Chapter 14: Mutant High I

By: Galadeidre

"Well, well, well." Len looked up as she entered the kitchen with Chloe to see who was speaking. The golden-haired boy she had seen when she had first arrived in the mansion was looking at both of them. The girl with the white streak in her hair was sitting beside him, her gloved hands holding a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A few other kids were seated at several other tables, talking about other things and not paying much attention to the newcomers.

The blonde continued to talk, one eyebrow cocked as he spoke, "It's been a while since you actually came down to eat breakfast with the rest of us, Chloe. What's up?"

Chloe shrugged her shoulders, sitting in one of the empty seats at their table. Len took the other empty seat and sat quietly as Chloe gave a nod towards her. "This is Len. She's the new mutie here."

"Pleased to meet you," the boy remarked. He gave a smile as he held out his hand. Len shook it. "My name's Bobby."

"And I'm Rogue," the young girl replied. She, too, gave Len a handshake and a warm smile.

Len couldn't help but make a comment, "Rogue?"

Rogue laughed. "Sorry, my real name's Marie, but most people here call me Rogue. It's because of my powers."

"What do you do?" Len asked.

Rogue looked down at her gloved hands. "My skin can drain the life out of anyone it touches."

"I see," Len replied, quickly putting two and two together. She looked back at Bobby. "And what do you do?"

Bobby gave a wink. "My mutant name is Iceman."

"Ice powers?" Len asked.

Bobby's eyes twinkled. "Watch." He placed his finger on the side of his cereal bowl. The pink-colored milk that had been left over from his fruit pebbles slowly began to freeze until it was one solid block of light pink.

Len's eyes widened in awe.

Bobby chuckled. "It's instant ice cream." Len laughed as Rogue remarked, "Show off" and playfully punched him on the shoulder.

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave Len a nudge. "C'mon. Want something to eat?" She stood up and walked to the fridge, Len following. Len made herself a bowl of honey nut cheerios and grabbed an orange from the counter. Chloe grabbed a small apple and a glass of milk. They sat back down at the table.

Len glanced at Chloe's meager meal. "Aren't you going to eat more than that?"

"I'm not that hungry," Chloe answered, taking a small bite out of her apple. Len didn't ask anymore questions.

"So, Len. Do you know a Jean Grey?" Bobby asked abruptly.

"Bobby!" Rogue exclaimed, surprised at his boldness. Chloe glared at him.

Len knew who Bobby was talking about, but shook her head. "I've never met Ms. Grey. Who is she?"

Bobby continued, and Rogue and Chloe fell back in their chairs, a bit annoyed. Chloe muttered "idiot" under her breath. "She used to be a teacher here, before she died a few weeks ago."

Len looked at him in surprise. "Just recently?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah. Have you heard of that huge incident about that dam up north and the president's speech?"

Len recalled someone talking about the dam. Can you believe that dam up in Alkali Lake ruptured...it may have been those people...the president's being too soft...who knows what kind of powers they can possess...

"The Alkali Lake dam eruption..." Len muttered. She blinked and glanced at all of them in turn. "You guys were there?"

"Bobby and Rogue were," Chloe intervened. "I escaped with a few of the other muties."

Bobby nodded. "We were there. That's where Professor Jean died. She was helping the jet fly out of the area, and was crushed on impact with the escaping water."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, yeah," Bobby said. "Professor Scott's never been the same."

"Who's Professor Scott?" Len asked.

"Scott Summers was Jean's boyfriend," Chloe answered abruptly. "He's a guy with lasers coming out of his eyes, which is why he'll be wearing either ruby quartz shades or his ruby quartz visor. Nothin' special about him." She gave a small groan as she pushed herself out of her chair. "Speaking of, my first class is with him." She rolled her eyes again. "Studyhall." She gave a nod at Len. "You have Math, I think, for your first class. That's with Rogue, so I'll talk to you later." She gave a wave and walked out of the kitchen, throwing her barely-eaten apple into the garbage.

"Chloe doesn't like Scott, or many others for that matter," Rogue replied, answering the unspoken question in Len's mind. "She never has. She always hated his goody-two-shoe ways. She doesn't trust him either."

Bobby snorted as they stood up and threw away their breakfast. "Ironic. She doesn't trust the person that's a teacher and a leader here, but she'll trust the man who's half wild."

"Bobby!" Rogue warned.

"Who's that?" Len asked as they left the kitchen.

"His name is Logan," Rogue replied before Bobby could answer. She glared at him. "He's our friend and a good guy."

Bobby cocked his eyebrow but didn't reply. They stopped in the middle of the hallway where a second hall crossed the first. Bobby turned to his right and headed towards his first class while the girls kept walking straight.

"We'll see you two later!" Bobby waved to them and disappeared through a door.

Len followed Rogue through a door at the end of the hallway, entering into a large sunlit room with several long tables for desks. Several of the other students were already there, some conversing, others finishing the last bits of their previous assignments. Rogue sat down at one of the tables, beckoning Len to sit beside her.

No sooner had they sat down than when the door opened once again, and Professor Xavier wheeled in. He acknowledged the students in passing as he wheeled to the front of the class.

"Good morning. I trust you all slept well and are ready for today's test. Please clear your desks, leaving only a pencil, calculator, and some scratch paper if you so choose, and we'll begin."

A small wave of groans sounded throughout the classroom as the students began to clear their desks.

Len watched in curiosity, not quite knowing what to do.

"Lenette," the Professor began as he wheeled himself to her desk. "You may take the test if you wish, but I will not grade it. It will be considered more as a placement test to see how far in mathematics your skills are."

"Thanks, Professor. I think I'll do that."

Xavier gave a nod and wheeled back to the front of the classroom. "I wish you all the best of luck. You may begin."

Everyone immediately began their tests, with only the sounds of scratching pencils and clacking calculators to be heard for the next forty-five minutes. Most of the test was easy enough for Len. Silently thanking her genius of a math teacher back at home, she finished her test with fifteen minutes to spare, set her pencil down, and began to read one of the books that Conner had bought for her.

The rest of the students began to finish their pencils, and it soon was time for class to end as everyone prepared their books and headed out of the classroom.

"Lenette, I would like to speak to you for a moment," Xavier remarked as Len and Rogue stood up out of their seats.

"I'll be out in the hall," Rogue whispered with a smile of encouragement.

Len watched as Rogue closed the door and then turned to Xavier. "Yes, Professor?"

"I was wondering if you would like to start your training today?"

"My training?"

"Yes. To hone your skills. To have better control of your powers. That is if you feel up to the challenge. I have to warn you, it may be difficult."

Len sighed and gave it a moment's thought. "Well, I did come here for help in my powers, so I suppose it's better to start earlier than later."

"If that is what you want, then. I believe you have an opening during your sixth hour, correct?"

Len took out her schedule and scrolled down the text. "Yeah."

Xavier nodded and continued. "I have arranged for you to meet with someone to help with your skills. His name is Kurt Wagner and I'll send him down to meet you after your fifth hour."

"You're not teaching me?"

"No, not this lesson. I will, though, give you lessons. Your teachers will vary, depending on availability. It is common for you to eventually be taught by all the professors here in this school, depending on the progression of your mutant capabilities."

"Sounds like fun," Len remarked, a bit dryly.

Xavier smiled. "Don't worry, Lenette. You're in good hands. Now, I don't want you to be late for your next class, so you may go now."

Len nodded and walked out of the room, meeting Rogue in the hallway, and walking off to their next class.