That night I just lay on my bed, staring out my window, past the green grass, past the concrete and gravel, just staring at the city lights- wondering what my family was doing currently.
Rogue was finishing up some algebra II homework that she had put off until the last minute. All my homework was done, but the foreign language had me stumped, so I had decided to wait so I could ask Rogue about it.
Rogue slammed her math book shut with a sigh, and I turned to her and smiled. "Finished?" I asked. "Yeah," Rogue muttered. "Thank God."
I laughed. "If you need any help with anything, just let me know," I said. Rogue looked at me, irritated. "Now you tell me," she grumbled.
"By the way," I said, turning to my French book. "I don't quite understand what we're supposed to do here..." In about five minutes, we were all finished and just lying on Rogue's bed, talking about nothing in particular.
"Is Bobby in the X-Men?" I asked randomly. "Not yet," Rogue said. "They're considering him currently." I nodded and picked at a stray thread on her comforter. "Is it fun?"
"What's your definition of fun?" Rogue asked dryly. "It just means more classes and more homework-but I do get out of classes a lot and I get to beat people up, so-yeah, I guess it's fun."
"Do we ever get to leave this place?" I asked aimlessly. "Sure," Rogue replied. "We get a pass from Professor Xavier-usually we only go out if we need something bad, like extra clothes or just to have a fun day that we've earned. We have to have chaperones, like Jean or Scott. But it's still nice to get out. If you're an X-Man, you get out a lot, but only on missions, or to find another mutant that needs our help. Y'know."
Just then, the curfew bell rang. "Night, Kitty." Rogue rolled over, and turned off her light as I got into bed. "Good night, Rogue." My eyes soon closed, and I dreamt about having a normal life-and how Rogue would have lived if she didn't have her gift.
The next few days passed in a blur, quickly and without much distinction. It was fun, however, not wearing uniforms like at my old school, and getting to spend my every waking and sleeping moment with Rogue and Bobby was great too.
We became a trio, and were usually inseparable, unless one of us was angry with the other two, or only one sometimes. We usually got along pretty well, though.
I hardly noticed when a week passed, and then another, and another. I was flourishing with the French language, getting almost straight A's in all my subjects, and I was learning to control my ability quite well. I only fell through my chairs unless I was startled by someone now.
I was very good in self-defense and was learning new moves rapidly. I could now run a mile without breaking a sweat, and could sometimes beat Bobby at racing, if he was really tired.
You might say I was doing pretty well. I asked Rogue constantly if me or Bobby had been accepted; but she wouldn't tell me anything other than the fact that she couldn't say a word.
On a warm, Thursday night, I was just finishing up my homework, while Rogue was wandering aimlessly about our room, as if she was nervous.
"Rogue," I laughed. "Settle down, will you? You're creeping me out." Rogue seemed to try and relax, but failed miserably. "Yeah. Sorry, Kit." "No prob," I replied, still slightly amused but a little cautious. Why was Rogue so uptight?
Just then, the clock struck nine thirty, lights out. I rose to turn off the lights, but Rogue grabbed my arm with her gloved hand, and pulled me up. "You better get dressed," she said, her voice low.
Shocked, I turned to face her. "Why?" "Trust me, okay?" Rogue asked. "Sure, Rogue," I said, and headed for the closet. I dressed in a pink blouse and some comfortable jeans, and saw that she had changed into a black leather outfit with her hair framing her face. "Let's go," she said.
A little surprised at Rogue's strange behavior and the fact that we were breaking curfew, I followed her out of our room and down the hall. Her boots clicked down the hall while I traveled silently in sneakers.
A second later, we were going down a stairwell. I stopped, more than surprised now. "Rogue, we can't go down to the lower levels, it's forbidden!" I said. "We have entrance," Rogue said, taking my arm, and pulling me down the stairs.
Once down, the quaint mansion was now like a secret laboratory, with white walls, white floors, and doors that opened automatically due to retina scans and fingerprint recognition and the like.
Rogue put her hand on a wall, and it blinked quickly and said, "Welcome, Rogue." And the doors slid open. We stepped inside, me more nervous than she, apparently.
"Are we allowed to do this?" I whispered to her. Rogue looked at me a little impatiently. "I told you, I have access and approval. C'mon, you're gonna meet the X-Men."
"I already know the X-Men!" I cried, agitated. Rogue rolled her eyes and once again dragged me inside the room. The doors swished shut. There, I saw the X-Men in full costume, wearing their black leather suits.
Scott, Jean, and Storm were there, as well as two others whom I hadn't met- one I had seen in classes...a dude with blue skin, and another muscular guy, who (I'm sorry!) made Scott look kinda like a wimp.
"Kitty Pryde," Professor Xavier's voice came from the shadows. I gasped and whirled around to face him as Rogue slipped to her place beside the X-Men.
"You have been chosen to be asked to become an X-Man," the professor continued. "If you choose to say yes, you will take one more class a day, and will join the X-Men on weekend mornings to discuss matters of great importance. If need be, you might be called out of class to help on a mission. The danger is very real. You could very well risk your life being one of us. If you affirm the negative, you will continue to take regular classes and you must never mention this to anyone."
I looked around the room at the X-Men, who, though not unfriendly, were not smiling either. Apparently, the situation bore much more significance than I thought it did. Rogue looked at me, her face solemn.
I looked at the pros and cons of both sides: Pros of joining: adventure. More time with Rogue. Lots of fun.
Eventually, the pros of joining won out. "Yes," I nodded firmly, although I felt exactly the opposite. "Yes, I can do it. I want to do it." "Are you positive?" Professor Xavier asked me. "Once you say yes, there is no going back."
"I'm positive," I affirmed. Then, the X-Men allowed themselves to smile. Rogue rushed over to me and congratulated me. "Girl, we're gonna have so much fun together!" she smiled.
"I bet," I smiled weakly. "I'm not sure we've met," the blue-skinned dude said with a thick German accent. "I am Nightcrawler." "Hi, I'm-"Suddenly I realized I had no key name.
I racked my brains for a good name. And found one. "Hi. I'm Shadowcat. Nice to meet you." "Shadowcat?" Nightcrawler's eyebrows raised. "I like it, Kitty. Welcome to the team, Shadowcat."
"Hey, kid," a rough voice at my side said. I turned and was face to face with the other guy I hadn't met. "Hey," I smiled. "Who're you?" "I'm Wolverine-also called Logan," he shook my hand.
"I'm Shadowcat-also called Kitty," I smiled again. "Glad to have you here, Kitty," he grinned and faded into the background. Jean, Storm, and Scott crowded around me, Jean energetically saying how glad she was I had joined, Storm with her quiet enthusiasm, and Scott just smiling like crazy.
"Congratulations, Kitty," Professor Xavier said. "Or, perhaps I should say- Shadowcat?" "That would be preferable," I grinned. "You and Rogue will miss first and second periods. She will help you get adjusted as an X-Man, get you a fitting suit, get your information, retina scan, and fingerprints into the computer so you have unlimited access to the lower levels. All right?"
"Cool," I said. "Thanks, Professor."
"It's time you, Rogue, and Nightcrawler retired," he said. "Yes, thank you, Professor," we all called, and ran up the stairs to the upper levels.
"Omigosh, I'm so happy you joined!!" Rogue squealed and squeezed me. "Oof! I am too," I said, groaning with pain.
"My extreme congratulations, Shadowcat," Nightcrawler grinned at me as he teleported himself to his room. "I think he likes you," Rogue drawled into my ear.
I laughed and shoved her. "Hush up!" We went straight to bed once we reached our room-it was already 11:00 P.M., although both of us could have stayed up later.
"So, what's your name, again?" Rogue said drowsily to me. "Shadowcat," I whispered to her. "Shadowcat. It fits you." And she fell asleep.
Rogue was finishing up some algebra II homework that she had put off until the last minute. All my homework was done, but the foreign language had me stumped, so I had decided to wait so I could ask Rogue about it.
Rogue slammed her math book shut with a sigh, and I turned to her and smiled. "Finished?" I asked. "Yeah," Rogue muttered. "Thank God."
I laughed. "If you need any help with anything, just let me know," I said. Rogue looked at me, irritated. "Now you tell me," she grumbled.
"By the way," I said, turning to my French book. "I don't quite understand what we're supposed to do here..." In about five minutes, we were all finished and just lying on Rogue's bed, talking about nothing in particular.
"Is Bobby in the X-Men?" I asked randomly. "Not yet," Rogue said. "They're considering him currently." I nodded and picked at a stray thread on her comforter. "Is it fun?"
"What's your definition of fun?" Rogue asked dryly. "It just means more classes and more homework-but I do get out of classes a lot and I get to beat people up, so-yeah, I guess it's fun."
"Do we ever get to leave this place?" I asked aimlessly. "Sure," Rogue replied. "We get a pass from Professor Xavier-usually we only go out if we need something bad, like extra clothes or just to have a fun day that we've earned. We have to have chaperones, like Jean or Scott. But it's still nice to get out. If you're an X-Man, you get out a lot, but only on missions, or to find another mutant that needs our help. Y'know."
Just then, the curfew bell rang. "Night, Kitty." Rogue rolled over, and turned off her light as I got into bed. "Good night, Rogue." My eyes soon closed, and I dreamt about having a normal life-and how Rogue would have lived if she didn't have her gift.
The next few days passed in a blur, quickly and without much distinction. It was fun, however, not wearing uniforms like at my old school, and getting to spend my every waking and sleeping moment with Rogue and Bobby was great too.
We became a trio, and were usually inseparable, unless one of us was angry with the other two, or only one sometimes. We usually got along pretty well, though.
I hardly noticed when a week passed, and then another, and another. I was flourishing with the French language, getting almost straight A's in all my subjects, and I was learning to control my ability quite well. I only fell through my chairs unless I was startled by someone now.
I was very good in self-defense and was learning new moves rapidly. I could now run a mile without breaking a sweat, and could sometimes beat Bobby at racing, if he was really tired.
You might say I was doing pretty well. I asked Rogue constantly if me or Bobby had been accepted; but she wouldn't tell me anything other than the fact that she couldn't say a word.
On a warm, Thursday night, I was just finishing up my homework, while Rogue was wandering aimlessly about our room, as if she was nervous.
"Rogue," I laughed. "Settle down, will you? You're creeping me out." Rogue seemed to try and relax, but failed miserably. "Yeah. Sorry, Kit." "No prob," I replied, still slightly amused but a little cautious. Why was Rogue so uptight?
Just then, the clock struck nine thirty, lights out. I rose to turn off the lights, but Rogue grabbed my arm with her gloved hand, and pulled me up. "You better get dressed," she said, her voice low.
Shocked, I turned to face her. "Why?" "Trust me, okay?" Rogue asked. "Sure, Rogue," I said, and headed for the closet. I dressed in a pink blouse and some comfortable jeans, and saw that she had changed into a black leather outfit with her hair framing her face. "Let's go," she said.
A little surprised at Rogue's strange behavior and the fact that we were breaking curfew, I followed her out of our room and down the hall. Her boots clicked down the hall while I traveled silently in sneakers.
A second later, we were going down a stairwell. I stopped, more than surprised now. "Rogue, we can't go down to the lower levels, it's forbidden!" I said. "We have entrance," Rogue said, taking my arm, and pulling me down the stairs.
Once down, the quaint mansion was now like a secret laboratory, with white walls, white floors, and doors that opened automatically due to retina scans and fingerprint recognition and the like.
Rogue put her hand on a wall, and it blinked quickly and said, "Welcome, Rogue." And the doors slid open. We stepped inside, me more nervous than she, apparently.
"Are we allowed to do this?" I whispered to her. Rogue looked at me a little impatiently. "I told you, I have access and approval. C'mon, you're gonna meet the X-Men."
"I already know the X-Men!" I cried, agitated. Rogue rolled her eyes and once again dragged me inside the room. The doors swished shut. There, I saw the X-Men in full costume, wearing their black leather suits.
Scott, Jean, and Storm were there, as well as two others whom I hadn't met- one I had seen in classes...a dude with blue skin, and another muscular guy, who (I'm sorry!) made Scott look kinda like a wimp.
"Kitty Pryde," Professor Xavier's voice came from the shadows. I gasped and whirled around to face him as Rogue slipped to her place beside the X-Men.
"You have been chosen to be asked to become an X-Man," the professor continued. "If you choose to say yes, you will take one more class a day, and will join the X-Men on weekend mornings to discuss matters of great importance. If need be, you might be called out of class to help on a mission. The danger is very real. You could very well risk your life being one of us. If you affirm the negative, you will continue to take regular classes and you must never mention this to anyone."
I looked around the room at the X-Men, who, though not unfriendly, were not smiling either. Apparently, the situation bore much more significance than I thought it did. Rogue looked at me, her face solemn.
I looked at the pros and cons of both sides: Pros of joining: adventure. More time with Rogue. Lots of fun.
Eventually, the pros of joining won out. "Yes," I nodded firmly, although I felt exactly the opposite. "Yes, I can do it. I want to do it." "Are you positive?" Professor Xavier asked me. "Once you say yes, there is no going back."
"I'm positive," I affirmed. Then, the X-Men allowed themselves to smile. Rogue rushed over to me and congratulated me. "Girl, we're gonna have so much fun together!" she smiled.
"I bet," I smiled weakly. "I'm not sure we've met," the blue-skinned dude said with a thick German accent. "I am Nightcrawler." "Hi, I'm-"Suddenly I realized I had no key name.
I racked my brains for a good name. And found one. "Hi. I'm Shadowcat. Nice to meet you." "Shadowcat?" Nightcrawler's eyebrows raised. "I like it, Kitty. Welcome to the team, Shadowcat."
"Hey, kid," a rough voice at my side said. I turned and was face to face with the other guy I hadn't met. "Hey," I smiled. "Who're you?" "I'm Wolverine-also called Logan," he shook my hand.
"I'm Shadowcat-also called Kitty," I smiled again. "Glad to have you here, Kitty," he grinned and faded into the background. Jean, Storm, and Scott crowded around me, Jean energetically saying how glad she was I had joined, Storm with her quiet enthusiasm, and Scott just smiling like crazy.
"Congratulations, Kitty," Professor Xavier said. "Or, perhaps I should say- Shadowcat?" "That would be preferable," I grinned. "You and Rogue will miss first and second periods. She will help you get adjusted as an X-Man, get you a fitting suit, get your information, retina scan, and fingerprints into the computer so you have unlimited access to the lower levels. All right?"
"Cool," I said. "Thanks, Professor."
"It's time you, Rogue, and Nightcrawler retired," he said. "Yes, thank you, Professor," we all called, and ran up the stairs to the upper levels.
"Omigosh, I'm so happy you joined!!" Rogue squealed and squeezed me. "Oof! I am too," I said, groaning with pain.
"My extreme congratulations, Shadowcat," Nightcrawler grinned at me as he teleported himself to his room. "I think he likes you," Rogue drawled into my ear.
I laughed and shoved her. "Hush up!" We went straight to bed once we reached our room-it was already 11:00 P.M., although both of us could have stayed up later.
"So, what's your name, again?" Rogue said drowsily to me. "Shadowcat," I whispered to her. "Shadowcat. It fits you." And she fell asleep.