Chapter 5

Elizabeth loved school, and all of the Xavier kids could tell that right away. In all of her classes she paid rapt attention to everything the teacher did or said, and during lunch time she had one of her books out and was reading it.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Rogue asked, looking over her shoulder. "History? You're not studyin' for next week's test already, are ya?"

"But I have to catch up," Elizabeth pointed out. "Besides, I like history."

"Each to his own, I guess," Rogue said, turning back to her salad.

Kurt came to the table and dropped into a chair. From the look on his face, Scott and Jean and the others could tell that he had had a very bad morning.

"Ah, Kurt? What's wrong?" Scott asked, not quite sure if he should bother him.

"Ah, Scheisse!" Kurt said angrily. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

"Trust me, we'd believe ya," Rogue said grimly. "What's got your fur all in a bunch?"

Kurt glared at her, but spoke. "We were picking topics out of a hat for our research papers. We can't switch topics once we've picked them, and guess what I picked?"

Everyone looked at him, hoping that it wasn't what they thought it was.

"Mutants?" Rogue said at last, quietly.

"I got the topic 'Are mutants a danger to the majority of society?'" he growled, taking his lunch bag and beginning to shred it into tiny pieces. "I have to affirm it or refute it. How can I possibly write a paper on that? It's not like I can be objective about it, and it's not as if the proof the world has seen so far points the perfect friendliness of mutants towards humans! I think I may just take an 'F' and be done with it."

Elizabeth looked very carefully at Kurt. "Who says you have to use the evidence you've had so far?"

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to be stared at. With her light blond hair, green eyes, and white skin, she turned red very easily.

"I don't understand," Kurt said. "What do you mean exactly?"

"Do you have to use evidence the world has already seen a thousand times, or can you find your own sources to prove your point?"

Kurt began to look thoughtful. "I suppose I could look for something new, if there's anything besides mutant-hate views out there."

"There are," Elizabeth said. "There's even been a book and a bunch of articles by this one guy. I saw the book at the library back home, and I'm sure you could order it."

"Who is he?" Jean asked. "Where's he at now?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to remember. "His name is Dr. Samuel O'Toole, and he lives out in Colorado. I think he does some sort of work for mutants now."

"Sounds like somebody we all know and love," Kitty said, taking a sip of her soda. "Kurt, I say get the book, find the articles, and then see if this guy cites anything or anyone else in the articles or book. If necessary, write to him and ask him. It would be better than doing nothing or giving up."

"Hmm," Kurt said, beginning to munch on an apple. "I think I'll try it. Thanks, Elizabeth."

"No problem," Elizabeth said, going back to her history.

Space

Over the next week, Kurt worked on his paper. He received the book on interlibrary loan from the public library in town, and he was ecstatic when he found the guy's personal/professional website (articles included) online. There was even a "contact me" link, and Kurt wrote to him, asking if he knew of any more sources he could use. Kurt received a list of ten just a day later.

"How many sources did you have to have?" Kitty asked that night.

"Five," Kurt said, making notes in the margin of one printout. "He was awfully nice you know, sending me all that stuff."

"Yeah, the teacher's gonna see your 'works cited' list and flip his toupee," she said, looking at one article. Every student in the school knew that the composition teacher wore a toupee, and as a result, he was the butt of almost every hair joke ever cracked within the school.

Another two weeks went by, and Kurt got regular e-mails, asking how his paper was going. He began to feel as if that doctor were one of the coolest people around. He took as much interest in Kurt's schoolwork as the Professor did.

Kurt handed in his paper a day early and got it back with the rest of the class. When he met his friends for lunch, everyone clamored to see it.

"Elizabeth gets to see it first," he said, "since she gave me the idea for it."

Elizabeth took it, looked at it, and smiled. "Great," she said, handing it to Scott.

Scott looked at it and grinned, holding it out so the others could see it. "Hey, way to go, buddy!"

There, at the top of the paper, was a big red "100" and a comment below it: "Scholarship sound, sources excellent. Extremely good work."

"Do you think he'd like me to fax him a copy?" Kurt asked.

"I guess," Rogue said. "Who'd figure you for a brain?"

Kurt glared at her, but the effect was rather spoiled by the grin he still had plastered on his face. He was elated at receiving one of the best grades in the class, even after being made fun of for being a mutant by the rest of the class. It didn't matter.

Space

A week later, Kurt had to see the Professor. He'd received some very surprising news in his e-mail, and he had to talk to the Professor about it.

"What can I do for you, Kurt?" the Professor asked once Kurt had found him in his office.

Kurt explained quickly, and the Professor sat there, regarding him with solemn eyes.

"So, this doctor runs a school for mutants, and he has invited us to come for a visit since we are also a school for mutants. How does he know this, Kurt?"

Kurt stared at his feet and looked ashamed. "We were IMing one night, and it kind of slipped," he explained. "I didn't mean to, Professor, and he said that he would keep it to himself! He's not bad at all, and he helped me with my paper."

"Yes, that's true," the Professor said. "I didn't know of any objective sources myself, so I would have been no use to you. Let me try to learn a little more about him, and I will let you know what I and the rest of the staff decide, all right?"

"Thanks, Professor. I'm sorry I let it slip."

"That's all right, Kurt. I'll talk to you soon."