Title: Todd
Author: Hebi R.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution. As Todd might say, 'nuff said.
't's hard bein' in love. Worse when you're like me, or Freddy, or even Lance. It hurts.
You'd think Lance'd have it easy. He looks human, an' he can control his powers mosta the time. That Kitty girl barely gives him the time of day, though. Yeah, I know he tried to get her ta use her powers for him once, 'an he scared her, but he said he was sorry. He's been tryin' not ta scare her. The guy just wants her ta look at him as if he were halfway decent, instead of like people look at me. Like he's lower than her or somethin'. He's always watchin' out for her, an' she don't even care. Gets me mad sometimes.
Freddy's got it bad too. He's got a thing for Boom-Boom. Tabitha, y'know? I gotta say, I can see why. Tabs ain't like Kitty. She treated us the same as she treats them X-Geeks. Like we're normal. Tabs never flinched away from me, or glared at me for snappin' up my food as soon as it was on the plate. She helped Freddy find some cookbooks for that vegetarian crud. She's pretty, but that ain't why he likes her. Freddy likes her because she don't think she's too pretty for people like us.
Despite his size, Freddy is the only one outta all of us that might actually get a girlfriend. He and Tabs did go ta that dance together. Yeah, she danced with me a bunch too, so I wouldn't look like some pathetic wallflower, but she wasn't really my date. An' once, when we were all watchin' TV, she fell asleep on his shoulder. Snuggled right up ta him. Freddy blushed so much, he turned bright red. He kinda reminded me of a tomato, an' I know I wasn't the only one, but we didn't say nuthin' about it. Good that somebody's happy, right?
I don't think I'm gonna be that lucky. Wanda never sleeps where someone might see her. She don't like to be helpless around people. I know she thinks I'm gross. Compared ta her, I'm real weak. That might be the only thing that gives me a shot. Wanda don't like strong guys ta get too close ta her. She starts flinchin' like someone's gonna hit her. It makes me wanna break inta that nuthouse she was in an' stat smashin' some of them' orderlies for whatever they did ta her there. She knows I'm not like that. I'm too weak ta be a threat ta her. Maybe that's why, even though she don't like me much, she don't smash me when I wake her up from a nightmare.
A few nights ago, she had her worst nightmare yet. I'm surprised she didn't wake the whole house up, she was screamin' so loud. From what she yelled, I think it was a memory of some crazy guy back at the nuthouse. He was tryin' ta hurt her, an' she was all scared an' beggin' her dad ta' save her. When I woke her up, she actually grabbed me. Started sobbin' inta my shirt, an' kept sobbin until she cried herself back ta sleep. That's whay I don't care if she likes me or not. She needs me, so I'm gonna be there for her, even if I'm just her punchin' bag and wake-up call. I love her.