Chapter Three

Dinner with a Show

Disclaimer – I do not own X-Men or anything else you might recognize.

This was going to be one long car ride.

You'd think that two supposed mutants would have something interesting to talk about. You know, like… well I don't know. But something! Even the weather. I could have put up with a nice moving conversation about glaciers melting; it would have been far better than what I had to deal with.

Silence.

Except for their classical 'music', and I use the term lightly.

Now don't get me wrong, I love classical music. I actually have a few cds of it packed away to listen to on occasion. It's great stuff to put on when you're working on homework or don't really want to listen to words. But the stuff they had wasn't what I call the fun stuff. This was the old, real classical stuff.

Definitely not something that I would call crusin' music.

So I tried to turn up my music louder and withheld a sigh when I found that the volume dial was as far up as it could physically go. I sat back to enjoy the scenery... which was mostly trees and houses every minute or so. The scenery here was even less interesting than the view we had around home. And I thought that was impossible.

About an hour and a half away from our hotel destination my batteries died! And to top it all off we were in the middle of the freakin' highway so there was nowhere to stop for me to get batteries.

Though I probably would have held onto my pride and not have asked them to stop in the first place.

Now all I had to look at were the cars speeding by us – on both sides of the highway… Mrs. Summers wasn't a speed-demon by any stretch of the imagination.

I sighed heavily and sat back; welcoming the comfort from sinking into the plush dark grey leather seats... did I mention that classical music makes me sleepy? And the seats in this car were heated.

Much to my dismay, I could feel my eyelids growing heavy, and it was becoming harder and harder to focus on the headlights of the passing cars. I fought valiantly to keep them open. I don't really like sleeping in front of strangers, I've always hated the idea of people watching me while I was asleep, the fact that I don't know them well just makes it worse. Despite my distrust, I laid across the back seat and tried to get as comfy as I possibly could, it's not like there was anything else for me to do. The two of them were too busy watching the highway to look back at me, I decided, sinking back even farther into the upholstery.

My shoulder length black and red hair fanned out over the seat and surrounded my face, hiding me from the rest of the world. I used my right arm as a semi-comfortable pillow and drifted back into the world of dreams where I could forget about all of this supposed mutant business. Right now my dreams were making more sense than reality, and seeing as how I dream of flying hamsters and saving the world with a magic pickle, the thought wasn't all too reassuring.

I was able to form one last coherent thought before drifting off to sleep.

How did I know that they weren't lying to me, and all of this was just a clever kidnapping plot?

Oh crap.

Ah well.

Sleep is calling.

"Marlee, Marlee wake up."

I was being violently shaken out of my deep slumber.

"Mmm…" I groaned in protest, "five more minutes."

"Marlee, wake up, we're here."

"Gram…I don't wanna go to school today…" I buried my head deeper into my… leather seat? That was most definitely not my bed. At that was definitely not my grandmother's voice.

I shot straight up in my seat to see Mrs. Summers smiling down at me, laughing at my actions.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

I looked at her, though not actually 'seeing' her, blinked a couple of times and screamed in her face. She was just a little taken aback at that.

I stopped yelling after a second or two, realizing that I was not in any imminent danger. I tried to regain my composure. I had only yelled because she had startled me out of my nap, not because my dream about saving the world with the magic pickle had been going horribly wrong.

'I am such a loser,' I berated myself, wanting to smack myself repeatedly on the forehead with a heavy object. 'Who falls asleep in knowing exactly where they are and wakes up screaming because they were jolted out of a nightmare?'

"Remind me to get someone else to wake you up in the morning for school."

I raise an eyebrow at her, while inwardly, I was grinning snidely.

Who says I'm even going to make it to the school?

I'm out of this place tonight.

Man, how did I know there even WAS a school? I wasn't a mutant, these guys were crazy. I'm willing to take bets that they weren't even mutants. They certainly looked normal enough.

Well, Mrs. Summers might have been too perfect looking to be normal, but I hardly think that was a mutant ability.

If it was, let it be known that it was one I really wouldn't mind having.

This was all some strange conspiracy, all started by my grandmother to scare me into never leaving home. I just know it.

Denial you say?

Who? Me?

Well, it was settled, (in my mind at least…) there was no way in hell I was going there. I might have being a just little paranoid, but nothing was too far-fetched to me anymore.

By the time I had thought all of this, I must have had a grin on my face the size of the Cheshire cat's. I think Mrs. Summers must have noticed because she gave me the oddest look. It looked like an expression full of worry but it was in bad light so I was probably wrong.

She doesn't have anything to be worried about.

Yet anyway…

I stepped out of the car and into the rising moon light, Miss Munroe already had the trunk open and was handing the car keys to a car parker person, (so sue me if I can't remember their proper names…) the bellhops had already been in the trunk and were carrying my stuff upstairs to my home for the night.

"Are you coming, child?" Miss Munroe asked in her regal sounding accent, smiling warmly at me.

'Well I'm so not sleeping in the entrance way,' I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I'm coming."

Mrs. Summers gave me yet another look but this one was of amusement.

I shook my head. 'She's creeping me out…'

The pretty lady, the exotic pretty lady and boring, funny-haired me stepped into the giant hotel lobby. It must have been a very expensive place. I swear, just the lobby was bigger than our little house! I didn't know they even had places this big in Maine. I always figured that Maine was as quaint and tiny as home. There were crystal chandeliers sparkling from the vaulted ceiling, plush carpet under our feet and uniformed hotel people running about looking important.

Everything about the place screamed that snooty, rich people stay here.

Or, only people who are more important than you can cross our stuck up, money coming out our ass threshold without looking like a penguin slathering on sunscreen on the beaches of Palm Springs.

My imagination so scares me sometimes.

"Come on Marlee, up here," Mrs. Summers called to me from the waiting doors of the elevator. While I had been staring around in open-gaped wonder, Miss Munroe and Mrs. Summers had already signed the register and gotten the financial crap worked out with the stuck up looking desk clerk. I lagged behind at first, waiting to see if they'd yell at me to hurry up but they turned back to watch the numbers flash down on the elevator. When I reached them Mrs. Summers spoke up.

"You and Ororo will be sharing a room, Scott and I will be just across the hall. Bobby is two doors down."

Ororo, so that's what her first name was. No one had said it since I had met them for the first time, and I'd was wondering still at how to pronounce it.

I think I might stick to Miss Munroe for a little bit longer…

The room that was to be mine and Miss Munroe's was a more than big enough for just two people who were only staying one night.

Geez, that Zaviour guy certainly had pulled out all the stops, hadn't he? Or was it Scott who was paying for all of this?

It came to more than a pretty penny I'm sure.

It had beige carpeted flooring in the entranceway, a gorgeous bathroom, complete with a tub that I could practically swim in, two king sized beds on either side of the sleeping area and a combination kitchen/bar and sitting area. I nodded my head in approval.

At least I'd be able to stock up on food before I broke out of there. So long as I could jimmy open the lock on the fridge. It shouldn't be too hard; I'd practiced jimmying things a lot at home when I had been bored.

Our luggage had been placed beside one of the many squishy looking armchairs that littered the sitting area. Miss Munroe opened her suitcase and started rooting around in it. I threw myself onto the bed, testing out the bounce-ability.

I'd give it a nine out of ten.

"You might want to get changed child."

"Changed?" I asked, finishing with a particularly wild bounce. "What the hell into?"

She ignored my language. I decided to watch my mouth; Miss Munroe was the coolest one out of the group, I shouldn't be swearing up and down – if I could help it. Mr and Mrs Summers were the ones I was going to go out of my way to annoy.

"You can't possibly believe you are to go to Chez Pierre's dressed like you are."

And I thought she was the cool one.

"What am I supposed to wear? Why don't I just stay here. I didn't bring anything fancy with me."

She arched an eyebrow at me.

"I'll see if I have a skirt…" I grumbled and started rooting through my bag.

I got changed very slowly, painfully slow in fact. If they were going to force me into this I was going to take my good ol' time. It's a time few and far between when I ever actually get dressed up all formal-like. My grandfather's funeral was the last time I had ever worn a dress – and that was over five years ago now. Plus, I was checking for the nearest fire escape to climb out of. There was one right beside the huge window right beside my bed.

Perfect.

"Marlee what is taking you so long?" Jean asked impatiently, knocking on the bathroom door.

"I'm knitting all my clothes, I'm almost done my underwear. Give me another decade or so and I'll have a full-length ball gown ready to go."

"Marlee…"

"I'm done."

I stepped out wearing a long black skirt and a black off the shoulder long sleeved shirt.

Mrs. Summers was wearing a deep burgundy color and Miss Munroe was wearing deep blue, they, of course, looked very nice. I looked like just what I was. A small town hick trying to pass off as a city girl. Mind you, I was a very angry small town hick at the moment. Mrs. Summers said I looked nice, though I was pretty sure she was just trying to be polite.

Scott and Bobby were going to meet us there they were off doing some kind of errand for the school, or something like that. A limo was waiting for us when we got to the entranceway.

I really didn't see the point of taking the limo. I mean… the restaurant was only fifteen minutes away. Surely we could have taken our own car, or even walked. Who in their right mind is going to come up and mug a pair of mutants walking around with a scowling sixteen-year-old?

True to their word, when we stepped out of the car there was Scott and Bobby waiting to escort us into this restaurant. Scott took Mrs. Summers arm, naturally, and Bobby, after a few attempts of trying to take both Miss Munroe and my own, he settled for just walking in the middle of us. I openly stared at the place, it was just as posh as the hotel.

Another place I didn't belong.

Now I'm two for two.

Man, I consider myself lucky when I'm able to eat at a normal fast-food place. Home didn't have anything even close to this.

"Table for five," Scott told the guy at the front desk. He looked up from his register, assessed our financial status with a quick flick of his eyes and put down his pen.

"Right this way, sir." We followed the guy – a portly short man with a slight sway in his step - to a table beside the window. I was facing the window, with Miss Munroe on my left and Bobby with his back to the window. Mrs. Summers and Scott were on my right. "This is Kevin, he will be your waiter this evening."

"Welcome to Chez Pierre's." Kevin smiled down at us and passed us our menus, as well as a glass of water and breadsticks for us to much on while we made our decision. He looked like the kid of rich guy who go fed up with his son just hanging out and spending his hard earned cash. My opinion of him slipped another notch when he didn't have enough menus to pass out, then he almost tripped over the feet of another customer, and then he couldn't find his pencil (he had it tucked behind his ear).

Just as I had expected, everything on the blasted menu was really expensive not to mention that half of it was in French! I had barely enough money on me to buy a side of coleslaw – or what I thought was coleslaw… And I don't even like the stuff.

Jean raised her eyebrow, "Dinner is on us tonight," she announced to the table.

A free meal too? They must be trying to buy me.

Ah well.

Free is my favorite number.

"Thank you," I said. I would choose something I recognized, and not obscenely expensive. I figure that's the nicest thing to do, 'course don't think that THAT'LL ever happen again.

Scott choked.

"On us?"

"Yes, Scott."

Mrs. Summers looked back at me and winked.

I put on my best 'you scare the hell out of me but thanks' grin.

"Alright!" Bobby smiled widely and searched the menu for the most expensive things that he could find; heedless of what it happened to be.

Miss Munroe just smiled good-naturedly and said thank you to Scott before going back to glancing over her menu.

Kevin came back a good fifteen minutes later, found his pencil now tucked behind his other ear and flipped open his little notebook, "What can I get for you?"

Scott, Jean and Ororo all ordered and if I could pronounce what they ordered I'd tell you. It didn't sound all that appetizing to me.

Kevin looked at me.

"Salad and a Pepsi," I deadpanned.

He grinned, showing perfectly even, white teeth. Damn the rich to hell. Well at least I know he won't screw up my order. And if he did… well… I wasn't that hungry.

"Mmm…Rabbit food…" Bobby chuckled, "I'll have…hmm… let's see I'll have the 'escargots'," The fool pronounced it 'ease-carg-oats'…

I giggled, and Kevin walked away.

Bobby looked at the four of us.

"Yep, I've just been dying for some ease-carg-oats, they've got to be better than snails though, whatever they are. I think they must be some high carb protein dish. With the 'oats' you see. You ever notice how a lot of the French words are the same in English? Like bouquet? This should be good, a growing boy needs his protein."

What an idiot.

Scott simply smiled, looking away from the rambling Bobby. Mrs. Summers and Miss Munroe hid their amusement behind their hands.

I openly laughed at him.

"What? What's so funny? Is there something on my face?"

Kevin arrived some time later with our plates of food, and set them before us. Bobby had borrowed Mrs. Summers compact and stared at his face until I was sure the mirror would crack. Apparently he didn't find anything wrong, because he crossed his arms and glared at us until the meal came.

Just as I was about to take the first bite of my salad there was a scream from the other side of the table.

"SNAILS? GROSS! Why didn't anyone tell me!" Bobby shoved his plate away, wiping the non-existent 'snail germs' from his fingers. I laughed at him again. Mrs. Summers offered him some of her fish (well, that's what it looked like anyway…) but he pouted and said he wasn't hungry. He grabbed a breadstick after a few minutes of watching us eat our own meals and began chewing moodily on it, vowing revenge for not telling him. His glare lingered on me for the longest, which didn't make much sense; you'd think he'd be angrier with the people he'd known longer…

It didn't matter to me. I wouldn't be around for him to take his out revenge on.

"You're going to have a lot of fun at the school, Marlee," Mrs Summers said as we were lingering over dessert. The rest of the conversation over dinner had been mostly centred around me learning stuff about the four of them, where they came from and all that jazz, about the only thing interesting that I learned was that Miss Munroe had actually been a tribal priestess kind of thing in Africa. My opinion of her climbed back up to where it had been before she made me wear a skirt. But now I guessed we were supposed to get down to business. I jabbed a fork into my strawberry cheesecake, if I ate quickly maybe they'd just finish eating and we could leave. "You'll have your own room and plenty of people around for you to talk to. There are plenty of people your age at the institute so there won't be any problem with you making new friends." She smiled reassuringly at me.

Sorry lady, but it's not the friends part that I'm worried about.

It's that whole mutant thing, duh.

I didn't want new friends; I wanted Amy and Kristy, some of the few people I could stand in the school. I wanted my little rural area back, boring trees packed full of annoying acorn-throwing squirrels and all.

"Of course you'll go to a regular school and take regular high school courses."

Oh no, I wouldn't.

"It's a very nice school, and it's only a few hundred people more than what were in your old school."

"Only?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

Before Jean could continue on Kevin arrived with the bill.

"Your bill, sir." He handed the piece of paper to Scott who in return handed Kevin a small pile of bills from his wallet. Scott cringed when he read the amount but gave the rich brat a nice tip anyway. Bobby glared as he watched Kevin take the offending plate of "ease-carg-oats."

"Marlee, child," Ororo asked after Kevin had wobbled away. I didn't answer for a moment, as I was preoccupied with watching our graceful waiter wobble his way towards the kitchens. Alas, poor Kevin must have not been having a good day because before he could even make it to the swinging doors for them to hit him in the face. Instead he was fated to collide with a tray of desserts that were being pushed in the direction of what I deduced were the really rich people.

Dishes, desserts and Kevin went everywhere, and sent crashing to the ground with a truly magnificent and musical symphony of smashes, crashes and shattering china. The restaurant patrons were silent for a moment but went back to their business quickly without even acknowledging the act. I think Kevin was even more embarrassed that no one reacted to the incident.

What kind of place is this if no one even cheers when someone drops their trays?

Hmm…

I stood and looked over to where Kevin was hurriedly cleaning up the mess he made.

And started clapping.

Loudly.

That was when we beat a hasty retreat from Chez Pierre's.

No one really spoke on the return to the hotel, but Mrs. Summers kept giving me exasperated looks, obviously fed up with my bratty attitude. She was opening her mouth to say something when Miss Munroe asked me if I had any ideas of what my powers could be.

"No," I answered, shaking my head, my hair flew bobbing around as I did; I had quickly taken it down from its formal knot. "I don't have a clue," … because I don't have any powers. Jean gave me the raised eyebrow once again.

"Well we knew that," Bobby remarked, loosening his tie, "But we meant if you knew what your powers were."

"Shut it, French boy."

Bobby glared at me.

During the short ride back, I made note of the bank that was just five minutes away from the hotel. It had an ATM; so another stage of my plan would work.

When we arrived back at the hotel we wasted no time in clamoring into the elevator and then into our respective rooms.

"Good night, Marlee," Jean smiled.

"Good night," I smirked, 'and goodbye.'

I shut the door and went into the bathroom to pull on my pyjamas and went through all the normal motions of getting ready for bed. I crawled into my bed, relishing the soft, clean scent of the sheets and hugged my Care Bear tight. I turned to face the window and in its reflection I saw a miniature Miss Munroe pull back the covers of her own king size bed and flick off the lamp.

"Good night, Miss Munroe."

Evidently surprised that I was still awake, or that I was being pleasant, she called back a kind 'good night, child,' and before long her breathing evened out into a deep slumber.

She had been pretty cool, for an adult anyway. I think I might miss getting to know her.

"Goodbye…" I whispered into my Care Bear. "I'm coming home Gram. I don't belong with these people."

I had set the alarm on my digital watch to go off near 3:00 in the morning, hopefully by then even Scott would be fast asleep.

I was all set to go; my stuff was all still packed so I didn't have to worry about gathering it all up. When the time came, all I would have to do was pull on a pair of jeans, my jacket, grab my crap and run. Hopefully Miss Munroe was a sound sleeper, but I wasn't even too worried about that, I could be pretty stealthy if I had to.

I woke up before my alarm went off. It was still a few minutes away from 3:00, and if the annoying beeping of my watch hadn't woken me up, I wondered what had roused me from my nap. I lay still and heard Miss Munroe get up, quickly change in the bathroom and go out the door. Intrigued, I threw back the covers and slip out of bed, I pressed my ear against the door to try and find out what was going on.

Then I heard Mrs. Summer's voice saying something in an urgent whisper.

"Watch her Bobby, do not let her out of your sight. She's cleverer than what she lets on. I've already told you her plans."

How did she know my plans?

"Don't let her out of your sight Bobby, or else I'll make sure you have extra training sessions with Logan in the Danger room."

Danger room sessions? Definitely glad that I wasn't going to be going to their school.

Wait, they were going somewhere and getting him to baby-sit me? Honestly, they aren't giving me enough credit. This is going to be way too easy.

"If she goes missing Drake, you do too," Scott spoke in a dangerous tone. I cringed, relieved that I wasn't on the receiving end of that order. Scott was an obvious leader, though it seemed the severity of the situation slid off Bobby.

"Yes, sir," Bobby replied in a mock military voice. "I will not let her out of my sight, Sir!"

"I'm not joking, Drake."

"Yes, I know, Scotter."

I could almost hear Scott's eyes roll.

I heard the three adults (Bobby was too stupid to be classified as an adult) exit the suite, presumably to book it downstairs and into the super car on whatever important errand they had to run in the early morning, and then heard Bobby mock Mrs. Summers in a high-pitched imitation of her voice, "watch her Drake. She's soooo clever… Pssht, yeah right. The day she gets by the Iceman is the day I dress up as a woman and pass my number out in the red light district."

Hmm…

I climbed out of my bed and got a little bottle of something I snagged from Gram just before I left.

Underestimate me will you? I giggled madly at my plot. There had been a slight change of plans, but it was only getting better now.

Poor, poor Bobby, he has no idea of what they were getting him into.

Nico-Ru and best friend beta reader Satori B here! There you go everyone, sorry it's been awhile but it was hard going for awhile, computer's crashing, angry parentals, and going away for spring break. So just for all of you, this chapter was pretty long. Keep on the look out for the next chapter, you DON'T want to miss it! Trust me ;)