Katie ran a hand through her sweaty, curling hair. Rather appropriately, it looked like sex hair, as she had been lying under a man (a sort of sexy man, her mind added before she could muzzle it). Flashing a grateful smile at said man, who was giving her a look as though he'd never seen her before (which obviously couldn't be right), she got up to leave.
"So, Nicole. Do you think I should ask Ach?" Katie asked, peeling off her steamy, sodden leather with a crackle. She was talking about, obviously, the student-planned dance that would be happening in a few days. It was a rather large affair, what with renting a bus to a popular nightclub and everything (obviously, it would be restricted to the older students only).
Nicole sniggered. "That'd some out great..." she laughed, putting on a high, bubbly voice. " Hey, um... uuhhh... You're sooo preetty, Arch. TAKE ME NOW!"
Katie promptly threw her shoe at Nicole, getting her shoulder."It wouldn't be like that!" Katie squealed, turning pink.
Nicole made a face halfway through what would have been a quite promising eye-roll as she peeled the leather from her skin, none to gently. She eyed the steam that wafted from her shoulders, with disgust. "Ugh... why can't we wear normal things for battle garb! Leather just makes everything considerably worse... and it makes me want to scrub myself raw after I've gone and sweat in it for a good couple of hours." she growled, finally kicking the suit from her. She then shrugged as she began pulling her school clothes from her locker, "I don't know Katie.." she sighed, "Though I question your obsession with the opposite sex," she waved one of her socks around energetically in Katie's direction, (she always made odd gesticulations while conversing) "I guess you'll just have to ask him... if you wait for him to ask you... well... you may never get asked at all... you know how Arch is... he's very shy."
Katie sighed, rubbing a towel over her rather icky damp shoulders. "But at least he isn't going to freak out the first time he sees me using something without plugging it in first..." Katie had had rather disastrously bad experiences with both of her former boyfriends. Nicole snickered.
"Well, Nicole, are you planning to ask Bobby to the dance? From the way he looks at you its obvious he wants to go with you." Katie commented, giving Nicole a look. "You know how shy HE is."
Nicole, who had been struggling to pull on her dark blue turtleneck shirt, finally thrust her head through the neck with a loud squeal of outrage. "WHAT! ask Bobby! That is the dumbest... I mean, he's my best friend! He doesn't look at me... Well, obviously he looks at me... you sort of need to look at someone in order to talk to him or her... but I mean... he doesn't look at me in that way. Does he?" she said this all very fast.
In fact, Katie had to struggle to interpret the outburst from Colie to English for a few seconds before answering. She grinned. "Are you kidding me?" she laughed, " It's sooo obvious!"
Nicole looked taken aback. "I still don't know what you're talking about, I really don't... I mean, who'd want to take me anywhere anyway? He obviously likes someone else prettier and is gonna take her, and you're just overreacting."
Katie had to stifle a massive giggle. "Jealous much? Nicole, why don't you just;... you know... start up a conversation about who's taking who, he'll get the hint eventually..." Katie trailed off, with a wicked glint in her eye. "And you two would be so cuuute..."
Nicole turned stone-faced, and pretended to be interested in tying her shoelaces. "Absolutely not. I know for a fact that Kitty has been trying to make him take the hint for weeks now." she sighed in an airy, false I-don't-care voice.
Rolling her eyes, Katie groaned. "Oh... you're hopeless..." she moaned into her hands in disbelief. "And why do you think he's been avoiding the question ever since?" Katie quipped, feeling a wave of annoyance come over her. If she had to ask someone to the dance, she was sure as hell going to make Nicole ask someone as well. Besides, it wouldn't do for Nicole to go alone.
"I don't see why I have to go with anyone in particular anyway..." Nicole continued in her false un-caring voice.
"Because you need to go with someone! Everyone is... C'mon Nicole... you know you want a date..." Katie cajoled. "Besides, I don't; want to leave you by yourself if I have a date."
Nicole 'harrumphed'. "I can have fun by myself."
Katie sighed dramatically, flinging open the door to the hallway. "Nicole, you are completely and totally hopeless."
Nicole frowned rather bitterly, " I am not." she muttered, following Katie out and into the hallway.
Katie sighed, "You're stubborn too." she commented dryly, "And if I can help it, you're going to wear a nice, pretty dress to make Bobby, your date, happy."
Nicole stopped, her face turning red with anger. "Now you listen to me Katie, if I say I'm not going with him I'm not. And I am not wearing a dress! It would be awkward... I'd have nothing to say to him.. I don't-"
"You never seemed to have any difficulty with talking to him before..." Katie prodded.
Nicole's scowl deepened, and she adjusted her books in her arms awkwardly. "Yes well, that's when I'm wearing pants and not baring my icky girly legs."
Katie gave Nicole a passing fair imitation of one of Nicole's patented stubborn looks. "You are going to go with Bobby, in a dress, looking like a girl, if it means I have to chain you up."
Nicole looked miffed. "I am not."
"Over my dead body you aren't." Still arguing rather pointlessly, they bumped into both of the pretty men in question. "Hello Arch," Katie commented brightly, breaking off in mid-sentence. "How'd it go for you?"
Nicole continued frowning, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the oblivious Katie, who was no longer paying her any attention. "What is it with her and boys!" her mind growled heatedly. The boys joined them as they strolled down the hallway. The simulations were always in the last period, so they had free time before dinner and homework.
Noticing Nicole's miffed look, Bobby frowned ever so slightly. " Something wrong 'Cole?" he inquired politely, as he rubbed her back in a soothing manner.
She jumped. "Don't do that!" she squealed in a paranoid manner, trying to squash the butterflies that had begun to flutter in her stomach. Had Bobby always liked her? She felt paranoid now. Bobby looked a tad hurt, stepping back from the object of his desire.
Katie, breaking her eyes away from Arch's long enough to notice, gave Bobby a soothing sort of look. "Nicole's just a bit bitchy because she hasn't had her shower yet. You know, damp sweaty leather and all that." Bobby looked a bit better, though Nicole did not. How dare Katie make excuses for her? But they'd finally reached the girls' room.
Arch, looking extremely uncomfortable, leaned in to Katie. "Can you... meet with me... alone... for a moment?" he murmured, sounding somewhat terrified. Looking slightly taken aback, but none the less happy, Katie followed him down the hallway to the left. Looking extremely nervous, Arch ran his hand through his blond hair. He glanced around shiftily. "Listen, Katie... I was just wondering... the dance... I mean... assuming that no one has asked you already..." he began quickly.
Katie's heart hammered in her chest. Oh gosh. Looks like she wouldn't have to ask him after all...
"Wouldyougowithme!" he breathed. Arch's face had turned the color of an over-ripe cherry. He scratched the back of his head in a modest way, "I mean... If .."
"YES!" squealed Katie excitedly, "I mean.." she began, adjusting her voice so it sounded more laidback. She shrugged and smiled in a sweet way, "I'd love to"
- - -
Meanwhile, Nicole was tugging rather nervously at her bangs with one hand, trying to find something for the other to do. Bobby had come in, as usual, and was standing about looking somewhat awkward and more than a little hesitant. "Hey, Nicole," he began, cutting off the mutual babble that had been masquerading as conversation.
"You want to ask me to the dance, right?" Nicole interrupted, not particularly suavely.
"What? I mean... eventually... but... Since you're already going I guess... I mean, I wasn't going to ask quite right now anyway..." Bobby was looking somewhat emo, as though he really had wanted Nicole to go with him.
"No, I mean, I'm not going with anybody! I was just... trying to guess what you were going to say." Nicole tried to explain. "Its not obvious or anything... if there's anything to be obvious about its just that... I'd like to go with you." Oh god, why did Katie have to leave?
Bobby's face fell slightly, " Well, If you don't want to go- what?" he seemed to realize what she had just said a little too late. By now Nicole's heart was banging around in her ribcage, trying to break free, and her cheeks were on fire. She felt as if she would very much like to be out of this room and away from Bobby, but at the same time she didn't exactly want to leave him. What is this feeling? She'd never felt like this with Bobby before... Sure, she felt a slight lurch in her stomach when he flashed her one of the charming smiles he used when talking to other girls, at her perhaps by mistake. He wasn't exactly all that obvious about liking Nicole, given the fact that he was always chasing other girls and then treating Nicole like a sister afterwards...
Nicole panted a bit. "I said that I'd like to go with you." She repeated, somewhat breathless. Oh, why did things have to be so damn complicated between girls and boys? Why couldn't they just say what they meant...
Bobby blinked at her. He hadn't actually been planning to ask her, being much too afraid of having her laugh at him (as he was certain she would). In fact, he'd already steeled himself to an evening of watching her dance with other guys, and having her not is free if he managed to gather up enough courage.
"But if you don't want to go with me, then that's ok..." Nicole continued as quickly as she could, trying to clear the air.
"No, no, I'd love to go with you!" he protested.
Nicole's stomach now felt as if it were to float away, carrying her with it due to all of the butterflies fluttering inside of it. Nicole tried to shrug, "Well, I guess that's settled then... I guess.." she muttered, staring at the carpet.
"Yeah..." Bobby mumbled, trying to focus on something, anything but Nicole.
"But, what about Kitty and all of the other girls who've been badgering you about the dance?" Nicole burst inquiringly.
Bobby looked quite taken aback by this question. "Well...," he began, running a hand through his thick sandy brown hair. "I ... I don't know... I suppose they can find dates... I doubt they even asked me because they liked me... perhaps because they were desperate.." he mumbled, finally meeting Nicole's eyes. Of course they like you, you dope. You're adorable. Nicole thought.
What could have been an exceedingly adorable, and yet beautifully awkward moment was broken by Katie appearing at the door, looking flushed but inordinately pleased with herself. Seeing Bobby there, she tried to back out. "Sorry... I wasn't interrupting anything was I? 'Cause I can always find somewhere else to go, you know..." Oh, the two of them were just so cute. Standing there looking all embarrassed. Katie felt rather pleased with herself for having planted the idea, as otherwise there was no way Nicole would have spoken up. and they really did deserve each other...
"NO! no,". Nicole squealed, practically leaping from her bed as Katie had begun backing out of the door. She prodded her way into Katie's head. Don't leave me here all alone with him! she mentally panicked.
Katie smirked. You're such a baby was the answer.
I hate you Nicole's voice grumbled.
'You'll thank me someday when you have little Bobby Jr. waddling around ..."
Katie! Nicole mind-snapped. I am not going to marry him! or sleep with him, for that matter. She really didn't need all those embarrassing mental pictures right now! Katie just laughed.
Nicole sighed, ignoring the slightly confused look on Bobby's face (silent conversations tended to do that). "I'm really sorry, but can you guys find somewhere else to stand? I really need to take a shower... I'll see you at dinner?" Nicole asked/demanded, wanting the time to think alone more than she wanted the shower itself.
Bobby jumped, looking slightly miffed at the idea that Nicole wanted to go to the dance with him, but didn't want him in the same room as her at the moment. "Uhm... yea... I need to go do... something. I'll see you later then 'Cole?" he mumbled inquiringly, hope flickering behind his blue eyes. Nicole nodded, speechless as her heart was currently situated in her throat. He smiled, looking relieved somehow and then passed Katie out of the door and disappeared from sight to the right.
Katie rolled her eyes, grinned, and squealed excitedly, " Ooohh you guys are going to be such a cute couple!"
Nicole glared at Katie. "Say that one more time, and I'm going to hit you."
"But I've only said it once." Katie protested.
"But you've thought it loudly."
"Fine." Katie sighed. "And I hope you're more of a human being after you take your shower." Katie then flounced out of the room.
Nicole sighed to herself and flopped onto her bed. Why were things so complicated? I mean, personally she had rather liked it better when boys were avoiding her never mind fancying her... And what was that feeling that she had gotten when Bobby looked at her? A sort of feeling as if her whole world had been flipped upside down and then righted again. She groaned into her hands. Did she have a crush on Bobby? Did Bobby really want to go to the dance with her, or did he just want to avoid Kitty?
Still in the midst of a startling amount of mental turmoil, Nicole got up. Going to her dresser she pulled out some fresh clothes, snatching up her hairbrush from the top of her dresser, then exited the room as quickly as possible. Nicole's spirits lifted somewhat as her thoughts drifted to the thought of a nice, hot shower that she could mull things over in. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, going to the dance with Bobby... they could talk... and dance and have a generally good time like they always did... the fact that they were going there together together didn't have to be a fiasco... Opening the bathroom door, glad that she'd managed to find it empty (with only two per every ten rooms, it was sometimes rather difficult to find a free shower).
Nicole finished brushing her hair, not that it took particularly long (she didn't have much hair). But Katie definitely wasn't going to get her into a dress, oh no. That would just be waay too awkward... Nicole didn't think that Bobby had ever seen her in anything but pants and a t-shirt (minus the leather)... Sighing to herself, she put the brush down and began stripping off her shirt.
With her back to the door, she let it slip slowly from her shoulders and let it hang from her arms, which were still in the armholes. The room slowly began to get increasingly hotter as the steam fogged up the mirror. Breathing deeply to calm herself, Nicole began to remove her shirt completely. But... what was that noise? It sounded like the doorknob turning... no. Must be her imagination...
Dropping the shirt to the floor, Nicole reached up to pull down her bra straps, turning it to reach the clasp in the same movement as she turned to face the door. Oh no, it definitely wasn't her imagination, that door was opening. But no, it couldn't be someone she liked coming through, or someone un-awkward (like a girl).
It had to be one of her least favorite people in the entire world: Logan. A very shocked looking Logan, as it were.
Shockwaves coursed up and down Nicole's spine, pure hate blossoming into fear and humiliation as the man she loathed the most was given the biggest peek a pervert could dream of. Frozen to the spot, the thought of even remotely covering herself was futile. She could scarcely breath never mind making a sudden movement. 'Please, don't look... his eyes... don't move downward don't move... look away... leave...' she begged mentally. Nicole's sense of horror only mounted when his eyes did the inevitable flick down, and she cringed as his eyes widened... and it was impossible to miss the appreciation in those eyes. As much as this was highly irregular, it was still a free look at a pair of breasts. Oh, why was she so fucking unlucky? It was after another, long painful moment that either of them had the presence of mind to move instead of just staring at each other like deer in the headlights.
After hastily crossing one arm over her chest to cover herself (and stupidly forgetting that she could have covered herself with her fallen shirt with her mind...) Nicole chucked the nearest hard object that she touched, her hairbrush at Logan's head. Then filling her lungs with air, and making it almost stupid to attempt to cover herself since her chest inflated from the air.., she screamed as loudly as she could, "GEEET OUUUUTTTTTTTT!"
After dodging a near blow by her hairbrush, Logan bolted.
As soon as Logan's hulking frame was gone from the doorway, Nicole made a motion with her hand that looked almost like a slap and the door promptly slammed itself shut. Her breathing had become rather erratic, and her mind was in mental disarray. ' Why did he have to walk in? Why him! Of all people!... and he saw... he looked! I mean, those are my private... no one is allowed to see ... ' her mind bumbled on an on. Ripping the rest of her clothing from herself, she made sure the door was securely locked then stepped into her shower. " Damn him!" she hissed.
Muttering to herself, she made sure the water was as hot as she could stand, meaning to scrub the very feeling of his eyes from her skin. Eww! That was just so wrong... he was old, much too old for her, and a "teacher" to boot (not that he really did anything). Grabbing a loofah, she began scrubbing her skin so hard that it started to hurt. It was bad enough that she'd know what he was thinking every time he looked at her from now on. She wanted her skin to be clean even if her mind wouldn't ever be again...! "Stupid! Fuck ! Ah!" she grunted grinding her fists into the slippery tile walls of the shower. She slumped miserably, leaning up against the cool tile, trying to calm herself before her anger and humiliation spilled over. She knew she was crying even though she couldn't feel the tears, her eyes watered and stung. It seemed as though her dignity was the substance swirling down the drain, not the boiling hot water.
"God damn it!" she growled, seizing the shampoo and scrubbing her scalp until it stung from her nails scratching at it. "I hate you..." she whimpered softly, miserably watching the soapsuds swirl down the drain.
- - -
Though he wasn't showering miserably and crying a loss of dignity, Logan was not entirely unfazed either. Rather, he was sitting down to an informal, impromptu meeting, still somewhat stunned and still trying to get the picture out of his head. Funny how he'd never really noticed her in that way before... He shook his head, trying to shake the image of her naked chest from his mind's eye. Ignoring the unusually quiet, shell-shocked Logan, Xavier explained why he'd called the 'responsible adults' of the establishment together.
"As you know, the kids have organized a dance at one of the nearby clubs, and we-" (Xavier liked to use 'we', making it seem more like a team) "need at least two of you to go and supervise." Complete silence followed the Professor's statement. Quite frankly, no one was particularly keen on attending a dance in a hot, sweaty nightclub with a bunch of hormonally imbalanced teenaged mutants. Xavier frowned at the lack of enthusiasm. "Come now, surely there must be someone..." he faltered, "Don't make me force two of you to volunteer..." The silence continued.
Reluctantly, Scott made a small motion to signal that he would go. He shrugged, it's not like he had other important things to do that evening. All there was left was the other volunteer...
"Logan, thank you" Xavier called, as he had noticed Logan had made a sudden movement.
He had his head on the table, but that quickly changed. His head flew up, "What! No. No WAY am I going to supervise some teenager-planned orgy"
Scott also looked unhappy, desperately wanting to yell "No WAY am I spending an evening with that asshole!" But that probably wouldn't have gone over well. And the evening hadn't been looking that bad, at least he'd be able to see them this time around... but then, Logan tended to make things worse.
"That's why I need you to go, Logan." Xavier continued. "So it won't become …an orgy as you so eloquently put it."
Logan shook his head again. "How am I supposed to control hundreds of horny teenagers?"
"The way you do normally." Xavier continued, entirely too reasonably.
Logan scowled, drumming his fingertips on the table he was sitting at impatiently. "How, by threatening to tear them to bits? Personally if I were them the thrill of being caught or seen by a teacher would turn me on." he growled, adding a sickeningly twisted smile to his comment.
Scott wrinkled his nose. Logan definitely did not have the common courtesy to remember that everyone was supposed to have dinner after the meeting. And bluntly put, the fact that the risk of being caught doing something he shouldn't turned Logan on, didn't exactly spur everyone's stomachs into ravenous hunger. In fact, Scott wouldn't be surprised is Logan was banging some of the prettier students on the side. Pervert.
"Well, you aren't them and you're going." Storm commented, though gently, and the meeting was closed.
- - -
Katie was still patting Nicole reassuringly on the shoulder as they walked down the hall to the stairs to dinner. "Nicole, its ok... it wasn't your fault. You just need to forget about it. I mean, it's not like you have a class with him or anything," she murmured, though it wasn't making much of an effect.
Nicole just sniffled for the fifty thousandth time. They'd been over the event several times in excruciating detail.
It didn't help that they'd barely made it down the first couple steps before someone jumped between them, throwing an arm around each of their necks. "So, who's taking you lovely ladies to the dance?"
"Shut up, Pyro." Katie elbowed him in the ribs playfully.
"Arch is taking Katie." Nicole said, brightening ever so slightly to see one of her guy-friends... even though this guy friend was more than a bit of a player and most of the time got a lot more than a little annoying. "And I'm going with Bobby." Nicole muttered quickly, trying to skim over the subject at the moment. She didn't feel like thinking about Bobby right now. Even though Bobby was much more welcome than Logan her mind.
"Mmmm that's too bad because I was thinking of taking the both of you if you didn't manage to scrounge up some dates..." he purred, flashing a sexy smile. "Save me a dance Colie?" he inquired, squeezing Nicole's side gently.
Nicole nodded distractedly, "yeah, sure..."
Katie pushed him off before he could ask her. "I'm not saving one for you. You'll have to actually hang out with your own date for once, instead of trying to pick up everyone else's." (The best way to get Pyro to ignore you was to go out with him). But Katie would probably end up dancing with him anyway, if he asked her later. He was too pretty to completely ignore.