A/N: Back again. Any way, I'm out of school for a bit so my updates might, and I repeat, might come a little faster, but I can't promise anything. So here's the next chappie and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 9:

Days had passed since that Sunday and I was left with little to do. I wasn't starting my classes until the following week so unlike everyone else I had nothing else to do than wander the hallways of the mansion or through the garden. My new friends were all in class, either learning or teaching, so I couldn't rely on them to entertain me. At that moment I was in one of the many sitting rooms with the television on.

After flicking through the various channels, American and British alike, I finally settled on a repeat of New Girl. I had started watching it whilst it was on in England and I couldn't get enough of it. I mean, come on. Who wouldn't find a program like that funny? I was sprawled out across the sofa like I owned the place, laughing my socks off when I heard a cough from behind me.

I lifted my head from the arm of the sofa to peer out over the back of it. Stood in the doorway was a tall redheaded woman. She was very slim and had a pretty face but that was marred slightly by the slight frown on her face. I hadn't met her yet and she already seemed to be disapproving of me. I brushed of this fact and asked as nicely as I could;

"Can I help you?" She raised a delicate eyebrow. It's seems I wasn't as successful as I thought I would be at being polite. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked closer to me.

"Why aren't you in class?" Her question nearly caused me to burst into laughter. She looked old enough to be a teacher so she would have been informed about me, surely. Either that or she was new or a student. A very old student.

I must have let a giggle escape without realising because she asked, "What is so funny?" In any other circumstance I would have thought her voice was quite soothing and sweet but the anger the was thinly veiled in her tone was anything but.

"Are you a teacher?" She opened her mouth to answer but I didn't let her, "Y'know what I don't care. I'm new and don't start my classes until next Monday." She schooled her expression into a more apologetic one and looked down in embarrassment. Her pale cheeks became a faint red that fanned over their expanse.

When she looked up again, the redhead had a small smile positioned when the frown previously sat. She held her arm out towards me and introduced herself, "Dr Jean Grey. I'm the resident doctor around here. So if you have a problem, come see me. It's nice to meet you…" She let her sentence hang and waited for me to finish it.

I was still practically lying on the sofa at an odd angle so I twisted into an upright position before standing. I grabbed her delicate hand in my own and gave it a not so gentle squeeze going by the slight wince she gave. "Name's Natalee Whitely. If you haven't guessed already, I'm the girl from England."

Once I had let go of her hand, Jean subtly held it in her other one and rubbed the soreness out of it. I went to apologise but she cut in. "Don't worry." She had clearly noticed my expression. "You're not the first who has injured me slightly in some way upon first meeting me." I gave her a quizzical look. "When Logan first met me he had me in a headlock." My eyes widened at hearing this and Jean chuckled. "I'll let him explain it to you. You're the one him and Storm were sent out to get, weren't you?"

I nodded whilst plonking back down onto the settee. I gestured for Jean to do the same thing. "Yeah, it was pretty…" I tried to find the right word. "Surreal. I guess even after nearly a week I'm still not quite used to what I am even though my powers haven't fully developed yet." I looked her in the eye. "Logan said I'm gonna get sick. Like real sick, but I'm sure it'll be worth it afterwards." I paused. "What's your mutation? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Jean looked thoughtful, most likely deliberating on whether or not to tell me. Then she began smiling, "I'm telepathic and telekinetic." I tried to look as of those words meant something to me, they sounded familiar but I couldn't place their definitions. I wasn't an idiot by any means, but sometimes I could be a little bit dippy. My confusion must have shone through because Jean laughed. "I can read and communicate with other people's minds as well as being able to move objects with my mind." I made an 'oh' shape with my mouth and then grinned.

"That must be so cool." I beamed, but then something hit me, "Wait, do you read minds all the time? Are you reading mine right now?" I was getting kind of scared for my privacy.

Jean gave me a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I only read someone's thoughts if it is absolutely necessary so you can be sure I'm not doing it right now." A blush rose to my cheeks. Then the fact that I was blushing intensified it even more considering that I didn't get embarrassed often. "Don't get embarrassed. Come on, lunch starts in two minutes. I'll walk you down there if you want."

I declined her offer politely, saying I wanted to stay in that room a little while longer. I felt as though I needed to. Do you ever get that feeling? Where you think something is going to happen? Yeah? Well, that's what I was feeling. So I stayed where I was, waiting to see if my instincts were right. Before then, they were never wrong.

They weren't wrong then either. After about five minutes, I heard someone come in through the doorway. Unlike earlier when Jean came in, I didn't turn to see who it was. Instead, I waited for them to come over and sit down next to me. I was half expecting it be Kitty or Peter, possibly even Logan. None of these people sat down next to me. In fact, it was someone I had met or even seen around the mansion yet. This person was a guy that had a strange smile sat upon his lips. Wild blonde hair sprouted from his head and his eyes had an eerie spark in them. Just from that single look, I felt as though I had done the wrong thing by listening to my instincts. I held his gaze a second longer before I decided to break the awkward silence that had built between us.

"Did you want something?" His smirk grew wider until his teeth peeked out from in between his lips. I stared unimpressed at his attempt to snare me in his trap. "Well?"

His smile faltered slightly when he saw it wasn't working on me and glanced down before connecting his eyes with mine again. "John Allerdyce. I don't believe we've met yet. You're the new kid, aren't you?"

I cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah, Natalee Whitely. Not that it's any of your business. Why are you calling me a kid? I'm probably the same age as you." Something about this John caused my skin to crawl. In fact, nearly everything did. The way he looked at me. How he smiled. The way he smelled, like fire and ash. I wanted to run from him but something was telling me to stay, that something else was going to happen. I wasn't going to ignore my suspicions because of one creepy guy.

"Yeah, well, I don't care." I definitely didn't like him. Remember what I said that I tend to base my relationships on first impressions; well this was one of those cases where I was going to hate someone almost indefinitely. "Look, Nat…"

"Don't call me that." How dare he try and shorten my name. I only gave that privilege to people I liked. If he didn't realise how I felt towards his soon I would have to make him.

He gave me a mock hurt look at my sudden interruption, "Okay, Natalee." He stressed the second part of my name. "I was wondering if you'd like to do something with me at the weekend…" I cut him off.

"No thanks. I prefer to spend my weekends with friends, family or on my own. You don't appear to fit into any of those categories. Sorry." I was raised with some manners. No matter how bitchy I could be, I was still polite.

"But…" He started, but was once again interrupted. This time, though, not by me.

A gruff voice came from the doorway, "She said she didn't want to, so why don't you scram, Sparky." I smiled as I heard him and John sneered in the direction of the voice.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Wolvie?" It wasn't until John had been lifted from the sofa by the collar of his shirt that I turned. At the shortening of his nickname, Logan had stormed across the room and grabbed John. He suddenly didn't seem so confident anymore.

Logan moved close to John's face and said menacingly, "She said no. I don't wanna see you bothering her again. Understood?" John didn't answer, so Logan shook him, "Am I understood?" John nodded and was finally let down before he left the room, keeping his distance from Logan the whole time. Logan watched him go with a stern face before he twisted back to face me. His face softened slightly and I smiled at him.

"We have really got to stop meeting like this."