Something Out of Nothing

If Ororo thought moving in was difficult, beginning to take classes had been even worse. She didn't have much money and had only been able to attend this school after winning several scholarships for her achievements. The only books she'd been able to get were so worn out that the pages had come loose, and the graffiti in them overwhelmed the printed information. She was extremely embarrassed to use them in class, especially since the third day, while holding a particularly heavy Introduction to Western Literature book, half of it had broken away from its binding and slammed to the floor with a noise so loud that even the teacher paused in his lecture to stare at her. She had quickly gathered her things and left, feigning a sudden urge to go to the bathroom, but instead slunk back to her room, mortified.

Her dorm room was really the only place where she found any comfort. Though it was sparsely decorated, pictures of her and her best friend were hung over the bed, and her various plants lay safely on the ledge of her sliding glass window. Her desk was clean, a picture of her old dog propped up on it; she had passed away unexpectedly earlier in the year, but Ororo never let herself think of that. She had always been a constant companion to her when no one else had. Her meager clothes hung neatly in her closet, while her shoes lay in rows beneath them, and her coffeepot and miniature fridge sat next to each other on top of the dresser.

Although it wasn't even noontime yet, Ororo slid underneath her down comforter, a parting gift from her best friend, Alison. She would never have gotten so embarrassed that she left class, she couldn't help but think. God, I wish she wasn't a thousand miles away in Florida right now. Ali was the kind of person who didn't just crave adventure, she actively sought it out. When it came time to choose colleges, she picked one in as different a climate as possible, just to try something new, and as far as Ororo could tell, was having a blast wreaking havoc on her new school. She'd been so proud when Ororo had gotten into college as well…in fact, she could almost still hear her voice, ringing in her ears. "Good for you girl, you did it! No matter what's happened to you in your life before, this is a fresh start, and you're gonna love it. Just try not to be so damn shy, huh? Channel a little of that tempest I know you have raging somewhere inside of you!" Ororo blinked back sudden tears. She didn't feel like there was much of anything powerful inside of her at the moment…the most significant interaction she'd had with anyone since she'd gotten to school was with the accusatory girl across the hall the first day, and she had actively managed to avoid her since then. Well, it's not like I haven't spent my whole life learning to stay out of people's way, she thought dejectedly. Glancing at the clock, she realized that she had a little over an hour until her next class began. I guess I should get up and eat something. But the bed was so warm and inviting, and such a comfort after her difficult week that she curled up in it and quickly fell fast asleep.

...

Ororo's cell phone going off was what eventually woke her up. Bleary-eyed, she glanced at the clock on her desk, wondering who was calling her in the middle of the day, but she leaped out of bed when she saw that it was almost five o'clock. Damn it! I slept through all the rest of my afternoon classes! She stumbled as she reached for the phone that she'd left atop her wall shelf, and picked it up right before it was about to go to voicemail. "Hello?" She answered throatily.

"Hello, Ororo, this is Jean Grey, from the academic counseling office here at the school."

Oh no. "Um, hi."

"I'm sorry to call you so late; I'm actually just about to leave myself in a little bit, but is there any chance you could come down to my office now so we can talk?"

Shit! "Uh, sure. I'll be there as soon as I can find it. Where are you located?" She brushed her hair while getting the directions, hastily thanked the woman on the phone, and sprinted out of the room towards the building she'd been asked to meet her in. I can't believe this; I can't believe I slept through a day of classes! The reason they let me in even though admissions had already closed was because of my academic standing, and I promised to be at every class without fail. They're gonna throw me out, and it's the first damn week of school! Anxiety jolted through her body, accelerating her feet as she frantically searched for the right building. Upon finding it, she rushed inside and began climbing the stairs, trying to calm down at the same time. Maybe you'll just get a warning, maybe you won't have to go home after all, she reasoned, but that didn't quell her nerves in the least…the mere possibility of having to return home after expulsion made her stomach tangle in knots.

Eventually she reached the correct floor, and found the door that had 'Jean Grey' scripted across it on a mounted plaque. Ororo knocked anxiously, and was promptly invited in by a red-haired woman with emerald eyes. "Hello, my dear! My, that was fast. What did you do, sprint here?" She chuckled in a kind manner while Ororo smiled weakly. "Here, come and sit down. Do you want a water bottle?" The young girl nodded, and Jean handed her one, then settled back into her own chair. "So, how is your first week of school going?"

Stressful, Ororo thought to herself. However, her reply was, "Um, so far it's been okay."

"Just okay? I'm sure that's not what you were hoping for when you decided to come here."

Ororo avoided the other woman's eyes. "Not exactly…"

"What's the matter?"

She paused for a second. How do you tell someone that people look at you funny when they see the color of your hair, and laugh when they see how messed up your books are? "I'm just…having a hard time adjusting."

"I see. Well, a new lifestyle is always difficult to acclimate yourself to at first, but I bet things will get better if you can just manage to keep moving forward." Jean briefly contemplated the younger woman across from her, trying to gauge her feelings. "I'm sure you'd also like to know why I've called you here today."

Ororo nodded politely, waiting for the bomb to drop.

"Honestly, I was just worried about you. A couple of your teachers sent me emails to let me know that you'd missed their classes today, and a third said that you walked out of his lecture and never returned. I'm aware of your special circumstances, that you had promised if you were admitted late to the college that you would attend all classes on a probationary basis." Jean noticed Ororo's ears burning with shame. "I'm sure you can see how important it is that you keep that promise. What happened? Was the course load that you chose not what you expected?"

I had to fall asleep on my busiest day of the week! "No, it's just that I was exhausted and came back to my room for a quick nap. I guess I lost track of time and overslept."

Jean knew that the girl in front of her had had perfect attendance in high school, so it was strange that she would suddenly begin skipping classes. "I can understand the need to escape, Ororo, if that's truly what this was about. However, because you so quickly abandoned the parameters that you agreed to, I'm going to have to put you on academic watch."

Ororo's eyes widened. "What is that? Is it like academic probation?"

"Actually, no. Academic watch is a program we have set up here for promising students who seem to be struggling. We match you up with a peer who has already been through the program, and they help you meet weekly goals and complete class work."

"Oh. So I'm not being sent home?"

Jean smiled. "Is that what you thought? No. You're an adult now, but not everyone has been raised to make good life choices, so in the program we try to provide you with a new set of priorities, ones that will help you get to where you want to go."

"Do I have to pay for it?" She asked quietly. Ororo hoped she wouldn't have to tell this woman how little money she actually had.

"No, it's a service we offer to all the students. The program is currently funded by a benefactor who went through the training himself, and then went on to be very successful. You may have heard of him...Charles Xavier?"

"The politician!" Ororo gasped. "He went here, and he was on academic watch?!"

Jean laughed. "He did go here for the first two years, but then transferred elsewhere to finish his initial degree. As I'm sure you know, later he went on to get his Master's and PhD, and he actually attributes his success to the academic watch program. At the present, he is attempting to devise legislation to implement it in all the state schools. Does that make you feel better about the whole thing?"

"Actually…yeah. It really does."

"Good." Jean smiled, and was pleased to note that Ororo returned the sentiment. "Come back tomorrow around the same time and I'll set you up with your new peer tutor. For now, try to have a better day. Do some homework, have some dinner, and just forget about everything that's happened so far. Let this be a fresh start." She reached over and squeezed the younger girl's hand warmly. "It was very nice to finally meet you."

Ororo contemplated her quietly for the briefest of seconds before answering with a smile, "Yeah, it was really nice to meet you, too."

...

*AN: I do not own X-Men but I do own this story! Thanks for reading :)