Queen of Random: This story, along with 'Role Reversal', is making all my
friends jealous! They, too, write for Fanfiction.net, but they don't seem
to get as many reviews as I have with this one story. In fact, one of my
friend is really taking it hard, because she has about ten stories up, and
only slightly more reviews than that! Poor, Opaleye. Better luck next time!
He he he.
As per usual, here is the disclaimer. I own nothing. I don't own any Disney films in any way, shape or form, whether it be 'The Little Mermaid', or 'Aladdin', or even 'Beauty and the Beast'. Again, he he he.
Anyway, this story is a lot longer than I expected. It was just a little thing I started just to keep me occupied during History (now you know why Jennifer did that rant about Apartheid!), and then during Chemistry. It seems that I have started something very good, here. One comment I have noticed by reading your reviews is that there are very few stories out there which have Hank McCoy as a central figure. And for him to have a love- interest. . . shock, horror! One person was very surprised to notice that Jennifer Reed did not even look at Logan! Now that caused me to fall off my seat with laughter! I had not even considered that idea!
A friend thinks this story is hilarious though, because I will not tell her how it ends. When I refused the first time she said, "Jennifer should either dump Hank and hook up with Logan, or spend the rest of her days chasing after Hank Jr, and telling him to get down from the Empire State Building'. What do you think should happen? I'm not inclined to trust my friend, as she also said that Jennifer should move to Antarctica. Yeah, right, Deemma_4w. I would like to know your thoughts on this subject.
Just don't send me a review saying that Jennifer should be offered Kelly's job, and make Bayville High the most mutant-friendly school in the world!
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Eleven: Tears of a Mermaid
Kitty found Scott, Jean and Kurt by a group of lockers after first period had finished.
"Kitty. What's wrong?" asked Jean, noticing that Kitty's eyes were bright and her face flushed.
"It's Ms Reed," she managed to get out.
"What about her?" asked Scott. "Has anyone tried to hurt her?"
Kitty shook her head violently. "No! Principal Kelly just told her that she has been fired!"
"What?" asked Kurt. "Why?"
"I think we al know why," said Scott grimly. "Mr McCoy."
Kitty nodded. "Kelly asked to speak to her outside in the hallway. We all heard what he said about her and Mr McCoy."
"And?" prodded Jean.
"She slapped him," Kitty said simply.
"She what?"
"She slapped him," repeated Kitty. "We all heard it. It sounded painful."
"I wondered why Kelly's face was looking redder than usual," interrupted a voice. Everyone turned around to face Tabitha and Amara. Tabitha continued speaking. "If you ask me, I think it's about time that Kelly got his just desserts."
"How much of this conversation did you hear?" asked Jean.
Amara spoke this time. "Just the bit about Ms Reed slapping Kelly. Why?"
No one met Amara's eyes. "What is it?" asked Tabitha. "What happened?" she demanded.
Kitty finally looked up to face Amara and Tabitha. "Ms Reed has been fired. Today is her last day of teaching at Bayville High."
"No way!" cried Tabitha.
"Why?" asked Amara. "What did she ever to Kelly? Apart from hitting him, I mean."
"You know why," said Jean quietly.
"Mr McCoy." Jean nodded. "That's so wrong!"
"But there is nothing we can do about it," reminded Scott. "We are not to do anything, understand that, Tabitha?"
"Sure I do. But I do think that Kelly needs a fire lit under him."
"The same goes for you, too, Amara. Can you tell the others?" asked Jean. "We do not want this to get worse, okay?"
"Okay," said Amara glumly. "This still doesn't make it right."
"I know," said Jean, placing a comforting hand on Amara's shoulder. "But this is why we need to be there for Ms Reed. Like it or not, she has become involved in this war."
*
Ms Reed wiped a tear from her eye as she packed the last of her things into a cardboard box that Principal Kelly had so helpfully provided. It was only 3:30, and she had had only a little to pack from her desk, as she had already transferred the rest to her car at lunch. She had not gone to the staff room for lunch, as she felt that she could not look her fellow educators in the eyes.
"Not fellow educators anymore," she whispered. "What am I going to do?"
There was no answer from the school that had abandoned her.
Sighing, she picked up her box, containing only a few books, a periodic table, a few writing utensils, and her lab coat. That was all that remained of her teaching career. Her reputation as an excellent teacher was now turned to ashes, just like the ones her class had used earlier that day to make soap. But that soap could not clean the stain that would always be on her reputation. But if it could, she would not use it.
She would stand by her decision to stay with Hank. She was not someone to change sides on a whim. She was firm in her resolution to support the fight for mutant rights.
But would the mutants support her?
*
Ms Reed's head was bowed down as she walked by the trophy cabinet. But the glitter of something caught her eye. A photo frame glinted in the light, and Ms Reed just stared at it. The frame contained a photo of Hank McCoy, as he had been in his youth. Before he had become the Beast.
Ms Reed reached out and touched the glass that separated her from the image of Hank. "You were so different then," she whispered. "No one would have hated you then."
"Ms Reed?" interrupted a voice.
Ms Reed turned around slowly, to find that it was Bill, the janitor, standing there. "I'm sorry. I'm leaving now. You don't have to call security."
Bill shook his head. "That's not what I wanted to speak to you about. I just want you to know that I think that you are doing the right thing, sticking with your beliefs."
Ms Reed frowned. "I don't understand."
"You and your mutant friends," replied Bill. "I've been watching you ever since mutants were exposed. I saw that you were the only one that did not treat the mutants any differently. You cared for them the way a teacher should care for all her students."
"Why does this matter to you, Bill?" asked Ms Reed, even more confused than before.
Bill reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a Polaroid photo of a girl, about thirteen. "This is my daughter, Becky."
Ms Reed looked at the photo of Becky. She was a pretty girl, dressed in a swimsuit for a day at the beach. Her blonde hair hung loose on her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "I did not know you had a daughter."
"My wife and I divorced when Becky was eight. I only see her in the holidays. This was taken in the last summer holidays, when we went to the beach. She was the one who found this private cove. She loves to swim."
"Why are you showing me this, Bill?"
Bill shook his head, and reached behind the photo. There was another Polaroid of Becky behind it. This time she was sitting on a rock, still at the cove. Her body was partly submerged beneath the water. But that was not what caused Ms Reed's breath to catch in her throat. "Is that a tail?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.
Bill nodded. "My little girl is a mermaid. A mutant who can become a mermaid when she is in the water."
"She can control it?"
"Yes," replied Bill. "No one knows what she is. Only her mother and I know the truth. And now you."
Ms Reed smiled grimly. "And probably Professor Xavier," she added. "He can find mutants using his power."
"He can?"
"That's how he found Kitty, and Kurt, and all the others," explained Ms Reed. "Kitty told me about how she was found."
"Well, no matter what, Ms Reed, stand by what you believe in. It is because of people like you that I have hope for my daughter's future."
Ms Reed had to smile at that. "Thank you."
Bill picked up his broom. "Don't let Kelly get to you. He's not worth it. He will get his just desserts soon. He's made too many enemies not to." Bill smiled, and walked off down the hall, whistling a tune that Ms Reed recognised as being from the Disney movie 'The Little Mermaid'.
Ms Reed left the building, too, her heart considerably lighter than what it had been.
As per usual, here is the disclaimer. I own nothing. I don't own any Disney films in any way, shape or form, whether it be 'The Little Mermaid', or 'Aladdin', or even 'Beauty and the Beast'. Again, he he he.
Anyway, this story is a lot longer than I expected. It was just a little thing I started just to keep me occupied during History (now you know why Jennifer did that rant about Apartheid!), and then during Chemistry. It seems that I have started something very good, here. One comment I have noticed by reading your reviews is that there are very few stories out there which have Hank McCoy as a central figure. And for him to have a love- interest. . . shock, horror! One person was very surprised to notice that Jennifer Reed did not even look at Logan! Now that caused me to fall off my seat with laughter! I had not even considered that idea!
A friend thinks this story is hilarious though, because I will not tell her how it ends. When I refused the first time she said, "Jennifer should either dump Hank and hook up with Logan, or spend the rest of her days chasing after Hank Jr, and telling him to get down from the Empire State Building'. What do you think should happen? I'm not inclined to trust my friend, as she also said that Jennifer should move to Antarctica. Yeah, right, Deemma_4w. I would like to know your thoughts on this subject.
Just don't send me a review saying that Jennifer should be offered Kelly's job, and make Bayville High the most mutant-friendly school in the world!
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Eleven: Tears of a Mermaid
Kitty found Scott, Jean and Kurt by a group of lockers after first period had finished.
"Kitty. What's wrong?" asked Jean, noticing that Kitty's eyes were bright and her face flushed.
"It's Ms Reed," she managed to get out.
"What about her?" asked Scott. "Has anyone tried to hurt her?"
Kitty shook her head violently. "No! Principal Kelly just told her that she has been fired!"
"What?" asked Kurt. "Why?"
"I think we al know why," said Scott grimly. "Mr McCoy."
Kitty nodded. "Kelly asked to speak to her outside in the hallway. We all heard what he said about her and Mr McCoy."
"And?" prodded Jean.
"She slapped him," Kitty said simply.
"She what?"
"She slapped him," repeated Kitty. "We all heard it. It sounded painful."
"I wondered why Kelly's face was looking redder than usual," interrupted a voice. Everyone turned around to face Tabitha and Amara. Tabitha continued speaking. "If you ask me, I think it's about time that Kelly got his just desserts."
"How much of this conversation did you hear?" asked Jean.
Amara spoke this time. "Just the bit about Ms Reed slapping Kelly. Why?"
No one met Amara's eyes. "What is it?" asked Tabitha. "What happened?" she demanded.
Kitty finally looked up to face Amara and Tabitha. "Ms Reed has been fired. Today is her last day of teaching at Bayville High."
"No way!" cried Tabitha.
"Why?" asked Amara. "What did she ever to Kelly? Apart from hitting him, I mean."
"You know why," said Jean quietly.
"Mr McCoy." Jean nodded. "That's so wrong!"
"But there is nothing we can do about it," reminded Scott. "We are not to do anything, understand that, Tabitha?"
"Sure I do. But I do think that Kelly needs a fire lit under him."
"The same goes for you, too, Amara. Can you tell the others?" asked Jean. "We do not want this to get worse, okay?"
"Okay," said Amara glumly. "This still doesn't make it right."
"I know," said Jean, placing a comforting hand on Amara's shoulder. "But this is why we need to be there for Ms Reed. Like it or not, she has become involved in this war."
*
Ms Reed wiped a tear from her eye as she packed the last of her things into a cardboard box that Principal Kelly had so helpfully provided. It was only 3:30, and she had had only a little to pack from her desk, as she had already transferred the rest to her car at lunch. She had not gone to the staff room for lunch, as she felt that she could not look her fellow educators in the eyes.
"Not fellow educators anymore," she whispered. "What am I going to do?"
There was no answer from the school that had abandoned her.
Sighing, she picked up her box, containing only a few books, a periodic table, a few writing utensils, and her lab coat. That was all that remained of her teaching career. Her reputation as an excellent teacher was now turned to ashes, just like the ones her class had used earlier that day to make soap. But that soap could not clean the stain that would always be on her reputation. But if it could, she would not use it.
She would stand by her decision to stay with Hank. She was not someone to change sides on a whim. She was firm in her resolution to support the fight for mutant rights.
But would the mutants support her?
*
Ms Reed's head was bowed down as she walked by the trophy cabinet. But the glitter of something caught her eye. A photo frame glinted in the light, and Ms Reed just stared at it. The frame contained a photo of Hank McCoy, as he had been in his youth. Before he had become the Beast.
Ms Reed reached out and touched the glass that separated her from the image of Hank. "You were so different then," she whispered. "No one would have hated you then."
"Ms Reed?" interrupted a voice.
Ms Reed turned around slowly, to find that it was Bill, the janitor, standing there. "I'm sorry. I'm leaving now. You don't have to call security."
Bill shook his head. "That's not what I wanted to speak to you about. I just want you to know that I think that you are doing the right thing, sticking with your beliefs."
Ms Reed frowned. "I don't understand."
"You and your mutant friends," replied Bill. "I've been watching you ever since mutants were exposed. I saw that you were the only one that did not treat the mutants any differently. You cared for them the way a teacher should care for all her students."
"Why does this matter to you, Bill?" asked Ms Reed, even more confused than before.
Bill reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a Polaroid photo of a girl, about thirteen. "This is my daughter, Becky."
Ms Reed looked at the photo of Becky. She was a pretty girl, dressed in a swimsuit for a day at the beach. Her blonde hair hung loose on her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "I did not know you had a daughter."
"My wife and I divorced when Becky was eight. I only see her in the holidays. This was taken in the last summer holidays, when we went to the beach. She was the one who found this private cove. She loves to swim."
"Why are you showing me this, Bill?"
Bill shook his head, and reached behind the photo. There was another Polaroid of Becky behind it. This time she was sitting on a rock, still at the cove. Her body was partly submerged beneath the water. But that was not what caused Ms Reed's breath to catch in her throat. "Is that a tail?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.
Bill nodded. "My little girl is a mermaid. A mutant who can become a mermaid when she is in the water."
"She can control it?"
"Yes," replied Bill. "No one knows what she is. Only her mother and I know the truth. And now you."
Ms Reed smiled grimly. "And probably Professor Xavier," she added. "He can find mutants using his power."
"He can?"
"That's how he found Kitty, and Kurt, and all the others," explained Ms Reed. "Kitty told me about how she was found."
"Well, no matter what, Ms Reed, stand by what you believe in. It is because of people like you that I have hope for my daughter's future."
Ms Reed had to smile at that. "Thank you."
Bill picked up his broom. "Don't let Kelly get to you. He's not worth it. He will get his just desserts soon. He's made too many enemies not to." Bill smiled, and walked off down the hall, whistling a tune that Ms Reed recognised as being from the Disney movie 'The Little Mermaid'.
Ms Reed left the building, too, her heart considerably lighter than what it had been.