Chapter 4: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
I felt my jaw drop when I saw the huge beautiful building. There was a fountain in front of it, with the shape of an angel. Gambit drove in front of the entrance, and stopped. Rogue opened her door before Gambit had both of his feet outside of the car, and she opened mine.
-"Cherie, Gambit was going to be a gentleman here, and open the car for you", he said in his Cajun accent.
-"Sugah, I'm perfectly able to open my own door, thank you very much," she replied in her own southern drawl and smiled at him. He just shook his head and muttered something incoherent.
Gambit drove off to park the car, and Rogue started walking towards the big white stone building. I followed her, and she opened one of the oak doors, revealing a large homely room.
It had ruby red wall-to-wall carpet, giving it all a warm look. I stood in the doorway like any other idiots, amazed by the whole thing. This wasn't even close to how the orphanage had been. This looked perfect; like a luxury hotel or something. Not that I would know, I'd never stepped foot inside one of those.
-"Are you all right?" Rogue asked after a minute. I snapped out of my trance-like state, and saw her frowned face. I smiled as I replied:
-"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit overwhelmed by all of this. It's a lot different from the orphanage," I laughed a little at the comparison.
-"I was first time I saw this place too, but I came from a "normal", home." I didn't get her air quotation marks, but I figured I'd understand it later.
-"Rogue, who's your friend?" a tall, muscular man in jeans and a white wife beater appeared at the top of the giant staircase that occupied the furthest part of the oval room.
-"Logan, this is Amelia," Rogue said, and motioned towards me with her hand. I smiled and gave him a slight wave and "Hi", before a man in a wheel chair followed by a redhead came out from the left side of the stairwell. Logan switched a few words with the red head, before going back up the stairs
The man in the wheelchair was bold and looked old, but he smiled when he saw us.
-"Rogue, I see you brought your friend from the underground station with you," the old man said and came closer.
-"Hello, and welcome to the school. My name is Charles Xavier, or Professor Xavier", he continued and smiled at me.
-"I'm Amelia Andromeda Hale, Professor Xavier. I was hoping there would be a spot open here for me," I answered, fingering with my gloves again.
-"There is always room for those who need it here Amelia. If you would just follow Jean, she will show you too a room," he replied and smiled warmly at me.
-"Jean, will you…" he turned to the red haired woman and talked to her.
I didn't pay attention; my focus was disrupted by the big blue beast in human clothes with a writing board in his hands, that came down the stairs. I felt my jaw unconsciously open yet again, as I saw the animal move towards us.
-"Professor, I found some rather interesting new variables in the DNA-sample you brought me," he said in perfect English, and showed the Professor his writing board.
-"Yes Hank, I see. We'll talk about this later," he said, and the beast, Hank, nodded and walked back up the stairs, scratching the back of his head.
It was only when Rogue waived her hand in front of my face and called my name a few times that I snapped out of my shocked trance.
-"Whoa-what?" I asked her and shook my head, trying to clear it.
-"Hank has that kind of affect the first time you see him, but you get used to it," the red head named Jean said kindly and smiled at me.
-"Yes, now, Jean if you would take Amelia to her room, I wish to speak a few words with Rogue," Professor Xavier said and Jean nodded in reply.
-"And Amelia, when you wake up tomorrow, I would like you to come to my office so we can sort a few things out, I'm sure someone will show you the way," he continued, and smiled at me. I nodded, and waved at Rogue and Gambit who had just appeared behind Rogue.
-"Come on, just follow me," Jean said and walked up the staircase. I followed behind her, admiring the artwork on the walls, and trying to memorize the hallways she took me through.
-"Jean, it's almost 3am, why are you up so late? Or so early?" I asked her; curious to why she and the others weren't sleeping.
-
"The Professor got an emergency call from Rogue when you two were fighting Sabretooth tooth on the subway, and the same call woke me up. Hank is very interested with his new project, so sleep isn't a priority anymore. And Logan…well, Logan is just cautious, or…suspicious, if you will. As soon as he heard Gambit's car pull over outside of the mansion and heard three sets of steps instead of two, he came down to investigate," Jean answered as she stopped outside of a wooden door, just like all the other doors down the hall.
She opened the door for me and turned on the lights.
-"I hope you'll like it here, I'll see you in the morning", Jean said with a yawn and bid me goodnight before she closed the door behind me, and walking back to her own room.
The room was simple. Nothing flashy or over-the top. I liked it. The walls where a simple white, with a built in closet in the wall by the door. There was a big window with a sitting ring with pillows on the opposite wall, and a simple, surprisingly enough, queen sized bed. On the wall facing the bed, there was an old fashioned dressing table, and a full figure mirror beside it. All in all, a very comfortable room, much better then the ones at the orphanage.
I put down my bag on the floor, and lay down on the bed. I kicked my shoes off and took my gloves and jacket off, before succumbing into the most peaceful sleep I'd had in years.