Dealing with 12 soulmates (Avengers and Xmen fanfic)

Chapter 35

2 weeks later
That's how I spent the rest of that week. Stuck in a constant loop of pain and self hatred while also trying to avoid everyone. I could feel my body starting to become weaker and the flesh melting away leaving me closer to being just skin and bone with every passing day. I went to work as normal at the weekend and by the time I got back on Sunday, it was well into the evening and most of the students were in bed. Sam was there when I walked in and he tried to pull me over to one side, probably to talk, but I made the excuse that I was really tired from work and he reluctantly let me go.

Over the next week, I spent more time downstairs with everyone and went back to my normal lessons. To everyone, it seemed like I'd come out of my slump and was back to my normal happy and bubbly self but my nights were much darker. Nightmares haunted my sleep and sleeves hid my wrists while the mask of a smile was firmly planted on my face until I was behind closed doors. My face was dark and hollow, clothes had become loose and I looked pale and ghostly. I looked dead already and most people with depression say they feel the same on the inside but I feel sadness and pain which is then overshadowed by this overwhelming feeling of emptiness leaving me numb.

It wasn't until the weekend rolled around again that I realised my acting skills weren't as good as I thought when it came to certain people. I got an email from my boss saying that I was free this weekend and that I didn't have to go in which I was slightly confused by but that confusion went away when the professor called me down to his office. I instantly knew that he had something to do with me not having to go in today.

I slowly made my way down to his office and made sure to knock before I gingerly walked in. There sat the Charles and Hank and I knew that my assumptions were right. I went straight to my usual seat by the window and faced the other two adults in the room looking quite fed up but there was sadness lurking behind my eyes. You just had to look for it. The sparkle and the dancing in my eyes were missing and they were left with a cloudy shadowed look.
"I would ask if you were okay but I know you're not and that you wouldn't tell me anyway as you hide it from people when you feel like this. You've probably already guessed at this point that I called your boss to let you have the weekend off because we are going to talk about this and what's wrong. Even if it takes all weekend and we don't end up leaving this room. Hank and me both care about you greatly Abbie and we want you to be your happy and bubbly self again. You're perfect just the way you are and when you feel happy, everyone else brightens up, the flowers grow larger and healthier and the sun shines brighter. You are so much more than you think and you have the most amazing people around you who would help you through everything."

By the end of Charles speech, Hank had come over and started hugging me as I hadn't realised the tears falling from my eyes and my hands had started shaking. I didn't even need to say that I wanted their help, they just knew. So, I spent the next several hours talking to Hank and Charles before I finally had stopped crying and was just speaking in a more hushed tone. By the time I finished, I had a better view of myself and how I was effecting those around me. They were right, of course they were, but I have a great circle of people I can go to if I need anything, even if it's just to talk. My voice was on the verge of going completely so I was having to talk in a croaky whisper to even get out a sentence.

It was at that point that Hank decided we should head into dinner so I walked in behind them and Hank gave me one last reassuring hug before I went in and went and sat with my friends. I sat down and I ate and I laughed, an actual genuine laugh. It was the best night I'd had in a couple of weeks and was the first proper meal I had as well. It was at that point that I truly remembered that these people are my family and I can trust them with everything and that they'd never judge me. I also realised how distant I had been with everyone over the past couple of weeks, especially my soulmates so I decided in that moment to make it up to them. So, that night I had a movie night in my room with all my friends and I also invited Wanda as I felt like I had to make it up to her as well as I'd been absent in art a lot and wasn't as talkative as usual. It was amazing and I spent the whole night laughing and we ended up all falling asleep in a bundle on the floor half way through Alice in wonderland.

I woke up to someone playing with my hair which made me let out a sigh of content. I was between John and Wanda while Warren was above me with his hand tangled in my hair massaging my scalp. I just smiled at him before gesturing for him to follow me out of the room and we spent the next hour in the kitchen making pancakes and bacon for everyone before I called them all downstairs telepathically and we ate outside in the gardens. We chatted and we laughed, but most of all, we had fun and they helped me forget about the slump I had just been in.

After breakfast, I insisted on cleaning up and Wanda wanted to help so we made our way to the kitchen and started washing up. I put some music on while we worked and we ended up dancing around the kitchen singing the lyrics to 'kisses for breakfast' really loudly. My voice was still a little bit hoarse but it was much better than yesterday. I was in my thoughts when I felt bubbles be smeared down the side of my face and I turned to see Wanda with a smirk on her face. "Oh, it's on." I chased Wanda with a palm full of bubbles around the kitchen island before chucking them at her. She had bubbles all over her face and our war had begun. We continued like this for about fifteen minutes before my soulmates walked in and saw me and Wanda ducking at opposites sides of the kitchen with bubbles in our hands and covering us head to toe.

They just stood there in shock before they burst out laughing but that drew the attention of some of the teachers in the hall, aka Jean and Scott. They both walked in and were gobsmacked to find the entire kitchen in a blanket of bubbles. I instantly stood up. I hesitantly raised my hand. "It was me. I started it. I'll have it cleaned up as quickly as I can."
Scott just sighed and cracked a small smile before Jean replied. "You better. We will be back in half an hour to check."
Wanda just looked at me. "You didn't have to do that."
"Of course I did. I played just as much of a role as you. Plus your the new kid and above all my friends. I'm not letting you take the ride."
"At least let me help you clean."
I just put my finger onto my chin and put on a really contemplated look before Wanda punched me in the arm. "Fine you can help but you do realise bubbles are mainly made of water right."
"Yeah. Why?" I just smirked before raising my hands and moving all the bubbles from around the kitchen and off of me into the sink leaving the only bubbles in the room to be the ones still covering Wanda. "Well that was easier than I thought it was going to be but can you help me out a little here." This just made us both start laughing before I removed the bubbles from Wanda as well.

After that, I left Wanda with my soulmates as I had a busy afternoon and by busy afternoon, I mean preparing a surprise for my soulmates.