Chap 2
Pietro glanced up as he grabbed a soda out of the fridge, he noted the red eyes and streaks down Lance's face, but he let it slide figuring it was something personal that really was none of his business.
"Same as usual, avoided the X-geeks, tried not to be completely and utterly bored in all my classes, same old, same old. Thank God it's Friday." Pietro guzzled the soda as he noted the difference in the way Lance was dressing and acting lately, all he had worn was long sleeve turtleneck sweaters, slacks and his gloves. His hair was cut shorter like right around his ears and the bangs fell over his eyes.
Today he was dressed in a hunter green long sleeve turtleneck with brown chinos that matched his gloves and brown worker boots. His hair was intentionally messy, giving him the look that he had simply run his fingers through it, though he probably had since it was Lance and all.
"So, lets hear your brilliant excuse as to why you skipped school today." Pietro smirked as he waited for some vastly exaggerated lie about the bubonic plague or something, what he didn't expect was Lance to pale deeply and try to change the subject,
"Ummmm, where's Todd, huh Pietro, you know he doesn't like to walk by himself." "I knowwww but he just had to stay after for some extra credit so he can pass Geometry, okay?" Lance nodded and Pietro, having already forgotten Lance's near slipup went upstairs to find something to do.
Lance sagged against the counter, believing Pietro was oblivious to what had been happening in the last month. Suddenly Lance heard a small ping against the door, he hoped that it was merely a message, because he wasn't sure if he could survive Magneto after the previous day and night, he shivered as he thought of the long, long night that never seemed to end.
He opened the door and was relieved to see that for once fortune had been with him, and it was just a note, he removed the small metal spike that adhered folded note, addressed to him, and a bag, against the door. He opened the note and began to read:
Rocky, (Lance sneered at the way Magneto addressed the letter, he had almost preferred when he had called him boy, at least then when others called him by the nickname he wouldn't be reminded of things better left forgotten, of course that might have been the point all along. Lance mused on this idea as he continued reading.)
I will be at the boarding house at 1 PM tomorrow, unless you wish the other two to see your true purpose you will find a way to clear them out. There is some money in the bag to further that end. I expect you to be ready and waiting for me, there are clothes in the bag. You will be wearing them tomorrow to train.
The note was unsigned, because who else would it be from? Lance sighed as he opened the bag, not really wanting to see what the bag contained, obviously if the clothes contained metal then Magneto would be able to control what he did and how he moved.
He peered in the bag and saw a pair of long pants and a long sleeved shirt, perhaps it wouldn't be that bad after all. He then pulled out the wad of bills that was stuffed down in it and counted it quickly.
Lance smiled hoping he was right, maybe this really wouldn't be the worst, he hurriedly stuffed the bag under the counter as he heard Todd come in, "Hey Todd, what do you have planned for tomorrow?"
Todd looked up, obviously in his own world as he entered the boarding house, "Tomorrow yo? Uh, nothin' I think, why?" "Well, I just got paid and there are few errands that I need you to run, can you do it?" Todd scrunched his face up as he considered his options, either hang around the boarding house all day and be bored out of his skull, or go run errands and perhaps sneak some money for a treat. "Sure Lance, no prob, but why can't you do them?"
"I gotta work tomorrow, do you think that the money just falls out of the sky?" Todd blushed as he realized what a idiotic question he had just asked. He used his long tongue to grab a bottle of water on the counter and hopped into the living room.
Lance turned away and rolled his eyes, he had quit his job two weeks ago, Magneto could come any time and he was always expected to be available for him. You couldn't really do that and work a 30 to 40 hours a week like he had been.
He was probably still lucky that Magneto let him go to school most of the time. Luckily, if anything in his life could be considered lucky, Magneto would occasionally send money with the messages so that he could keep up the charade of having an actual job.
Now he had Todd out of the house, he just had to make sure he gave him a very long list of errands to run. The only other person left to worry about was Pietro. How in the hell was he going to convince the speed demon to disappear for the day?
Suddenly his problem solved itself when Pietro appeared in front of him dropping the news that helped to lighten his heart, "Lance I am going to the mall tomorrow, expect me back around 8 o'clock." With that Pietro left with what was a leisurely pace for him. Lance just shook his head, he would never understand how Pietro could spend so much time at the mall, but he always managed to.
Lance breathed a sigh of relief knowing that there was no way either of the other two would walk in tomorrow, he could at least relax in that aspect. He shook his head as he snatched a book off the table, trying to banish any thoughts about what tomorrow would bring.
He glanced down at the title as he headed up to his room, now locked 24/7 because of the new additions that Magneto had added. A hard dry chuckle, the closest thing to a laugh that he possessed anymore, emerged from Lance's throat as he saw the title of the book he was carrying, The Waiting Game.
Pietro glanced up as he grabbed a soda out of the fridge, he noted the red eyes and streaks down Lance's face, but he let it slide figuring it was something personal that really was none of his business.
"Same as usual, avoided the X-geeks, tried not to be completely and utterly bored in all my classes, same old, same old. Thank God it's Friday." Pietro guzzled the soda as he noted the difference in the way Lance was dressing and acting lately, all he had worn was long sleeve turtleneck sweaters, slacks and his gloves. His hair was cut shorter like right around his ears and the bangs fell over his eyes.
Today he was dressed in a hunter green long sleeve turtleneck with brown chinos that matched his gloves and brown worker boots. His hair was intentionally messy, giving him the look that he had simply run his fingers through it, though he probably had since it was Lance and all.
"So, lets hear your brilliant excuse as to why you skipped school today." Pietro smirked as he waited for some vastly exaggerated lie about the bubonic plague or something, what he didn't expect was Lance to pale deeply and try to change the subject,
"Ummmm, where's Todd, huh Pietro, you know he doesn't like to walk by himself." "I knowwww but he just had to stay after for some extra credit so he can pass Geometry, okay?" Lance nodded and Pietro, having already forgotten Lance's near slipup went upstairs to find something to do.
Lance sagged against the counter, believing Pietro was oblivious to what had been happening in the last month. Suddenly Lance heard a small ping against the door, he hoped that it was merely a message, because he wasn't sure if he could survive Magneto after the previous day and night, he shivered as he thought of the long, long night that never seemed to end.
He opened the door and was relieved to see that for once fortune had been with him, and it was just a note, he removed the small metal spike that adhered folded note, addressed to him, and a bag, against the door. He opened the note and began to read:
Rocky, (Lance sneered at the way Magneto addressed the letter, he had almost preferred when he had called him boy, at least then when others called him by the nickname he wouldn't be reminded of things better left forgotten, of course that might have been the point all along. Lance mused on this idea as he continued reading.)
I will be at the boarding house at 1 PM tomorrow, unless you wish the other two to see your true purpose you will find a way to clear them out. There is some money in the bag to further that end. I expect you to be ready and waiting for me, there are clothes in the bag. You will be wearing them tomorrow to train.
The note was unsigned, because who else would it be from? Lance sighed as he opened the bag, not really wanting to see what the bag contained, obviously if the clothes contained metal then Magneto would be able to control what he did and how he moved.
He peered in the bag and saw a pair of long pants and a long sleeved shirt, perhaps it wouldn't be that bad after all. He then pulled out the wad of bills that was stuffed down in it and counted it quickly.
Lance smiled hoping he was right, maybe this really wouldn't be the worst, he hurriedly stuffed the bag under the counter as he heard Todd come in, "Hey Todd, what do you have planned for tomorrow?"
Todd looked up, obviously in his own world as he entered the boarding house, "Tomorrow yo? Uh, nothin' I think, why?" "Well, I just got paid and there are few errands that I need you to run, can you do it?" Todd scrunched his face up as he considered his options, either hang around the boarding house all day and be bored out of his skull, or go run errands and perhaps sneak some money for a treat. "Sure Lance, no prob, but why can't you do them?"
"I gotta work tomorrow, do you think that the money just falls out of the sky?" Todd blushed as he realized what a idiotic question he had just asked. He used his long tongue to grab a bottle of water on the counter and hopped into the living room.
Lance turned away and rolled his eyes, he had quit his job two weeks ago, Magneto could come any time and he was always expected to be available for him. You couldn't really do that and work a 30 to 40 hours a week like he had been.
He was probably still lucky that Magneto let him go to school most of the time. Luckily, if anything in his life could be considered lucky, Magneto would occasionally send money with the messages so that he could keep up the charade of having an actual job.
Now he had Todd out of the house, he just had to make sure he gave him a very long list of errands to run. The only other person left to worry about was Pietro. How in the hell was he going to convince the speed demon to disappear for the day?
Suddenly his problem solved itself when Pietro appeared in front of him dropping the news that helped to lighten his heart, "Lance I am going to the mall tomorrow, expect me back around 8 o'clock." With that Pietro left with what was a leisurely pace for him. Lance just shook his head, he would never understand how Pietro could spend so much time at the mall, but he always managed to.
Lance breathed a sigh of relief knowing that there was no way either of the other two would walk in tomorrow, he could at least relax in that aspect. He shook his head as he snatched a book off the table, trying to banish any thoughts about what tomorrow would bring.
He glanced down at the title as he headed up to his room, now locked 24/7 because of the new additions that Magneto had added. A hard dry chuckle, the closest thing to a laugh that he possessed anymore, emerged from Lance's throat as he saw the title of the book he was carrying, The Waiting Game.