Ororo quickly called down another girl to her office. Ant's first reaction to the girl was to laugh, but she controlled herself, the taste of coconut filling Logan's mouth. The other girl was tall, lean, but in a muscle-hardened way, not like the nearly malnourished body of Ant. She stood there, arms crossed and leaning against the wall as Ororo gave the girl a new roommate.
She had an obvious attitude, with her grey-blue eyes, tanned face, sharp features and short spiky blue hair. Popping her gum and pushing down her denim skirt she nodded as Ororo explained the situation.
"Got it Ms. Munroe." The girl said, rolling her eyes. She held a hand out to Ant. "C'mon then. I need to show you around right?"
Ant nodded and took the girls hand.
"Thanks."
"No prob. I got this Ms. Munroe." The blue haired girl said to Ororo. "We can take care of ourselves."
Logan left, glad that he could finally get the hell out of this crazy school, at least for a little while. Ororo sat back, looked at Ant and then at the other girl. "I hope so."
Ant was amazed as she was pulled down the hallways, the girl pointing out classrooms and halls and the few people wandering the corridors. She was constantly talking, and seemed quite unaffected by Ant's power, accepting it as just another mutant's ability.
"M'names Jamie, by the way." She said as she showed Ant around the kitchen. "You?"
"Oh." Ant said, looking around the large dining hall. "Call me Ant."
Jamie hardly raised an eyebrow, again just accepting it as a 'mutant thing'. They passed another door and Jamie pointed it out explaining that it was the Professors room and no one was supposed to go in there. Ant was slightly confused, but didn't say anything as she was pulled through the corridors.
"All the dorms are this way." Jamie said, climbing up a flight of stairs. "I don't know how you'll be able to sleep though. Considering your power."
"What's yours?" Ant asked, wondering what else mutants could do. Jamie paused for a second, thinking of how to describe it accurately.
"Well. I have a physical mutation. You know, some people have mental, others physical, and some have elemental mutations. That's really the three main categories. Anyway, it's like being an Olympic gymnast on steroids. I can jump higher, run faster, swim longer, that sort of stuff. I have a great sense of balance too. So it's like I'm a stunt double on one of those cheesy Jackie Chan movies, except I don't need wires."
"Cool." Ant said, dragging her bag on the floor as Jamie came to a stop outside a wooden door. The number on the plaque read '23'. Jamie started to look for a key.
"I don't normally need one of these things." She muttered, patting down her dark grey tank top with one hand. Suddenly she smiled. "Found it." She reached a hand up her shirt and into the strap of her bra. Ant's eyes widened. If that wasn't the most audacious thing she hadn't seen in a while!
The door opened into a moderately spacious room with a dresser, two twin beds and a small stereo on a bed stand between the two beds. It was obvious which one on the beds was unoccupied; Jamie had decorated hers with tie-die sheets, a checked duvet and pictures that covered the entire headboard and over spilled onto the wall.
"It's good that the walls in the dorms are thicker than the ones around the school." Jamie said, leading Ant over to her bed. "How are you going to shower?"
"I wait until everyone's asleep." She said, tossing her bag on her bed and sitting next to it, one hand still clutching Jamie's. The blue haired girl sat next to her on the bed and started to explain the school, it's schedules, some of the cliques ("Don't mess with any of the physics, trust me, they find out about everything.") and the teachers.
About twenty minutes later, Ant only getting in a few words edgewise, not that she minded, a knock came from outside the door.
"Come in!" called Jamie. In a quick blur someone entered, closed the door and sat across from Jamie, all in the space of less than a second. Ant gave a little squeak and started, surprised at the sudden appearance of a boy with dark hair and dark blue eyes that positively sparkled with mischief.
"Finally got yourself a girlfriend, huh Acrobat?" The boy said, smirking. "Don't let her fool you girl, she's awful mean."
Ant just stared at the boy as Jamie threw a pillow at the boy.
"Shut up Owen." Jamie sneered jokingly. "Just because you can't get one-"
At this Ant was absolutely mortified. The look on her face and the taste of garlic caused Jamie to stop and Owen to burst out laughing.
"I'm playing, really." The boy snorted. "You must be new." He said, holding out a hand to shake. "I'm Owen, don't play me in hide and go seek."
Ant frowned, slightly confused. She stood up and shook the boys hand, but as she did so, Jamie let go of her other one, leaving Ant helplessly attached to Owen as the calm feeling slid over him. The tranquility was quickly replaced by the smell of something over-ripe, a sign of Ant's embarrassment.
"Sorry." Ant muttered, blushing. "I can't help it."
Owen looked over at Jamie, who returned his smirk, looking incredibly self satisfied. Ant stood there, holding Owens hand. He made as if to pull his hand away from hers but Ant's eyes widened and she gripped onto him harder.
"I need to be touching someone else." She said, her eyes boring into Owen's dark blue ones. "Trust me. If I'm not, it won't be pretty."
The boy shrugged. "Have it your way." He said, sliding over and switching hands with Ant so that she could sit comfortably. "What's your name girl?"
"Ant."
Owen rolled his eyes. "Didn't you tell her Acrobat? Hero names are for the heroes."
Jamie glared at the boy. "My name is Jamie, alright? And it's her first day. She'll learn." Owen sighed.
"Well, if you want to play that game girl, call me Mercury."
"What's your power?" Ant asked quickly, before she could stop herself. Jamie smiled.
"I'm really fast." Owen said, pulling Ant closer. The younger girl gulped, and Owen's chest felt tight with apprehension as he pulled her towards him. "And I can find anything you ever wanted."
"That's great, really." Ant said, trying to scoot away from Owen. "But can you stop that?" She asked, beginning to panic a little. "Please?"
Owen laughed. "Wow Acrobat." He said, turning to Jamie. "You got her trained up good." It was in that second that he let go of Ant's hand. Ant, who had been too busy trying not to get any closer to the boy than necessary, accidentally let her hand fall.
It was a few minutes later that she woke up again, her hand being held by Jamie as Owen held a wet rag to her face.
"Damn girl." Owen said, his face pale even for his own light complexion. "You weren't joking."
"What happened?" Ant muttered, not trying to get up.
"It was like you had a seizure Ant." Jamie sputtered. "You just kinda sank to the floor and started to shake. When we tried to get near you, your body would just turn away and go all rigid and we thought you weren't breathing or that your heart had stopped or something. It was insane!"
"Sorry." Ant mumbled, sitting up and taking the glass of water Owen offered her.
"Sorry!" Jamie cried. "It's us who should be sorry! I didn't even really believe Ororo when she told me you need constant contact! And this jerk here went and let go of you!" The girl took a few deep breaths. "You're better now right?"
Suddenly both Owen and Jamie were filled with the smell of rain and a wave of gratitude washed over them. Ant was smiling, using the back of her hand to wipe away a few drops of blood from a cut on her temple. Her leg was just barely touching Owens back, but it was enough to have her power affect him.
"Thanks. I'm better."
Jamie sighed and Owen smiled. The boy stood and stretched. "Well, we need a bit more joy and joyfulness in this room. Hold on and let me get a few CD's." Before Jamie had time to make a smart comment, Owen was back with a huge case bursting with all sorts of music.
"Here. A little bit of punk never hurt anyone." Owen said, flipping through the CD's and popping one stereo. Music filled the room and the boy sat down at the edge of the bed, his hip just touching one of Ant's legs. As the stereo started, color instantly rushed back into Ants face and she sat up quickly, loosing her hand from Jamie's. Owen hastily put his hand out on her knee as Ant listened to the music intently.
"Wow." She muttered. Owen raised an eyebrow and Jamie had a confused look on her face as she ran her hand through her hair. Ant reached over to the stereo and turned it up, letting the hard beats pulse through the room.
"What's up?" asked Jamie, now messing with her small silver hoop earring.
"You know, I've never really listened to music before." Ant said, staring at the speakers. "Mother never let me, and I didn't really care anyway. My dad liked Chopin and Bach and stuff like that. But this stuff." Ant's dark eyes were wide. "It's incredible. It has feelings all its own."
Owen looked over at Jamie. "I am amazing." He said arrogantly as Ant continued to pump up the volume.
Jamie rolled her eyes. "The amazing Owen finds just what's needed. Again. Like always."
The boy smiled. "Ant!" He had to yell over the music. "I'm going to let go of you for a second." Ant's eyes widened, this time with fear, but before she could say anything, Owen lifted his hand off her knee. Ant closed her eyes, clenching them shut. She waited a few seconds then opened them, looking around.
"Hey!" She said, smiling. "I feel the music!" Ant giggled and put her hands up to her mouth, laughing. Jamie rolled her eyes and reached across the girl to turn the music off, holding onto Ant's hand.
"Alright. So we got a cure for little miss sunshine. Now what? We can't have Anti and Senses Fail blaring across the loudspeakers twenty four-seven."
Owen smiled. "I find solutions like you find ways to skip class. We just get a CD player, some heavy duty headphones and bang! Dear little bug here just plays it around the grounds and corridors and such and in class she'll just have to sit close enough to someone to have their legs touch or something. That way she can concentrate on the teacher instead of the Screeching Weasels."
"The who?" Ant asked, looking confused.
"Them too, but let me get you a few mixes made alright?" Owen said, smiling. "Tell me I'm not a genius."
Jamie frowned, sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're a genius."
Owen smiled, ego satisfied and left in a small flutter of sheets and a banging of a door.
"Is he always so. . . helpful?" Ant asked, trying hard to be polite.
Jamie sighed.
"Only when he feels like it, I'm afraid." She said, running her hands again through her hair. "He can be quite a pain. Don't let him get to you." Jamie warned. "And don't believe anything he says. He's quite the character."
"I like him." Ant said. "He's funny."
The other girl smiled. "Don't like him too much Ant. He's comes on fast and leaves faster."
Ant blushed furiously. Jamie didn't have to worry. Boys were one of the last things on her mind at this point.