The students rushed about the halls, hurrying to make it to their
next class without being late. Some giggled, some spoke in hushed whispers,
and not one of them noticed a broken Lily darting between them to her room.
She slammed her door, and dropped to her bed, driving her face into her
pillow so she didn't have to see anyone who walked in, or hear them. She
could tell that the door opened, but ignored the nearly inaudible voices
that came and went.
John stood near the gate, one foot up on his suitcase, thinking. The door opened, and Logan walked out.
"Pyro? Hey, I wanna talk to you." He rolled his eyes.
"What's up?"
"Have fun with Magneto?"
"Yea."
"More than what you have with Lily?" John pushed off the wall.
"Shit, man, don't start. I gave her the option of coming with me, and she said no."
"She said no because she wants you to stay here, so she can finish her last year. Do you know how hard she's worked for people to at least respect some of the things she does? You don't, because you left too soon."
"Logan, dude, back off. I already talked to her about this."
"Yea, but did you listen?" he asked, looking at John. John looked back, and paused, slightly confused.
"Uh."
"That's what I thought. Just thought I'd come out let you know. Have fun in Nevada," he said, turned, and headed back inside.
Lily sat down in the classroom, which was empty except for a student across the room, a girl. She stood, and headed over.
"Hey, Lily." the girl said. She looked up.
"Hey, Melissa." she said, softly. Her voice had lost its emphasis, its strength. It was flat, and broken. Melissa looked at her.
"You okay?" she asked. Lily shrugged.
"John's leaving again. Going to Nevada, supposedly, this time. But he wanted me to come with him.."
"Why don't you go?"
"I want to stay here, finish my last year. But he just didn't want to stay anymore. He told me this was a prison, not a home.But he didn't get thrown in here when he was young, without any say, without any knowledge of what was going on. He was at least ten before he showed up. I've been here nearly twelve years. I just couldn't leave yet. So.if I still love him in a year, I'll go to Nevada and find him, but.I'm not sure anymore." Her eyes dropped to the pen in her hand, that she'd been tapping rhythmically since she sat down, nearly fifteen minutes ago. Shrugging, she looked up as students began to flood into the room, followed by Storm.
"Alright, guys, settle down. It's time for class," she said as the bell rang. Lily pulled open her notebook, and rested her chin in her hand. Storm lifted her chalk, and began to write on the board. Lily took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment, hoping the pain in her temple would go away.
John took a breath, himself, and started out of the gate.
"If she wants to be with me, she'll come find me," he muttered. "I'll write her when I get settled, anyway. She won't have much searching to do." John began down the sidewalk, carrying his suitcase in his left hand. He ran his fingers thru his hair, shaking his head, trying not to feel guilty.
"Okay, class.who can tell me who Charles Darwin is?" Storm asked. Lily's eyes were still closed, but she listened, while the pain slowly vanished. "Yes, Rogue?"
"Uh.didn't he.come up with a theory of evolution?" Storm nodded.
"Yes." Lily felt her face grow warm, and, pulled her head back, slowly, from her hand. Reaching up, she pressed her fingers against her forehead. It was hot, so she stuck her hand in the air. "Lily?"
"Can I go see Jean? I don't feel well."
"Sure." Lily gathered her books, and walked from the room, slightly lightheaded. She headed down the hallway, and had only just passed the front door on her way to the elevator, when she stumbled, and paused, grabbing the wall. Logan walked from a room down the hall, and nodded.
"Hey, Lily." She lifted her head, faintly hearing his voice, and closed her eyes. Her books fell to the floor, and she collapsed, laying on her back on the floor. Lily felt her face begin to burn, as her fingers began to freeze, and struggled to press her fingers against her face. Logan lifted her from the floor, and headed to the elevator quickly.
Lily's eyes shot open, and she found herself staring at a slightly fuzzy image of the lab in the basement. Jean leaned over her, and smiled.
"Hi, Lily. Glad your awake." She took a breath.
"What happened?"
"You have the flu, Lily. It's slightly different when mutants catch it than the normal humans, and you just got a split feeling before you collapsed. It hit you all at once, and it usually doesn't do that. You just have the flu." Lily pushed herself up, and looked around.
"Anything you want me to take?"
"This," she said, holding out a little bottle of medicine. Lily nodded.
"Can I go upstairs and lay down now?"
"Of course."
"Thanks." Lily carefully dropped her feet to the floor, and headed to the elevator, then onto her room, where she laid down under the covers, and closed her eyes.
Lily stood up, in the middle of the night, and, silent as a mouse, slipped from her room. She headed down the hallway, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, and walked right out the front door, tugging her jacket over her shoulders. Knowing she might get in trouble for leaving the school at this time of night, she ran quickly to the gate, slipping out, and headed down the sidewalk, towards the bus station, hoping that someone there would recognize her picture of John, and tell her where he went. Part way there, she stopped.
"This is stupid.Why am I chasing him? He wouldn't stay here, even for a year, for me. I shouldn't be willing to do a search for him." Shaking her head, she turned, and walked into the Starbucks across the street. She ordered a coffee, and sat down, to drink it.
"Well.you snuck out too, eh?" a voice asked. She looked up, setting her drink down, and rolled her eyes at Bobby. He pointed to a chair. "You mind?"
"Go ahead.what're you doin' out this late?"
"Walking. You?" She shrugged.
".walking. Thinking. Figured that, since I couldn't sleep, I'd get some coffee.and I hate the stuff at school." He nodded.
"Yeah.me too." She took a breath, and sipped her coffee, looking up at the clock. After a moment, she crushed her empty cup, and stood.
"We should be getting back." He nodded, standing, and followed her out the door.
Lily pushed open the front door, and looked around, then motioned for Bobby to follow her in, closing the door and locking it again. Silently, she tiptoed down the hall, mouthed "Goodnight" to Bobby, and slipped quietly to her room, laying down and closing her eyes. Of course, she now had caffeine running thru her system, so she couldn't sleep, but she did just lay there.
Lily wandered down the hallway, hands jammed into her pockets, and knocked on Storm's door. She'd planned on getting her homework assignment, since she missed class the day before, and waved as Storm opened the door.
"Yes, Lily?"
"Uh, what was the assignment yesterday?" she asked, looking up, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear. It hung limply against her face and shoulders that morning. She had run a brush thru it, but didn't bother to style it or put it up, so it didn't look as great as she wanted. Storm smiled.
"It was just to study. We're going to have a test on Friday." Lily nodded.
"Thanks." Storm nodded, and closed her door behind her as she headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. Lily took a breath, and headed outside. She wasn't in the mood to study, or eat breakfast, or do pretty much anything. All Lily wanted was to feel.wanted. She headed over to the trees, and wandered into the woods, eyes locked on the ground, as she walked between them, and around them, and further and further from the school. Finally, she sighed, and grabbed hold of a branch on a tree near her, pulling herself up, climbing higher and higher towards the top. She stopped, and looked down, seeing the kids hanging out on the grounds. She spotted Scott, Jean, Storm, Logan, and Nightcrawler going around, checking on the students, making sure no one was getting hurt. As she moved her head, she caught sight of someone coming up on the gate, and, quickly, climbed down from the tree, and ran from the trees, skidding to a halt on the edge of the woods. Cracking her knuckles, she headed across the concrete, nodding over to Rogue and Bobby, who waved, and stepped up to the gate, looking around. She couldn't see anyone.
It pained her to think she'd seen something that wasn't really there.someone who wasn't really there. She lowered her hands from the gate, shaking her head, and walked over to the wall, ready to just sit there, and entertain herself by scratching things into the ground with her pocketknife. Sighing, she sat down, snapping open the knife, and began to scratch out a swastika, then create a divided box from it. She shook her head, closing it, and stood, scraping her shoe over the design. Stepping back over, Lily took hold of the gate again, and looked out, praying this time she'd see the person she'd seen from the tree. Nothing.
Lily felt a tear on her cheek as she stepped back, right into someone. She held up her hands, her eyes closed, as she began to turn around.
"Sorry." she said, softly, and began to walk away, when she felt the hands on her shoulders pushing her against the wall. Her eyes shot open as his lips slammed against hers, and his hands pressed against both sides of her face. She pushed him back, and looked at him, wide-eyed. "John?"
John stood near the gate, one foot up on his suitcase, thinking. The door opened, and Logan walked out.
"Pyro? Hey, I wanna talk to you." He rolled his eyes.
"What's up?"
"Have fun with Magneto?"
"Yea."
"More than what you have with Lily?" John pushed off the wall.
"Shit, man, don't start. I gave her the option of coming with me, and she said no."
"She said no because she wants you to stay here, so she can finish her last year. Do you know how hard she's worked for people to at least respect some of the things she does? You don't, because you left too soon."
"Logan, dude, back off. I already talked to her about this."
"Yea, but did you listen?" he asked, looking at John. John looked back, and paused, slightly confused.
"Uh."
"That's what I thought. Just thought I'd come out let you know. Have fun in Nevada," he said, turned, and headed back inside.
Lily sat down in the classroom, which was empty except for a student across the room, a girl. She stood, and headed over.
"Hey, Lily." the girl said. She looked up.
"Hey, Melissa." she said, softly. Her voice had lost its emphasis, its strength. It was flat, and broken. Melissa looked at her.
"You okay?" she asked. Lily shrugged.
"John's leaving again. Going to Nevada, supposedly, this time. But he wanted me to come with him.."
"Why don't you go?"
"I want to stay here, finish my last year. But he just didn't want to stay anymore. He told me this was a prison, not a home.But he didn't get thrown in here when he was young, without any say, without any knowledge of what was going on. He was at least ten before he showed up. I've been here nearly twelve years. I just couldn't leave yet. So.if I still love him in a year, I'll go to Nevada and find him, but.I'm not sure anymore." Her eyes dropped to the pen in her hand, that she'd been tapping rhythmically since she sat down, nearly fifteen minutes ago. Shrugging, she looked up as students began to flood into the room, followed by Storm.
"Alright, guys, settle down. It's time for class," she said as the bell rang. Lily pulled open her notebook, and rested her chin in her hand. Storm lifted her chalk, and began to write on the board. Lily took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment, hoping the pain in her temple would go away.
John took a breath, himself, and started out of the gate.
"If she wants to be with me, she'll come find me," he muttered. "I'll write her when I get settled, anyway. She won't have much searching to do." John began down the sidewalk, carrying his suitcase in his left hand. He ran his fingers thru his hair, shaking his head, trying not to feel guilty.
"Okay, class.who can tell me who Charles Darwin is?" Storm asked. Lily's eyes were still closed, but she listened, while the pain slowly vanished. "Yes, Rogue?"
"Uh.didn't he.come up with a theory of evolution?" Storm nodded.
"Yes." Lily felt her face grow warm, and, pulled her head back, slowly, from her hand. Reaching up, she pressed her fingers against her forehead. It was hot, so she stuck her hand in the air. "Lily?"
"Can I go see Jean? I don't feel well."
"Sure." Lily gathered her books, and walked from the room, slightly lightheaded. She headed down the hallway, and had only just passed the front door on her way to the elevator, when she stumbled, and paused, grabbing the wall. Logan walked from a room down the hall, and nodded.
"Hey, Lily." She lifted her head, faintly hearing his voice, and closed her eyes. Her books fell to the floor, and she collapsed, laying on her back on the floor. Lily felt her face begin to burn, as her fingers began to freeze, and struggled to press her fingers against her face. Logan lifted her from the floor, and headed to the elevator quickly.
Lily's eyes shot open, and she found herself staring at a slightly fuzzy image of the lab in the basement. Jean leaned over her, and smiled.
"Hi, Lily. Glad your awake." She took a breath.
"What happened?"
"You have the flu, Lily. It's slightly different when mutants catch it than the normal humans, and you just got a split feeling before you collapsed. It hit you all at once, and it usually doesn't do that. You just have the flu." Lily pushed herself up, and looked around.
"Anything you want me to take?"
"This," she said, holding out a little bottle of medicine. Lily nodded.
"Can I go upstairs and lay down now?"
"Of course."
"Thanks." Lily carefully dropped her feet to the floor, and headed to the elevator, then onto her room, where she laid down under the covers, and closed her eyes.
Lily stood up, in the middle of the night, and, silent as a mouse, slipped from her room. She headed down the hallway, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, and walked right out the front door, tugging her jacket over her shoulders. Knowing she might get in trouble for leaving the school at this time of night, she ran quickly to the gate, slipping out, and headed down the sidewalk, towards the bus station, hoping that someone there would recognize her picture of John, and tell her where he went. Part way there, she stopped.
"This is stupid.Why am I chasing him? He wouldn't stay here, even for a year, for me. I shouldn't be willing to do a search for him." Shaking her head, she turned, and walked into the Starbucks across the street. She ordered a coffee, and sat down, to drink it.
"Well.you snuck out too, eh?" a voice asked. She looked up, setting her drink down, and rolled her eyes at Bobby. He pointed to a chair. "You mind?"
"Go ahead.what're you doin' out this late?"
"Walking. You?" She shrugged.
".walking. Thinking. Figured that, since I couldn't sleep, I'd get some coffee.and I hate the stuff at school." He nodded.
"Yeah.me too." She took a breath, and sipped her coffee, looking up at the clock. After a moment, she crushed her empty cup, and stood.
"We should be getting back." He nodded, standing, and followed her out the door.
Lily pushed open the front door, and looked around, then motioned for Bobby to follow her in, closing the door and locking it again. Silently, she tiptoed down the hall, mouthed "Goodnight" to Bobby, and slipped quietly to her room, laying down and closing her eyes. Of course, she now had caffeine running thru her system, so she couldn't sleep, but she did just lay there.
Lily wandered down the hallway, hands jammed into her pockets, and knocked on Storm's door. She'd planned on getting her homework assignment, since she missed class the day before, and waved as Storm opened the door.
"Yes, Lily?"
"Uh, what was the assignment yesterday?" she asked, looking up, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear. It hung limply against her face and shoulders that morning. She had run a brush thru it, but didn't bother to style it or put it up, so it didn't look as great as she wanted. Storm smiled.
"It was just to study. We're going to have a test on Friday." Lily nodded.
"Thanks." Storm nodded, and closed her door behind her as she headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. Lily took a breath, and headed outside. She wasn't in the mood to study, or eat breakfast, or do pretty much anything. All Lily wanted was to feel.wanted. She headed over to the trees, and wandered into the woods, eyes locked on the ground, as she walked between them, and around them, and further and further from the school. Finally, she sighed, and grabbed hold of a branch on a tree near her, pulling herself up, climbing higher and higher towards the top. She stopped, and looked down, seeing the kids hanging out on the grounds. She spotted Scott, Jean, Storm, Logan, and Nightcrawler going around, checking on the students, making sure no one was getting hurt. As she moved her head, she caught sight of someone coming up on the gate, and, quickly, climbed down from the tree, and ran from the trees, skidding to a halt on the edge of the woods. Cracking her knuckles, she headed across the concrete, nodding over to Rogue and Bobby, who waved, and stepped up to the gate, looking around. She couldn't see anyone.
It pained her to think she'd seen something that wasn't really there.someone who wasn't really there. She lowered her hands from the gate, shaking her head, and walked over to the wall, ready to just sit there, and entertain herself by scratching things into the ground with her pocketknife. Sighing, she sat down, snapping open the knife, and began to scratch out a swastika, then create a divided box from it. She shook her head, closing it, and stood, scraping her shoe over the design. Stepping back over, Lily took hold of the gate again, and looked out, praying this time she'd see the person she'd seen from the tree. Nothing.
Lily felt a tear on her cheek as she stepped back, right into someone. She held up her hands, her eyes closed, as she began to turn around.
"Sorry." she said, softly, and began to walk away, when she felt the hands on her shoulders pushing her against the wall. Her eyes shot open as his lips slammed against hers, and his hands pressed against both sides of her face. She pushed him back, and looked at him, wide-eyed. "John?"