Wow, thanks for all the reviews guys! Seems everyone who's seen the story
has liked it. Yeah!!! Pats herself on the back. Anyway, here's the
next chapter.
This is an AU fic for the X-men movie characters. I don't own any of the Marvel character. Though, I do own John's sister and dad. So, with no further ado, I'll let the story do the talking for me. Enjoy and review!
Chapter 2
I tore through the halls and out the backdoor, escaping into the brisk autumn air. I kicked colorful leaves out of my way as I walked down one of the paths. So . . . what else is gonna go wrong today? Maybe the Hulk can burst out of the bushes and pound me into the dirt. That would be icing on the frickin' cake right about now! I kept moving, putting as much distance between me and the school as I could. As I emerged from the path, I took a sharp left down Main Street and headed toward the nearest convenience store.
It was open and full of people. Lunch rush. Trying to grab a soda and snack before heading back to work. I slipped in and out of the crowd fairly easily. Worked my way over to the cigarettes and lighters. I snatched a magazine on the way and leaned against the counter to scan it. Slipping a lighter between the pages was easy. It was much harder to unwrap it, though. I got one weird look from this suit-and-tie guy before it finally popped out. I slid it into my back pocket and reshelved the magazine. Then walked out, confident but aloof. No one batted an eye.
I hung around the street corner for a while, not having anywhere else to go. Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack. God, that sounded good. A lighter's like another hand for me. I can't live without one. I stayed there for a few hours, watching the people walk by. Wondering what they were going home to. Finally, I gritted my teeth and started home. School had been out for about 10 minutes when I reached the front door. The shades were drawn and I could hear the TV blaring in the front room. Mustering up the rest of my courage, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The smell of sweat and stale beer slapped me in the face. I flinched back, recovered, and shut the door. My Dad was sitting in his chair, flipping through the channels. He didn't even move as I walked in. I held my breath and moved to the stairs. I had one foot on the bottom step when he decided to join the rest of the world.
"What? No hello for your old man?"
I cursed my luck and looked over my shoulder. "Hi." I mumbled and climbed up another step.
"I got a call today from your school. Two actually, now that I think about it. They want me to come to some conference about you . . . God damn it! Look at me when I'm talking to you, ya little shit! Get down here!!!"
I flinched, biting my lip as I retraced my steps to the door. I moved over to stand in front of my Dad. He reached up and grabbed my arm. With a bruising force, he pulled me down so that I kneeled on the floor, my face no more than three inches from his.
"What the hell were you thinkin'?!?" The old beer rolled off his breath and hit me full in the face.
My instincts took over and I jerked backwards. My Dad snarled in fury and, with his free hand, smacked me across the face. I hid the wince of pain as he shook me hard.
"I said, what the hell were you thinkin'?!?" He screamed.
"I didn't do nothin', I swear. The teacher just flipped out is all. The new principal's a prick anyway."
Dad backhanded me again and changed his grip to the back of my neck, squeezing that pressure point.
"You watch your mouth, you piece of shit! Learn to respect your elders! You got that?!?"
I hissed in pain. "Yes, sir."
"You worthless son of a bitch, you're just a waste of my time. Why didn't I just drown you when you were a baby? Get out of my sight before I really lose my temper."
With that, he released my neck and gave me one more smack for good measure. I fell back onto the floor, but quickly scrambled to my feet and up the stairs. My face felt like it was on fire. I walked to my room, kicking an empty beer can out of the middle of the hall as I went. My sister stuck her head out of our bathroom and cocked an eyebrow in my direction. She was putting on her make-up already. Heavy eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick added a few years to her appearance. Calf-high boots, fishnets, a red miniskirt, and a black tube-top completed her outfit. She had one hoop earring in and the other in her hand.
"What's the matter with you?" She asked.
"Nothin'."
"Whatever. Some crap came in the mail for you. I put it on your bed. Ya know, you really should clean that room. You can barely see the floor."
I glared over at her. "If I clean it, it wouldn't fit in with the rest of the house. You don't like it, stay out of my room."
"Jeez, touchy, touchy." She put in her other earring and fastened a choker necklace around her throat. "I'm going out. I don't think there's anything in the fridge still, and I'm broke. Have fun."
With that she picked up a mini backpack-purse and disappeared down the stairs. I sighed and went into my room. She's right. It is a pig sty. I stepped over piles of clothes, trash, and my skateboard to make it to the bed. Well . . . small rooms fill up fast. My room used to be the hall closet. I fell backwards onto my bed. A muffled crunch reminded me of the mail that was waiting. I shifted slightly and pulled it out from under my back. I held them up to try and read the addresses. School . . . school . . . magazine offer . . . bill . . . bill . . . and somethin' else.
I sat up to look at the mystery letter. It was nice, as far as envelopes go, with gold lettering in the corner. I furrowed my brow in concentration. Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I suppressed a laugh. Gifted Youngsters? Yeah, I think they got the wrong address. For the sake of curiosity, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a letter and RSVP form. I set the form down and unfolded the letter.
Dear Mr. Allerdyce,
I am pleased to tell you that Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters has extended an invitation to you. We invite you to come up to our New York campus and have a look around. Please send the RSVP form as soon as possible to notify us of your arrival date. Housing and meals shall be provided for you and your family.
Congratulations again on your invitation. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Professor Charles Xavier
I leaned back against the wall and pulled out my new lighter. Click, clack. Click, clack. What kinda joke is this? Does this gifted school even exist? Doesn't really matter anyway. Even if this place was real and they wanted me to attend, it was never gonna happen. For many, many reasons. The two most important being: we can't afford it; and Dad would never let me go, let alone visit the campus. But still . . . a real gifted boarding school contacted me. Said they wanted me. I closed my eyes, escaping into a fantasy world for a while. Until Dad called me downstairs again.
We were out of beer. The end of the world, I'm sure. So, of course, I was sent out to get more. A little difficult, considering I'm 16 and have no money. And stealing beer from a store is much harder than stealing a lighter. I couldn't even bribe someone to buy it for me. I had nothing to bribe with! I walked around our block once or twice, trying to think of a way. Finally, I decided restaurants or bars would be the easiest. Steal one or two from several different places to make up at least a case.
This is an AU fic for the X-men movie characters. I don't own any of the Marvel character. Though, I do own John's sister and dad. So, with no further ado, I'll let the story do the talking for me. Enjoy and review!
Chapter 2
I tore through the halls and out the backdoor, escaping into the brisk autumn air. I kicked colorful leaves out of my way as I walked down one of the paths. So . . . what else is gonna go wrong today? Maybe the Hulk can burst out of the bushes and pound me into the dirt. That would be icing on the frickin' cake right about now! I kept moving, putting as much distance between me and the school as I could. As I emerged from the path, I took a sharp left down Main Street and headed toward the nearest convenience store.
It was open and full of people. Lunch rush. Trying to grab a soda and snack before heading back to work. I slipped in and out of the crowd fairly easily. Worked my way over to the cigarettes and lighters. I snatched a magazine on the way and leaned against the counter to scan it. Slipping a lighter between the pages was easy. It was much harder to unwrap it, though. I got one weird look from this suit-and-tie guy before it finally popped out. I slid it into my back pocket and reshelved the magazine. Then walked out, confident but aloof. No one batted an eye.
I hung around the street corner for a while, not having anywhere else to go. Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack. God, that sounded good. A lighter's like another hand for me. I can't live without one. I stayed there for a few hours, watching the people walk by. Wondering what they were going home to. Finally, I gritted my teeth and started home. School had been out for about 10 minutes when I reached the front door. The shades were drawn and I could hear the TV blaring in the front room. Mustering up the rest of my courage, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The smell of sweat and stale beer slapped me in the face. I flinched back, recovered, and shut the door. My Dad was sitting in his chair, flipping through the channels. He didn't even move as I walked in. I held my breath and moved to the stairs. I had one foot on the bottom step when he decided to join the rest of the world.
"What? No hello for your old man?"
I cursed my luck and looked over my shoulder. "Hi." I mumbled and climbed up another step.
"I got a call today from your school. Two actually, now that I think about it. They want me to come to some conference about you . . . God damn it! Look at me when I'm talking to you, ya little shit! Get down here!!!"
I flinched, biting my lip as I retraced my steps to the door. I moved over to stand in front of my Dad. He reached up and grabbed my arm. With a bruising force, he pulled me down so that I kneeled on the floor, my face no more than three inches from his.
"What the hell were you thinkin'?!?" The old beer rolled off his breath and hit me full in the face.
My instincts took over and I jerked backwards. My Dad snarled in fury and, with his free hand, smacked me across the face. I hid the wince of pain as he shook me hard.
"I said, what the hell were you thinkin'?!?" He screamed.
"I didn't do nothin', I swear. The teacher just flipped out is all. The new principal's a prick anyway."
Dad backhanded me again and changed his grip to the back of my neck, squeezing that pressure point.
"You watch your mouth, you piece of shit! Learn to respect your elders! You got that?!?"
I hissed in pain. "Yes, sir."
"You worthless son of a bitch, you're just a waste of my time. Why didn't I just drown you when you were a baby? Get out of my sight before I really lose my temper."
With that, he released my neck and gave me one more smack for good measure. I fell back onto the floor, but quickly scrambled to my feet and up the stairs. My face felt like it was on fire. I walked to my room, kicking an empty beer can out of the middle of the hall as I went. My sister stuck her head out of our bathroom and cocked an eyebrow in my direction. She was putting on her make-up already. Heavy eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick added a few years to her appearance. Calf-high boots, fishnets, a red miniskirt, and a black tube-top completed her outfit. She had one hoop earring in and the other in her hand.
"What's the matter with you?" She asked.
"Nothin'."
"Whatever. Some crap came in the mail for you. I put it on your bed. Ya know, you really should clean that room. You can barely see the floor."
I glared over at her. "If I clean it, it wouldn't fit in with the rest of the house. You don't like it, stay out of my room."
"Jeez, touchy, touchy." She put in her other earring and fastened a choker necklace around her throat. "I'm going out. I don't think there's anything in the fridge still, and I'm broke. Have fun."
With that she picked up a mini backpack-purse and disappeared down the stairs. I sighed and went into my room. She's right. It is a pig sty. I stepped over piles of clothes, trash, and my skateboard to make it to the bed. Well . . . small rooms fill up fast. My room used to be the hall closet. I fell backwards onto my bed. A muffled crunch reminded me of the mail that was waiting. I shifted slightly and pulled it out from under my back. I held them up to try and read the addresses. School . . . school . . . magazine offer . . . bill . . . bill . . . and somethin' else.
I sat up to look at the mystery letter. It was nice, as far as envelopes go, with gold lettering in the corner. I furrowed my brow in concentration. Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I suppressed a laugh. Gifted Youngsters? Yeah, I think they got the wrong address. For the sake of curiosity, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a letter and RSVP form. I set the form down and unfolded the letter.
Dear Mr. Allerdyce,
I am pleased to tell you that Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters has extended an invitation to you. We invite you to come up to our New York campus and have a look around. Please send the RSVP form as soon as possible to notify us of your arrival date. Housing and meals shall be provided for you and your family.
Congratulations again on your invitation. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Professor Charles Xavier
I leaned back against the wall and pulled out my new lighter. Click, clack. Click, clack. What kinda joke is this? Does this gifted school even exist? Doesn't really matter anyway. Even if this place was real and they wanted me to attend, it was never gonna happen. For many, many reasons. The two most important being: we can't afford it; and Dad would never let me go, let alone visit the campus. But still . . . a real gifted boarding school contacted me. Said they wanted me. I closed my eyes, escaping into a fantasy world for a while. Until Dad called me downstairs again.
We were out of beer. The end of the world, I'm sure. So, of course, I was sent out to get more. A little difficult, considering I'm 16 and have no money. And stealing beer from a store is much harder than stealing a lighter. I couldn't even bribe someone to buy it for me. I had nothing to bribe with! I walked around our block once or twice, trying to think of a way. Finally, I decided restaurants or bars would be the easiest. Steal one or two from several different places to make up at least a case.