Formed Addiction
Chapter 4 – Riverside Park
"Yeah." Summer answered the cell phone, trying to open her eyes and catch the focus.
"Sum, it's me." Storm's anxious voice could be heard on the other end of the line.
"Ro, it's five thirty in the morning. I thought we'd meet later today…" Brunette tried to speak quietly not to disturb John's sleeping form next to her on a king-sized bed.
"Listen, I have to talk to you. No one else should know about it." At this Summer took a sitting position.
"Why?"
"It's not a phone talk. Meet me around one today in the Riverside Park. If you agree just say 'yes'."
"Yes." Next second the line went dead.
"Hmm…" There was stirring at her left and John's faint voice was heard. "Who was it?"
"No one. Wrong number." Summer felt herself being pulled back to lay her head on the muscular chest. She didn't object. Things were about to change…and she wanted to capture every moment of their almost ordinary life.
John kissed young girl's head gently. Then turned his head to see the first rays of sun behind the window. A new day has come. And something was telling Pyro that this day wouldn't bring any happy news to him. On the contrary…
"We need to talk." Bobby's voice sliced through the silence of the room.
"Do we have to do it right now?" The other voice, annoyed, shoot back.
"Yes, dammit! Kitty, what's wrong with us?" Iceman yelled but the young woman just kept shadowing her eyes, looking at the mirror.
"Could you, please, stop yelling." She said, getting pissed off, but her face still.
"What? Talk to me!" Stepping up closer, Bobby touched his hand to a reflecting glass and a second later it was covered with a thick shell of ice.
Kitty turned, her face focused.
"Unfreeze it." She said calmly but determinly.
Bobby looked at her, hurt and confused.
"Unfreeze it, Bobby." She repeated, her eyes firmly fixed on his.
"What are you doing? With us?"
"One more question and I take this mascara and leave it in your lungs." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then, when I'm done with my make-up, I'll take it out but, trust me, it will leave a lot of scars inside."
Iceman's eyes went wide. This was not the woman he fell in love with. That was someone else…
"I'm almost done, honey." A perfect smile back on her face as she turned to a fresh mirror, a fake smile…
"Excuse me, do you know what time it is?"
Rogue turned her face from the ground and stopped the pacing.
"Miss, sorry? Do you know the time?" A man, around twenty-five – thirty, with a backpack and a map in his hand, definitely a tourist.
"Oh, yes." She looked at the gloved hand with a watch. "It's almost one."
"Thanks."
As soon as the man passed by a small red-haired woman in her early thirties bumped into her.
"Sorry." The younger woman muttered, her eyes still searching through the park.
"Smile at me and we keep moving as if we're a long-time friends." The woman's green cat-like eyes glittered.
Rogue did as she was told and the pair started strolling.
"Look nice. Wouldn't recognize you…"
"Would you ever?" The woman answered. "A point to shape-shifters."
"You…"
"I hate this small talk. We both know why we're here…"
Rogue nodded her head 'yes'.
"I have the cure. What do you have for me?"
Marie's eyes were somewhere far as she spoke:
"Whatever you want, Mystique, whatever you want."
"Ok, can you tell me why all those secrets?" Summer asked as she and Ororo were walking through the park full of trees of different types, flowers, butterflies flying around, birds…perfect picture in all the ways.
"Well, it's something important for me…Derek's here." Storm responded.
"Derek? I remember this name…"
"My ex-husband."
"Oh…" Summer's eyes lighten up in realization. "Yesterday…this man with you…it was him?"
After Ororo's short nod, the younger woman went on:
"That's why I thought I've seen him somewhere." In response she received a confused look. "The picture in the photo album."
"Right…but there's something else."
"Ok, you start to scare me. What is it?" Summer stopped.
"Ok." Storm sighed. "I need money."
"Why?"
"When I left Derek I took his money with me. But he was really wealthy and it didn't even bother him at that time…"
"Was?" The brunette asked, putting a hand on her head.
The weather witch nodded:
"He's broke. And he wants his money back…Are you ok?"
"Fine…" But she was still holding her head. "Just a little headache…And what now? I mean, how much?"
"Seven." She answered after a slight hesitation.
"Seven…what?" But Summer's azure eyes went wide.
"Million." Storm's chocolate orbs stared in the ones of her friend's. "Please, say something."
"Well…hmm…" The two women started walking again, light wind caressing their hair. "That's…that's a lot of money. What do you want from me?"
"You…you have that trust fond from your dad. Land me these money, I'll pay everything back."
"I would, Ro. Honestly. But I don't have them. Mum bought an estate when she was alive. Never actually been there, it's somewhere in Ireland…Everything that left in the fund is a million, two max."
"Damn…" The white-haired woman mumbled apprehensively, then her gaze focused on something far away but the expression on her face changed to the one of bewilderment. "Is that Rogue?"
Sadly, it was…
However Summer never heard her friend…her eyes shut closed and her body went numb…she was falling…
Falling in the welcoming arms of unconsciousness…