Playing With Fire : Andy Strucker

REvolutioN

I was making a run to my room when I bumped into Lorna. We had not talk since yesterday since she seemed pretty occupied.

Looking upon my tear stained face, her eyes sent a look of concern. She indicated for me to follow her to her room.

As I entered her room, I was taken aback by the fact that Dawn wasn't there at all. I looked up to her with a bewildered expression and she nodded her head to a side, as if asking me to take a seat first.

I sat on the armchair and she took her place on the edge of her bed. We looked at each other in the eye, not knowing who should speak up first.

"Where's Dawn?"

"I sent her away." Lorna closed her eyes and sighed. "I needed her to be safe. Away from all of this. When it's over, I will bring her back."

I could see the anguish in Lorna's face and I knew I shouldn't probe further. I just gave her a look like I understood her.

"What's up with you? Why were you crying?"

The words were at the tip of my tongue, but I held them back. I realized how childish it sounds in comparison to what Lorna was going through.

"You can tell me anything, Ren." She tried to encourage me to speak out.

"It's- well- I don't know how to say it..."

"It's about Andy and Rebecca right?" Lorna hit the nail on the head. I could only nod as I look down at my hands in my lap, embarrassed.

"It just seems ridiculous. She has been here for only a few weeks and suddenly they're- well you know...."

"It is ridiculous. I don't know what's up with Andy and her but Andy is a good kid. I think he is blindsided by this fling...."

"I feel like I lost him to her." I looked down solemnly before bringing my eyes back to Lorna.

"She's not good for him." Lorna stated with a disapproving shake of her head.

"Relationships need to be a give and take. It has to be mutual between both people for it to work in the long run. Rebecca is a taker and Andy just gives in to her for whatever reasons....it's just puppy love, it won't last long."

"Boys are idiots. Sometimes they cannot gather their courage and instead turned to something easy."  What did she mean by that? Something easy?

"I can't believe he is still taking her side after everything that has happened." I shook my head in irritation.

"I know Ren. But you must also understand, Rebecca came out broken after her experience at the mutant hospital. People are not born evil but circumstances can change them." Lorna tried to broaden my perspective.

"She wasn't as lucky." I guess in a way she was right, I had to count my blessings for avoiding the horrible experiences that I could have after my arrest. Despite being separated from my family and being held in captivity for almost two years, I managed to stay on the greener side of the pasture.

I was not subjected to experimentations and I have met a few kind people in the institute. In comparison, I was better off than other mutants. I sighed in exasperation.

"Lorna, I want to tell you something."

"I asked Sage for help and I found that my family didn't leave the country like Reeva said. They're still here in America. I want to look for them when all of this is over." Lorna did not have any response and seemed she was like deep in thought.

I was nervous to reveal my secret plan but I knew there was no one else I rather share it with.

"Do you think it is a good idea?"