Chapter Four
Pietro
Pietro loved preschool. He loved his teacher, Mrs. Johnson, and he loved that he got to sit next to his sister and best friend in the world, Wanda. But Pietro did not like one of the boys in his class at all. It seemed like no matter what, Evan did just a little bit better than he did. And he didn't like not being the best. The other thing Pietro wasn't crazy about was how slow everything seemed to go. He would finish his work before everyone else did, and he hated waiting for them to catch up.
That day was special because it was parent-teacher conference night, whatever that was. He had told Django and Marya, and they had explained to him that it was when the parents came into the classroom and the teacher told them about how the kid was doing in class. Pietro, being the innocent child he was, asked if his real father was going to talk to his teacher. Marya had shook her head and explained that their case was special because she and Django were the ones that took care of him and Wanda. Therefore they were the ones that would talk to his teacher. It didn't make much sense to the young boy.
Pietro quickly decided parent-teacher conferences were boring. He and Wanda had to sit outside the classroom playing with blocks and looking at picture books and coloring while Django and Marya talked to Mrs. Johnson. Wanda tapped her brother on the shoulder. "We should listen through the door," she suggested. Pietro nodded in agreement. Anything was better than sitting there doing boring things.
"Wanda and Pietro are two of the brightest kids I've had in class," Mrs. Johnson said to Marya and Django. Her tone suggested there was a 'but' coming. "But I'd like to see them branch out and talk to the other children. They tend to only play with each other But we're not here to discuss them as a pair, we're here to talk about them individually. Wanda loves the learning part of school, but not so much the social part. I don't think there's anything to be concerned about, though."
"And Pietro?" Django asked.
Mrs. Johnson sighed. "Pietro's a different story. He does fine with his class work, but he's bored, and it shows. He's fidgety and easily distracted. He's impatient, and he interrupts constantly."
"He's a boy," Marya spoke up. "Aren't boys usually like that at this age?"
"Not to this extent," Mrs. Johnson answered. "Now don't be offended by this, but you may want to take him to see someone. There's a relatively new disorder called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, and I don't think it would hurt to have him tested."
"I don't have that!" Pietro exclaimed to Wanda. "It's not my fault everyone's slower than I am." It was true, at least as far as he was concerned. Everyone else was so slow, and it annoyed him to no end.
"Shh," Wanda hissed. She wanted to hear what else their teacher had to say. She would never admit it, but it was fun to see her brother mad.
"He also has problems with another boy in the class," Mrs. Johnson continued. "Evan. Pietro's always one-upping him, and there's a bit of hostility. Be sure to talk to him about that."
"We will," Django assured. "Don't worry."
"You're in trouble," Wanda said in a sing-song voice. It was a pleasant change. Usually she was the one that got into trouble. Pietro always blamed her, and he was good at lying.
"Am not!" Pietro argued.
"Are too!" Wanda snapped back.
Pietro wasn't sure how long the back-and-forth went, but he jumped when he heard the door open. "Come one," Marya said. "We're going home." She started to lead the twins back out to the car. "Isn't that Evan over there?" she asked as they passed the twins' classmates.
"Yeah, so?" Pietro replied. He had a bad feeling Marya was going to make him apologize.
"Your teacher says you two don't get along."
"I don't like him," Pietro shrugged. Marya decided not to continue with it, which made him glad.
Pietro heard Django and Marya arguing later that night. He knew they had waited to talk until they thought the twins had gone to sleep, but that didn't mean he couldn't hear. Their house was one floor and had thin walls. If there was an argument and he was awake, he would hear it. "I don't think there's anything wrong with him," Django said.
"But the teacher said…" Marya was cut off.
"I don't give a damn what the teacher says!" Django shouted before taking a deep breath.
"Do you think it's mutant related?" Marya asked quietly.
"I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility," Django answered. "We knew there was a strong chance they'd have active X-genes. This attention hyperactivity thing is probably just something to do with that."
"But it wouldn't hurt to have him checked out," Marya insisted.
"You won't let it drop unless we get that settled, will you?" Django sighed.
Pietro wasn't sure what happened after that. Some time in that conversation he had drifted off into sleep.