Chapter 7: The Trouble with Secrets
Things didn’t get any better with the coming of the new semester at Xavier’s School for the Gifted. Not overly interested in classes to begin with, Minx further withdrew, her declining grades reflecting her inattentiveness. It just didn’t matter, the girl reasoned as she pulled the now crumpled scrap of paper from her pocket for the hundredth time since Mystique had pressed it into her hand. She hadn’t called the number yet, although she had come close several times in the past few days. It was driving her to the edge, her nerves frayed and her mind still not able to grasp the reality of what she’d been told. What was the truth and what wasn’t? She hadn’t been able to confront Logan about it. Not yet. How were you supposed to go up to someone like that and casually ask whether or not they’d ever screwed your mother? You don’t, she decided while sitting at the back of Ororo’s social studies class. Especially if what Cynthia had said was true. That Logan was some kind of secret operative who might just decide to slice her into little pieces and bury the remains out by the tennis courts if he considered her a threat to his anonymity.
She hunched down further in her seat, absently playing with her pen, not bothering to listen to the lecture or even take notes. She realized she’d have to do something, sooner or later though. Her shadowed eyes flicked up and over the backs of all the heads in the room. They were all noticing now. The dark smudges under her eyes, the moodiness. Minx’s gaze lingered on her friend, Jubilee who was busily scribbling in her notebook. She sighed heavily and stared back down at her desk and the pen she held in her hands. Even Jubes had given up on her, leaving Minx to sulk in her room while she and the others hung out or played video games.
With her thumbnail, Minx pressed into the plastic barrel of the pen, concentrating. Small wisps of smoke began to drift up from the pen as the girl’s fingernail heated and melted the material. She began to burn her name into the plastic, happy to find something to take her mind off her troubles, if even for a few moments. A shadow fell over her desk, and Minx’s head popped up. She noticed that the classroom had gotten quite silent.
Ororo Monroe stood over the girl, the ends of her mouth pulled down in a frown of displeasure. She held out her hand palm up, and nodded at the writing implement in Minx’s hand. Minx risked a glance up at her teacher and then sheepishly handed over the scorched Bic. Ororo took it, arching a brow at her pupil. Titters of laughter passed through the room.
“I suggest you spend a little more time on the work,” the dark-skinned woman tapped the unopened textbook on Minx’s desk with the pen, “and less time daydreaming.”
Tired, stressed and defensive, Minx looked dejectedly at her book as Ororo walked back to her desk.
“We’ll be having a quiz over these chapters next week.” her teacher announced as she dropped the pen into the wastebasket beside her desk.
The class groaned in unison as Storm turned back to the board, picked up a piece of chalk and began where she had left off. Minx watched for a second, and then made a bold decision. She had to get away from here for a while - had to find some answers and make some peace before she totally lost control. As the rest of the class took notes on the industrial revolution, Minx stood up and, leaving her books behind, ambled over to the door ignoring the questioning looks of her friends. Ororo turned from the board when she heard the door opening. All heads swiveled toward the back of the classroom.
“Minx!” Ororo addressed the girl’s retreating form, “Just where do you think you’re going?” she asked in obvious shock at her student’s rudeness.
“Out,” the girl shot over her shoulder and kept on walking, not bothering to shut the door behind her.
Ororo blinked, surprise quickly being replaced by worry and then annoyance on her face. Dropping the chalk in its tray, the woman stalked past the rows of gawking kids, her long white hair flying behind her as she chased after Minx. Bobby, John and Jubilee scrambled from their seats as soon as Storm was out of sight and took up positions just inside the classroom door to get a ringside seat for the show. Most of the other students, emboldened by their move, followed suit.
“Finally, some action!” Jubilee whispered excitedly, “I was just about ready to lapse into a coma back there. Sheesh…” She reached into the pockets of her oversized coat and brought out a soda can and package of cheese doodles.
John stared at the girl in mild amusement, watching her pop the top on the soda and take a long slug. She covered her mouth as she let out a small burp.
“What? Do you think you’re at the movies?” He questioned her, “What’s with the snacks?”
“Hey, ya can’t watch a soap opera without junk food!” Jubilee uttered around a mouthful of cheese doodles. “Junk food and melodramas naturally go together. Cripes, fireball, you can’t just-“
“Shut up, you guys,” someone else warned, “I can’t hear what they’re saying out there!”
They all quieted down and watched as Ms. Munroe caught up to her AWOL student in the hallway. This was going to be better than Oprah! Ororo put her hand on Minx’s shoulder, and the girl stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around to face the woman.
“Hey,” Ororo pulled the teen around to face her, “You don’t just walk out of my class without a reason, Minx.”
“I got a reason. It’s just none of your damn business.”
Ororo dropped her hand from the girl’s shoulder, a little taken aback by her cold tone.
“It is my business,” the older woman stated firmly. “I’m your teacher and that’s my class, and I haven’t dismissed anyone yet.”
Minx just stared at Ororo, her face an unreadable mask. She shook her head and then turned and started back down the hall again.
“This is not over,” Storm called after the girl, her feet already moving to pursue, “I want you to come with me to Professor Xavier’s office right now.”
Minx stopped once more, and swiveled about, planting her feet.
“You know what?” she said louder than was needed, “This IS over! I didn’t ask for your help, teach. So go back in your classroom and leave me alone!”
Ororo was stunned by the sheer magnitude of the girl’s fury. Several classroom doors had now popped open and students crammed into the doorways enthralled by the shouting match taking place. Scott Summers, in his small office down the hall, was grading papers when he heard the commotion and wandered out into the hall to see what was up. He frowned, watching as Ororo and Minx faced off with one another.
“’Ro?” he called to his team mate, “Everything okay?”
Minx turned to see Scott now coming toward them and threw up her hands in disgust. Students were slowly sneaking out into the hallway, keeping back enough not to be noticed by the teachers, but close enough to get a good view. Scott looked from Storm to Minx, neither female offering him an explanation. He directed his gaze to Minx and she shot him a dirty sneer, her face wrinkled in anger.
“Oh yeah, that’s right, Summers,” she snapped, “point the finger at me!” Minx shook her head and glared up at the man. “Shit hits the fan, and it’s always my fault, right?”
“I don’t see anyone else shouting and out of control here, do you?” he calmly asked her.
“You know, if you weren’t such an uptight prick-”
“That’s it.” Scott managed in a level tone. “My office. Now.”
Minx swore under her breath, hating the fact that half the school was now out in the hall watching this little drama. Scott Summers was on the verge of losing total control; one muscle twitched angrily in his jaw. He shot the girl a cautionary glare that could have knocked her across the room without even lifting the protective visor he wore.
“Did you say something?” he challenged her.
Minx, already cocked and loaded, just glowered, unwilling to back down in front of her “audience”. “Yeah,” she snottily replied, “I said FUCK YOU!”
Scott had all he could take. His usual patience now depleted, he quickly advanced on Minx and grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck and frog-marched her none too gently down the long hallway, past the gaping students and into his office. Minx cursed a blue streak all the way, her hands reaching up in an attempt to free herself from the angry man’s grasp. The sound of his office door slamming echoed loudly down the hallway.
“Whoa,” Jubilee remarked taking a gulp from her soda can, “ten bucks says she doesn’t make it out of there alive.”
“You’re on,” John replied.
Kitty stared down the hall at the closed door in trepidation. “Wow. I’ve never seen Scott that mad!”
“Ha!” Jubilee shot back, “You’ve never seen him and Logan in the Danger Room together!”
“Shut up, Jubes,” Bobby said as Ororo started to walk back to her class, shaking her head in disbelief.
The students scurried to get in their seats before Storm made it back into the room.
Bobby looked over at his friends, his eyes wide with wonder.
“Man…I can’t believe she told him to fuck off,” he remarked in amazement.
The others agreed, somewhat impressed by their friend’s show of bravado, although John summed up everyone’s thoughts aloud. “I sure wouldn’t want to be her right now.” He solemnly uttered.
Scott all but threw the girl into his office before slamming the door so hard it shuddered in its frame. He turned back to her, furious, but trying to maintain a semblance of control. Someone had to be the adult here.
Minx, for her part, remained fairly calm as she returned the man’s angry stare. She wasn’t afraid of him – hell, she had been dealing with far worse demons in the past few weeks. And she knew foremost that Scott Summers, of all people, wasn’t about to kill her in cold blood. Although she noted, with a growing sense of unease, that the look he was giving her at the moment might have intimated otherwise.
He strode over to his desk, leaned back against it and crossed his arms. His expression was one of stone. Not one for patience herself, Minx’s attention wandered around the room, taking in the tidy bookshelves, polished brass nameplate on the desk, and the neat little rows of post-its on the bulletin board before settling back onto the grim visage of one, Mr. Summers.
“So now what?” she dared to ask.
Scott’s whole body seemed to clench up at the sound of her voice. He smiled tightly at her impertinence and pointed a warning finger at her.
“Not. Another. Word.” His tone was calm but anger-laden. Minx took the hint and remained silent.
“You know,” he began, “I’ve sat back this whole time and tried not to butt in.” He looked at her and let out a skeptical laugh. “I let it go when you and Remy almost wrecked the place with your wild pranks and everyone said not to worry. I cut you some slack when you flaunted the rules breaking probation and skipping classes – hey, Scott, everyone said, she’s just having trouble adjusting. And, I’ve even looked the other way lately when you’ve smarted off to me and the others during class.”
Minx fidgeted, beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“But enough is enough,” Scott snapped, straightening up, “You don’t seem to understand the meaning of respect and I’m tired of waiting for you to figure it out on your own.”
“It takes more than a little pin on a uniform to earn my respect,” she shot back at him, referring to the insignia on his X-men uniform that designated him as team leader.
A faint smirk passed across Scott’s lips. Just what he needed – a pint-size Wolverine clone. He grew serious as the girl stood restlessly in front of him.
“You think I got that badge by being a disrespectful, immature, smart mouth?”
“No. I think you got that badge by being an over-achieving, anal-retentive, control freak.”
“You wanna tell me what’s really bugging you?” he quietly asked, ignoring her jibe.
“Not really.”
A faint smirk passed across Scott’s lips as he grabbed Minx, yanking hard, pulling the surprised girl across his knee.
“That’s what I figured,” he smugly commented as he raised his open hand and brought it down smartly on Minx’s mini-skirted little bottom.
“Hey!” Minx shouted in surprise. “Hey, whad’you think you’re doin’?”
“I’m giving you exactly what you’ve been asking for since the minute you walked into this school!” Scott barked as he continued to spank the girl over his knee.
Minx howled at the indignity of the situation, kicking her feet in an attempt to right herself, but Scott had her pinned tightly under one arm ,the other busy blistering her rear end.
“I’ll tell the Professor!” she shrieked as her bottom grew uncomfortably sore.
“Go right ahead,” Scott remarked, not letting up as Minx’s howls grew more desperate. “You’re still not going to be able to sit for the next few days.”
“One-eyed bastard!”
“Brat!”
Scott’s hand connected solidly with her backside.
“Ow! Stop it! It hurts!”
“Are you going to start behaving yourself around here?”
No answer came save indignant cries of pain. Scott stepped up his ministrations and asked the question again.
“Yes!” she shrieked. “All right! I’ll do anything you ask, just stop!”
He stopped and let her up from his lap. Minx glowered hatefully at him, her hands slipping behind her to rub her aching bruised posterior.
“I thought corporal punishment was outlawed in schools,” she muttered uneasily.
“Consider that a ‘brotherly’ lesson in the value of following orders and respecting your elders,” he calmly stated as he walked over to a corner of the office and grabbed the arm of a wingback chair.
“What’s this?” she questioned as he swung the chair around to face the wall.
“Sit.” He motioned to the chair.
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” she looked up at the man in disbelief, but he seemed totally serious. “You’re making me sit in the corner? After what you just did?”
“You want to redo that lesson?” he carefully asked the girl.
She sighed deeply, still rubbing her burning rear and trudged over to the corner in defeat. Scott took her by the shoulders and pushed her down into the leather armchair. She squirmed in dismay when her stinging bottom connected with the seat. He leaned over the top of the chair and smiled warmly at her.
“This keeps you out of trouble and gives you time to cool off and decide whether or not you really want to be a part of this team.”
“What if I just get up and leave?” she boldly questioned half-rising from the seat.
“Well, then we’ll just see if Professor X wants to take a little trip through your head to find out what’s really going on in there,” he warned her.
Scott went and took a seat behind his desk and pulled some papers from the top drawer. The girl sat in silence a few moments before popping her blond head around the side of the wingback chair.
“Sooo, how long am I gonna be here?” she meekly inquired.
Scott smiled in his superior way and began going over the papers on his desk. “That’s up to you, Minx,” he noted as he began grading the algebra quizzes in front of him. “You can leave when you’re ready to apologize and tell me what the problem is.”
There was no further comment other than a put-upon sigh from the corner.
Jean had been giving a biology test in the library to a few of the older students when the showdown in the hall began. Not wanting to interrupt her pupils, she instead, reached out with her mind, her telepathic senses spreading over the mass of voices and emotions spilling out from the people beyond her classroom. A troubled frown passed over her face until she connected with the familiar presence of her boyfriend Scott Summers. She relaxed as his thoughts shot a “thumbs up” to her letting her know he was in control of the situation. Jean checked her wristwatch then addressed her students.
“All right. Pencils down. Please pass your tests up to the front before you leave, and have a great afternoon. Thanks.”
She waited until the library emptied and then got up and made her way down the hall, stopping at Ororo’s door. It opened and a wave of teenagers bounded out, books and backpacks in hand. Smiling at them, she stepped aside to let them pass before peeking her head into the room. Ororo was up front, erasing the blackboard as Jean made her way up to her co-worker’s desk.
“So, what did I miss?”
Ororo turned and smiled hesitatingly at her friend. She set down the eraser, dusting her hands off before answering.
“The girl has gone and lost her mind,” Ororo half-joked as Jean took a seat on the edge of the desk. “I actually expected her head to start spinning around at any minute. She’s like this little time-bomb just waiting to go off.”
“I know.” Jean replied, her eyes reflecting her concern. “I’ve tried to probe her, but she’s set up some pretty nasty mental barriers. All I get are images of her parents, but nothing’s clear.” The doctor ran a hand through her auburn hair in frustration. “Damn it, we need to reach her, ‘Ro. We need to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late.”
“I’m not so sure it’s not already too late.” Ororo announced as she gathered up her books and papers. She met Jean’s distressed gaze with one of her own. “If you had seen the look of hopelessness in her eyes that I saw…” her voice faded off as she looked down at the floor.
“Maybe Scott was able to talk some sense into her,” Jean offered, but her teammate gave her an unsure look.
“I don’t think so, Jean. He took her to his office over an hour ago…and they’re still in there.”
Jean got up from the desk, heading for her boyfriend’s office, her stomach knotting with trepidation. Scott had maintained his cool with the young teen so far, but how long would that last in the small, enclosed space of his office, she wondered.
As if reading her mind, Ororo called out after her. “Let me know if we need to bring up a couple body bags.”
“Come in,” Scott said in answer to the knock on his door.
He looked up and smiled when Jean opened the door and walked in. She smiled back at her beau, and then caught sight of the pair of feet swinging below the seat of the armchair in the corner and a puzzled look crossed her face. A hand shot up over the top of the chair and waved. Jean hesitantly waved back and then shot her boyfriend a questioning look, hooking a thumb at the chair.
[What’s going on?]
Scott gave an imperceptible shake of his head and cleared his throat before addressing the girl in the corner. “You can go now, Minx.”
The girl didn’t have to be told twice. She scrambled out of the chair and fairly sprinted for the door of his office.
“You’re to report to the professor’s study after dinner,” Scott called after her.
He settled back into his chair as Jean came up behind him and began to massage his shoulders. He grinned up at her.
“OK,” Jean said as she continued to work the knots out of Scott’s neck and shoulders, “what was that all about?”
“You mean the time out thing?” he mischievously replied and was rewarded with an ear flick. “Ow, hey,” he laughed, sitting up and pulling the woman onto the arm of his chair, “careful, young lady, or your next.”
“No, seriously, Scott,” Jean stopped smiling, “treating Minx like a five-year old isn’t going to solve anything.”
“I’ll stop treating her live a five-year old when she stops acting like one,” he shot back, his voice tinged with irritation.
“Scott.”
“Jean, you didn’t hear what she called me – “
“Scott.”
“We can’t just let her rage out of control every time she feels like it,” he argued.
Jean put her arms around the man, her chin brushing the top of his head and sighed heavily.
“She needs to be able to trust enough in us to confide and get this off her chest.”
“She needs to start acting her age instead of her shoe size.” Scott dryly remarked.
Jean sat up, withdrawing her arms from Scott’s shoulders and moved off the chair.
“I think there’s more than one person around here that needs to act a little older than their shoe size.” she sharply replied as she headed out of Scott’s office.
“Jean! Hey, c’mon, I was kidding.” he called after her, but it was no use.
Jean Grey was already gone her heels ticking smartly down the hall. Scott covered his face with his hands in defeat and let her go. He wasn’t in the mood to go running after her with an apology. In his mind, he was right. They had given Minx more than enough room and time to feel comfortable and secure here. No amount of coddling, at this point, was going to convince her to open up any more than she already had. No, he sighed to himself, it was time for Professor X to step in and the sooner the better.
Logan was ambling down the wood-paneled corridor on his way to the elevator when Jean came stalking towards him from the opposite direction. They met up at the elevator door, and Logan took in the unsettled look on the redhead’s face.
“Trouble in paradise?” he ventured as she stabbed the down arrow on the wall several times.
“Hmmph! Men!” Jean managed to spit out in irritation.
“Whoa, there, Red,” Logan reached out to cover the elevator button with one large hand as she attempted to press it once again, “That ain’t a doorbell. The elevator’ll get here when it gets here.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly and reached up to rub her temples.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Logan, “I’m just a little frustrated at the moment.”
Logan grinned devilishly and leaned up against the wall in front of Jean, taking one of her slender hands in his own. “Well now, I might be able to help you out with that.”
She pulled her hand out of his grip and shot the man a withering look.
“Not now, Logan,” Jean pleaded.
“She was right!”
Minx’s angry voice interrupted the couple’s flirtation. The fifteen-year-old stood at the foot of the steps, her coat clenched in one hand, eyes shooting daggers at Logan.
“You are a big letch!”
Logan’s eyes narrowed instantly at the insult as Jean’s brows knit together in puzzlement.
“Who’s right?” she questioned, but Logan didn’t hear her as Minx erupted in anger.
“You home-wrecking sonuvabitch!” the girl spat out in disgust, “You can’t keep it in your pants for two seconds, can you?”
Logan’s nostrils flared in anger, his eyes darkening. “Oh, you are not talking to me, sunshine…”
“Do you see any other hairy, over-sexed apes around here?” Minx haughtily replied.
“Logan-“
Jean attempted to play mediator but was ignored as the brawny man started toward the teen, a look of pure animal rage flooding his features.
“Apparently you’ve developed a death wish, kid,” he growled at the girl between clenched teeth, his temper going off the scale.
The girl appeared unmoved by the man’s obvious intention to do her bodily harm. She dropped her jacket and waved him toward her, her chin jutting out in defiance.
“You wanna piece of me? Bring it on, bubba!”
He advanced on the girl. A sub-vocal animal growl escaped from his throat as Logan’s hands balled into fists. Jean, not knowing what else to do, flung out a hand and stopped Logan dead in his tracks. She strained, barely able to stay his struggling form.
“You don’t want to get in the middle of this, red,” he cautioned her in a deadly tone.
“I’m not letting you go until you calm down, Logan,” she said. “Violence is not the answer here.”
“Maybe not, but it’ll sure as hell make me feel better,” he shot back.
Logan grimaced as he fought against her hold on him. Minx stood her ground fists clenched and ready.
Scott’s voice piped up from the opposite end of the hall.
“What’s going on out here? Jean?”
Jean gave her boyfriend a quick look then returned her attention to Logan, who was managing to drag himself forward a few inches at a time by sheer will alone.
“Scott, just go back in your office. I’ll explain later.” Jean curtly spoke over her shoulder.
“No, Scott. You need to stay right here and see what’s going on,” Minx advised the man. “Wake up and open your eyes for once!” she shouted in frustration.
“Okay, I just want one shot- just one clean shot,” Logan snarled as he took another shaky step in the teen’s direction.
Jean, sweat now streaming from her brow, gave Scott a pleading look.
“Scott, I can’t hold him much longer. Please, just go get Hank or Professor Xavier!”
Scott looked from the woman’s exhausted, pleading face to Logan’s one of dark fury and back to Jean.
“Jean, what is going on here?”
“Scott, damn it, please! Not now!” she cried out in frustration.
“Listen to her and take a hike, slim,” Logan bellowed over his immobilized shoulder, “We were doin’ just fine before you butted in.”
“I’m sorry, was I talking to you?” Scott sniped.
He ambled over to Logan’s frozen form and cocked an eyebrow at the Canadian, giving him a cool smirk.
“Looks to me like your idea and my idea of doing fine are worlds apart, pal.”
“Oh Christ,” Jean groaned.
She raised her other hand to put an end to the testosterone-spitting match before it could even get started.
“Hey!” Scott shouted in indignation as he tried to move, “What are you doing, Jean?”
Minx paused, watching the little drama unfold before her.
“Looks like this is my cue,” she muttered.
Realizing that the attention was now off her, she bent down and picked up her jacket from the floor. The three adults continued to bicker back and forth as the girl thrust first one arm and then the other into her coat. She checked to make sure they were totally engrossed, and then sauntered to the front door and yanked it open, taking one last look at Jean, Logan and Scott. She gave a snort of contempt before stepping out into the chill air.
“Hasta, folks.”
Many years later, students sitting around the rec room of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters would laugh when the story that would become affectionately known as “The Great Snowball War” was brought up. But, on that snowy January afternoon, when the battle took place, those involved found very little to laugh about…
Things didn’t get any better with the coming of the new semester at Xavier’s School for the Gifted. Not overly interested in classes to begin with, Minx further withdrew, her declining grades reflecting her inattentiveness. It just didn’t matter, the girl reasoned as she pulled the now crumpled scrap of paper from her pocket for the hundredth time since Mystique had pressed it into her hand. She hadn’t called the number yet, although she had come close several times in the past few days. It was driving her to the edge, her nerves frayed and her mind still not able to grasp the reality of what she’d been told. What was the truth and what wasn’t? She hadn’t been able to confront Logan about it. Not yet. How were you supposed to go up to someone like that and casually ask whether or not they’d ever screwed your mother? You don’t, she decided while sitting at the back of Ororo’s social studies class. Especially if what Cynthia had said was true. That Logan was some kind of secret operative who might just decide to slice her into little pieces and bury the remains out by the tennis courts if he considered her a threat to his anonymity.
She hunched down further in her seat, absently playing with her pen, not bothering to listen to the lecture or even take notes. She realized she’d have to do something, sooner or later though. Her shadowed eyes flicked up and over the backs of all the heads in the room. They were all noticing now. The dark smudges under her eyes, the moodiness. Minx’s gaze lingered on her friend, Jubilee who was busily scribbling in her notebook. She sighed heavily and stared back down at her desk and the pen she held in her hands. Even Jubes had given up on her, leaving Minx to sulk in her room while she and the others hung out or played video games.
With her thumbnail, Minx pressed into the plastic barrel of the pen, concentrating. Small wisps of smoke began to drift up from the pen as the girl’s fingernail heated and melted the material. She began to burn her name into the plastic, happy to find something to take her mind off her troubles, if even for a few moments. A shadow fell over her desk, and Minx’s head popped up. She noticed that the classroom had gotten quite silent.
Ororo Monroe stood over the girl, the ends of her mouth pulled down in a frown of displeasure. She held out her hand palm up, and nodded at the writing implement in Minx’s hand. Minx risked a glance up at her teacher and then sheepishly handed over the scorched Bic. Ororo took it, arching a brow at her pupil. Titters of laughter passed through the room.
“I suggest you spend a little more time on the work,” the dark-skinned woman tapped the unopened textbook on Minx’s desk with the pen, “and less time daydreaming.”
Tired, stressed and defensive, Minx looked dejectedly at her book as Ororo walked back to her desk.
“We’ll be having a quiz over these chapters next week.” her teacher announced as she dropped the pen into the wastebasket beside her desk.
The class groaned in unison as Storm turned back to the board, picked up a piece of chalk and began where she had left off. Minx watched for a second, and then made a bold decision. She had to get away from here for a while - had to find some answers and make some peace before she totally lost control. As the rest of the class took notes on the industrial revolution, Minx stood up and, leaving her books behind, ambled over to the door ignoring the questioning looks of her friends. Ororo turned from the board when she heard the door opening. All heads swiveled toward the back of the classroom.
“Minx!” Ororo addressed the girl’s retreating form, “Just where do you think you’re going?” she asked in obvious shock at her student’s rudeness.
“Out,” the girl shot over her shoulder and kept on walking, not bothering to shut the door behind her.
Ororo blinked, surprise quickly being replaced by worry and then annoyance on her face. Dropping the chalk in its tray, the woman stalked past the rows of gawking kids, her long white hair flying behind her as she chased after Minx. Bobby, John and Jubilee scrambled from their seats as soon as Storm was out of sight and took up positions just inside the classroom door to get a ringside seat for the show. Most of the other students, emboldened by their move, followed suit.
“Finally, some action!” Jubilee whispered excitedly, “I was just about ready to lapse into a coma back there. Sheesh…” She reached into the pockets of her oversized coat and brought out a soda can and package of cheese doodles.
John stared at the girl in mild amusement, watching her pop the top on the soda and take a long slug. She covered her mouth as she let out a small burp.
“What? Do you think you’re at the movies?” He questioned her, “What’s with the snacks?”
“Hey, ya can’t watch a soap opera without junk food!” Jubilee uttered around a mouthful of cheese doodles. “Junk food and melodramas naturally go together. Cripes, fireball, you can’t just-“
“Shut up, you guys,” someone else warned, “I can’t hear what they’re saying out there!”
They all quieted down and watched as Ms. Munroe caught up to her AWOL student in the hallway. This was going to be better than Oprah! Ororo put her hand on Minx’s shoulder, and the girl stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around to face the woman.
“Hey,” Ororo pulled the teen around to face her, “You don’t just walk out of my class without a reason, Minx.”
“I got a reason. It’s just none of your damn business.”
Ororo dropped her hand from the girl’s shoulder, a little taken aback by her cold tone.
“It is my business,” the older woman stated firmly. “I’m your teacher and that’s my class, and I haven’t dismissed anyone yet.”
Minx just stared at Ororo, her face an unreadable mask. She shook her head and then turned and started back down the hall again.
“This is not over,” Storm called after the girl, her feet already moving to pursue, “I want you to come with me to Professor Xavier’s office right now.”
Minx stopped once more, and swiveled about, planting her feet.
“You know what?” she said louder than was needed, “This IS over! I didn’t ask for your help, teach. So go back in your classroom and leave me alone!”
Ororo was stunned by the sheer magnitude of the girl’s fury. Several classroom doors had now popped open and students crammed into the doorways enthralled by the shouting match taking place. Scott Summers, in his small office down the hall, was grading papers when he heard the commotion and wandered out into the hall to see what was up. He frowned, watching as Ororo and Minx faced off with one another.
“’Ro?” he called to his team mate, “Everything okay?”
Minx turned to see Scott now coming toward them and threw up her hands in disgust. Students were slowly sneaking out into the hallway, keeping back enough not to be noticed by the teachers, but close enough to get a good view. Scott looked from Storm to Minx, neither female offering him an explanation. He directed his gaze to Minx and she shot him a dirty sneer, her face wrinkled in anger.
“Oh yeah, that’s right, Summers,” she snapped, “point the finger at me!” Minx shook her head and glared up at the man. “Shit hits the fan, and it’s always my fault, right?”
“I don’t see anyone else shouting and out of control here, do you?” he calmly asked her.
“You know, if you weren’t such an uptight prick-”
“That’s it.” Scott managed in a level tone. “My office. Now.”
Minx swore under her breath, hating the fact that half the school was now out in the hall watching this little drama. Scott Summers was on the verge of losing total control; one muscle twitched angrily in his jaw. He shot the girl a cautionary glare that could have knocked her across the room without even lifting the protective visor he wore.
“Did you say something?” he challenged her.
Minx, already cocked and loaded, just glowered, unwilling to back down in front of her “audience”. “Yeah,” she snottily replied, “I said FUCK YOU!”
Scott had all he could take. His usual patience now depleted, he quickly advanced on Minx and grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck and frog-marched her none too gently down the long hallway, past the gaping students and into his office. Minx cursed a blue streak all the way, her hands reaching up in an attempt to free herself from the angry man’s grasp. The sound of his office door slamming echoed loudly down the hallway.
“Whoa,” Jubilee remarked taking a gulp from her soda can, “ten bucks says she doesn’t make it out of there alive.”
“You’re on,” John replied.
Kitty stared down the hall at the closed door in trepidation. “Wow. I’ve never seen Scott that mad!”
“Ha!” Jubilee shot back, “You’ve never seen him and Logan in the Danger Room together!”
“Shut up, Jubes,” Bobby said as Ororo started to walk back to her class, shaking her head in disbelief.
The students scurried to get in their seats before Storm made it back into the room.
Bobby looked over at his friends, his eyes wide with wonder.
“Man…I can’t believe she told him to fuck off,” he remarked in amazement.
The others agreed, somewhat impressed by their friend’s show of bravado, although John summed up everyone’s thoughts aloud. “I sure wouldn’t want to be her right now.” He solemnly uttered.
Scott all but threw the girl into his office before slamming the door so hard it shuddered in its frame. He turned back to her, furious, but trying to maintain a semblance of control. Someone had to be the adult here.
Minx, for her part, remained fairly calm as she returned the man’s angry stare. She wasn’t afraid of him – hell, she had been dealing with far worse demons in the past few weeks. And she knew foremost that Scott Summers, of all people, wasn’t about to kill her in cold blood. Although she noted, with a growing sense of unease, that the look he was giving her at the moment might have intimated otherwise.
He strode over to his desk, leaned back against it and crossed his arms. His expression was one of stone. Not one for patience herself, Minx’s attention wandered around the room, taking in the tidy bookshelves, polished brass nameplate on the desk, and the neat little rows of post-its on the bulletin board before settling back onto the grim visage of one, Mr. Summers.
“So now what?” she dared to ask.
Scott’s whole body seemed to clench up at the sound of her voice. He smiled tightly at her impertinence and pointed a warning finger at her.
“Not. Another. Word.” His tone was calm but anger-laden. Minx took the hint and remained silent.
“You know,” he began, “I’ve sat back this whole time and tried not to butt in.” He looked at her and let out a skeptical laugh. “I let it go when you and Remy almost wrecked the place with your wild pranks and everyone said not to worry. I cut you some slack when you flaunted the rules breaking probation and skipping classes – hey, Scott, everyone said, she’s just having trouble adjusting. And, I’ve even looked the other way lately when you’ve smarted off to me and the others during class.”
Minx fidgeted, beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“But enough is enough,” Scott snapped, straightening up, “You don’t seem to understand the meaning of respect and I’m tired of waiting for you to figure it out on your own.”
“It takes more than a little pin on a uniform to earn my respect,” she shot back at him, referring to the insignia on his X-men uniform that designated him as team leader.
A faint smirk passed across Scott’s lips. Just what he needed – a pint-size Wolverine clone. He grew serious as the girl stood restlessly in front of him.
“You think I got that badge by being a disrespectful, immature, smart mouth?”
“No. I think you got that badge by being an over-achieving, anal-retentive, control freak.”
“You wanna tell me what’s really bugging you?” he quietly asked, ignoring her jibe.
“Not really.”
A faint smirk passed across Scott’s lips as he grabbed Minx, yanking hard, pulling the surprised girl across his knee.
“That’s what I figured,” he smugly commented as he raised his open hand and brought it down smartly on Minx’s mini-skirted little bottom.
“Hey!” Minx shouted in surprise. “Hey, whad’you think you’re doin’?”
“I’m giving you exactly what you’ve been asking for since the minute you walked into this school!” Scott barked as he continued to spank the girl over his knee.
Minx howled at the indignity of the situation, kicking her feet in an attempt to right herself, but Scott had her pinned tightly under one arm ,the other busy blistering her rear end.
“I’ll tell the Professor!” she shrieked as her bottom grew uncomfortably sore.
“Go right ahead,” Scott remarked, not letting up as Minx’s howls grew more desperate. “You’re still not going to be able to sit for the next few days.”
“One-eyed bastard!”
“Brat!”
Scott’s hand connected solidly with her backside.
“Ow! Stop it! It hurts!”
“Are you going to start behaving yourself around here?”
No answer came save indignant cries of pain. Scott stepped up his ministrations and asked the question again.
“Yes!” she shrieked. “All right! I’ll do anything you ask, just stop!”
He stopped and let her up from his lap. Minx glowered hatefully at him, her hands slipping behind her to rub her aching bruised posterior.
“I thought corporal punishment was outlawed in schools,” she muttered uneasily.
“Consider that a ‘brotherly’ lesson in the value of following orders and respecting your elders,” he calmly stated as he walked over to a corner of the office and grabbed the arm of a wingback chair.
“What’s this?” she questioned as he swung the chair around to face the wall.
“Sit.” He motioned to the chair.
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” she looked up at the man in disbelief, but he seemed totally serious. “You’re making me sit in the corner? After what you just did?”
“You want to redo that lesson?” he carefully asked the girl.
She sighed deeply, still rubbing her burning rear and trudged over to the corner in defeat. Scott took her by the shoulders and pushed her down into the leather armchair. She squirmed in dismay when her stinging bottom connected with the seat. He leaned over the top of the chair and smiled warmly at her.
“This keeps you out of trouble and gives you time to cool off and decide whether or not you really want to be a part of this team.”
“What if I just get up and leave?” she boldly questioned half-rising from the seat.
“Well, then we’ll just see if Professor X wants to take a little trip through your head to find out what’s really going on in there,” he warned her.
Scott went and took a seat behind his desk and pulled some papers from the top drawer. The girl sat in silence a few moments before popping her blond head around the side of the wingback chair.
“Sooo, how long am I gonna be here?” she meekly inquired.
Scott smiled in his superior way and began going over the papers on his desk. “That’s up to you, Minx,” he noted as he began grading the algebra quizzes in front of him. “You can leave when you’re ready to apologize and tell me what the problem is.”
There was no further comment other than a put-upon sigh from the corner.
Jean had been giving a biology test in the library to a few of the older students when the showdown in the hall began. Not wanting to interrupt her pupils, she instead, reached out with her mind, her telepathic senses spreading over the mass of voices and emotions spilling out from the people beyond her classroom. A troubled frown passed over her face until she connected with the familiar presence of her boyfriend Scott Summers. She relaxed as his thoughts shot a “thumbs up” to her letting her know he was in control of the situation. Jean checked her wristwatch then addressed her students.
“All right. Pencils down. Please pass your tests up to the front before you leave, and have a great afternoon. Thanks.”
She waited until the library emptied and then got up and made her way down the hall, stopping at Ororo’s door. It opened and a wave of teenagers bounded out, books and backpacks in hand. Smiling at them, she stepped aside to let them pass before peeking her head into the room. Ororo was up front, erasing the blackboard as Jean made her way up to her co-worker’s desk.
“So, what did I miss?”
Ororo turned and smiled hesitatingly at her friend. She set down the eraser, dusting her hands off before answering.
“The girl has gone and lost her mind,” Ororo half-joked as Jean took a seat on the edge of the desk. “I actually expected her head to start spinning around at any minute. She’s like this little time-bomb just waiting to go off.”
“I know.” Jean replied, her eyes reflecting her concern. “I’ve tried to probe her, but she’s set up some pretty nasty mental barriers. All I get are images of her parents, but nothing’s clear.” The doctor ran a hand through her auburn hair in frustration. “Damn it, we need to reach her, ‘Ro. We need to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late.”
“I’m not so sure it’s not already too late.” Ororo announced as she gathered up her books and papers. She met Jean’s distressed gaze with one of her own. “If you had seen the look of hopelessness in her eyes that I saw…” her voice faded off as she looked down at the floor.
“Maybe Scott was able to talk some sense into her,” Jean offered, but her teammate gave her an unsure look.
“I don’t think so, Jean. He took her to his office over an hour ago…and they’re still in there.”
Jean got up from the desk, heading for her boyfriend’s office, her stomach knotting with trepidation. Scott had maintained his cool with the young teen so far, but how long would that last in the small, enclosed space of his office, she wondered.
As if reading her mind, Ororo called out after her. “Let me know if we need to bring up a couple body bags.”
“Come in,” Scott said in answer to the knock on his door.
He looked up and smiled when Jean opened the door and walked in. She smiled back at her beau, and then caught sight of the pair of feet swinging below the seat of the armchair in the corner and a puzzled look crossed her face. A hand shot up over the top of the chair and waved. Jean hesitantly waved back and then shot her boyfriend a questioning look, hooking a thumb at the chair.
[What’s going on?]
Scott gave an imperceptible shake of his head and cleared his throat before addressing the girl in the corner. “You can go now, Minx.”
The girl didn’t have to be told twice. She scrambled out of the chair and fairly sprinted for the door of his office.
“You’re to report to the professor’s study after dinner,” Scott called after her.
He settled back into his chair as Jean came up behind him and began to massage his shoulders. He grinned up at her.
“OK,” Jean said as she continued to work the knots out of Scott’s neck and shoulders, “what was that all about?”
“You mean the time out thing?” he mischievously replied and was rewarded with an ear flick. “Ow, hey,” he laughed, sitting up and pulling the woman onto the arm of his chair, “careful, young lady, or your next.”
“No, seriously, Scott,” Jean stopped smiling, “treating Minx like a five-year old isn’t going to solve anything.”
“I’ll stop treating her live a five-year old when she stops acting like one,” he shot back, his voice tinged with irritation.
“Scott.”
“Jean, you didn’t hear what she called me – “
“Scott.”
“We can’t just let her rage out of control every time she feels like it,” he argued.
Jean put her arms around the man, her chin brushing the top of his head and sighed heavily.
“She needs to be able to trust enough in us to confide and get this off her chest.”
“She needs to start acting her age instead of her shoe size.” Scott dryly remarked.
Jean sat up, withdrawing her arms from Scott’s shoulders and moved off the chair.
“I think there’s more than one person around here that needs to act a little older than their shoe size.” she sharply replied as she headed out of Scott’s office.
“Jean! Hey, c’mon, I was kidding.” he called after her, but it was no use.
Jean Grey was already gone her heels ticking smartly down the hall. Scott covered his face with his hands in defeat and let her go. He wasn’t in the mood to go running after her with an apology. In his mind, he was right. They had given Minx more than enough room and time to feel comfortable and secure here. No amount of coddling, at this point, was going to convince her to open up any more than she already had. No, he sighed to himself, it was time for Professor X to step in and the sooner the better.
Logan was ambling down the wood-paneled corridor on his way to the elevator when Jean came stalking towards him from the opposite direction. They met up at the elevator door, and Logan took in the unsettled look on the redhead’s face.
“Trouble in paradise?” he ventured as she stabbed the down arrow on the wall several times.
“Hmmph! Men!” Jean managed to spit out in irritation.
“Whoa, there, Red,” Logan reached out to cover the elevator button with one large hand as she attempted to press it once again, “That ain’t a doorbell. The elevator’ll get here when it gets here.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly and reached up to rub her temples.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Logan, “I’m just a little frustrated at the moment.”
Logan grinned devilishly and leaned up against the wall in front of Jean, taking one of her slender hands in his own. “Well now, I might be able to help you out with that.”
She pulled her hand out of his grip and shot the man a withering look.
“Not now, Logan,” Jean pleaded.
“She was right!”
Minx’s angry voice interrupted the couple’s flirtation. The fifteen-year-old stood at the foot of the steps, her coat clenched in one hand, eyes shooting daggers at Logan.
“You are a big letch!”
Logan’s eyes narrowed instantly at the insult as Jean’s brows knit together in puzzlement.
“Who’s right?” she questioned, but Logan didn’t hear her as Minx erupted in anger.
“You home-wrecking sonuvabitch!” the girl spat out in disgust, “You can’t keep it in your pants for two seconds, can you?”
Logan’s nostrils flared in anger, his eyes darkening. “Oh, you are not talking to me, sunshine…”
“Do you see any other hairy, over-sexed apes around here?” Minx haughtily replied.
“Logan-“
Jean attempted to play mediator but was ignored as the brawny man started toward the teen, a look of pure animal rage flooding his features.
“Apparently you’ve developed a death wish, kid,” he growled at the girl between clenched teeth, his temper going off the scale.
The girl appeared unmoved by the man’s obvious intention to do her bodily harm. She dropped her jacket and waved him toward her, her chin jutting out in defiance.
“You wanna piece of me? Bring it on, bubba!”
He advanced on the girl. A sub-vocal animal growl escaped from his throat as Logan’s hands balled into fists. Jean, not knowing what else to do, flung out a hand and stopped Logan dead in his tracks. She strained, barely able to stay his struggling form.
“You don’t want to get in the middle of this, red,” he cautioned her in a deadly tone.
“I’m not letting you go until you calm down, Logan,” she said. “Violence is not the answer here.”
“Maybe not, but it’ll sure as hell make me feel better,” he shot back.
Logan grimaced as he fought against her hold on him. Minx stood her ground fists clenched and ready.
Scott’s voice piped up from the opposite end of the hall.
“What’s going on out here? Jean?”
Jean gave her boyfriend a quick look then returned her attention to Logan, who was managing to drag himself forward a few inches at a time by sheer will alone.
“Scott, just go back in your office. I’ll explain later.” Jean curtly spoke over her shoulder.
“No, Scott. You need to stay right here and see what’s going on,” Minx advised the man. “Wake up and open your eyes for once!” she shouted in frustration.
“Okay, I just want one shot- just one clean shot,” Logan snarled as he took another shaky step in the teen’s direction.
Jean, sweat now streaming from her brow, gave Scott a pleading look.
“Scott, I can’t hold him much longer. Please, just go get Hank or Professor Xavier!”
Scott looked from the woman’s exhausted, pleading face to Logan’s one of dark fury and back to Jean.
“Jean, what is going on here?”
“Scott, damn it, please! Not now!” she cried out in frustration.
“Listen to her and take a hike, slim,” Logan bellowed over his immobilized shoulder, “We were doin’ just fine before you butted in.”
“I’m sorry, was I talking to you?” Scott sniped.
He ambled over to Logan’s frozen form and cocked an eyebrow at the Canadian, giving him a cool smirk.
“Looks to me like your idea and my idea of doing fine are worlds apart, pal.”
“Oh Christ,” Jean groaned.
She raised her other hand to put an end to the testosterone-spitting match before it could even get started.
“Hey!” Scott shouted in indignation as he tried to move, “What are you doing, Jean?”
Minx paused, watching the little drama unfold before her.
“Looks like this is my cue,” she muttered.
Realizing that the attention was now off her, she bent down and picked up her jacket from the floor. The three adults continued to bicker back and forth as the girl thrust first one arm and then the other into her coat. She checked to make sure they were totally engrossed, and then sauntered to the front door and yanked it open, taking one last look at Jean, Logan and Scott. She gave a snort of contempt before stepping out into the chill air.
“Hasta, folks.”
Many years later, students sitting around the rec room of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters would laugh when the story that would become affectionately known as “The Great Snowball War” was brought up. But, on that snowy January afternoon, when the battle took place, those involved found very little to laugh about…