Chapter Three: A Slight Tiff…
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A little while later Amira came back down. Althea tried striking up a conversation with her as the others continued their fight.
"So is Naomi doing okay?" Amira nodded.
"She's making fast friends with Penny and Jamie. She's even starting to learn English. She really likes it here."
"Do you?" Althea asked.
"It's fine." Amira grinned, "Though I could do without the Danger Room."
"Logan driving you hard?"
"Eh, he's not that bad." Amira shrugged. Althea looked at her as if she were insane.
"You must've hit your head harder than I thought." She said, blinking.
"Look," Amira tried to explain. "Ever since I was a little girl I've had to run into Israeli soldiers on a daily basis. Big, scary looking men with guns with trigger-fingers. Add to THAT armed demos by people like Islamic Jihad. Compared to all that, one short, hairy Canadian with some knives in his hand isn't that scary." Amira scoffed.
"I heard that twinkle-toes!" Logan shouted from another room."
"That's 'cause I SAID IT OUT LOUD BADGER-BOY!" Amira yelled back, content in the absolute freedom that having nothing left to lose can bring.
"You like to live dangerously, don't you?" Althea asked.
"There's another way?" Amira smirked.
"So, tell me…" Althea tried to ask in a nonchalant manner. "Is there any you're…interested in?" She still had her suspicions about what had occurred between Amira and Todd in the bathroom. After all, if she found Todd irresistible how could any other woman fail to do likewise? Amira blushed and hoped her darker skin hid it.
"Well there is one person…" She said, not quite meeting Althea's eyes.
"Wondering what you should do to make up for the bathroom incident?" Scott asked Todd as they watched Althea and Amira talk. "Got any plans?"
"Plan? Who needs one?" Todd asked. "Love is magical! Spontaneous!" Todd grinned as he reached behind him, grabbed an arm and spinned around to plant a kiss on Althea's lips…
"Todd!" Althea bellowed in outrage.
Todd opened his eyes in confusion to look into Amira's nauseated expression. He hastily pulled away. He tried to explain to Althea, but she already stormed out of the room in a huff.
"Was it as bad for you as it was for me?" Amira asked him, gulping. "Excuse me..." she ran out to go throw up in the bathroom. She didn't quite make it.
"Erraagh! Twinkle-Toes!" Logan bellowed in disgust.
Meanwhile, Althea had walked into the living room. Her father was there watching something…well incriminating involving two women.
"Oh Althea! I didn't see you come in!" Shipwreck laughed uneasily as he lunged for the remote.
"Dad!" Althea shouted. "What is wrong with you? Besides the usual?"
"Can't a man enjoy a little fun time with a nice woman or two?" Shipwreck asked with a pout.
"Don't get me started!" Althea warned. "I'm already mad enough without you talking about two women to a guy! I caught Todd kissing another girl!"
"Wow." Shipwreck blinked. "The boy has more charm than I thought!"
"Dad!"
"What? All I'm saying is that it's impressive for a guy to have two girls after him! It's a kind of mark of achievement!"
"Errrgh!" Althea exclaimed as she spun on her heel and left. "What is wrong with all the men in my life? How would they act if I went and—" Her eyes lit up as an idea hit her. "I need to find Amira."
She found Amira gargling Listerine in the bathroom. "Still not clean…still not clean…"
"I take it that you're not after my Toddles then, huh?" Althea asked. Amira shuddered and gave an enthusiastic nod of her head. "Well in that case, I need a favor from you if you wouldn't mind…"
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Todd and Shipwrecked walked through the halls looking for Althea.
"Al was really steamed." Todd groaned. "If I don't apologize soon she'll kill me!"
"And she stole my remote!" Shipwreck protested.
"Isn't it technically Xavier's?"
Shipwreck shrugged. "Hey, we're guests! His house is our house."
"Well it ain't like he invited us or nothing yo..."
"Since when has that mattered? Let's just find my daughter and say we're sorry for whatever it is we did wrong so we can—GAAK!"
Todd and Shipwreck's jaws dropped at the impossible—and mind warping—sight of Althea and Amira kissing!
"Aaaah?" Todd goggled.
"Ehhhh." Shipwreck agreed. Almost in unison their eyes rolled upwards and they both fainted dead away.
"Are they down?" Althea asked.
"And how." Amira nodded.
"That ought to teach them a lesson." Althea said. Amira looked at her.
"Which would be…?"
"That guys shouldn't fantasize about how erotic it is seeing two girls go at it. When Jean or Kitty does it they're called sluts but when guys do it…"
"I get your meaning." Amira nodded. "Glad to help."
"Good. Then you can do one more thing." Althea says.
"What?"
"You can let go of my butt which—by the way—was NOT part of the plan." Amira grinned weakly and let go.
"Sorry. Accident." She said innocently. Althea just shrugged.
"So how much do I owe you for this?"
"I think I've been well compensated for my time." Amira grinned as she walked off, practically skipping down the hall. Althea scratched her head.
"I wonder what that's all about?"
Elsewhere, the adults had meanwhile finished their deliberations.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Roadblock asked Xavier.
"I think it's the only way."
"You may be right." Spirit agreed. "But it's still going to be hard saying good-bye to our kids."
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