Chapter 2: Friend?
Robet had found another alley to sleep in that night, none of the police found them there. Samantha woke up without a recolition of what happened to her, or what she did. Robert had to explain it to her. They had nothing once more, after the time they took to make their house, and the amount of food they had stashed. But they were getting used to things like this happening to them.
"So what now?" Samantha asked worriedly.
"I don't know, you're the older one..."
"Okay...well I guess we'll have to re-build a shelter."
"What? No! That took forever last time... I'm tired of living like this!"
"Well what do you think we're mutants... there's nowhere for us to go." Samantha trailed off sadly.
" I guess I'll start collecting boxes..." Robert said sadly, half-heartedly.
"Okay, I'll get us something to eat for tonight." Samantha said as if it wasn't a problem.
Robert hated when she had that attitude."Why can't we buy clothes again?" Robert asked, looking over the rags he was wearing. "You could just disarm the Mutant Detectors..." "That's the least important thing we need right now, we only have twenty bucks left anyway, enough for food."
"And what're going to do when we run out of money?"
"I...I..I don't know..." Samantha said fearfully. "Steal?"
"As heavily guarded as those places are nowadays? Yeah right!" " Just go find something to make our house out of..." Samantha said, not really wanting to discuss what would happen when they ran out of money. "Fine!" Robert said angrily, and walked out of the alley, on his new quest.
Samantha sighed. She had to use her brains, in order for everything to work out. She only had a fifth grade education, but she was still smarter than most people. She tried to be the mortherly figure in Robert's life, but he never accepted her as it, after he found their mother dead in their house. Robert had pretty closed up to anyone for some reason, she was the only one he even had in his life.
Dwelling on these thoughts, Samantha was walking past a shop, ignoring the disgusted looks the others were giving her, when she heard the word mutant. Samantha suddenly became alarmed, fearing someone knew, when she realized it was coming from the T.V. store. A news program to be exact. A small group of people stood around it, muttering angrily. Samntha stood and watched.
" Hello, I'm Greta Van Sustren, here in New York. Today, we're exploring what is left of this mutant school, which was destroyed last year. Their leader, Charles Xavier, presumed dead, was never found. The local police have been finding small groups of mutants lately, and have been taking immediate action against them. Wait...(the camrea flies to the side of her) it appears a mutant freedom protest is taking place, the riot squad is here (the poeple are holding up signs suggesting mutants freedom, and such). This is Greta Van Sustren, Fox News..."
Samantha backed away, somewhat amazed. She didn't even know anybody wanted her free. If only they could find a mutant school like that... or even other mutants. She knew they couldn't have been too isolated, especially in L.A.Samatha took a deep sigh at the situation.
Samantha continued walking down the sidewalk, until she came to the little store on the corner, Mario's. She waved her hands, the mutant detector died out with a crack, and a small fizzle. Samantha walked in casually and walked down an aisle, when somebody grabbed her arm. She swung around and punched the guy in the face, he stumbled back, stunned. Samatha stood ready for him to come again.
"WAIT!" The man yelled, not wanting to get punched again.
"Why?" Samantha said coldly.
"Cause... I saw you at the entrence...what you did..."
Samantha stood bewildered. She didn't think she had moved her hands enough for anyone to even notice.
"Wha? How...? Please don't tell anyone...or else..." Samantha said, worried at first, but realizing she could kill him before he could, her confidence regained.
"No, no, no you got me wrong. I want to help you. Look." The man touched a box on the shelf, frost spread across it, and soon, it was incased in ice.
"You're a mutant too?" Samantha said dropping her guard.
"Yes...the name's Bobby. Bobby Drake." He threw out his hand, Samamtha shook it, a cold chill went up her arm.
"Samantha...that's all you need to know. How are you gonna help me, i'm broke, I'm sure you are too." Samantha said, skeptical that he could help.
" Actually I have a few hundred dollars, and an apartment room." Bobby said, amused by the stunned look on Samamtha's face.
" How did you accomplish that?" Samantha said astonished.
"Lets just say I have friends in high places. We'd better discuss this elsewhere though." Bobby said, pointing to the person looking at the frozen box of Cheerios.
"Good idea. Let's go." Said the distracted Samantha.
Once outside, they continued their conversation, walking back towards the alley.
"So...what else can you help us...I mean me with?"
"Us? You have found another mutant?"
" No he's my brother. We've been through a lot together."
" No problem. I'll take care of you both. But honestly, what I wanted to talk to you about, is about one of those mutant schools. Have you heard of one of those before?"
"Yeah actually, I just did about ten minutes ago. One up in New York. But that one supposedly was destroyed."
Bobby's face suddenly changed, as if he was having a flashback.
"Yeah good times...good times... anyway, those higher friends I was talking about have had me recruiting people lately. Nobody, mutant nor human, know about the mutant school in L.A. There we have food, other mutants, and shelter. All the comforts of before the humans went to war with us. Will you join us?" Bobby said, cutting the crap.
"Hell yea! When can we leave?" Samantha said with a twinkle in her eye.
"Hahahaha...glad to hear it...you can leave tonight I guess. I'll hang around until you guy's are done then."
Samantha sprinted back to the alley, and saw Robert drop a pile of boxes and scrap metal.
"Hey! Where's the food?" Robert said confusingly.
"Robert. I got good news" She said just as Bobby walked in the alley.
She explained to Robert everything, he was overjoyed. Samantha thought to herself, "Is this it? Will we be truly happy at last?" Tears of joy ran down her face, leaving marks on her cheek where it cleaned off the grime on her face.