"Do you think we need to write out number 5 for the questions Professor X gave us?" Annie asks from her bed, in our room.
I turn away from my desk and rummage in my messenger bag for my literature homework. Looking it over, I ask "Uh, the one about our thoughts on the motives behind the murder? Yeah, I wrote like two pages on it." I say, shrugging, and shoved the folder back in my bag. Then return to my Pre-calc studying. If I get at least a B+ on this exam I won't have to take our final, so I'm pretty motivated to do well.
"Ugh, this is dumb." Annie continues from behind me. "I have no idea why Brutus killed Caesar!"
I laugh at my desk. Annie hates reading, and literature, and, well, anything related to those two areas. I skim through her thoughts and it becomes clear that she really doesn't have any ideas about the reading, other than distaste for the assignment.
Sighing, I say, "You can read what I wrote. Just make it original and remember to keep your mind blank when you turn it in. Oh, and, if he calls on you in class, you're on your own. I can't risk feeding you answers."
Annie instantly jumps up off her bed and grabs the folder I'd replaced back in my bag. "Thanks, Rachel! If you need help with your math homework just let me know." I chuckle again, we both know my math grade is also better than hers.
"And maybe skim the reading at least. We don't want to leave a trail as to where all your information came from."
Annie groans behind me and says in an amused, innocent, voice, "Ooor you could practice your power of projecting and just show me what you already read."
I turn and look at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Whoa, creepy. You totally look like your mom when you do that."
I glare in response. "I always look like my mom." I say, and throw my long, dark red, hair over my shoulder for emphasis. It's true, I inherited all my looks from my mother, except my eyes.
As Annie sits there with a pleading look, I can't keep the stern expression on my face and break out into a smile.
"Fine, sit back. It always makes you dizzy when we do this."
Annie's eyes light up with relief over not having to actually read anything and she settles back onto her bed, eyes closed, waiting for me to enter her mind.
I carefully think over the reading we were assigned, and decide to give her a spark notes version. Making a chronological list of the events, I lock in what I want her to know and slowly play it all in her head. Kind of like a screen teleprompter.
When I'm done Annie slowly opens her eyes. She has a slightly glazed look, but she blinks a few times and instantly grabs her laptop and starts typing. Deciding that my work is done, I stand up and head to the kitchen for a snack. Doing other people's homework is mentally exhausting and I decided I've earned ice cream.
I'm standing in the smaller, common area, kitchen, when Professor X rolls in with and boy about my age, and what looks to be his parents.
"And this is the kitchen you're free to use whenever. We keep it stalked with food, in case you prefer to prepare your own meals, instead of joining in the dining room. As you can see, we have ice cream."
I look down to the carton I'm holding in my hand. No one usually comes in here on a Monday evening so I didn't bother to grab a bowl. My cheeks burn slightly at being caught eating out of the carton.
"Rachel, this is Lane Anderson. He is a new student and will be joining us in the next week. Lane, this is Rachel Summers, a student here."
The boy, Lane, eyes me up and down and his eyes stop on the ice cream in my hand. "Peanut-butter cookie dream? Good choice." He says with a smile.
"Thanks," I say lamely. "Uh, welcome to the school and feel free to ask any questions."
"I'm glad you said that, Rachel." The professor cuts in. "Lane, here, will be in your classes and potentially joining your team. He starts class Wednesday and I was hoping you'd be willing to help him get acquainted?"
"Of c-course Professor." I manage to stammer out. I'm surprised that Lane is potentially eligible for my team. He must have a strong power already if the professor thinks that.
Lane gives me a smile and I can't help but latch onto his thoughts, but then instantly regret it. He apparently finds me attractive, and I can tell my cheeks now match my hair. Knowing the professor is also aware of Lane's thoughts, I quickly excuse myself, wanting to spare any further embarrassment. "See you Wednesday" I say, and duck out.
"Run!" I scream, unable to hold my shield any longer. Ryan darts in front of me, and hurls something metal at the machine. Before it can get more than a few feet in the air, the Alien-machine- thing blasts it to pieces, causing metal to rain down on us.
I cover my face with my arms, as the small metal fragments tear up my skin and leather suit. The fire is closing in on us, trapping us to this part of the island. Annie is still unconscious, I don't know where Lillie is, and Frazier is still trying to hack into the machine from the jet.
It was supposed to be a simple mission. Get in, let Frazier get the technological Intel, and get out. However, nothing has gone as planned and we ambushed the instant we attempted to land.
I try to raise a shield again, or at least throw an astral punch at the machine, but I'm drained and my powers are going everywhere but at the target.
"I can't get it!" Screams Frazier over the intercom. "What do we do?!" There's panic in his voice.
"Where is Lillie?" Asks Ryan, panting, as he too is drained of any power; his super strength not holding out.
"I'll find her. Grab Annie and get back to the jet. Fraz, is it still flyable?" I say, trying to scan the area around us, while also keeping tabs on the machine.
"Part of the panel is fried, but I can override it, and steer the craft myself, if you guys get back here soon."
"Ryan, go!" I yell, and start to run myself. Lillie had changed to her invisible form, attempting to sneak up on the machine, when we lost contact with her. I keep running around barriers and walls, trying to avoid the fire that's around us and debris; trying to pick up a signal from her. However, it not working because my powers are unable to project very far. I didn't bother to see if Ryan had followed my orders, and I'd just felt a wisp of Lillie, when a laser blast shoots the concrete wall in front of me. I manage to jump to the side, as the pieces fly everywhere.
I lay there for a second, breathing hard, and slowly roll to my side. Somehow, I get to my knees as the machine moves upon me. It's metal eye locking in on me and starts to glow red. I throw my hands up, just as the beam hits me. It's slowly pushing me back, but if I let my shield down, I'm dead. My arms are shaking as I'm slowly giving out, and I realize my efforts are causing the ground around me to rattle and I can hear objects crashing nearby.
Suddenly, I hear someone yelling my name. No, they're screaming it, but where is it coming from?
My eyes snap open and a gasp down some breaths. My mom is sitting over me, her hand on my forehead. Slowly, I realize I'm in my room, in my bed, and that Annie is standing by the door, Nate beside her. I can see other students standing out in the hall, attempting to peer in.
The decorations from our walls are distributed around the room and nothing is where is should be. I slowly sit up and notice that I'm drenched in sweat. From the hall, I hear the professors voice, "Alright, back to bed, everyone. Goodnight."
Annie and Nate step aside to let him in and my dad is behind him.
Mom swipes her hand and a path clears to my bed, so he can roll over to us. Turning back to me, mom wipes my hair back from my sweaty face. "Are you okay?" She asks.
I'm still trying to process that I'm awake, and in my room, so I just look at her trying to comprehend what she just said.
"Annie, why don't you go bunk with Ms. Carter for the night?" The professor suggests, and I hear dad say something to Nate as well. They both give me a worried look, but reluctantly do as they're instructed.
I must look panicked because mom scoots closer saying over and over, "It's okay. It was just a dream," in a soothing voice.
The professor rolls to my bed and stops next to mom. "That was quiet a dream, Rachel." He says, with a faint smile, "but your mom still holds the record for disrupting the entire house."
Mom smiles next to me, but my brain is still a blur. "Can you speak?" The professor asks me, looking a little worried.
"My head" I start to say. My voice is broken and raspy, barely above a whisper. The sharp pain I'd felt this morning is back, and stronger than before.
Slowly, the fog in my head starts to clear and I'm not sure if it's my mom or the professor calming my mind, but I don't care.
"Here," comes moms voice and I realize she's handing me a glass of water. I attempt to grab it, but my hands are shaking so she helps me drink. After I swallow a could sips, I look around at my room. It's destroyed. Wall paper has been torn off, the contents of mine and Annie's closet are thrown everywhere, my bed is atleast two feet from where it should be, and my bedroom door is even cracked.
"What happened?" I ask, still taking in the room. "Or, I guess, what did I do?"
My mom, dad, and professor look around the room before mom starts to talk, "well, you had a rather vivid dream. Annie was trying to wake you up because everything in the room started to move about, the walls were shaking, but you managed to contain it to in here."
Mom looks at dad and then back to me, "I woke up and could sense your distress, but I couldn't get into your head. I ran here while dad went to get Charles." I look to the professor at this as does mom. "He was working on getting here just as I was. We couldn't penetrate your mind from outside the room because you had your shield up so I had to break the door to get in-" She pauses for a second before genitally saying, "you'd thrown Annie across the room and all the furniture was thrown about."
My eyes snap up in worry at this information.
"I threw her?" I manage to ask in a small voice.
"She's okay, just a little shaken." Mom tries to reassure me.
Another sharp spike of pain shoots through my head. The makes me close my eyes as I grab my temples; and causing me to I hiss in a breath.
"How long has that been happening?" Mom asks, concern in her voice.
Slowly, I look up just as I catch her and the professor exchange glances. "The first time was this morning. I thought it was just dehydration or something..."
Mom stands and looks around the room. She grabs a pair of my yoga pants and an oversized shirt that's Annie's from the floor. "Come on, let's get you to the med room."
I wrinkle my nose at this, "mom, I'm okay now. Like you said, it was just a dream."
Professor X cuts in, "I agree with your mom, some tests need to be ran to ensure everything is alright. That was some intense pain in your head, Rachel."
I look to the professor and back to my mom and realize that they've been having a telepathic conversation the entire time. I roll my eyes and regret it as it makes me a tad dizzy. Groaning, I swing my legs over the bed and attempt to stand, only to fall back down.
"Okay, that's my cue to step in." Says my dad, pushing up to the bed.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." I insist, trying to wave him off, but when it becomes clear my knees are not going to hold me, he reaches down and scoops me up.
"Dad, seriously?!" I basically shriek. "I'm am not a child. Put me down!" I demand. My voice is still very weak, but muster as much determination as I can. One of his arms is under my knees and the other behind my back, cradling me to him. He pays no attention to my protests and starts out of the room. I try to read all their thoughts, to see why they're so worried, but I'm apparently too tired because I'm only met with silence and the pounding pain of my own head.
"Enough, Rachel." Comes my mom's 'this-isn't-up-for-discussion' voice.
Deciding this is my fate, I giving in and relax my head against my dad's chest. For a dream, it felt so real. As if I'd really battled that machine thing.
I can hear mom and the professor following behind. "I'm going to check that Annie made it to Lillie's room and see that she is okay. Then I'll be down to meet you." Says Professor Xavier.
I bite my lip, as mom says something too quietly for me to hear.
Annie. I really hope Annie is okay. I need to apologize for this. I'm sure I terrified her.
We make it to the medic wing, and dad sets me on an exam bed. Both mom and dad are in their PJ's and mom is pulling her long, red, hair into a messy bun on her head and rolling up the sleeves of her sleep top. She's set the clothes she was carrying on the bed, and looks to dad. Realizing they're now discussing me I try to listen in, but mom shuts that down and I don't have the energy to push her shields.
I swing my legs back and forth over the edge of the bed, waiting since there's nothing else I can do. Once their conversation is done, dad kisses me on the temple and heads out.
"Where's he going?" I ask, looking up at mom.
She's come to stand in front of me. "He's going to help Charles get the students back in bed, and to check on your brother." My lips tighten into a line and I nod, feeling guilty that I disrupted everyone.
"Alright, let's get you changed." Mom says, patting my knee and reaching over to grab the shirt sitting next to me. I attempt to grab it from her insisting, "I can do it," but she ignores me and starts to grab the hem of my sweat drenched shirt.
"Mom!" I say, swatting her hands away. She pauses and raises her eyebrows at me. It's now that I become aware that I'm very cold and shaking slightly, so I ignore her and attempt to take off my own shirt. I manage to get one arm out, and the shirt stuck around my head, before another dizzy spell hits. "Whoa." I say as the room feels like it's turning on its axis.
"Okay, and now I'm doing it." Cuts in mom. I feel her body press against my shins, pinning me to the exam bed, as she guides the shirt the rest of the way off. I give up resisting, as she quickly pulls on the new shirt and then moves to grab my pants.
"I'll do it!" I insist again.
Mom backs up and rests her hands on either side of my thighs, pinning me between her. Looking me in the face, she has a stern, but gentle look on her face. "Ray, I birthed you, it's not like I haven't see it all before. Besides, I'm the house doctor."
I wrinkle my nose at her, "Yeah, but you're still my mom. Not happening." I jump down, and think my legs are going to hold for a second, but then gravity catches up. I start to fall, but mom catches me with her telekinesis. "You done being stubborn, now?" She asks.
I assess the situation, trying to figure a way around this, but eventually I admit defeat. "Fine," I huff out. Mom grabs the pants, and to my dismay, new underwear that I hadn't seen her grab, and quickly helps me change the rest of my clothes.
Later, I'm lying in the bed, dressed, and getting warmer. So far, my mom has taken my blood pressure, heart rate, shown endless flashlights in my eyes, asked me several questions, and drew some blood. Dad came in to check on me, and mom told him I was 'sassy as ever. This earned me a quick warning look, but he turned back to mom, kissed her and then said he was off to make coffee.
That caused the guilt to return knowing that my parents are exhausted too, because of me. Mom took three vials of blood into the medical lab and has returned to sit next to me on the bed. Sweeping hair from my face, again, she looks at me and asks, "How you feeling?"
I do a mental assessment of my body before saying, "My head feels fine now. Just tried." She eyes me trying to decide if I'm lying, so I ask, "Is Annie okay? Did I hurt her?"
I can't meet her eyes with my last question, so I fiddle with the edge of the blanket. "Rachel, look at me." She demands softly. After a second, reluctantly, I meet her gaze.
"Annie is fine. She was more worried about you. We all were."
"But our room-" I start to protest.
"-Can be fixed." She insists. "It was an accident. A dream. It happens, and everyone is okay. In the scheme of accidents in this house, it doesn't even make the top 10."
"Will you tell me about your accident, or dream, that Professor X referred too?"
The corners of her mouth turn up slightly, "that's a story for another time, my love."
"Why can't you just tell me now?" I ask, curious.
"Because, now, Missy, you are going to sleep. I have a few more tests I'd like to run, but that can wait. What you need is rest."
Dread settles in my gut, thinking about the dream I had. "I'm not tired," I say, as I sit up slightly.
Mom lets out a sigh, and then moves so that her back is against the metal head rest, and her legs are down my bed.
After settling herself, she reaches an arm out to me. I'm tempted to glare at her because I'm 16, dammit! But truth is, I'm tired and cuddling my mom sounds nice, so after a second, I scoot so that I can snuggle into her. Once I'm settled, she starts stroking my hair, and pulls me tight next to her, my head on her chest.
This moment reminds me of when I was little. Any time I was scared, I'd run and find my mom, snuggle into her until I could hear her heart beat and then I'd know I was safe. Thinking about those times makes me smile slightly, and I can feel my mom smiling, too, as I realize I now can hear her heart beating. It still steady, with calming beats.
A few moments later, I realize sleep is quickly setting in. I know it's not of my own doing, but my mom using her powers to shut my brain down. I want to object, but I'm too far gone and don't have the energy to resist; so, listening to her heart beat, I drift off into a deep and dreamless sleep.
