"Damnit!" It was the loudest I had been since I got there. I grabbed
at my blind eyes with my hands and I fell to my knees.
"Are you ok?" Kurt ran up behind me and put a hand on my back.
"Don't touch me. Don't get near me. What the hell was that?" I was officially pissed and at the same time I was confused.
"I'm willing to bet that was Scott." He looked at the hole in the wall and at my destroyed sunglasses.
"Some prank. I'm going to kill him." I stood up and stumbled around for a bit.
"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose." Kurt was ready to catch me if I fell.
"What is his power?" I'm still not sure why I asked that but it seemed like a good thing to ask at the time.
"He can blast things with his eyes. That's why he wears those sunglasses."
"Oh I see. Well... you know what I mean." I started feeling around for my sunglasses and felt them get placed into my hand. Most likely by Kurt.
"Here you go. They're broken." Kurt backed up after giving me my glasses.
"I noticed. I can fix them." I held the glasses in my hand and they molded into nothingness. They reformed themselves into sunglasses again and shot to my eyes. I could see again.
"They were just a shadow?" Kurt was now utterly confused.
"Yeah. It's the only reason they're strong enough to protect my eyes from the light." I looked at the hole in the wall and stepped back.
"You'll get used to that kind of stuff."
"That is... only if I stay." I started walking off. I don't know where I was going.
"You aren't staying?" Kurt followed closely.
"I'm undecided."
"Oh." He stayed quiet after that.
I walked around the manor with Kurt for a while. I was taking my own little tour of the place. It wasn't half bad. There were some interesting inhabitants here. I noticed Rogue a couple times. We waved to one another.
"I've been through this whole place and I haven't seen Professor Xavier anywhere." I looked at Kurt curiously.
"You haven't seen the WHOLE place. Just the upper levels." He had a look on his face that told me he knew a secret.
"I haven't? What does this book hide beneath its cover?" I love metaphors.
"I can't tell you unless you're staying." He seemed to be trying to make me stay.
"Then I guess you can't tell me right now. I haven't decided yet. Mind if I get some time alone now?" I turned away just before he answered.
I walked blindly through the hallways and corridors of the manor. I explored all the rooms two or three times over. It depended on how much I liked them. I went outside and looked at the grounds again. They were still just as beautiful as when I first showed up. I noticed someone walking around outside. It was Rogue. I sat against the wall and watched her. She caught my attention as soon as I met her. She seemed rather disturbed on the inside. It was like she had everything but couldn't do anything with it. She was my mystery. I would figure her out soon enough.
She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. It was the most graceful thing I had ever seen. I didn't know exactly what it was that caused her to capture me this way. But I wasn't fighting it. I sat and watched her for a couple of hours until a voice rang inside my head. It was Xavier.
"Could you come to my office, James?" His voice seemed to echo. I didn't like the echo effect. It made me feel like there was nothing in my head.
I got up and walked into the manor and looked around. I had no idea where his office was. His voice rang again.
"From there go down the hallway ahead of you. After that make the third right. Go straight through the doors at the end of the hallway." He didn't contact me again after that.
I made it into his office and sat in a chair in front of his desk.
"Try not to mess with my head when you talk to me." I was calm and collected. At the same time though, I felt like I was being called to the principal's office after shooting a spitball at the teacher.
"I'll try. But only if you get a better attitude about yourself." He seemed like he really needed to talk to me about something.
"Why am I here?" I fixed myself comfortably in my chair.
"Are you staying? I need to know James." He looked me in my eye. It was like he could see right through my sunglasses.
"I... I don't know. Can I have a little time to think about it?" My head dropped and came back up.
"Yes but make it quick."
I thought hard. I didn't feel so out of place here. But at the same time, I did. It was one of the weirdest feelings in the world. I thought about what I had been through this whole day. Waking up, eating breakfast, the blast from Scott. Then I thought about Rogue. The way I was about her. I looked up at Xavier.
"Well, professor. I've made up my mind. I'll stay." I nodded lightly at him.
"Very well, James. You can go." He waved his hand toward the door.
"Thank you."
"Are you ok?" Kurt ran up behind me and put a hand on my back.
"Don't touch me. Don't get near me. What the hell was that?" I was officially pissed and at the same time I was confused.
"I'm willing to bet that was Scott." He looked at the hole in the wall and at my destroyed sunglasses.
"Some prank. I'm going to kill him." I stood up and stumbled around for a bit.
"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose." Kurt was ready to catch me if I fell.
"What is his power?" I'm still not sure why I asked that but it seemed like a good thing to ask at the time.
"He can blast things with his eyes. That's why he wears those sunglasses."
"Oh I see. Well... you know what I mean." I started feeling around for my sunglasses and felt them get placed into my hand. Most likely by Kurt.
"Here you go. They're broken." Kurt backed up after giving me my glasses.
"I noticed. I can fix them." I held the glasses in my hand and they molded into nothingness. They reformed themselves into sunglasses again and shot to my eyes. I could see again.
"They were just a shadow?" Kurt was now utterly confused.
"Yeah. It's the only reason they're strong enough to protect my eyes from the light." I looked at the hole in the wall and stepped back.
"You'll get used to that kind of stuff."
"That is... only if I stay." I started walking off. I don't know where I was going.
"You aren't staying?" Kurt followed closely.
"I'm undecided."
"Oh." He stayed quiet after that.
I walked around the manor with Kurt for a while. I was taking my own little tour of the place. It wasn't half bad. There were some interesting inhabitants here. I noticed Rogue a couple times. We waved to one another.
"I've been through this whole place and I haven't seen Professor Xavier anywhere." I looked at Kurt curiously.
"You haven't seen the WHOLE place. Just the upper levels." He had a look on his face that told me he knew a secret.
"I haven't? What does this book hide beneath its cover?" I love metaphors.
"I can't tell you unless you're staying." He seemed to be trying to make me stay.
"Then I guess you can't tell me right now. I haven't decided yet. Mind if I get some time alone now?" I turned away just before he answered.
I walked blindly through the hallways and corridors of the manor. I explored all the rooms two or three times over. It depended on how much I liked them. I went outside and looked at the grounds again. They were still just as beautiful as when I first showed up. I noticed someone walking around outside. It was Rogue. I sat against the wall and watched her. She caught my attention as soon as I met her. She seemed rather disturbed on the inside. It was like she had everything but couldn't do anything with it. She was my mystery. I would figure her out soon enough.
She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. It was the most graceful thing I had ever seen. I didn't know exactly what it was that caused her to capture me this way. But I wasn't fighting it. I sat and watched her for a couple of hours until a voice rang inside my head. It was Xavier.
"Could you come to my office, James?" His voice seemed to echo. I didn't like the echo effect. It made me feel like there was nothing in my head.
I got up and walked into the manor and looked around. I had no idea where his office was. His voice rang again.
"From there go down the hallway ahead of you. After that make the third right. Go straight through the doors at the end of the hallway." He didn't contact me again after that.
I made it into his office and sat in a chair in front of his desk.
"Try not to mess with my head when you talk to me." I was calm and collected. At the same time though, I felt like I was being called to the principal's office after shooting a spitball at the teacher.
"I'll try. But only if you get a better attitude about yourself." He seemed like he really needed to talk to me about something.
"Why am I here?" I fixed myself comfortably in my chair.
"Are you staying? I need to know James." He looked me in my eye. It was like he could see right through my sunglasses.
"I... I don't know. Can I have a little time to think about it?" My head dropped and came back up.
"Yes but make it quick."
I thought hard. I didn't feel so out of place here. But at the same time, I did. It was one of the weirdest feelings in the world. I thought about what I had been through this whole day. Waking up, eating breakfast, the blast from Scott. Then I thought about Rogue. The way I was about her. I looked up at Xavier.
"Well, professor. I've made up my mind. I'll stay." I nodded lightly at him.
"Very well, James. You can go." He waved his hand toward the door.
"Thank you."