Chapter 12: Chloe

By: Galadeidre

Chloe heard a shuffling through the open bedroom door and looked up, not at all surprised to see a faint outline of dried tears marked on Len's peach-white face. Her shockingly green eyes were glassy and unfocused as the new mutant made her way to her bed and slowly laid down on it, her head buried beneath her pillow. Chloe had seen few new mutants react this way as they were left at the School, but enough to know that she would need to be careful of what she said. Especially for this girl. She was strong, Chloe knew that, but also knew that her mind had been damaged to the point of breaking.

At least, that was what Chloe's mind was telling her.

She had telepathy also.

Chloe took a deep breath. She hated talking to new muties. They never talked back. Or if they did, they never understood her. "You should get some rest. We start school tomorrow."

Len didn't answer. Instead, she kept her face buried in the pillow, breathing slowly and deeply.

Chloe couldn't decide if Len not answering her was better than being answered by an obnoxious newbie. She finally decided to be silently thankful for the silent reprieve and then looked at Len. It had been a long time since Chloe had ever pitied anyone and it felt slightly awkward to her. Slowly, she replied, "I wouldn't worry. He'll come back."

Len still did not answer. The minutes passed and Chloe soon realized that Len was sleeping. Whether Len had heard her last remark or not, Chloe didn't know, but she wasn't going to wake her up just for that. She opened her book once again and began to read.

She hadn't read long when a knock sounded on her door. Chloe sighed and got out of her bed. Too lazy to open the door that Len had shut behind her, Chloe concentrated most of her power to her head and shoulders area. She breathed in and stuck her head through the door, feeling the outline of the wood on her head and neck like a cold trickle as she passed through.

"Sheesh, Chloe! I hate it when you do that!" The brunette-haired Southern belle with the white streak exclaimed.

"Then why insist on bothering me?" Chloe asked sarcastically.

The mutant put her hands on her hips, not at all phased by Chloe's words. "That's what friends do."

"Friends, huh?" But Chloe didn't bother to comment. Of all the solitude that she cared for, she was glad for this one mutant, Rogue. She wasn't really close friends with Rogue, but she was one mutant that Chloe could cope with. There were only a few here that she could actually stand.

"It's supper time," Rogue's sweet southern drawl brought Chloe back to reality. "You comin' or are you gonna starve yourself?"

If only you knew, Chloe thought sarcastically. "I'll come down eventually."

"Fine, then, but get something in your stomach. You've been sitting in your room the whole day and it was a gorgeous day today."

"I've been preoccupied."

"So I've noticed." Rogue decided then to switch gears, her voice lowering to just over a whisper and her tone serious. "How's that new mutant holdin' up? Len, right?"

"She's sleeping, after she cried her eye sockets out. I think it had something to do with that mutie that she came with."

"Explains a lot. She seems like a nice girl."

"More like scared half to death. Comes with being a new mutie, I suppose. We all know that feeling."

Rogue nodded, then turned as she heard a strange swishing of sorts. Another young mutie, just a few years younger than Rogue and Chloe, as well as about a head and a half shorter than the two, made her appearance as she floated up through the carpeted floor. Her cute amber-brown eyes glanced from Chloe to Rogue. "Bobby was wondering where you were."

"I'll be right down." Rogue answered. The young shadow mutant nodded and ghosted down through the carpeting once again.

Rogue turned back to Chloe. "Well, can't keep Bobby waiting. Make sure you eat." She began to walk away, then turned back around. "And when you do, the Professor wants you to bring some food up for her. I already got her a plate of goodies. It's wrapped in the fridge. Nothin' a little chocolate can't cure." With that, she was gone down the elevator.

Chloe kept her head through the closed, Virginian, wood-stained door, making sure that Rogue had gone completely down the elevator. She then closed her eyes and willed her head and shoulders back through the door and inside the room once again, feeling the cold trickle of the door sliding up through her neck and head. She had no intention of actually eating anything. When the last time she ate was, she couldn't actually remember. She'd rather not eat a huge meal.

She'd rather not eat anything. She opened up her book and continued to read.

The hours ticked by, Chloe engrossed in her fictitious tale, before Len so much as stirred. Len shifted in her bed and Chloe immediately snapped to attention, her blue eyes unwavering. Chloe thought to herself: Either she continues sleeping or she wakes up to new surroundings with confusion in her eyes.

Chloe had seen too many new muties enroll at the Institute.

Len chose the latter. She instinctively grabbed the blanket and brought it up to her chin, her breathing soft but rapid. Chloe remained completely still until Len's eyes finally settled on her form lying in bed, several books strewn around the covers. Len didn't say a word; rather, she just stared, a curious and fearful expression on her face.

Chloe didn't want to stare at her for too long: she had done that too much as it was while the new mutie had been sleeping. She got out of bed and walked towards the door, opening it manually and riding down the round elevator. She passed the living room, where Blink was flipping through the channels, and walked into the kitchen, remembering that Rogue had put a platter of chocolates in the fridge. She grabbed the platter and a freshly wrapped club sandwich from also inside the fridge and walked back up to her room.

Len hadn't moved an inch from where she was sitting, but she did move her head when she heard Chloe reenter the room. Chloe continued to not make eye contact and set the chocolates and the sandwich on Len's bedside table. With her good deed done, Chloe walked back to her side of the room, piled her books neatly on her desk, and leaned back into her pillows.

For a while, there was only silence, as Len slowly looked down at the platter of chocolates. After a few minutes had passed, Chloe heard a rustle of the seran wrap on the sandwich and a few crunches as the crisp lettuce was ground in the new mutie's teeth. The sandwich was soon completely eaten, and Len began to eat her desserts.

Chloe still had not moved, but she was far from sleeping.

The sandwich and chocolate had given Len a bit of her strength and her charisma back. She popped another small chocolate truffle into her mouth and began to speak. Her tone was cheerful and slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry. I think Ms. Ororo mentioned your name before, but I forgot what it was. My name's Len. What's yours?"

"Chloe."

"Chloe. I guess there isn't a long version for Chloe is there? Len is short for Lenette."

Chloe didn't answer. The last thing she wanted was to befriend this new mutie that seemed to have the exact opposite personality as she had.

This didn't stop Len. "I guess you're a mutant, too, if you live here. What's your mutation? Is it hard to control? I guess mine is…I dunno, though…"

Chloe didn't move.

"The Professor said that he'll help me with my mutation. Do you think that it'll hurt? Will I be cured from it? I'm sorry…I'm rambling on…I have just a little too much energy right now, and the chocolates aren't helping."

At least you realized it. That's a plus. Chloe muttered to herself.

"Could you tell me...could you tell me how you found out about your mutation? Do your parents know that you're a…a mutant?"

Chloe thought back to a time in her almost-forgotten past. She could still smell the alcohol stench, the belts-turned-whips, the knives, his fingers and hands, his low gravelly voice yelling and swearing at her…

"Chloe?"

Once again, Chloe refused to answer. Instead she turned her back towards Len and closed her eyes.

Len got the idea and stayed quiet as she finished the platter. She then lied back down on the bed and pulled the covers over herself.

Chloe continued to listen to Len as she rustled in her bed before she got comfortable, and before she dozed off to sleep, she heard Len make a soft reply.

"Thanks for the chocolates."