"Callie?" Someone called, knocking on her door the next morning. She and Jess had been assigned rooms for the time they were staying at the school. The two had a small corridor that joined them together that also acted as a joint closet. There were only a few rooms like this in the entire place, usually designated to brothers and sisters.
"It's open," Callie called, brushing back Jessie's hair as she sat in front Callie's mirror.
"How did you sleep?" Storm asked, walking in and leaning on the wall by the mirror.
"Quite well actually, it's nice being somewhere where there are more mutants," She said, beginning to plait Jessie's hair like she did every morning.
"Is it really okay for me to stay here? I'm not a mutant," Jessie said, looking at Callie in the mirror who smiled.
"You're not yet Jess, I'm sure you will be," Callie replied, finishing the plait and securing the bottom.
"That's what the professor wanted to talk to you about in fact. He wants to see you when you're both ready," She said, glancing at the fact that Callie was only in a long jumper.
"Don't worry, I'll make myself more decent first. We'll be down the soon," She replied, smiling as Storm headed out the room, a smile on her own face. She hadn't known them very long but Storm already liked the two new recruits.
The two sisters soon headed down the stairs towards the professor's office, Callie remembering the way from the night before. Knocking on the door they both headed straight in sitting in the two chairs in front of the desk.
"Good to see you're both okay this morning," The professor said, sending a kindly smiled in Jessie's direction due to her current nervous state. Callie reached across and clasped Jessie's hand, knowing her sister's bobbing knee was a sign of her nerves,
"Jessie thinks you're gonna chuck her out," Callie said simply, cutting straight to the point that she knew was going to come up.
"Not having her ability yet makes it just as dangerous for her to stay as for her to go home," the professor began to explain at which point Callie felt Jessie's hand tighten on her own, "but, considering the fact that Stryker will probably go after Callie and it's safer for her to stay here we've agreed for you both to stay here."
"Really?" Jessie asked, her expression lighting up considerably.
"Jessica, I don't suppose you're sister told you this but she refused an invitation to study here almost 5 years ago because she refused to leave you behind to go through what she did on your own. I think I have it right in saying, she would risk Stryker to look after you," The professor explained. Jessie looked up at her sister who was currently fiddling with the bottom of her shirt.
"But you could have been around people like you," Jessie said simply.
"I'm your big sister, I'm supposed to look out for you," she replied simply, looking at her little sister who stood up and hugged her.
"Anyway girls, Callie you can begin training with the others or on your own, you're too old for me to decide for you. Jessie when school begins you can either go to school with the other kids here or to the local school, it's your choice unless your abilities show, in which case you'll be enrolled in here," The professor carried on explaining.
"Will I definitely have a power?" Jessie asked, looking at the professor.
"I don't know, but I can have Jean test you for it," he explained, "It's a simple blood test."
"I don't know…" Jessie said, cringing a little at the thought of a blood test.
"Hey Jess, you remember when I was sick that time when I was younger and they took the blood to find out what was wrong?" Callie asked, looking at her little sister who nodded, "well it'll be like that, except it'll tell you if you're gonna be like me or not. I'll be right next to you the entire time."
"The entire time?" Jessie asked.
"The entire time," Callie replied, smiling at her sister as she nodded in consent.
"I'll let Jean know, now go and enjoy the summer," The professor said to which the two girls got up and headed out.
A moment later Callie popped her head back around the door.
"Is she definitely safe here?" She asked, obviously wondering how her sister would find it.
"Safer than she would be anywhere else," The professor replied to which Callie nodded and headed after her sister.
Later that day Callie stood in the training room, her hair tied back and her training gear on, pulling on a pair of gloves as she squared up to the punch bag hanging in the corner. Hitting it a couple of times to get her heart rate up Callie spun and kicked the bag, using the force from it to flip herself backwards.
"Looking good," came a voice from the entrance. Callie turned to find Logan, standing watching her.
"Not good enough. I was too easily beat," She replied, giving the punch bag such a hard punch that it nearly swung off its hinges.
"Don't let your shoulder swing so much, use your body weight to put power behind it," He explained walking over to her as she swung at the punch bag again, this time sending it off its hinge in to the wall behind it.
"Better, you have a lot of anger," Logan said leaning on the wall and looking at her.
"Yesterday a guy knocked me out and kidnapped my sister because he was after me. I have reason to be angry," She replied, looking at him.
"I never said you had no reason to be angry, I know how it feels," he said, "I also know how fighting can let it out of you."
"Fighting doesn't let it out of me. It makes me angrier. Then I stop and everything feels peaceful. You see, I've been trained to fight my entire life it seems but I only feel better when I stop… unless I'm fighting Chris and then it's just too easy," She said, smiling as she sat by the wall.
"Well feel free to train whenever you want," Logan said as Callie stood up and headed over to the door.
"Thanks," she replied simply.