Summer Time Blues
Last few weeks of
summer was a drag. The X-Men had fun and battles with the Brotherhood of
Mutants all during their vacation. The thought of school starting back up was a
total bummer to them all.
The tall senior
student, Jean Grey, picked up her speed to reach the air conditioned mansion.
“It’s blazing out
there,” she muttered, shutting the set of heavy doors behind her. The mail
stack was quite large today. As she flipped through the colorful envelopes, one
stuck out to her. The printed envelope was large and shaded a light blue with a
delicate boarder along one side of it. Jean slid her finger inside the mail and
slid the top open. She began pulling the letter out when a jingle of a pair
keys startled her.
“Jean, you
hungry?” Scott Summers’ voice had deepened since he graduated from high school.
She folded the mail and jammed it in her back pocket.
“Sure am. Let’s
go.” Jean threw the rest of the mail down and followed him to the door, sliding
her arm around his. Jean quickly grabbed his ribs, making him squirm.
“You know I’m
tickling!” he said, reaching out of her grab when she went for him again. Jean
giggled as she finally snatched the keys from his hands.
“I know,” she
said, battering her eyes.
“By the way,
what’s that envelope you mysteriously folded and put in your back pocket?”
Scott drove down the small circular driveway and out into the housing area.
“I don’t know. I
never got to read it!” She reached back and pulled the blue mail out, successfully
opening it all the way. Scanning the sheet, Jean’s eyes suddenly got big.
“Well? What is
it?”
“Uh, nothing,”
Jean lied, trying to hide it. Could it really have gone through?
“Liar,” Scott
muttered, pulling into the small Burger City. “Come on Jean! I know something’s
up! You say nothing but it’s obvious the way your eyes got big, that
something important came!” Scott helped the girl out and followed her to the
door.
“I- I’ll tell ya
during a burger.” Jean disappeared inside before Scott could reply.
*~*
Kitty found the
mail stack Jean brought in and scanned through the stack. One envelope caught
her eye. It was large and had a delicate boarder with hearts and stars. She
didn’t hesitate to open it, ripping the cover open. The sophomore girl’s lips
turned upward as she continued to read.
“Yes! YES! Yes,
yes, yes, yes, yes!” said over and over, dancing around the room. “Yeeeeeees!
Yesssssssss!” Kitty did three back flips and front flip. “Woa.” She caught
herself before falling of dizziness. “I didn’t know I could do flips. Kitty
shook the dizziness off and went to find someone. The skinny girl collided with
a largely built man, Logan.
“Watch where
you’re going half pint,” he grumbled. Logan started to leave when Kitty grabbed
his arm.
“Look! Look, look,
look!” She waved the paper in his face furiously, while jumping up and down.
“Like this is so exciting Mr. Logan! I’m so happy!”
“Stop moving and I
will!” He started to grin, but held it back. Kitty continued to jump up and
down, making it hard for Logan to read it. He finally reached out and snatch
the letter.
“Well, if you’re
going to just snatch it, maybe I shouldn’t like, let you read it!” She crossed
her hands then rolled her eyes.
“So, you made some
contest, huh?” He continued to read.
“Not just some
contest!” Kitty protested. “Modeling! I could get a career in modeling! You
know-” she stopped short and started prancing around the room, holding her chin
up high and swaying her hips.
“Riiiiight,” he
handed her the paper back and started to leave.
“You don’t think
I’d be good?” she whined, following him to the front door. Logan disappeared
outside, unwanting to answer. “I’ll be good! There’s a scholarship involved,
you know!”
*~*
“Congrats, my
model,” Scott got the pleasure of teasing Jean the way home.
“I’m not a
stinkin’ model, yet!” Jean rolled her eyes. They made their way back inside the
cool mansion. “I’m going to my room.”
“To practice
modeling in front of your mirror?” Scott threw at her. Jean turned, sticking
her tongue out then stalked away.
“Yeah, congrats
Jean,” Scott mumbled, entering the kitchen. “Hey Kitty!” Scott said, startling
the girl on the phone. She dropped the cordless device.
“Like, you scared
me to death!” she picked the phone up, said a few words then hung up. “Did you
hear the news?” She pressed forward, inches from him.
“Depends on what
the news is. If it’s about modeling-”
“Yes! I’m so
happy!”
“I’m glad you’re
happy for Jean. She’s a nervous wreck!” Scott laughed, grabbing a nearby coke.
“Jean?” Kitty
practically stopped breathing.
“Yeah. Jean got a
letter this morning in a printed envelope-”
“Like this?” Kitty
showed her letter.
“You got it to?”
Scott examined the letter. “Yep, it’s the same. Well, this calls for a big
celebration because our two girls are going to be models!” Scott teased with
Kitty. Kitty didn’t smile.
“Yeah. Sure.” She
walked off, her head dropped.
“Come on Kitty.”
Scott caught up to her. “Even if you’re competing against Jean, who cares!”
Kitty stopped once at her room.
“You, like, don’t
get it,” she muttered. “Jean, she’s got the looks, the walk, the attitude to be
a model. She’ll outdo me any day!” Kitty shut the door before Scott could
answer.
*~*
“Check,” the
Professor of the Institute spoke softly. His opponent scowled at the pieces
behind her.
“How? I don’t- oh,
I do,” Alexya Wilson moved a pawn up to block the move.
“You’re learning
very well, Alex. Are you ready for school?” Professor asked, moving another
piece.
“I don’t know.
Everyone keeps asking me that. And I really don’t know.” She looked up, meeting
his eyes. “I miss my friends there, I miss the homework I dread bringing home,
I miss the poisoned school food. I guess I’m ready.”
“But something’s
troubling you.” Professor concluded.
“Yeah. Kind of.
Well, no, not really.” Alexya moved her queen forward, taking out one of
Professor’s chess men. She sighed. “Yes.”
“Do you wish to
talk about it?” he asked, sliding a piece up. “Checkmate.” Professor leaned
back, folding his hands together. Alexya gawked at the board.
“No,” Alexya said,
standing. “Thanks for the game.” Alexya started to leave, but felt him staring
at her. “Professor, I will talk about it. Just not now. I need to think about
it.” Alexya met his eyes again. Please.
I’ll be here, he said, watching her
leave.
“I know.” Alexya
wanted to go back to school. But she also wanted Lance back. It hurt so much
the day he told her they would only be enemies. Her eyes swelled up with tears
as she sat outside the Professor’s office. Alexya couldn’t admit to anyone her
feelings for him, no matter how much it killed her. She kept her mind closed so
Professor or Jean couldn’t pry.
*~*
Jean finally
decided she would enter the contest. Picking up the phone near her bed, she
dialed the numbers on the entry.
“Modeling American
Girl, Debbie Morris,” an elderly woman answered the phone.
“H- hi, I’m Jean
Grey. I got this entry-”
“Are you entering
or declining?”
Jean stopped
short, listening the clicking of the keyboard on the other side of the phone. A
thought occurred to her. She never asked Professor if he would allow her to
enter. “Would you please hold for a minute. I, uh, have a beep.” There was no
answer. Setting the phone down, Jean closed her eyes. Professor?
Yes Jean.
Um, never mind. She opened her eyes. “No
point telling him. I’m sure he’ll let me go. I hope anyways.” She picked the
phone up. “Hello?”
“I’m here. Are you
entering or declining?”
“Entering.” Jean
twisted her long red hair around her index finger listening to the clicking on
the other side.
“Miss Jean Grey?”
“Yes?”
“This Saturday,
July 28th, 2001, you need to report to your the Skyline Mall at 12pm. Make sure
you’re wearing a blue shirt of any type and a pair of American Girl jeans. Is
everything else clear?”
Jean smiled as she
looked up to see herself looking back in the dresser mirror. “Clear as
crystal.”
“It seems another
girl, by the name of Katherine Pryde, lives at your residential stay. Please
have her call as soon as possible. We need to know who all is entering. Have a
nice day,” before Jean could ask about Kitty, the phone line went dead.
“Kitty?” Jean went
next door, knocking softly.
“Come in!” Kitty’s
voice answered. Jean walked in to see Kitty crying hard and the envelope torn
in half. “Jean?” Kitty sat up, wiping the tears off her mascara streaked face.
“Kitty, I heard. I
think it’s so awesome we both go entered.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. You know
thousands have entered and only the top fifty were chosen to walk to runway.”
“I know.”
“Then what’s
wrong?”
“What do you
think?!” Kitty started crying again. Jean handed her a tissue, then sat next to
her. “You! That’s what’s wrong. I don’t have a chance against you! You’re so
pretty! You can walk like a star and you- you-”
“Kitty, it doesn’t
matter. Think of it this way. This is one excuse for us to borrow Professor’s
credit card and go shopping.” The word shopping brought a smile to Kitty’s
face. “Come on. It’ll be fun. If I win or you win or we both win-”
“-or not win-”
“Or not win, it’ll
be fun. Please don’t be sad or mad. Let’s make the best of it. Okay?” Jean and
Kitty stared at each other.
“Like, I guess I
need to call them.”
“You do. I already
called. That’s how I found out you entered.” Jean handed the cordless phone she
set in her back pocket to Kitty. “I figured you didn’t want to leave your room
like this.”
*~*
“Ah said I didn’t
want to!” Rogue set her novel down and glared at persisting boy. The blue elfed
boy sighed.
“Fine zen! I vill
go by myself!” He turned around, stalking out of the room
“Fine with me,”
Rogue yelled.
Kurt gritted his
teeth. He wanted to go swimming but no one wanted to go with him. Kurt always
felt awkward going by himself and felt lonely. He asked Scott, but Scott didn’t
have time for those fun things; he was looking for a job. “Vhat’s dis world
coming too?” He sputtered. Kurt noticed Alexya, bawled up in front of the
Professor’s office. “Hey Alex.” She looked up, wiping the tears.
“Kurt?” Her voice
was shaky.
“Vhat’s da
matter?” He sat beside her.
“Nothing.”
“You’re crying
about nothing?”
Alexya couldn’t
help but smiling. “No, I mean, never mind.”
“You can talk to
me,” he smiled.
“No, I have to
deal with this.”
“Vell zen, do you
vant to go swimming?”
“Not really. I-”
She stopped to see Kurt’s head down. “Why not?”
“Yea!”
*~*
Two hours at the
mall, Jean and Kitty both picked out different plain dark blue shirts and a
pair of American Girl jeans.
“Like, this is so
much fun, you know!” Kitty said, prancing in front of the mirror. She let out a
slight giggle, turning around. Jean wore a smile that turned into a laugh.
“You know, read
doesn’t go with blue. Maybe I should wear my hair up,” she said, holding her
hair up. “Then again, maybe not.”
“I wish we got
those letters sooner. Tomorrow’s the day! Saturday!”
“I know.”
“Are we, like,
going to invite anyone?”
“I think we should
invite just the girls. The guys would go crazy watching all the girls prance on
stage!” Jean disappeared inside a stall and started changing.
“Rogue and Alex?”
“Uh-huh. Unless
you want to invite the others,” Jean opened the stall. She purple button up
shirt was still open, exposing her black lacy bra.
“Yeah, just the
girls.” Kitty stripped her shirt off and replaced it with her pink slip on.
*~*
Day
of the Competition
*~*
“Oh wow,” breathed
Kitty. She was standing on the second floor of the Skyline Mall, standing with
Jean, Alexya, and Rogue. The contest was spread out before the four girls. It
seemed like thousands of gorgeous girls, all dressed in American Girl outfits
were standing below.
“Ah don’t know why
I let you convince me to come,” Rogue complained.
“Oh Rogue!” Alexya
sighed. She looked at Kitty who still stared at the crowd. “I tried warning you
both, this is a national contest,” she said gleefully, obviously
enjoying the surprised looked on Kitty and Jean’s face. “Remember, this is only
New York. In some of the other forty-nine states, they probably have
even more contestants. Don’t worry though, you two. I know they’re only picking
one girl here, but when you get to the finals, in California, they’re taking five.”
“Keep talking
Alex.” Jean straightened her blue shirt. “You’re making us feel better by the
minute,” she rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath.
“I try,” Alexya
smiled.
“I like, feel so
sick,” Kitty gasped, placing a hand on her flat stomach.
Jean chuckled and
leaned out over the rail. “If you aim right, you could knock out quite a bit of
competition that way.”
To Kitty’s
surprise, Rogue came to her rescue. “You guys are awful,” she said
reproachfully. “Kitty’s already nervous enough, without that kind of help.”
Kitty tried
smiling a thanks, but her face was paralyzed. I can’t believe I’m doing
this. After all I went through to get here.
“Shouldn’t you be
checking in?” Rogue asked, jolted Kitty back to present. She pointed down to
the long line of girls below them.
“Yeah and while
you two do that, Rogue and I are going to grab our seats,” Alexya said,
grabbing the girl by her sleek shirt. “Come on.”
The line was long
and seemed to take forever. Kitty jumped when someone touched her shoulder.
“Hey Kitty, you’ll
be fine. It’s okay. Remember, just for fun.” Jean’s calm voice helped Kitty
calm down. She nodded dizzily.
“Name?” a woman
behind the table asked curtly.
“Uh, Katherine
Pryde. I, uh, preregistered.
*~* To be continued in story Summer
Time Blue pt 2 *~*
By: Juniorbrat02