Discalimer: I don't own the X-Men, but I do own my characters. (Darren, Lara, Ryan, Joe...)
Dedicated to my grandfather who is nearing the end of his life as we read.
She saw him. He didn't think that anyone else was looking, but she saw him.
Lara Kelson was standing, well…leaning, really, against the wall outside of the mall restrooms. She was watching a blonde/brown haired, dark-eyed boy out of the corner of her eye. Normally, she wouldn't be doing this. Lara wasn't one of those 'cute' girls who giggled and tried to get all of the guys to notice her. Nope. She would rather make some smart comment and send the idiot in the other direction. Her looks only proved her reputation. Her hair was bright orange, like the color of a marker. She didn't dye it that way, either. She sported a black leather bracelet with spikes on it and her outfit was simply blue jeans, Nikes, a yellow top with flames dancing across its front, and a black leather jacket with the letters 'WT' on the back in blue . Other than her hair, the weirdest features were her hot pink eyes. Nope. They weren't contacts. Lara was born that way. And she liked it that way, too.
Okay, back to they guy she was watching. He was on the other side of the wall, so he couldn't spot her very well even if he tried. Lara wasn't necessarily watching him, but his hands. He held a small fireball that he was playing with, moving around and in between his fingers. Lara was mesmerized as she watched and then, suddenly, the flame was gone. Mutant. She thought to herself and felt instantly comforted.
The boy straightened and snapped the lid on his Zippo lighter shut as someone walked out. He thought that he had hid it pretty well, but, alas, his friend wasn't fooled.
"John…we're in a mall. With lots of people. Could you stop the flames for once?" The boy smirked.
"Afraid I might burn down the place? Cool it, Iceman. You're good at that," John shot back and they left the proclaimed 'public restroom area'.
Lara listened without being obvious. John. He called the other one, 'Iceman', but I doubt that's his real name. She kept a close eye on John while he was there. When they started to leave, she followed them. They got on a charter bus and so did she. Lara planned to stay on that bus until she found out where they were going. It didn't take long.
John sat near the back, his 'friends' Bobby and Rouge in the seat in front of him. He rolled his eyes as he listened to them flirting and he slouched against the back of the seat, watching the other passengers load while he fiddled with his lighter.
Click. Flick. Swish.
That's when he saw her. She was the most unusual person he had ever seen. Her orange hair was definitely a stand out factor, along with her eyes and that fiery shirt. He eyed her from top to bottom once. And then again. A spiked bracelet glinted in the sunlight and she clutched a black leather jacket with some type of blue symbol on the back. What it was, he couldn't tell. She took a seat across and up two from him. He tore his eyes away and stared out the window instead.
Click. Flick. Swish.