Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with X-Men, Marvel, Fox. I am just a fan and I am not making money off of this story.
Author's Note: Here's where the X2 deviations really kick in. Without the cops being called, the military wouldn't have been brought it, the plane wouldn't have been shot out of the sky requiring repairs, they could have gotten to Stryker's facility much sooner, thus rescuing the Professor and preventing his psychic attack, and Jean wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself in the end.
The rest of the morning drags on. We barely talk. That is, I barely talk to my parents. They do nothing but talk about what they're going to do about Bobby. I try to say a few words in Bobby's defense but they're still mad at me for knowing all this time about Bobby and not telling them. Mom cries, Dad's frustrated. I head up to my room and spend the rest of the morning there. I don't want to deal with them anymore.
I come downstairs for lunch even though I'm not really hungry. Mom's half-catatonic when she serves it. I don't look either of them in the eye. They keep talking about Bobby. I don't join in. It seems they're both torn between being worried about him and being ashamed and afraid of him. I wonder which emotion's going to win out in the end.
I get my answer at dinner time. "We've made a decision about Bobby," Dad begins. He's nervous and tense.
I can only respond with a mocking "Oh really?" I don't even try to keep the dismay out of my voice. This is their son. There shouldn't have to be any 'decision'.
Dad's irritated by my tone but ultimately ignores it. "Bobby's welcome to be a part of this family as long as he comes home from that school and we forget about this mutant business."
"What?!" I exclaim.
"Ronny, your father's right. This mutant problem is just too dangerous." Ugh, again with the 'mutant problem'.
"Are you crazy? Bobby would never hurt us."
Mom looks like she's trying not to cry again. "You're right. But nothing's what it seems anymore. Bobby brings some strange mutants home. They take off in a military-style jet that comes out of nowhere. And now they're saying on the news that Bobby's school is actually a mutant training center…"
"And you believe all that bullshit?!"
Dad is furious. "Watch your language, Ronald!"
"No I won't! You guys are pathetic. So what does that mean? Bobby comes home and we're just going to pretend that he can't shoot ice and freeze things?"
We stare at each other for several seconds. They don't answer me. It's like they truly believed Bobby's powers would just disappear if he comes home and never uses them again.
"You guys suck." I start to leave.
"Ronald, don't you speak to your parents that way! You show some respect!"
I turn and face them. "Respect?" I've had it with them. "You've never respected me. Nothing I've ever done has been good enough for you! You've always compared me to Bobby. 'Why can't you be more like Bobby?' If he wasn't such a good big brother I would have probably resented him and turned out as bigoted as you are!
"Speaking of Bobby, he was your golden boy until this morning and now you're thinking of disowning him just because you're afraid of him even though he's done nothing wrong. And you wanna talk about respect?! The worst thing Bobby ever did was hide his mutant powers from you and considering how you're reacting, I don't blame him!"
I speed out of the house and slam the door.
I'm starting to feel a little hungry. I didn't eat a lot at lunch and it's starting to catch up with me. I'll eat dinner out. I can't be around my parents right now. I keep looking at my phone but I don't know why I bother. It's not on silent so if Bobby called or texted me I would have heard the notification. I can't stop worrying about him. C'mon Bobby. Please be okay.
—-
When I get home a few hours later, my parents greet me by grounding me for a week. Whatever. Bobby's all that's on my mind right now. Still no word from him.
—-
The phone rings the next evening. Mom answers, and a second later her hands flies to her heart. "Oh Bobby, we've been so worried about you!" She seems sincere. I'm just relieved Bobby's okay. Maybe things are going to be alright. I'm about to get up to press the speakerphone button when Dad beats me to it.
"Bobby, you're on speakerphone," he states as Mom hangs up the receiver.
"Umm…" Bobby talks. "So yeah, we're all back at the school. We're safe. The people who attacked us are in custody. The President's going to make a statement tonight explaining the situation…"
Dad interrupts him. "Robert, you are coming home tomorrow." Uh oh. He never uses our full names unless he's angry.
There's silence on the other end. "I can't," Bobby finally responds.
"Robert, this is serious. We can't have this mutant problem in the house. It's not right. It's not normal. It's dangerous."
So there it is. It doesn't matter how good or how kindhearted or how accomplished Bobby is. It doesn't matter that he's their son. In their eyes, he's an abnormal freak and that's what matters the most.
Mom looks like she's desperate not to cry again. "Please, Bobby. Just come home. Come home and you'll never have to use your powers again."
"Mom…" he trails off, probably at a loss for words. What can you say to that? "Even if I never freeze anything in the house ever again, it doesn't change the fact that I am a mutant. That I have mutant powers." He pauses. "Just say it. You think I'm a monster."
"No, Bobby. You're not a monster, but…" she can't bring herself to say it. I think even she knows it's wrong to say it directly.
Bobby finishes the sentence for her, sadness clearly audible in his voice. "But mutantkind in general are." None of us say anything. I want to say something to support Bobby, but I'm so angry at Mom and Dad I can't think of anything and I doubt it would help the situation anyway. Mom looks even more on the verge of tears. Dad looks frustrated and disappointed. "I guess there's nothing left to say," Bobby sadly concludes.
Dad's voice is cold, completely devoid of emotion. "No, I guess there isn't."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Robert." Dad presses the disconnect button so hard I think he's going to break the phone. Mom bursts into tears. I think I see Dad's eyes mist over as he sits down at the table and buries his face in his hands.
Tears are forming in my eyes too. Angry tears. I don't think I've ever cried from being angry before, but that's what I'm almost doing right now. I've never been this disgusted with my parents ever.
I think I hate them.
"I hope you're satisfied," I mumble.
Mom heard me. "It's for the best," she sniffles.
"Oh, bullshit!" I exclaim. Dad's too upset by everything to reprimand me for my language. "I wish I was a mutant too so I could get away from the both of you!"
I rush out of there. But I soon pass our family portrait in the corridor and it grabs my attention. The Drake Family Portrait - taken just two months ago during Bobby's last visit. Back when Mom and Dad were blissfully unaware. Back when Bobby thought Mom and Dad might be able to accept him. Wow, how deluded we all were. I feel like I've lost my childhood innocence and that photograph is a relic of it. I yank it off the wall and throw it on the floor. One Big Happy Family. What a load of bullshit.
I slam the the door shut when I reach my room, locking it behind me. I need to talk to Bobby and I don't want Mom and Dad to interrupt and stop me. I'll keep my voice low so they don't hear me through the wall in case they come upstairs.
I dial Bobby and he answers after a few rings. "I don't think you're a monster, Bro."
"Thanks." He sounds tired and sad. Between our parents disowning him and who knows what he was up to the last two days, I can definitely see why.
"You'll always be my brother."
"Mine too."
We don't say anything for a moment. "Can I come to your school?" I ask. "Or is it still just for mutants? I don't wanna be around Mom and Dad anymore."
Bobby doesn't answer me and I mentally repeat what I just said. I don't want to be around Mom and Dad anymore. I comprehend just how much it's true. I've said it a few times in the past and I've thought it a lot more, but even then I knew I was just acting like a brat. This is the first time I've truly meant it.
Bobby still doesn't answer me so I decide to change the subject. "So everything's really okay?"
"Yeah. Stryker's been arrested and so have a lot of his soldiers."
"Who's Stryker? Is he the leader of that mercenary group that attacked your school?"
"Yeah."
"What about your school? It was all over the news."
"Yeah, that was bad. But the President's gonna cover for us. He'll blame faulty intelligence. The official story is that we are in fact a school. Some of the staff and students are mutants and that's it. We're not a mutant base or anything like that."
"Yeah right," I scoff. "As if regular schools have jets in their possession." Then I quickly add "LOL" out loud just to make sure Bobby knows I'm only kidding. I don't want him to think I'm going down Mom and Dad's route. Luckily he understands it's a joke and laughs too.
I wish I was there with him. "Take me with you," I repeat.
"It's not that simple, Ronny. You can't just run away from home.
You almost did years ago. "It's simple for me. There's nothing for me here. I don't have any real friends anymore and the people I do hang out with at school are pretty much anti-mutant so I don't really like them. And Mom and Dad are awful. This stopped being my home when it stopped being yours."
"I appreciate that, Ron, but you're lucky to have parents who love you. Don't give that up."
Damn, he's really hurting. In spite of everything he still cares about them. If it had been me that had been kicked out for being a mutant, I'd have told Mom and Dad to go fuck themselves.
"They've never loved me the way they loved you, Bobby. I never felt like I could do enough to please them. They always compared me to you. I'm not blaming you. You're a great big brother. You've made up for them. But now what? I'll just be their beloved son by default? That's bullshit. Besides, I'm never going to stop talking to you, so I'll be a disappointment to them no matter what." There's silence on the other end. "So can I come or not?"
"Okay, I admit it would be great to have you here…"
I recall what he said earlier. "The cover story is that you have mutants and humans at your school. Let there be some truth to that! I'll be the first human student!" I'm really excited by my idea.
"Hmm…I know Professor Xavier's dream is to have mutants and humans together at his school as a symbol of coexistence…"
"Perfect!" I shout. Whoa, gotta keep my voice down. "Like I said, I'll be the first human student there."
"Crap, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Too bad, Bro. I'm coming."
"Ronny, wait," he pleads. "Just think this through some more. Please."
I sigh. "Okay, I will. But I'm not expecting to change my mind."
"I just don't want you to regret anything."
"I know. Thanks Bro."
We're silent again for a little while. I can't think of anything else to say, but I don't want to disconnect from my brother. I know it's illogical but after everything that's happened in the last couple of days, I feel like I'll lose him if I hang up.
Bobby breaks the silence. "I actually have to go, Ronny. This place is still a mess from the attack and there's a lot to take care of."
"Okay." I'm a little disappointed. Or maybe I'm just worried. Or tired. I don't know, probably all three. "I'll let you know when, if, I'm coming."
"Okay."
"Take care, Bro."
"You too." He hangs up.
I'm alone. I feel so alone.
