Author note: I fixed it up a bit more. It isn't different, just fixed a few errors I noticed. Enjoy!
Chapter 2- Izzy Allerdyce
"Isaac!" a voice bellowed form downstairs in the kitchen. "Ya better not still be in bed, ya got school!" The owner was St. John Allerdyce, the mutant formerly know as Pyro. He had given up his old life and started a family, or what was left of it. His wife had passed away giving birth to their son, who was now eight.
They had lived in Sydney, Australia since the day Isaac was born. That is until a year ago. John had needed a change, for some odd reason he felt that the United States was best at the moment. His son wasn't a mutant, as far as he knew, so he would be in no official danger. But at times like this one today, he wished that they were still back in the Outback, he wouldn't have had Isaac for almost three months of summer, he would be in all year around school.
Isaac, who now preferred Izzy to any other name, was a spitting image of his Father. At eight years old he was very busy. All summer long he had run in and out of the house, and then complained that the "American football game" wasn't rough enough. He had grown up with Rugby.
It was now though that he was starting the second grade. He had passed the previous grades without any problem, however he didn't like the teacher they had given him. Hearing his father yell, he took the easy way out of bed and just rolled over onto the floor. A loud thump was heard and then a few footsteps before it was silent again.
Downstairs John shook his head and made his way upstairs. He found the door still closed, but unlocked and stepped in. "Ya gonna kill me boy" He says holding his head. Izzy stood in front of the mirror, flexing his arms. He stood only in his white underwear and did several different poses. "Get yer bloody clothes on boy"
"Oh, Pa' didn't see ya there"
"Of course not, jus' get ready boy"
John left the room and shut the door, heading back downstairs to where he had been getting his coffee. As soon as he reached the tops step of the staircase, Izzy darted past him, pants on and his shirt going over his head. "I'll see ya later Pa'" he said quickly pulling the shirt over his head and going straight for the door.
"Wait!" Izzy froze in his spot and turned towards John. "Yer not gonna given them teachers any trouble this year, understand?"
"I'll be as good as an angel Pa'" Izzy said giving him his best grin.
"That's what ya said last year"
"Last year wasn't my fault Pa'! The teacher was bloody insane!"
"At least wait a week before ya get sent to the office"
"Can't promise" The eight year old stated and grabbed the toast on the table, then ran out the door.
"Take my food and runs, I was makin' his" John grumbled and sat down at the table, reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee"
Izzy ran as fast as he could, until he arrived at the school. He slowed down a bit and walked across the parking lot, passing many of the younger kids that would be starting today. He glanced over and met eyes with one of the girls, who was refusing to get out of the car. Her mother was trying to convince her to come out. He stood there for a moment, a sadness sweeping over him, and looked at the girls mother, before moving on. Izzy then stopped and looked at the girl, who had been picked up by her mother, and met eyes with her.
He reached his group of friends on the stairs and stood with them. "Izzy! So ya decided to come back another year?"
"Pa' didn't wanna move mate, so I'm still 'ere" Izzy stated. His attention was suddenly drawn to the little girl again as she darted past the group and almost fell, his arms quickly reached out and caught her. Then the man ran up and took her into his arms.
"Thank ya sugah" A voice said after the other two had started walking away. He stood there for a moment before turning back to his friends.
"Man, what are you doing helping mutants?" one of the boys questioned.
"I'll help whoever I want, ya gonna stop me?" Izzy asked grabbing the boy by the collar of his shirt. He quickly shook his head. "Good, woulda been a mistake" he glared at them before making his way inside. He passes one of the Kindergarten classes and watched as the little girl he had seen early that day walk away and go with the teacher.
"Her names Desiree LeBeau, meh dad says a lot about her Mom and Dad" a voice said . "Heard ya helped Desiree right?" Izzy turned around to see his friend Ryan O'Connor.
"Ya" He says, "Yer bloody late"
"I know I know, Dad said we had trouble because of the damn mutants."
"What mutants?"
"Don't know, a few of them were being arrested for something on the way here, they got the street blocked off just incase they use their powers or something." Izzy remained silent. "Hey, ya should come to an FOH meeting with me this Friday"
"Don't have any reason to hate 'em"
"So you'd rather just leave mutants alone and let them try and get control of everything, come on, you've seen the news on how they terrorize normal people. They're freaks" The nine year old stated.
"And have ya seen the mutants who try and stop those other ones from hurtin' people, my Pa' talked to me about it, FOH isn't the right way to go mate"
"Whatever you say" Ryan states. "But I'm tellin ya now, I think it is, we need to get rid of 'em" Izzy only rolled his eyes and moved to the classroom.
Izzy went and sat in the back of the classroom, the corner closest to the door. After taking his backpack off he leaned forward and let his head rest on the desk. He slept awhile, not wanting to hear about rules the whole time. Unfortunately he was woken up midway through the rules about going out of the classroom. "Mr. Allerdyce how nice of you to join us"
"Ya interrupted my sleep lady"
"And your snoring interrupted my lesson."
"Couldn't ya have ignored it?" He asks.
"Stay awake Mr. Allerdyce or you will be sent to the office."
"An' we wouldn't want that to happen" he replied sarcastically. He leaned back in his chair and spent the next few minutes trying touch his tongue to his nose. "Do not leave the classroom without permission, do not speak out of turn, do not MOCK the teacher" Izzy mumbled to himself as the lady continued to speak. He propped his feet up on the desk and glanced at the clock. He sighed as he saw that it only read 11:15. Bringing his legs down to the floor again he leaned over a grabbed his backpack, rummaging through it until he found his pencil. Moving back to his previous position, he crossed his eyes and looked at the pencil as he tried to balance it on his nose.
The aussie boy glanced out the door, just in time to see Desiree take off running to catch up with her class, and then a loud 'smack' could be heard as a ruler hit Izzy's desk. "Mr. Allerdyce"
"What now?" He snaps. "Yer bothering me Sheila"
"That's it the office right now"
"What?"
"I will not have anybody disrespecting me young man"
Izzy stood up and walked out of the classroom with his backpack hanging over his left shoulder. The second grader glanced around and looked into the cafeteria spotting the little girl immediately. Instead of making the turn to the Principals office he went into the large room and sat down at a table. A few minutes later he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. "Is dere anehbodeh sittin' 'ere wit' y'?" The voice was soft and shy.
"No, ya wanna sit here?" He watched as she nodded and he returned it.
"Are y' hungreh?" Desiree questions him.
"No, I don't eat school lunches"
"I don't t'ink ah will neither" She says making a face. "Ah knew some part of school was evil, ah t'ought ah saw somet'ing move" She says pointing to the green beans.
"That's what I said when I saw it, Pa' makes my lunch now"
"Where are y' from, dats really funneh talk"
"I come from Oz,"
"Did ya eva meet Dorothy?" She asks innocently. Izzy stared at her blinking a few times.
"Ya, and I saw flying monkeys"
"Liar!" Desiree exclaimed while giggling. "Meh name is Desiree!" She says holding her hand out .
"Izzy"
"Nice t' meet y'" Desiree grins shaking his hand.
"Desiree, we're going back to class now"
"Ah gotta go, had fun" She says getting up in a hurry and throwing her food away. Izzy watched as she left and then got up and headed towards the office. The moment he sat down the principal walked out of the office.
"Mr. Allerdyce" He said. "Why are you here in my office the first day of class?"
"Teach was botherin' me mate" Izzy stated.
"I'm giving you a warning Isaac, I do not want to see you here anymore, now get back to class"
"Yes cap'ain" Izzy grinned and left the office immediately heading back to class.
"It's nice of you to join us Isaac, I presume?" The new teacher said.
"Righto ma'm" He answered sitting near the same place as in his other class. He was going to hate both his teachers, he knew it. Having them be like this was going to drive him insane.
"Well, we are headed to lunch now"
"OK" Izzy said shrugging and standing again. He was praying that he didn't have to sit through anymore rules.
As he walked to lunch Ryan walked up behind him. "Hey, ya wanna eat in the usual spot Iz?" The younger boy shrugged. "Ok meet ya there in a few minutes" Ryan disappeared into the crowd of people. Izzy rolled his eyes and went the opposite direction, sticking his hands in his pockets. He glanced out the window and saw a bunch of the younger kids playing outside.
"Hmm," He says and walks out the door to where he could see who was all out there. He didn't know any of them, except Christa, who was Ryan's little sister. He spotted her almost immediately, and then saw Desiree on the swing set by herself. Looking back at his friends and then back at her he walked out and towards her. "What her ya doin Sheila?" he questions.
"Didn' ah tell y' meh name was Desiree?" the younger girl said swinging back and forth.
"Call all girls that,"
"Well y' shouldn'"
"Hmm," He says walking around. "Doll!"
"What?"
"Doll, ya remind me of a Doll"
"Y' remind meh of dat Crocodile Hunter on T, he always sayin, 'Crikey dats a big Sheila'" Desiree said mimicking the television star. Izzy burst into a fit of laughter. "What!"
"He's a bloody wanker," Izzy stated. "Ya can't take him seriously ok?"
"Ok" Desiree shrugged and continued to swing. "Why do y' keep talkin' t' meh?"
"Don't know," Izzy shrugged. "Ya looked like ya wanted to talk to someone. What made ya talk to me earlier?"
"Ya looked lonely, an' felt sad"
"I didn't feel sad"
"Oui y' did!" Desiree exclaimed. "Ah don' lie"
"Ok ok."
"Ah don' lahke when people fell sad, it not good feelin'"
"Ya know a lot of stuff Doll" Izzy said "How old are ya?"
"Six, why?" She questions eyeing him carefully.
"Pa' says sometimes there are people smarter than they should be. He thinks I am, I just don't 'apply myself'"
"Mama an' Papa taught meh lotsa stuff when ah was still at home. Ah would learn stuff from Tante 'Ro 'Ro, she realleh smart, an' nahce"
"They all teach?"
"Mos'ly" She says smiling. "Y'r not lahke da othahs at da school, y'r realleh nahce"
"Ya think so?" He asked pushing the swing for her.
"Uh huh, y' da onleh one othah din Christa dat talk t' meh, an' she onleh ask 'bout meh picture" She says looking back and smiling at him. "In da morning, y' were sad when y' walk past meh mama, Papa an' meh, why?" She questions.
"Don't wanna talk about it Doll"
"It better t' talk, Mama always say dat"
"I don't want to ok," He snaps. "I have to go," He says rushing off. Desiree watched after him until he went inside before getting up and going to where the teacher was getting all the kids together.
Izzy stepped inside and sighed. He hated talking about his feelings like she wanted him to. He didn't understand why she knew, how she knew. But she did and it bugged him. Everybody already knew he didn't have a mom. Everybody knew his father. He didn't want to talk about his family like they were bad. They weren't. He wished he had a mother, but he didn't, and nobody needed to know about it.
"Hey Izzy" Ryan said walking up with a few boys, snapping Izzy out of his thoughts. "Thought ya were gonna meet up with us"
"Sorry mate, had ta talk ta someone"
"That's ok, c'mon we have a table over there."
Izzy sat there and listened to them all talk. He was bored, of course he wouldn't tell them that, because it was rude. He was lost in thought, he felt bad about snapping at Desiree now. He hardly knew her and it was bugging him. Ryan suddenly hit his arm to get his attention. They were heading back to class now. He stood up and walked with them, still not paying attention. Everything they said was always the same. 'They need to bloody well talk about something different' he thinks to himself before walking into the classroom and taking a seat.
"Before we went to lunch we weren't able to take role. So please answer here when I call your name." The teacher, Miss Wallis stated. "Young man please take your feet off the desk." No response. "Young man!" No answer. "What is your name?"
"Izzy, who ya?" he asks looking back at her.
"If you had been here before lunch you would know."
"Fine Sheila, Izzy don't want to know" The class laughed, a smirk formed on his face.
"Let me call roll" The teacher said not up for putting up with the boy at that very moment. "Amanda..."
"Here" a young red head girl said raising her hand.
"Isaac Allerdyce"
"Izzy" he stated raising his hand.
"Isaac I would like to see you after class"
"Call me Izzy" he stated and was ignored. The teacher went on with the role and then proceeded to the class rules. Izzy raised his hand to say something.
"Yes Isaac"
"Aye...we readin' anythin' 'bout fire?"
"No I don't think so."
"Is this class gonna be this borin' everyday"
"I sure hope not"
"Why aren't ya teachin' Sheila? The class is waitin'."
The teacher let out a slight sigh in frustration and walked up to the black board. "Now I hope you got that out of your system Mr. Allerdyce. I will not tolerate misconduct in my class room."
"Ma'm!" A boy raised his hand. "No offense Ma'm but that's what last years teacher said to him"
"Yep, she said that everyday" a girl spoke up. "She gave up soon enough"
"Well I will not"
"That's what they all say" Izzy grinned.
"Like I said Mr. Allerdyce, after class" Miss Wallis stated. She went on with her lesson and watched as Izzy carved drawings into his desk. When the class was finally dismissed she walked over to him. "Isaac?"
"Izzy, I go by Izzy, nobody calls me that but Pa'"
"Why is it you interrupt me during class?"
I don't know, your boring, this stuff is boring, why do I have to do this if I already know everything?" He asks. "Besides yer the one who stopped in class, I didn't force ya too"
"Does your Father know that the classes bore you?"
"Ya, he tells me just to deal with it and sit through the classes, make good grades, sooner ya work, sooner ya get done with school, he also says America shouldn't have summer time for everyone, it's crazy, we went to all year around in Oz"
"Did your Father teach you at home?"
"Sometimes" he answers continuing to draw in the desk.
"What's that?"
"A flame"
"You like fire?"
"Ya"
"Isaac,"
"Izzy ya mean"
"Where's your mother?"
"None of your bloody business!" Izzy suddenly jumped up yelling at her. He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the room. She sighed and looked down at the carving in the table, then back at the door.
Izzy moved quickly down the hallway towards the entrance of the school when he saw Desiree again. She was leaning against the wall crying. "Doll?"
"Leave meh 'lone!" She exclaims.
"Doll, it's Izzy"
"Go 'way!" She yelled at him. "Ah ain't da devil! Ah ain't no demon!" She yells covering her ears.
"Are ya talking about yer eyes Doll?"
"Go 'way!"
"They're beautiful, who said you were the devil? Who called ya that?"
"Jus', jus' leave meh alone!" She yells again. He sits down next to her and puts his arm around her. She leans onto his shoulder and starts crying again.
"Petite?" Remy asks running over to her.
"Papa!" She yells and he lifts her up into his arms.
"Sshh, it's ok Petite" He says kissing the side of her head. "What happen?" He questioned Izzy.
"I was walkin' by an' saw her cryin'" Izzy answered quickly.
"Thank ya for takin' care of her" Anna said coming up and kissing her daughters forehead. "Ya're that same boy that helped her earlier"
"Yes ma'm" He says shaking his head.
"T'ank y' boy" Remy says with a slight smile.
"I gotta git home" He says, his accent a bit thicker in his nervous state. He took off running down the hallway again.
