Like Waiting on Your Train to Come

Chapter Three: Hot Pockets in the Summer Sun

Summers seemed the best time for a chance a new start. It was like New Year's Day all over again, only it was now extended to about three months. June rolled by with its gentle breezes, July brought festivities, and by August, well, school's grotesque shadow loomed in the distance. But it was still summer, and that was what Ray was focusing on.

Summer. The word rolled gratefully over the tongue and was said with a sigh.

Now, he lay next to the half-pike he and Evan Daniels had built in the behind the Mansion and off to the side, behind a bunch of trees. He had set up a sound system so he could have music while he skated. But he had his back on the grass, his eyes on the sky, skateboard balanced on his knees. He sometimes just watched the sky, finding piece in the rolling hills pf white. They never stopped to watch him, never stopped to even look, but that was how it was. That's how it always was.

Ray got up, kicking his board into the air and catching it as he jumped up. He walked up to the pike again, and was about to start skating when he heard someone approaching. Pulling a remote from his back pocket, he pointed it towards a boom box with impressive speakers, and the loud music blasted. With a smirk Ray started to skate, intent on showing off for the hell of it, and he only stopped when the music did.

Ray jumped off his board, watching as it continued up the pike and went into the air, only to have gravity drag it to the ground. Ray looked over and saw Meg standing next to the sound system, watching him with a smile.

"Yur a typical punk, ain't ya?" she asked as she walked over and picked up Ray's skateboard.

"Isn't typical if it's all you are," Ray said as he sat down on the wooden structure.

Meg walked over and handed him his board; "You're pretty good at that," she said, pointing at it.

"Oh, yeah, I guess," Ray said, looking up at her and squinting for the sun was in his eyes; "watcha up to?" he asked, standing.

Meg shrugged; "Gettin' lost," she said with an embarrassed laughed; "Over two months 'n' I still can' find mah way 'round."

Ray smiled. He had grown fond of her accent, and it amused him; "It isn't that big, is it?" he asked, looking at the mansion for a moment before looking at Meg again.

Again, that innocent shrug; "Compared to what I'm used to, yeah," she replied.

Ray nodded; "Yeah, but the place grows on ya. Hey!" he suddenly said; "I was thinkin' on makin' some hot pockets. Want any?"

"Sure, but… what's a hot pocket?" Meg asked.

Ray's jaw dropped.

"You don't know what a hot pocket is?" he asked incredulously, and Meg shook her head slowly; "No way! Holy crap, you don't know what a hot pocket is!" Ray said again, looking wildly at the world around them for a moment before looking at Meg again. "Come on, lemme educate you!"

Without realizing he took Meg's hand in one of his and with his board in the other he rushed off to the mansion, Meg in his wake. He burst through the kitchen, letting Meg go and throwing his skateboard unceremoniously onto the floor. Meg laughed quietly, hand over mouth to hide her smile, as she sat down at the table and watched Ray head for the freezer.

Ray opened up the freezer, and gazed at the shelf full of his favorite food. He pulled out a box, and as he shut the door with his foot, he ripped the box open and tossed a hot pocket over to Meg. The Southerner almost missed it, but fumbled and picked it up off the table.

"This is it?" she asked, shaking the small pastry-looking thing in its plastic wrapper with a skeptical look.

"It? That, my friend, is a staple in my diet!" Ray said as he opened up the plastic and pulled the hot pocket out; "Here, toss me yours and I'll heat it up!"

Meg did, and Ray unwrapped it before putting both of the hot pockets into the microwave. Hitting the large 5 button, he then cast a smile at Meg.

"I bet you'll like this," he said; "They're awesome."

Meg giggled; "Can always try somethin' once," she said as she got up; "I'm purdy spoiled though when it comes t' food."

"Oh really now?" Ray asked airily as he sat on the counter, glancing at the microwave anxiously. But e then kept his eyes on the girl before him.

"Well yeah, mom's cooked nearly ever' meal I've ever eatin'," Meg said; "Just spoiled like that, I guess," she said with a grin as she sat on the opposite counter.

"Lucky, more like," Ray muttered, but Meg heard.

"Wha'd'ya mean by that?" she asked warily, getting off the counter and walking over.

"Noth—" Ray began, but the microwave beeped, annoyingly clear that the hot pockets were done. Ray pulled them out, got down, and handed one out to Meg. She reached for it, but he pulled it away a little, saying; "You wanna know?"

"Well yeah, we're gonna be livin' under the same roof, ain't we?" Meg asked, and with a quick grab, she took the hot pocket from Ray's hand.

Ray smirked, and then walked over to the fridge. He pulled out two sodas, and said; "Follow me."

Meg nodded, and Ray handed her a soda. They walked out of the kitchen in silence, through the foyer and up the stairs. Meg was picking at the flaking corners of the pastry, and Ray glanced back at her with a small smirk. She really was as innocent as they came. But on the other hand, she wasn't. Ray knew she was tough, she relied more on intuition than on her brain, and she could take a hit without flinching in the Danger Room. He was sure he could trust her with his past. He had only told three other people on his own accord: Sam, Amara, and Roberto. They hadn't ever told anybody, so would Meg?

He decided he'd take a chance.

"Follow me," he said, taking the right hallway.

Meg followed him silently, wondering why they hadn't gone down the left hallway, to the student's wing. Ray led her down the hallway, took a right, another right, and Meg found herself in the far wing of the institute.

Ray looked at her as he stopped outside of a door, and then opened it, only to reveal a regular looking office. On the far side, it had windows from floor to ceiling, and then two sliding glass doors. The room was otherwise cluttered, dusty, unused, so very neglected. Ray made his way through the boxes and piles of objects, and as Meg followed she realized that there was a sort of path through the heaps of things. Ray opened the sliding doors and walked out onto a balcony, and Meg followed.

"Not done yet," Ray said when Meg started to sit on a chair.

He walked over to the railing. Stuffing his drink in one pocket and his hot pocket in another, Ray then looked at the roof a good seven feet above him, and held out his hands. Meg watched as electricity began to course up and down Ray's hands and arms, and saw how his eyes turned a vibrant blue. Suddenly, like ropes, electric coils shot form his finger tips, and Ray's feet leftr the ground as he was pulled up to the roof.

He went into the air as the coils disappeared ,and landed on the roof. Letting out a triumphant shout, he then looked over the edge, down at Meg; "Come on!" he shouted, smiling.

Meg walked over to look up at him; "How d'ya expect me t' do that?" she asked, hands akimbo.

"Remember why you're here exactly," Ray said knowingly.

Meg rolled her eyes; "Fine," she said; "I hate this."

She closed her eye, held her things to her chest, and then Ray watched her evaporate into a fine mist. He waited, but after a few seconds he became anxious. But the breeze picked up around him and as Ray whipped around he saw Meg materialize, having a coughing fit. Ray went over to her and took her things, and Meg waved her hands in front of her face, as if it would make the coughing subside.

"That was insane!" Ray said with a child like grin; "What's it like?"

Meg stopped coughing, and took her soda. She drank a little, then wiped her mouth; "Like being sucked into space," she replied; "There ain't no air, I can't breathe whenever I do it, and I feel like I'm spread out all over;" she paused, and looked around; "So, anyone else come up here?"

"Nah, just me," Ray said, sitting down. Meg did the same; "But, you get a great view of the cove."

Meg followed his gaze, and nodded. There was an amazing view over the cliffs, where the cove was. She could only imagine the amazing sunsets, the solitary chance to think freely and without disruption.

"So, wha'd'ya mean by what ya said earlier?" Meg asked as she bit into her hot pocket, looking at Ray.

Ray shrugged; "It would take a while to explain."

"Where've I gotta go, what've I gotta do?" Meg asked, smiling; "I like stories."

"This one isn't a good one," Ray said.

"What's like a fairytale in reality, though?" Meg retorted, and Ray stopped to think. She had a point.

"Well, I guess I should start by describing my dad. Never really knew him, he died while working for the government, supposedly," he paused; "But… I remember he could play the guitar so good, man, like… Hendrix or somebody! He left me his Les Paul…"

"A Les Paul? Wow," Meg said; "Sorry, keep goin'."

Ray smirked at her enthusiasm, and then continued; "But, after he died, my mom had to find someone to support us. She never finished school, so jobs were limited. She met this guy, Bernie… Bernie Anderson," his hands became a fist as anger overcame him for a moment; "He was a lawyer."

"Guess yur mama found the right support, then," Meg said.

Ray snorted; "Sure, maybe money wise," he said; "The guy drank… a lot. Come home, he was wasted. Leave for work, had his flask in his hand… I put up with him for… three years, I think. Yeah, three," he nodded with memory; "I was what you would call a latchkey kid. Come home from school to an empty home. Mom always had it in her to work, and she did. She was a hard worker, came home with raises form under the table a lot because she would pull her weight and someone else's," he smiled as he thought of his mother; "But… She would sometimes stay out all night, leave me alone with good ole Bernie…" he looked at Meg; "he would beat me, man he would lay into me," he looked away, shaking his head wistfully; "If he lost a case, it was 'kick-the-bastard-child' time again… And one day, I snapped…"

Meg stared at Ray; "Snapped?"

"Yeah," Ray said; "When my powers first came around. Man, I made the papers an' everything. 'Eight Year Old Survives Explosion'," he had held his hands up and spread them apart, as if showing a headline. But his hands fell dejectedly.

"Explosion, huh?" Meg said, turning so that she was facing Ray; "Well c'mon! What happened next?"

Ray looked at her, silent. He looked weary, raw and wrong. She realized that the story was not going to end well. He looked away, shaking his head; "He was… always calling me a bastard child," he said solemnly, "Like… my parents never were married. But they were… but then again, I wasn't his kid. Why not beat me? That's all I was good for to him, a way to let off steam… but, one day when he had chased me into the living room, I chucked a phone at him. But, my body took the electricity from the power cord, and then the phone became charged and when it hit Bernie…"

"The electricity traveled back through the phone, into the wires outside, and exploded, right?" Meg finished quickly.

Ray looked at her; "Yeah, that's what happened," he said; "How'd you…?"

"I analyze a lot," Meg said quietly, quickly, looking away as if embarrassed.

"Nothin' wrong with that," Ray said; "But yeah, after that, I found myself in the debris. I knew that if they found me there, I would get blamed. So I ran and hid in the cellar. A police officer found me huddled under a metal table…"

"What about your mom?" Meg asked.

Ray shrugged; "she uh, she split," He said finally, seeming to have trouble with admitting that; "I guess she saw the evening news and was like 'Hell no, can't go back'," he laughed dryly, half-heartedly, "I was in an' out of foster homes ever since. I was even in London at one point," he said, but he waved his had; "But now I'm here."

"How many?"

"How many what?"

"Foster homes," Meg said quietly, "How many?"

"Including here? Eleven," Ray said. He lay down on his side, facing Meg with his head propped up on one hand; "So there you have it," he said, "My life in a nutshell."

Meg nodded, and she scooted closer; "Why do I feel like… I should feel special for hearing this?"

Ray shrugged, "Dunno about feeling special," he said; "But… you're only the… fourth person who knows my story because I told them."

"Oh," Meg said, nodding as she thought.

Ray nodded to, laying on his back to watch the clouds roll over them. He had a certain fascination with clouds, and storms. He had a fascination with the sky, what it held, what was behind it. If there was a heaven, if there really were aliens… a lot of pointless questions a ten year old would ask.

Meg scooted over ever closer, "Sit up for a sec," she said quietly.

Ray looked at her, but did as he was told. Meg wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into an embrace. Ray was surprised by the action, at first he needed to remember what it was she was doing. But then he realized that she was hugging him. Ray closed her eyes and wrapped an arm around her slim figure, feeling her breath on his ear as she whispered to him in a convicted voice.

"I am here for you," she whispered clearly; "Please, understand that, Ray. Don't make another place numbah twelve…"

Ray smiled, turning his head to her neck so he could whisper; "I guess that depends on how things work out here…"

Meg rested her forehead on his shoulder; "I really like you, Ray," she said; "But if you fuck up, I'll make sure you'll pay myself…"

Ray chuckled. Meg never really cursed; it sounded strange coming out of her mouth, and with her accent. "The last thing I need is another enemy," he said jokingly, and Meg giggled.

They parted, and Ray stared at Meg while she retrieved her soda. IN the sun, her hair seemed almost golden, like homespun silk. He had felt it on his skin; her hair was soft to the touch. She looked back at him and smiled, and he saw her cheeks flush with a light pink.

"What?" she asked, giggling and smiling fully.

"Nothing," Ray said as he smiled back; "Just… thinking…"

"Uh-oh, I better get goin', then!" Meg said jokingly, and as she giggled, Ray chuckled. "But what're ya thinkin'?" she asked him curiously.

Ray shrugged, and kept silent. "Well that tells me a heck of a lotta nuthin'," she said; "Come on, you can tell me!"

Ray's smile seemed to be glued to his face. She was just so… innocent, sweet, and caring. "Just wonderin' to myself if you had a boyfriend or not," he said quietly.

Meg's smile faded. She was surprised he had asked that. "Uh… no, I don'," Meg said, "Why?"

Ray shrugged; "Just… wonderin'." Was all he said; "Hey, the fair's comin' up. A couple of us were plannin' on going. You're coming, right?"

Meg smiled; "Sure," she said; "I could use a taste of home."


Music played from megaphones on high poles. Rides clicked and groaned, people screamed and laughed and talked over the din. The smell of smoke, cotton candy and hotdogs lingered in the air like a lingering haze. Crowds were everywhere, lines twisted and turned like snakes. Children ran wild and teens ran ramped; adults were hanging around the bathrooms and benches. Mothers kept track of their broods, and fathers talked amongst each other about the upcoming football season. The August sunset was clean and the clouds were few and sparsely placed in the sky. It was warm, but not unbearably humid.

Ah, the fair.

Ray, Roberto, Sam, Amara, Jubilee, Bobby, and Meg stood together, waiting on a ride. Ray couldn't help but look Meg over. She was wearing a torn up short skirt, a black shirt with the word "FREEDOM" written on it in scribbled text, and flip-flops. She had an anklet on, with guitars hanging off of it. She was wearing her hair down; it fell past her shoulders, wavy lengths of creamy silk. Jubilee and Amara had done Meg's make-up; her eyeliner made her eyes stand out like watery blue orbs.

Ray had to pull his shirt back from his neck. Was it a hot evening or was it him? It was the evening, for sure, he told himself.

Right now, she was smiling at Roberto shyly as he was talking to her. He was getting too close to Meg, at least as of late he had been. Ray was listening to Jubilee and Bobby and Sam, or he was acting like it. But he was watching Meg out of the corner of his eye. He felt his heart swell with a feeling he'd never felt… was this what a crush was like?

He wanted to walk over and kiss her, wanted to make her laugh, and wanted her to smile, all at the same time. He wanted the world for her, wanted their own worlds to collide and blend. He wanted her to himself…

"Ray? Ray! You listening?"

Ray came back to reality, and saw Jubilee looking at him impatiently; "Yeah, why?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes before continuing.

Meg and Roberto walked over, and Meg nudged Ray; "Hey," she said, that same shy smile on her face.

Ray smirked at her; "Hey," he said.

From behind Meg, Ray saw Roberto wink at him, before walking over and surprising Amara.

"Wanna go catch another ride?" Meg asked, "This line's way too long."

Ray shrugged; "Hmmm what's wrong with waiting?" he asked coyly.

"It gets boring," Meg said, "C'mon, let's go ride the Cyclops, or the Farris wheel or somethin'!"

Ray smiled; "Okay," he said, "Hey, Sam," he said, patting his roommate on the shoulder. Sam whipped around; "Me 'n' Meg're gonna ride somethin' else. You and Amara wanna come?"

Same shook his head; "We're good, man," he said, with a sly smirk; "Stay safe!"

"Yeah sleep with one eye open!" Ray called over his shoulder as he and Meg walked away form the group.

"What'd he mean by that?" Meg asked.

"Oh, guy stuff, no big," Ray said quickly, thinking quick on the spot.

"Oh," Meg said, though she didn't believe him; "So…"

"So…" Ray said. Great, awkward moment, he thought; "Wanna play twenty questions?"

"How do you play?" Meg asked, shy smile back again.

"Well, I ask a question, then you answer it, and then you as me a question, and I answer it," he explained; "It's really simple. It's one of those 'get to know a person better' games."

"Can I go first?" Meg asked, and Ray nodded; "Okay," she said, clapping her hands together; "What's yur favorite color?"

"Easy, red," Ray said; "Okay, my turn… who's your favorite band?"

"Prolly Nirvana," Meg said; "Who's yur favorite band?"

"The Sex Pistols," Ray replied; "Can you play the guitar?"

"Yeah, can you?"

"Yeah, are you good at it?"

"I dunno, you'd have to listen in one day," Meg said; "Can you play purdy good?"

"Dunno, you'd have to listen in one day," Ray replied, looking at Meg as he used her answer. She was looking at him with a big grin.

"Thief, now I get t' ask you two questions extra for that!" Meg said, laughing.

"Hey, that's not how it works!" Ray said, and he shoved her ever so lightly on the shoulder.

Meg shoved back, then without warning she shot off into the crowd. Ray laughed and followed her, if anything watching for her flowing hair. She ran into the livestock arena, and Ray caught up with her just out side of there.

"Gotcha!" he said, catching her in an alley between two of the arenas. He had her against the wall, and she was looking up at him expectantly.

"Oh, ya caught me!" she gasped dramatically, the back of her hand against her forehead; "Whatever will I do now?"

Ray laughed quietly, taking her hand in his and bringing it down; "Like I would ever hurt you," he whispered, leaning in so close that their noses were almost touching.

Their eyes locked, and Meg seemed to get lost in the brown eyes that stared so determinedly into hers. She could see flecks of amber and gold, Ray's eyes were so beautiful.

"Just kiss me, already," She whispered.

Ray smiled, then he obeyed.

Their eyes closed and Ray's lips met hers. It was chaste at first, but then Ray pressed himself against her, bringing her hands to his shoulders before lowering his to her hips. His tongue graced her lip and her rose lips opened for him. He moved impossibly closer, and Meg let out a small moan into the kiss, her hands running up his neck, fisting into his hair, pulling it from its gelly hold.

Before things became too heated, Ray broke the kiss, pulling his head back slightly to take in a gulp of air. Meg did the same, leaning her head back against the wall. They both made eye contact and laughed quietly to themselves, Ray leaning his forehead against Meg's.

"You know how long I've wanted that?" he asked her quietly.

"Long enough?" Meg quipped.

Ray smiled, "Since the minute I found out you were the chick who walked through me."

Meg laughed quietly again; "I am still so embarrassed by that!" she said.

Her hands traveled to rest against Ray's chest, and she held the necklace her wore in her hands for a moment. It was a cross with a figure behind it, as if holding it but not carrying it. The figure had no face, only the general shape of a person. She let the pendant fall and looked up at Ray.

"What does this make us, Ray?" she asked, brushing an orange lock of hair form his face.

Ray shrugged that innocent boyhood shrug of his broadening shoulders Meg died for every time. "Together, I hope," he said.

Meg smiled; "Well d'uh," she retorted quietly, kissing the tip of his nose; "Uh… weren't we gonna try to catch a ride?"

Ray looked up at the sky, how it was dark now and the stars twinkling mischievously above them. Had the night gone by so fast? It must be close to leaving time, he thought, and then he looked at Meg.

"We might want to try an' track everybody down," he said.

"Oh pooh," Meg whined; "I like it here…"

"Oh, I do to, but we better, ya know?" he backed away, offering his hand to her. Meg took it and gracefully stepped from the wall, smiling elegantly.

They walked back to the front gates, finishing up their round of twenty questions, their hands connected, and fingers intertwined. Ray had never felt more at peace, he felt comfortable. His walls were down for once. Meg made him smile without saying anything; she made him laugh with every little quirk. It was nice, trusting someone.

But when they caught sight of a few members of the X-Men, they hands parted at the same time, it seemed. Neither was sure which had let go first, but it didn't matter. They had let go quick enough to where no one seemed to notice. Or care, at least. While Meg climbed into the back of the X-Van, Ray sped away on his motor bike.

But he wasn't going home so soon.

Instead of taking the interstate to reach Bayville, Ray instead took a dirt road he knew would lead to a subdivision, though a little neglected. It had been built in the fifties, and though it was inhabited, most that lived in the neighborhood were not the best of characters. But there were some good people there, and luckily they lived on the outskirts. Ray found himself parking outside and Old English tutor. The oak tree in the front yard, probably two-hundred years older than the house, was near death, but other than that, the house seemed welcoming. The front lights were on, and Ray tucked his helmet under his arm as his shadow graced the sidewalk, and his boots met the front steps.

He knocked on the door, standing just shy of the light until it opened. A homely woman in her mid-forties answered his knock, her brown hair in a messy bun, a paintbrush stabbed through it. She smiled at Ray, and he smiled back.

"Can I borrow Nate for a sec, Ma'am?" he asked politely.

The woman smiled; "Of course, Ray. Hang on," she turned around, and hollered; "NATE! RAY'S HERE!"

She turned to Ray and smiled again; "He's on his way down."

While the woman departed, Ray heard a stampede coming from the second floor and down the stairs. A brown haired teen came to the door, wearing nothing but pajama bottoms.

"Dude, what's up, man? What's got ya comin' out here at ten?" the teen asked as he shook hands with Ray.

"Big news, Nate, Huge," Ray said; "Guess what happened to me last night?"

Nate's eyes grew wide; "You got laid?" he asked in a hushed, excited whisper.

"No!" Ray said, shoving his friend in the shoulder; "I think I got a girl now, man."

"No way, seriously?" Nate asked; "Whoa wait, how will this go with the band?" he asked; "Wait, wait, wait, now I remember!" he snapped his fingers; "WE all swore no girls until the whole band thing was good as stone!"

"Are you stoned?" Ray asked skeptically.

"No!" Nate said; "Well, a little," he stammered; "But that's not the point! Dude, think about the commitment you've just signed up for! Dude," he said again, miserably as his shoulders slumped and his arms hung at his side.

"Man, I came here hopin' you'd wanna celebrate," Ray said, beginning to turn away; "But, if you don't wanna be supportive…"

As he walked down the first step, Nate came up and grabbed his shoulder. Leaning against his friend, he said; "Gimme five, 'K?"

Ray smirked as he nodded, and Nate pushed away and ran into the house. He could smell the pot and booze on Nate's breath. He planned on taking his friend to the local burger joint, not off to some cliff or point to get wasted or blazed. Even though it was tempting… But, he had decided to stop. And Nate was out of it. Ray had planned on talking with him about Meg, but taking care of Nate's current incarceration of the mind was first and for most.

Nate came out of the house, pulling a toboggan on his head and bringing out his helmet; "We ride 'gether, 'r solo bikes?" he asked quickly, and Ray held up two fingers.

"Sweet!" Nate said in a high pitched voice as he darted off to get his bike. Ray shook his head and walked to his own, getting on and waiting for Nate to speed out of the garage.


Two hours later, Ray and Nate arrived back at Nate's house. Nate was soberer now, and Ray had talked it out with him about his promising relationship. Though Nate was thinking about the band and the other guys, he agreed that Ray needed a girlfriend and that it would be 'good for everybody in the end'.

Okay, so he might have been a little half-baked. But just a little.

Ray watched from the corner as Nate went into his home, and then sighed. He was about to leave when he heard heavy boots walking along the pavement. Whipping around, he saw someone heading his way, head bent under the street light. But Ray knew who it was.

"Hey, 'dad'…"

"Don't call me that," came the gruff warning as Logan raised his head, walking up to Ray; "So, this what ya bin doin', watchin' after friends?"

Ray shrugged; "Yeah," he said; "So, you gonna make me re-shingle the west wing again?"

"Hey, I could turn you in for not bein'; home," Logan said, poking the boy's chest. The force sent Ray back a step; "But Meg covered for ya. I knew you didn't come in with the others, couldn't smell ya," he paused; "At least, not in the open air."

Ray remained apathetic, though his heart was racing. He felt that Logan could sense that too, possibly even hear his racing heart, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind.

"But anyway, I just came to check up on ya, anyway," Logan said; "Can't have you wonderin' off and killin' yerself, at least."

"You were worried!" Ray said in a childish voice, smiling like one as well.

"Hell yeah, I was," Logan said; "I'm your guardian, Ray, I gotta be worried 'r else yur ass could wind up in another home! Speakin' of which, c'mon. I got the X-Van, you get to ride home with 'dear old dad'," the last he said as he spun around on his heel and began to walk away, laughing quietly to himself for he knew the look on Ray's face was one of "What the heck now I can't use that joke anymore".

Ray hung his head for a moment, then got his bike and followed Logan.


TBC


a/n: ok plz plz review if you make it to the end of thsi chapter. plz.