10/5 Instance: Homesick

[fourpawsonthefloor]

Timeline - current

The library was one of the few places that hadn't been demolished in the attack. Kitty sat at one of the tables and stared at her history book, re-reading the same page for the tenth time. She glanced over at her computer programming textbook and covered it up with her backpack before she started crying again.

J walked down the hallway, small streams of electricity flowing around his head. He finally had a ping on his search and followed the trail leading to the library. He weaved in and out of the book shelves before he finally walked up behind her, "Um... Kitty? Are you crying?"

Kitty jumped at the sudden sound and quickly wiped her eyes. "N-No... just, um -" She turned a little bit towards J and tried to smile. "Dust and all. It's irritating my eyes." She stopped and stared over at her backpack for a moment.

"Yeah... That happens to me sometimes too..." He walked over and pulled out the chair across from her, taking a seat. "Studying for class?"

She chewed on her bottom lip since she didn't have any fingernails left to bite and nodded. "Yeah. I was studying for that History test next week... even though it looks like it's going to be postponed, because..." She started tearing up again. "You know...all...all the stuff that's going on." Blinking rapidly, she tried to focus on her book again.

He watched her, and looked down as he saw tears starting to fill up her eyes. "Yeah..." He read over the titles of all the books on the table to keep his mind busy. "Maybe you should take a break for a while... I do not think you need to rush the home work at the moment..."

"Take a break and do what??" She snapped at him and instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry J. I didn't mean to say it like that. It's just...I want-" Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she couldn't keep herself from crying any longer. "I want to go home."

"I know... Me too... Think I might go spend the weekend with my mom..." He said as he looked up to see her crying. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled a hankie out, and held it out for her. "Here..."

She took the handkerchief with a sheepish nod. "Thanks." She dried her eyes and balled up the white cloth in her hands and stared at it. "But, that's not what I mean...I mean I want to go home - for good. I'm...I'm not brave like you and all the others." She glanced at him for a moment then stared back down at her hands.

He caught her look, and then his eyes followed her to the table in front of them. "But you can not leave... Then I will not have a lab partner..." He thought for a moment, "I would suggest Disney World to cheer you up... but that did not work out so well last time." He fished for a smile.

He got the smile he was looking for. She couldn't suppress a little giggle through her tears. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose on the hankie. "Sure it did. Got to go on a trolley ride...see Sleeping Beauty's Castle...slay a fire breathing dragon - all that fun stuff." She bit her lip again. "But, you're just as smart as me. You could ace that Chemistry class blind folded. Besides...my boyfriend emailed me - says he really misses me." Her eyes got a little brighter.

"Yeah, but in the labs we are required to have a partner, and to share the work... And I do not trust some in the class to do their part of the work." He shrugged. "But I understand about missing people, I talked to my mother for almost an hour on the phone yesterday... I did not tell her what happened though... I do not want to worry her."

That made Kitty blink. Oh man...I can't tell my dad what's happened - he'd freak!! "I...you're right. I can't tell my mom and dad." Then an even more sobering thought. They'd attacked the school because there were mutants living there. What if she moved back home and they followed her??

"I did tell my mom almost everything else, about all the things here, and all my friends..." He leaned back in his chair, and fidgeted with his cuff links straightening them. "But I can not tell her about the attack. She would make me come home and never let me leave again...." He sighed.

"Yeah..." Kitty started to hand the hanky back then decided maybe she needed to wash it first. She shoved it in her pocket and picked up her pencil. "My dad would come up here and take me back home in a gunny sack if he knew what happened." After a minute, she finally got up the nerve to ask. "So...um, how are you doing with, you know -" she tapped her temple with the pencil, "you're stuff?"

"I do not know..." He leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "I am fine most of the time, and then sometimes I see things that make a memory flash in my head. I wonder if this is how Chuck feels..."

"Chuck?" She frowned. She didn't remember a student named Chuck.

"From the T.V. show... has all the CIA files in his head... Never mind..." He smiled at her, "Don't worry yer pretty head about it." He shook his head, Focus... You are in control... He took a deep breath. "Anyway..."

"My pretty lil -" Her frown deepened. "J, are you sure you're feeling ok? Maybe we should go get some air or something?" Don't know where...woods aren't safe...Half the school is off limits because of the structural damage...

"Yeah... Do not worry about me." He forced a smile. "I think I am going to visit my Mother's house this weekend, hoping some R and R will do me well."

"Yeah...I'm sure it will." She was suddenly a little jealous. There was no way she could go home - her dad could always tell when she was hiding something. She'd never be able to keep something this huge from him. The only way she'd kept it hidden so far was because they emailed and texted instead of calling.

"I hope so." He leaned back and put his hands in his pockets, finally having the cuffs lined up, and not wanting to fidget anymore. "She said I could bring a friend, not certain who to ask though."

"Oh?" She hoped she didn't sound over eager. It was rude to invite yourself to somebody's house...and she doubted his mom would think much of him bringing a girl home anyways. "Well... I hope you have fun..."

He put on a thoughtful look, "Do you think Monet would want to go?" He asked, hoping he didn't crack and start smiling.

"Mo -" She stared at him in disbelief for a moment. Her expression was hurt for split second before she caught a ghost of a smile on his face. "Oh - you!!!" She tossed her notebook at him playfully. "You're such a butt head!"

He was grinning as he turned his head, letting the notebook hit him in the shoulder. "What? It might make her feel better." He couldn't help but bust out laughing. "But, if you do want to go, you are more than welcome. Will at least get a good Take-out meal out of it."

"Really? I'd love to. You sure your mom wouldn't mind?" The idea of getting out of here for a few days made her nearly hop up and down in her chair.

"Yeah, she loves company, think she is dealing with empty nest syndrome right now." He grinned. "Just hope your boyfriend doesn't get jealous you are meeting another boy's parents..." He joked.

She laughed. "Oh, he won't care. It's just you... I mean not that there's anything wrong with you..." In truth she hadn't told David much about her friends here at all. Her cheeks flushed. "You know what, I'm just going to shut up now."

He laughed again, "Please don't." He leaned over the table to look at her history notes. "You want to go grab some snacks and then tackle the rest of this stuff?"

She grinned, feeling much better. "That'd be awesome." She hopped up, her pony tail bouncing. "What would you like?"

He got up to follow her, "Whatever we can find. I have not eaten much these last few days." He fought the urge to find some tequila. I don't even drink... He thought as he headed to the kitchen with her.

[stjohn]

(Not to bump my own instance... but could this be topped please? Found it on page 2 and it's brand new.... )