Thorn • Scott Summers

twenty one

"Florence, catch!"

The girl whipped her head around, emerald strands moving off her shoulder. She saw a frisbee coming straight at her, and her impulse reaction was to stretch down a tree branch, blocking the frisbee, knocking it to the ground. The branch shrunk, returning to its original position. Peter ran over, appearing in front of her suddenly.

"I meant you, not the tree!"

"Peter, who's even playing with you?" Scott said, looking up from his textbook.

"Well, Kurt was, until Mr. Worthington The Third came out here. Now who knows where they are."

"Well, I'd play with you, but we have to study for this botany exam." Florence said, grabbing the frisbee and holding it up for him to take it. Scott nodded in agreement, motioning to their sprawl of books and notes.

"By studying, you mean you repeating everything you already know, and Scott pretending like he doesn't know anything, because he likes the way you say all the Latin names and he thinks you being really smart is hot."

Florence raised her eyebrows, mouth opening in sudden surprise. Scott's eyes widened huge behind his glasses at Peter's sudden reveal of what he had told him in private.

Then, he reached down, grabbed his frisbee, and ran away.

"Oh my fucking-" Scott started mumbling, vexed. Florence turned around and saw him with his head down, hand rubbing his forehead, hiding the blush that had crept on his face.

"So, all those times you called me a nerd, you thought it made me hot?"

"He changed my words."

Florence laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Ok, so what did you tell him about me being "really smart"?"

Scott opened his mouth to speak, but came out with nothing. She laughed again and pointed at him.

"Ok, and?" He said through her laughter, voice defensive. "You're my girlfriend, obviously I think you're hot. That shouldn't be such a shock."

Florence was slightly surprised at his honest rebuttal, but smiled nonetheless.

"I'm just teasing," she said grabbing his knee. He looked up, slightly relieved.  "Come on, let's keep studying." He sighed, and she grabbed a notebook, setting it on her lap. "Should we work on scientific names now?"

"Florence," he began, attempting to sound angry.

She looked down at her notes, then looked at him through her eyelashes when she spoke. "Viola riviniana,"

"Florence, you're not that funny."

"Euphorbia lucida,"

"Florence,"

"Atropa belladon-"

"Florence," he said in a serious, quieter tone, grabbing her knee firmly. She looked up, confused at his sudden change of mood. She saw him staring at something behind her, and then he motioned to it. She turned around, Scott's grip softening on her knee, but still remaining on it.

She saw in the distance, by the school, a group of boys and girls. Three of each. Most of them looked about their age, some a little younger. They all looked normal, no physical mutations visible.  At least, that's why she assumed they were there. They were dressed in expensive looking clothing, all of their blonde hair perfectly styled. They were walking into the school, but on their way to it, they must've noticed Scott and Florence's gaze. One of them pointed at the pair, and the other's eyes followed suit.