Us Against the World

Sidelined

  There was a bump so my body bounced a little while my head thumped against the window. Ow, I thought as I shifted in my seat. I took a deep breath as I opened my eyes and stretched. There was a rush of cold that seemed to consume me. A shudder ran through my body so I held tightly onto the blanket that was wrapped around me. I finally took in my surroundings and saw how bright it was outside. I turned my head and saw dad, still staring intensely at the road.
  Another shudder wracked my body so I wrapped my arms around myself, "It-it's fre-freezing!" I exclaimed. "Can you p-please turn the he-heat on?"
  Dad gave me a quick glance then he reached over and turned a dial. I saw that the arrow was now pointing toward the red area, so I knew it was the heat. I leaned back in the seat and shivered, hoping it would get warm soon.
  "H-how long was I-," I trembled, "- out?"
  His eyes shifted to the digital clock in the truck, "About three hours..."
  I looked at the clock and read the time; 3:21 p.m. I sighed and turned my head toward the window, looking out at the highway. There were a few cars driving alongside us but the traffic didn't seem very heavy.
  "Are you hungry?" dad's voice broke the silence. "I don't know how long we'll be from another town..."
  I shook my head, "Not if you aren't."
  "Okay, we'll keep driving then... We might need gas soon, though," Logan pointed out.
  It got quiet as I thought about earlier today. We hadn't even talked about it and I didn't know why. I placed my hand on my stomach and winced; the gash was still there but I could tell it was slowly shrinking away. "S-so... About the lake..."
  Logan seemed to snap out of thought, himself, "Yeah?"
  I cleared my throat, "I never thanked you for... uh... you know..." I was blushing from the embarrassment of it because I should've been stronger and gotten out of it myself, but I was weak. If it wasn't for dad then I definitely wouldn't have made it out. And I managed to keep my voice from wavering from the cold.
  "That's because you shouldn't have to thank me, I'm your dad," he pointed out with a sigh as he kept his eyes glued to the road ahead. I turned my head and saw him clench the steering wheel harder while his forehead creased in anger, "The one time I break my own rule, something happens..."
  My mouth dropped open in surprise, "It's not your fault!"
  Dad finally turned his head to look at me for a few seconds, "I let you go outside by yourself."
  I huffed and crossed my arms, "You can't protect me every second of the day, dad..."
  "What am I suppose to do?" Logan challenged.
  "Teach me how to protect myself," I answered. "Forget it... The reason I brought this up is because you never asked what Magneto wanted."
  Dad got quiet so I turned my head to look at him but his eyes never wavered from the road. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, he replied, "Because I was waiting until you were ready."
  I knew there was something else that he wasn't saying but I decided to not press and explained anyway, "Magneto and the Mutanxes are working together now... They're going to take down the White House soon. Dad, we have to do s-something," the cold was kicking in again.
  "Slow down. Would you?" he kept his voice steady and easy.
  I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms, but mostly to keep warm against the cold, "Why do you not want to talk about it?"
  "Because, Kris-," Logan hesitated.
  "Because what?!" I raised my voice, getting impatient.
  "I almost lost you!" dad finally looked at me. "And I don't want you to just jump right back in."
  I paused, my head starting to spin while I pressed deeper into the blanket that covered me. I knew where he was coming from and I knew why he would be hesitant to talk about it, but it made me nervous that he might want me to sit out again. Whether he liked it or not, I was a part of this fight and I wanted to help. Yes, I was in danger doing this, but so was everyone else. I started shivering again, my body feeling like it was covered in ice and goosebumps popped up on my skin. "I u-understand... But I c-can't set th-this out," I finally replied.
  "I'm being biased, I know. I don't want anything to happen to you. But you also have to realize that you're not the only one that we want to set this one out. All the kids - Bobby, Kitty, Rogue - we're setting out because this is dangerous," dad explained.
  I rubbed my hands against my arms in hopes to warm up, "I get that, b-but I think that's where you're-," a chill jolted through my body but I continued, "-wrong. This is a war for all of us, and you guys can't d-do this on your own."
  Logan sighed, "We can try."
  I huffed in agitation, "This is supposed to be a team effort! My god why is it so cold in here!?!" I was frustrated, and I didn't know if it was because of the argument or because I was legitimately freezing to death.
  Dad knit his eyebrows together, "Kris, the heat is on high. It's hot in here..." He gave me a quick glance, "Are you okay? Come here."
  Ignoring the urge to just curl up in a ball, I leaned toward dad. So, he pulled one hand off of the steering wheel and placed it on my forehead but he quickly pulled back and cursed under his breath.
  "Damn it, you're burning up," he mumbled then I could feel the truck pull back as he accelerated the vehicle down the highway.
  Another cold jolt ran through me but I could feel myself sweating. "Then w-why am I-... so-... cold."
  "Your body is overworking itself. Hang on, I think there is a town here soon," dad's eyes lit up with intensity as he went faster down the road.
  I shivered but then I could feel heat smash into me, making me sweat more, then my body felt cold again. It was like my brain didn't know whether to feel hot or cold. I groaned at the uncomfortable feeling of the two temperatures fighting inside me.
  "Aren't I suppose to heal from this?" I managed to mutter.
  "You took a dive into an almost frozen solid lake and stayed there for minutes on end. I don't think even my body would like that very much..." dad admitted. So I shrugged like it was no big deal, which caused him to glance at me and narrow his eyebrows, "What are you shrugging for?"
  I let out a sigh and I lowered my gaze, "It's just... I don't know, no big deal... I still think I should be apart of the team."
  Dad's arms tensed as he held the stirring wheel, "No big deal? I don't think you realize how serious it was..."
  I clenched the blanket that was wrapped around me, still freezing, but I kept my voice firm, "I get it. But I still want to help!"
  "Your heart stopped. I thought you were dead and I couldn't bring you back," he described painfully. "Kristine, you need to slow down," dad ordered, his voice strong and stern.
  The vehicle turned down a road so I leaned against the turn, but knew we were getting close. Good thing too, because I felt so weak against the temperatures. We leaned again, against another turn so I looked out of the window and saw we were at a gas station.
  "Stay here, I'll be back," he stated, then climbed out of the truck.
  I watched him as he pulled on the door and walked into the building. I leaned back and waited, letting my gaze wander around the gas station. My head was spinning as I observed the other cars and the people that decorated the parking lot. Maybe Logan was right, and I should take it easy for a few days... But the more I thought about it, the more I thought how stupid it was. This was war and I couldn't just sit out, especially when I know I could do something to stop it. I might only be a kid, but I knew I could help a lot more than they realize. I was going to help, whether anyone liked it or not.

(Yes, another slow chapter. I hoped you guys enjoyed it and thank you for all of the votes, comments, and positivity you guys give toward this book. It makes me so happy and it keeps me writing! I love you guys a lot! And I hope you guys have a great week until the next chapter!
~~~~~ LL2z)