Disclaimer: One actor suffered severe sleep deprivation and anxiety during the production of this chapter, but it was just Bobby, so no one cares.
Chapter 7 – Worries
"You look like hell." John said when Bobby came to their first class.
"Thanks a lot. I didn't get much sleep last night."
"I know you sleep in my room remember?"
"Your room?" Bobby gave John a crooked grin.
"You were keeping me awake, moving and moaning. I was ready to knock you out just so I could get some sleep."
"Sorry" Bobby stifled a laugh.
"You're worried about her huh?"
"Yeah, I don't know how her parents will react. They seem like nice folks from what she's said, but so weren't mine until..."
"They found out you were 'different'" John finished his sentence.
"Yeah well..." Bobby gazed around the classroom. The last students were filing in, as well as the teacher. Before Bobby or John could say anything further Scott began the lesson. Bobby wasn't big on mechanics, but his mind was never so off topic as it was in that room.
He went through the whole day in that same fog, worrying about Marie. After his last class he was going to head up to the dorms to clear his head. Before he could get to the doorway he heard, "Bobby". It took him a second to decipher if the professor had spoken to him rather than mentally call him.
Bobby turned around and looked back at the professor's all too knowing eyes. "Please have a seat." He gestured over to one of the blue plastic classroom chairs and Bobby sat.
"You read my mind?" Bobby asked.
"Don't you remember what I have told you and the other students? I won't just randomly pick people's brains. I only use telekinesis when I need to."
"Then why am I here? Did I get a bad grade on that last test?" Bobby asked Xavier with a childlike mischievous grin.
"No, you are here because of Rogue, your bad grades have nothing to do with it." Bobby glanced at the professor and almost did a double take. He was not the best student in the class, but he didn't get "bad grades".
"So you have a sense of humor." Bobby said as Xavier began to chuckle. "It wasn't funny." This only made the professor laugh more.
"Though I didn't go in and read your mind," He began after the laughter had subsided, "I can hear your thoughts of Rogue."
"Huh?"
"The mind is generally at a certain range of frequency. But when a person has a period where they are out of range then they..." He looked up to see Bobby's puzzled face. "Let me explain in another way," He paused for a moment looking for the right words. He smiled as he remembered how he explained his ability to his friend Eric when they were much younger.
"Your mind is like a building" He began once more, "It has doors that need to be opened before I can read it. However when you are thinking about something a great deal, worried about Rogue for example... It's as if someone was standing behind a closed door screaming. I can hear it without having to open the door. Do you understand?"
"I guess so, you mean you didn't really go in and read my mind, but I was thinking so much that you could hear my thoughts?"
"Basically."
"Huh..."
"Anyway I wanted to tell you to calm down, Rogue can take care of herself. I know things will be fine, I would not have let her go if I thought otherwise." He stopped there not wanting to tell Bobby all that he knew.
"I know she will be fine, I just worry ya know?"
"Yeah, I know"
As Bobby left the room he felt better. The professor seemed to think she was okay, which helped to clear his mind, if only a little.
The next few days were great fun for Bobby and John. Once Bobby got his mind off Marie, He and John were able to hang out just like old times. It wasn't until Rogue walked through the door at dinner that night that Bobby knew something was wrong.
