Liquid Metal: An X-men & QuickSilver Novel

Chapter 29: David

The school had completely pulled a 360 by the end of the week. A continuous string of people trickled in from all parts of the country.

There was also a group of angry people outside the gates shouting at almost every hour of the day, demanding for the school to be shut down. They had been there for three days now. It started out with only five or six people, but over time it had grown to near thirty. They most likely gained publicity from media outlets. News stations called it "anti-mutant demonstrations", we just all called it hate.

I sat on a leather couch reading one afternoon. It was on old copy of Pride and Prejudice that a teacher had gifted to me a long time ago. The window was open to let in a gentle breeze, but it compromised the quietness of the interior. You could hear every word the people shouted outside. It didn't bother me, but of course I couldn't speak for everyone.

Lorna sat next to me working on a crossword puzzle and Peter was in an armchair, just kinda sitting there with his hands folded in his lap and his gaze fixed upon the ceiling. As time passed and the shouting from outside never gave up, I noticed Lorna's grip on her pencil tighten. I felt her mood slowly slide towards a tipping point the more that time went by.

"You can always just shut the window, you know" I said eventually.

My words must have gotten to her because she slammed down her pencil and let out a tremendous groan as she covered her ears and sat back on the couch. "Why can't they just stop?" She vented. I could feel her almost going a little crazy.

I gave her a lopsided frown and set down my book. I looked to Peter who gave me a small nod and in milliseconds, the window was shut.

"Because, to them, what they are doing is right" I said, knowing that it wasn't what she wanted to hear, but it was the truth.

"But we're people too" she said with exasperation, as if she couldn't understand why those people outside didn't realize this fact. "It's not like we can choose our genetics."

"They're just scared" I said with a sigh. "Just remember, there is no such thing as good and evil, there is only point of view" I went to put my hand on her shoulder but she shook me off.

"Stop trying to be my mom" she huffed and left the room.

"Ouch" Peter said, still standing. I sat there looking and feeling dazed because Lorna had left so suddenly.

I gave him a look, but stood up anyway and went over to where he stood and just wrapped my arms around him. His emotions registered as surprised for just a few milliseconds until he retruned the gesture.

"I just wish things would level out, ya know? Go back to some kind of normalcy." I said into his shirt.

"They will someday, but that just may be not right now."

I took a step back, my eyes transfixed on the floor. "Have you spoken to Wanda recently?" I asked.

"Should I?"

I nodded "she's got something going on. I don't know how to help her, I'm barely helping myself right now."

Peter nodded "I guess I've noticed something change in her. What triggered it, do you know?"

"Something I could have prevented, I'm sure." I sighed.

"Hey" he said suddenly, making me look up. "It's not your job to fix or prevent anything, do you understand me Josephine?"

I shook my head, about to refute his statement, when I heard footsteps run down the hall and the shouts that I could hear through the closed glass changed slightly. With my eyebrows pinched together, I stepped quickly into the hall and called out to the person who had ran by.