CHAPTER 5 – Class Five
The school bell rang, signaling the end of class and the start of lunch break. Peter raised his voice in order to be heard above the sound of his students packing up their sketching materials.
"Remember, your sketches should be completed and submitted before the start of our next session. If you encounter any problems with your work or making the deadline, come see me anytime."
He started gathering up his own things, just pausing to acknowledge the younger kids' goodbyes as they passed by him.
"Great class, Professor Pete."
Peter looked up at the greeting and smiled back at Alana, who at the moment was standing in front of his desk. "I wouldn't be so arrogant as to start calling myself professor," he said, shaking his head. "I'm a guy who's got a knack for drawing, and I'm just lucky Storm agreed to give me this job."
"Aw, you give yourself too little credit," Alana said, as they started to walk out of the lecture room together. "I thought you handled the class great! You definitely know what you're talking about, and the kids seem to really like you."
"Thanks," Peter said shyly. He paused for a moment before adding, "It was nice having you sit in with us today."
"It was time well spent," Alana told him sincerely. "A real learning experience. I gotta admit I know next to nothing about art though, and I can't even draw to save my life."
"That's not true. Anyone can draw," Peter told her. "It's just a matter of having different styles, that's all."
"Anyway," he went on, after pausing to return a passing student's greeting. "Would you like to join Kitty and me for lunch out in the gardens? It's a great day outside. And besides, it's our turn to monitor the kids and make sure they don't get into any trouble."
Alana laughed. "That sounds like a great idea. I'd love to."
After stopping by Peter's room to drop off his teaching materials, the two headed for the dining room to grab their lunches. When they got there, the older students who chose to eat indoors had already taken seats around the two long dining tables. Peter and Alana walked over to the buffet table, where Kitty had just finished filling up her plate from the steaming serving dishes.
"Hey Katya," Peter greeted her with a cheerful smile. "I invited Alana to have lunch with us today. That okay?"
Kitty's gaze darted towards the older woman, and a small smile managed to force itself on her face. "Of course," she murmured. "Why not?"
After Peter and Alana had filled up their plates, the three of them headed out to the garden terrace located just a few meters away from the basketball court, the area where most of the younger students hung out for their one hour lunch break.
"So, how did your bio lecture go?" Peter asked Kitty, as they settled around the large table to begin their meal. "Were the charts I drew up of any use?"
Kitty nodded and smiled. "Loads," she told him. "Thanks again so much. Actually, I hope you wouldn't mind if I used and abused your skills in the future for my other visual aid needs."
Peter shook his head. "Not at all," he said with a grin. "Anything for Ms. Katherine Pryde!"
"Wait," Alana said, then paused to swallow her bite of food. "You're teaching biology?" She eyed Kitty dubiously. "How old are you?"
"Seventeen," Kitty answered. It was now her turn to look wary.
"No way!" Alana laughed. "You're not even eighteen? Wow, you must be one heck of a genius kid."
"Thanks," Kitty muttered. "I guess."
"She teaches computer science too. And math to the younger kids," Peter told Alana. He smiled at Kitty. "Smartest girl I've ever known."
Kitty blushed and ducked her head. "Of course not," she mumbled. "I'll never be able to fill in Jean's shoes."
"Jean?" Alana cast Peter a questioning look.
"Jean Grey. Former biology teacher," Peter explained quietly. "Kitty was asked to take over most of her classes."
Alana was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Wait," she said slowly. "Jean Grey? Ah yes, Storm told me a bit about her. She was a telekinetic too, right?" She sighed. "It's too bad she's not around anymore to help me with my powers."
The uncomfortable silence that followed after her last words made her realize the sensitivity of the topic to her companions.
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I should have realized it's too soon…"
Peter smiled at her reassuringly. "It's okay. It's all in the past. We just all still miss her."
The rest of the meal was spent with Alana remaining in comfortable silence while Peter and Kitty continued to exchange stories about their respective classes and students.
"I caught Mark and Andrea making out in the gallery again," Kitty said with a sigh. "I'm gonna ask Storm to have a talk with those two. Thirteen's just a little too young for that kind of action, I think."
"It just sounds like they need a replay of the standard parent-to-child sex talk," Alana pointed out with a grin. "Tell their folks."
Peter looked thoughtful. "But both Mark and Andrea are estranged from their parents." He smiled sadly. "As most of us here are."
"That's why I'm also guessing they've never been given the sex talk," Kitty said.
Alana laughed. "Well, there's always sex ed," she said. "So the responsibility is on you guys now. You're the teachers." She smirked. "But hey, you both are just kids yourselves. I'm guessing you haven't had much experience in the department either."
"And I'm guessing you've had a little too much?" Kitty snapped back.
At this outburst, Peter turned to her with a look of surprise. But Alana just smiled unaffectedly and shrugged. "Well…I'm not one to brag..."
She reached into the pocket of her suede jacket and pulled out a silver cigarette case. She pulled one stick out and frowned. "Either of you have a light?"
When the two of them shook their heads, Alana sighed and held up the cigarette up to her eyes. Her gaze hardened as she focused on the white tip. Then, much to Peter and Kitty's surprise, the cigarette started smoking as it fired up.
"Yes!" Alana exclaimed triumphantly. She quickly stuck the cigarette between your lips and gave a puff. "I think I'm getting better at that."
"Whoa, wait," Peter said, looking absolutely bewildered. "You're a fire starter? I thought you're just a telekinetic!"
"Have you always been able to do that?" Kitty demanded.
Alana blew out some smoke and frowned. "What's with the interrogation? What's the big deal?" she said, rolling her eyes. "It's just something I learned to do whenever I need a light. It's not as if I've tried setting other things on fire. I'm not an arsonist."
"Alana," Peter said gently. "If you want us to help you control your powers, you're going to have to be honest about them. Does Storm know you're capable of this?"
"Look, after what I did with the television set last night, I'm sure she's already got a pretty good idea of how whacked my powers are," Alana snapped back.
"Hey, we're trying to help you!" Kitty retorted. "But first you've got to help yourself."
Alana rolled her eyes. "Oh please." She put out the cigarette and stood up in a huff, grabbing her lunch tray. "I don't need this."
When Alana had walked away, Kitty groaned and hid her face in her hands. "Oh my God, so Logan was right!" she exclaimed. "She is such an insufferable brat!"
Peter frowned at her choice of words. "That's a little harsh don't you think?" he said. "Most new mutants are a little difficult at first. She's just having trouble adjusting to her powers."
"Peter, she just lit a cigarette on mental command," Kitty said, slapping her hand on the table. "I wouldn't really call that someone who's still on the level of adjusting."
"Just because she's learned to control one aspect of her power, doesn't mean she doesn't need our understanding or our help."
"The point is she's not telling the truth!" Kitty snapped back. "Who knows what else she could be lying to us about?"
A look of confusion mixed with disappointment came across Peter's face. "Why are you being so hard on her all of a sudden?"
Kitty narrowed her eyes at him. "You know Peter, I did expect that guys would be falling over themselves to worship at Alana's feet," she said icily. "I just never thought you'd be one of them."
She pushed back her chair and rose from the table, tray in her hands. "I guess I've just always given you way too much credit." And she stormed away just as Alana did, leaving a very troubled Peter wondering how such a great day had so suddenly turned sour.
"Welcome to the club, kid."
Storm sighed and shook her head. "Not helping, Logan."
The school headmistress turned her attention back to Kitty, who had just finished relating her story of what had happened during her lunch with Peter and Alana. A few minutes ago, the girl had barged into Storm's office, walking to the start of her meeting with Hank, Logan, and Warren. Kitty had been distraught over a bit of news on the very person they were just having a serious discussion about.
"That confirms it then," Hank said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "Alana's powers definitely have a lot of potential for growth, perhaps even more than we earlier suspected."
"What does that mean?" Warren asked. "Are you saying she's got other abilities apart from her telekinesis?"
"No," Hank answered. "It means her telekinesis is of the highest possible degree. She's able to mentally control objects on the sub-molecular level, thus her ability to cause combustion and explosions." He sighed and ran a hand over his bushy blue hair. "Among other things, most likely. Virtually anything that has to do with shifting and shaping the molecular structure of matter."
"Wait a minute," Kitty said, looking troubled. "That kind of power…that sounds just like…"
"Jean?" Storm finished for her.
"No," Logan said suddenly, causing everyone to look his way. His expression was dark and his voice low like a growl. "Not Jean. Phoenix."
There was a long, grim silence in the room before Storm spoke again.
"Look, we're getting way too ahead of ourselves," she said firmly. "Alana is still new to her gift. She barely knows how to harness it, and I doubt she's even fully aware of what she's capable of." She looked around at her fellow teachers. "That's where we're supposed to come in. Now that we know how great her potential is, all the more we have to make sure she learns to appreciate her powers. That she understands the responsibility that comes with using it."
"But how are we supposed to help when she makes things so difficult?" Kitty sighed. "If she's hiding stuff from us, then clearly she doesn't even trust us."
"Her trust has to be earned," Warren put in. "Alana's been through a lot. She's been hurt. And she may not show it, but she's just as confused and scared as any new kid who's walked into this school for the first time."
"New kid my ass," Logan scoffed. "If we keep buying her poor little princess act, she's never going to see or accept the reality of her situation. She's not here on vacation. We keep indulging her, she's going to think she can get away with anything."
"That doesn't mean we should keep biting her head off for every mistake she commits," Warren snapped back. "She was just starting to come along before you turned her away again."
"Well, forgive the rest of the world if it can't kiss ass as well as you can," Logan said with a sneer.
"All right, enough!" Storm ordered, holding up her hands as the two men exchanged heated glares. "It won't get us anywhere if we just keep arguing like this. We all have to implement one common way of handling Alana."
"Now, both Warren and Logan have valid points. I think we should make Alana feel as comfortable and safe here as possible. She has to see us as her friends, people she can trust and confide in. On the other hand, she also has to know that we mean business. We're not here to baby-sit her, but to teach her. We have to make her understand and accept the situation she's in now and how serious it all is."
Storm paused for a moment and smiled when she saw her colleagues nod more or less in agreement. "In time, I'm sure Alana will learn to trust us enough to share whatever other secrets she might still be hiding," she said. "As of the moment, our goal is mainly to win her friendship and trust. From there we can go on a long way."
She stood up from her armchair and walked over to her desk. "As for her training, I've decided to call in reinforcements. We're going to have to bring in a truly qualified teacher to lead and teach Alana. A specialist."
"Another telekinetic?" Hank said curiously. "Who did you have in mind?"
She smiled as she pulled out her Rolodex and started flipping through it. "Someone she'd definitely be able to relate to. In more ways than one."
To be continued…
