Scott, Jean, Holly and Iceman were outside the hotel. "How are we getting in?" Iceman asked. There was a butler looking guy at the entrance. He was checking a list as people approached . "I really don't think we're on the list" Iceman said. Scott looks around. He looks back at Storm ,who was in a car parked across the street. He looked back at the hotel. "We'll go around the back" He said finally. "there has to be some entrance back there." . They walked to the back of the hotel, but didn't find an entrance. "Any other ideas?" Iceman asked Scott. Scott didn't reply. He started looking around again. "There" He said pointing to a dumpster. They all looked. "A dumpster?" holly asked confused. Cyclops went over to it. He looked behind it. "Stand back" He said to them. They each stepped back a couple steps. Holly turned to Jean. "What's he going to…." She started to say, but was interrupted by the sound of Cyclops blasting the dumpster away from a hidden door. Holly stood there silent. Jean laughed. "You'll get used it." Jean said. Iceman walked over to the door and opened it. "After you" He said to Jean and Holly. Jean walked over to Scott. He put his arm out for her. She took it and they walked in together. Holly watched them enviously. She sighed and looked at Iceman. She somewhat expected him to hold out his arm for her…he didn't. "come on" Iceman said still holding the door open for her. She sighed again. She wanted to slap herself for even thinking that Iceman would act like her date. She walked in and followed Jean and Scott, not waiting for Iceman. They walked down a long hallway. After they passed many doors, Holly guessed they were conference rooms, she doubted that the rooms were so big that they need double doors. They reached a dead end and then turned a corner. The minute they did, they began to hear music. It sounded like a orchestra. As they walked further, the music became louder. Finally, they reached the double doors that lead to the room they were looking for….the ballroom. Jean and Scott walked in arm in arm, followed by Holly then Iceman. The ballroom was huge. There were beautiful chandeliers scattered around the wide oval ceiling. There were long gall windows around the whole room. The floor was polished and looked like it should have been in some museum instead of having people dancing on it. The tables were large, round and circled the dance floor. Holly, Jean, Scott and Iceman found an unoccupied table in the back and sat down. Holly looked around at all the woman in silk and designer dresses. Then she looked at herself and Jean. They were dressed in similar dresses that were made by a student at the mansion. Holly looked at Scott. "So…do we fit in?" She asked with a smirk on her face. Scott looked at her. "This isn't a fashion show. Watch out for the brotherhood" He said and then looked back at the dance floor. Holly used her hand to hold up her head.
An hour later there was still no sign of The Brotherhood. Holly was on her 8th soda and was bored out of her mind. Suddenly Scott and Jean got up. Holly sat up started. "What? What's going on?" She asked them. "Nothing….we're going to dance" Jean said. "Yea, you two watch from here. We'll watch from the dance floor" Scott said as he walked away with Jean, smiling. Holly sighed and placed her hand under her chin again. Holly watched them go onto the dance floor. They were so happy, so….in love. Holly had never been in love…ironic considering what her powers were. Sure, Holly could have anyone she wanted. All she had to do was look into their eyes and make them love her. But no she didn't want that. She didn't want to make someone love her. She wanted real love. She wanted someone to be there for her. She had had boyfriends before , but they never understood her, they never understood her powers and they never wanted to understand either.
Holly glanced at Iceman. His eyes were darting from one end of the room to another. He didn't look bored at all. Holly glanced around the room. The whole room was full of happy couples. Holly's eyes stopped on one couple. Two elderly people. The woman was dressed in diamonds and had on just a suit, but you could tell he was some sort of billionaire. She concentrated on the woman. The woman loved the man. The woman's heart belonged to no one else. Holly then concentrated on the man. His heart was also going out to someone, but it wasn't the woman. No, it was going out to a young girl about Holly's age. The girl was sitting a table away form the man. She was laughing and talking with other people at her table. Holly looked away. That was why she didn't want to make someone love her. The fact that they could really love someone else would kill her. Holly was about to go back to boredom when she saw Jean and Scott out of the corner of her eye. They were smiling on the dance floor. Scott was looking into Jean's eyes and Jean was….well, she looked into his eye. Holly wasn't sure if Jean could see Scott's eyes though his glasses. But the love was there. The love Holly dreamed of. Iceman saw her staring at the couple. "Romantic isn't it?" He asked. "what?" Holly asked looking at him. "The couple. I mean, imagine still being in love for so long" He said. "yea, romantic" She said sarcastically.
Tears formed in Holly's eyes. She tried to stop them, but they still came. She got up. "I need air." She said to Iceman. "You can't leave" He said to her. "I can't breathe in here" She said not looking at him. "Fine…go to the roof." he through her a small walkie talkie. "If you see The Brotherhood…" He said without ending his sentence. He went back to searching the room.
Holly walked down the hall that they had entered. She found an elevator and got in. She took deep breaths. She pushed the button for the roof. There were 30 floors. She groaned. She prayed no one else got in. She looked at the glowing number and listened to the elevator moving. There was no music and she liked it that way.
