remembered that he left his pet guinea pig in his bedroom, and bolted back in before we could stop him. Dad pushed me out the door, and told me to call 911 at the telephone booth at the corner. He went in after my brother. Since the neighbors didn't like me I ran to the telephone booth instead of asking for their help, and called the fire department like my dad had taught me how, since I was four. When the firemen came they asked me some questions, but I could tell that my appearance put them off. I never saw Dad or Ryan come back out.~
I sympathetically kneaded her shoulder while I told Mr. Wagner about her experience. I could sense that he was also felt compassion, and transmitted the feeling. Spirit smiled gratefully and continued. ~A few days later, after my dad's will had been examined, I was sent to the county orphanage. As guardian he had named a friend who turned out to not be willing to take me in because I was a mutant. Tall Cedars was the name of the orphanage. It kept me mainly because a social worker took interest in my "case", and I was never shown to visitors or allowed to be seen in public, all because of how I looked.~ As she thought those words, images flashed through my mind of each event she glossed over. All her life, except from her family, she was greeted with suspicion and fear. When people discovered she couldn't hurt them, they hated her all the same for what she might be able to do in the future.
~I had one friend in the world then. Her name was Lisa. She looked beyond this,~ Spirit pulled out a strand of her hair, ~and stood up for me. She listened to me complain, even though it must have been REALLY boring. Lisa was my outlet for when I wanted to cry or throw things because I felt everything was so unfair. She helped me redo my homework if someone else ripped it up and shared her lunch with me if someone stole mine. When other kids insulted or attacked me, she'd tell them to leave me alone. Lisa even gave me presents every birthday and Christmas, and I made things for her, since I wasn't allowed to go to the store. Naturally she became extremely unpopular, but she once told me that she didn't want to be liked by jerks anyway. We were friends ever since my first week there. Shortly after I was twelve, they took her away. I woke up one morning, and I couldn't find her. I ran out in time to see a car drive out of the orphanage grounds, and I heard a voice screaming my name. She was the only one there who called me Myra.~
Spirit buried her face in her hands. I did my "interpreting", then my roommate raised her head again and went on. ~I really sank low after that. I was just miserable. Nobody ever told me where Lisa went. I had a backpack hidden in my bedroom that had my most precious possessions, and a survival kit, inside it, in case I ever needed to run away. Then the day came, with the assassination attempt. It wasn't Mr. Wagner's fault, really, I was bound to leave sooner or later. I had a vague idea of finding some more mutants, wherever they were, and staying with them. Or with anyone who would let me. The night that my powers manifested,~ again that wince and stroking of her cast, ~I formed a new goal.
~For my parents said that Ryan wasn't dead. My dad dragged Ryan to the window and dropped him out in the hope that the fall wouldn't kill him, and that he would by safe from the smoke and flames. He suffocated shortly afterwards~ I realized that this sounded really weird to me, her account of hearing from her father about his death, ~but my brother only sustained a head injury. When the firefighters found him he still was alive, though unconscious and badly burned. My parents have watched both of us grow up, but they cannot pinpoint where he is, because location has ceased to mean anything to them. They know for certain though, either from the fall or repressed memories, he doesn't remember a single thing in his life before he woke up in a hospital. Then I thought I'd somehow try to find him, but then I was picked up,~ she smiled gratefully again, ~by two of the teachers here. I am going to look for him, though, and someday I will find him.~ Her mind filled with determination, and I felt that she truly would.
After telling Kurt all this I got no more information from my friend. After a few minutes he said to Silent Spirit, "I am alvays ready to listen to you. I discovered when I vas younger how important it can be to be listened to, when the world is prejudiced against you for no good reason."
"Thank you," I said, as Spirit also thought, ~Thank you.~ at the same time.