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HOT WIRES AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS Part 6 written by Little Horn and Flonnua7a
*** disclaimer: we did create generation X. they are all our doing. No-one owns them, especially not Marvel. ** talking to lawyer** Oh, wait. They are Marvels, they created them. Blahbalhblahblahblah.**
"Hey, Jubilee."
"Where the HECK where you?!"
Gloria glanced suspiciously at Jubilee.
"Heck? Who are you, Thelma from Scooby-Doo?"
Jubilee continued to glare as Gloria pulled on her black sleeping T-shirt. Gloria noticed and cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Y’know, staring like that can sometimes lead to permanent eye damage."
"YOU-WERE-SUPPOSED-TO-HELP."
Gloria yawned and crawled into bed, she grabbed her book and was intently flicking through it when Jubilee yanked it away.
" Hey! Just because you’re illiterate, doesn’t mean you have to spoil it for the rest of us. Geez, this is like living with Eve."
" Where were you?! You were supposed to help us organise it!!!!!!!"
" Organise what? Your petty little dance that I wouldn’t be seen dead at. And that is what I would be if I turned up. Trust me. I’m not welcome there. And I didn’t want to go. So why should I waste my evening organising the damn thing? Goodnight Jubilee."
With that she turned over and flicked the light out. Jubilee frowned at her, hoping that maybe she’d repent if she stared hard enough.
" Quit staring J. I’m still here you know."
"Razzum Frazzum . . . . . . . . ."
"Good night J."
"So, how was the date?"
{ Don’t ask … please, don’t ask.}
"Why?"
{ *groan* Well …. It was a little weird to tell the truth. Very weird actually.}
"Eh?"
{ Well we stopped by her house on the way home ……}
"Meeting the parents already? Wasn’t this supposed to be a first date?"
Chamber slumped down into the comfort of the battered couch that sat in the middle of his basement room.
{ Not like that. She just wanted to visit her sibling’s before we went back. And man, has she got lots of ‘em.}
"Bigger than hayseed's family?"
{ Nope. Not that big. Just … louder and more … boisterous. Don’t mention it though, I think it embarrasses her a little. }
"Oh. Unlike the hayseed."
Chamber looked at him dubiously. Skin looked back innocently.
{ Why are you so interested anyway? Because you couldn’t get a date with her sister?}
"Ow!! Low blow!!"
Skin grinned nastily at him and jumped onto the sofa beside Jonothon. He didn’t look at him.
"So, what was the movie like?"
{ Go away Angelo.}
" GLORIA?! Gloria Kelley?! That freak went out with mah…. Ah mean… that freak went out with Jono?! Has he gone mad?!"
" Obviously, Paige, he went mad a long time ago. Otherwise, why would he go out with you..?"
Paige got up from her seat on the sofa and angrily grabbed the remote from Jubilee, who was innocently watching TV.
" Hey!"
She plopped back onto her seat in a huff. Monet smiled nastily to herself. What a nice way to torture Paige, her ex-‘boy-friend’ was going out with the joke of the school. It served well to have Jubilee around for gossip, how she found out they went on a date she didn’t know. She couldn’t imagine Gloria being too forthcoming with the information to Jubilee. Noticeably, though, neither Gloria or Jonothon had come down to the rec.-room with the others. They were probably up in her room playing Marilyn Manson records. She sniggered at the thought of Jonothon and her out on a date. Would she hold his hand? Now, that would be funny.
" Uh….. Room for one more?"
‘Well, speak of the devil….’
A familiar pale skinned face prodded itself in a particular manner round the door. Paige turned round and glared at her, but dropped the expression when Jonothon quickly followed her into the room.
" Well, look which love birds dropped in."
" You wot…..?"
Jonothon and Gloria shared equally confused glances and chose to ignore Jubilee’s comment. Gloria walked over to the c.d. player and threw something on. Jubilee immediately covered her ears.
" Hey! Keep that stuff top your room and possibly someone’s garage."
Gloria grinned at her and turned it to a particularly offensive track. Chamber picked up the battered guitar lying in the corner and fiddled with it. Gloria walked over to the c.d. Rack and flicked through.
" Cool. You’ve got the entire works of the romantic period."
Jubilee and chamber turned round to face her. Was she being sarcastic?
" Y’know if you came here to slag us off, you’re wasting you’re time."
" I actually prefer the baroque period myself."
She ignored Jubilee’s comment and continued to look at all the c.d.’s.
SLAM
Eve walked in the door and slammed it shut. She waited for a response. Someone telling her to shut up maybe. They were absorbed in their individual activities.
" Eve, you and me have got to talk."
Eve looked around her for her sister’s voice. Then she looked down. Gloria was comfortably situated in the corner by the record player.
" Aghh!! Gloria!!"
" Duh."
Eve didn’t wait around for her to say anything more. She ran out the door and slammed it shut behind her at the expression on her sister’s face. She knew that look. She was in trouble with that look.
Gloria smiled at herself.
" That always gets rid of her."
Jubilee looked around her. Paige was glaring at Gloria, who was oblivious, or just ignoring it. Jonothon was staying away from everyone by noodling around on his guitar in the corner of the room. Jubilee got up and walked towards Gloria.
" * Achem*"
Gloria hadn’t noticed her.
" *Achem*……… GLORIA!!"
She turned around to her.
" Yes?"
" We .. uh.. need to talk.."
She gave her a dubious look.
" About..?"
Jubilee grabbed her arm and dragged her outside the room. She closed the door carefully and looked straight at Gloria.
" About you.. and Jonothon."
Gloria’s face broke into a strange smile.
" There I no ‘me and Jonothon’. We’re just friends."
Jubilee looked around for anybody who might be listening. And then spoke in a hushed whisper.
" Well, he may not see it that way…. You do know about all that happened between him and Paige?"
Gloria frowned at her.
" Nooo… I don’t. Should I?"
Jubilee grabbed her arm again and pulled her into a corner.
" You see…. Paige and Jono kinda had this on/off, on/off, on/off kind of thing going on for a while."
Gloria raised an eyebrow at her. She didn’t appreciate people wasting her time.
" Anddddd….."
" And… just recently, Paige told him that she was tired of him whining and ignoring her all the time… and she accepted a date with another guy.."
" Tristian."
" Tristain, right. And …. Well, I really don’t want you to be lead on or anything… it’s just that… he was really mad when Paige dumped him… and I think he could be using you to get back at her."
Gloria’s face still displayed no emotion other than scepticism. She chewed on her lip for a moment and then spoke in a cold tone.
" Andd… who backs you up on this… or is it just the work of the extraordinary Jubilee..?"
" Paige agrees with me.."
Gloria raised an eyebrow at her.
" And Monet and Ev….we just don’t want to see you hurt."
Gloria’s stare hinted that she didn’t appreciate the notion. She stare coldly back at her.
" I’m a big girl Jubilee, I can handle my own problems." At that. She turned around and marched straight back to the living room. Jubilee sighed to herself. She should have known better than try to talk to her. She’d be insulted if someone six years younger than her tried to give her advice on relationships. She waled slowly back to the room and found Gloria huddeld back at the c.d. rack. Paige looked over at her and whispered.
" How’d it go?"
She shook her head and slumped back into her seat. Ugh, and she had to share a room with her.
{ So….}
" Hi."
Chamber slid up next to Gloria, who was swinging her legs from a low lying branch, just outside the girls’ dorm. It was getting dark.
" How’d your classes go today?"
{ Typical Monday, you know…. PE, English that sort of thing.. And how are you?}
" Eh… just the usual I suppose"
{ Yea…..}
" Good."
Gloria swung herself off the ledge of the branch, Jonothon followed quickly. She walked in silence for a while and then stopped.
" Something’s been bothering me Jonothon."
{ Ummm… Fire away.}She sat back down on the tree branch near the door of the dorm and swang her legs nervously. Chamber plonked himself into a pile by the roots.
" I was just thinking to myself and I realised it couldn’t be more than a few weeks since you and the hayseed split up…."
Gloria avoided looking at him. She could feel the anger and confusion.
" And I was wondering….. since the seed of doubt was planted…. Jubilee explained the whole Tristian thing…… and I was wondering…. Are you….. using me to get back at Paige? Subconsciously or otherwise?… your choice in weemen has changed drastically….. if you …. Know what I mean….."
Chamber stopped in his tracks, which made Gloria turn round and stare at him abruptly. She hadn’t ever intended to make him this angry. He looked as if he wanted to throttle someone. He clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.
{ And who… exactly… planted the seed of doubt…..?}
" Urmmm…. That would have been Jubilee. I figured it was worth investigating…. I mean, I’ve only known you for a limited period of time……. So…."
{ Hmmmm… well, then. If you really believe everything Jubilee said then…..}
" ……. Sorry, I suppose. I’m the new kid, remember. I only know what I’m told around here, and what I can figure. And since you’re all walled up, I have to be told."
She tried to smile, it came out a bit twisted though. She gave him a manly pat on the back.
" Hmmmm…. How about we decapitate Jubilee together then…?"
{ You really believed her?}
‘ Oh shit. I think I actually hurt his feelings.’ He looked hurt.
" Urmmm…. To be honest… can I say this?…… I didn’t know what to believe. I mean….. I know a lot of people who wouldn’t think about screwing with me…. y’know… for one reason or another."
She sat back down on the tree branch near the door of the dorm and swang her legs nervously. Chamber plonked himself into a pile by the roots.
{ For one reason or another?}
She shrugged casually and gave a forced ‘eh’.
" Y’know… you don’t know what it’s like…. When you’re publicly ousted… or at least, when some people know…. Some fella’s think they can….. straighten you out… if you know what I mean…. People think bi-sexuality is a disease that can be cured.."
He nodded, but didn’t respond. Gloria started tearing bits off bark off the tree and ripping them up. They both gave little sighs and Gloria jumped down off the tree.
" Well, at least that feels good to get of my chest."
{ Do you always leave such big pauses between words when you speak?}
Gloria grinned at him and slapped him on the back again.
" Only when I’m being serious, now c’mon, let’s take our wrath out on Jubilee."
{Emmm… Murders always more of a third or fourth date thing, really…}
They both walked back towards the dorms, it was getting dark and hazy. There were lights on in some of the dorm rooms that cast little pool of gold light onto the footpath below. Only one had left their curtains open, and the dancing shadows where cast to the entire school….
" Shut the damn curtain Eve."
Eve Kelly strolled impressivly casually to her window and drew the curtain. She looked at the group of girls littering her room. No one seemed interested in her in the least. Some girls were bent over on her bed, plaiting each other’s hair. Two girls had spread them selves out on the floor painting their nails and reading her magazines. Not a nice bunch of girl’s to be around, but all that Eve had managed to attain. So far.
Eve had always had the natural charm, but Gloria had always had the long-lasting friendships. Y’know, the one’s that you’d do anything for and all that crap. She, however had been stuck with the fickle fair-weather bunch. The one’s who’d help you, as long as they didn’t break a nail, or ruin their polish. Not that she was the best friend in the world, but she wouldn’t mind a few good girlfriends.
" All right ladies…. Today’s topic…."
The oldest girl, about 17, stood up and smiled vacantly.
" THE PROM!!!"
A chorus of giggles and cheers rang throughout the room. Eve stifled a sigh. she’d had more fun with measles before.
" Okay, lemme guess.."
The girl put her hands up to her temples and closed her eyes dramatically.
" Britanany went with…… Chad!!!"
Whoever Britanany was, she giggled loudly.
‘she must’ve gone with Chad then, whoever he is.’
" Melissa went with….. Jake!!!"
Another , as Gloria would put it, vacant giggle. She wondered if they were all as miserable as she was. They weren’t so loyal to each other, so how could they possibly be happy like this. She just hoped they wouldn’t bring up the subject of her not having a date.
" Mandie went with…… Brian!!!"
More giggles. God, this was annoying.
" Eve went with ……uh…."
Eve squeezed her eyes together and wished they’d forget and move on. She tried to crawl into the furthest corner of the room.
" Evey? Who’d you go with?"
‘ Evey?!!!! Evey?!!!! Only my mom gets away with calling me Evey. I just hope they don’t do that in public. I’ll be ruined.’
" I didn’t have a date. I went alone."
Every girl in the room turned and stared with horrifically sympathetic faces.
" Omigod!! Evey!! I’m so sorry!!"
" Oh, that must be because you’re new."
" We’ll get you fixed up in a week."
Eve cringed as they patted her back with sad faces. They’d left dripping polish all over her carpet.
‘ For the children of the cream of Boston, the aren’t to bright are they?’
Eve blocked out the negative thoughts to the girls around her and smiled as idiotically as she could manage. She really had to learn Gloria’s trick of getting friends. Maybe she’d ask her someday. Until then, at least she could fit in.
‘Climb the ladder Eve…..’
Gloria walked into the crowded classroom. As soon as she stepped over the door the room burst into giggles. Gloria bent her head to hide her reddening face. She’d have to think of some great revenge to get Eve back for blabbing about her private life all over the school. She checked her outfit, school uniform spiced up with wallet chain and black make up. Enough to shock a little, not enough for an expulsion. She walked as casually as possible to the nearest empty seat, next to the girl she talked to in the cloakroom. The girl gave her a nervous smile and turned back to her books.
‘Hmmmm… she must be scared of being seen with me. not that I blame her. Heheheheh.’
Gloria tried to ignore the stares of the class around her. She felt something poke her in the back. She turned around in time to see a small wad of paper fly towards her. It hit her on the forehead and the room burst into laughter again. She turned around and tried to keep her cool. She quickly unfolded the letter and read it.
‘ WE DON’T WANT YOUR TYPE HERE.’
She scrunched the wad of paper up again and threw it at the bin.
" Good morning class!"
" Good morning Miss."
Adrienne Frost walked casually into the room, unaware of the laughter a few moments before. She frowned at the wad of paper at the foot of the bin and tossed it in, not bothering to read it. Gloria sighed with relief and got her books out.
" And in today’s English class we will be moving on to…"
She checked the large file on her desk authoritatively.
" Poetry. Hmm… as it says here, a means of expressing oneself."
Gloria braced her back against the barrage of wads of paper that were immediately thrown in her direction. Adrienne looked up momentarily from her desk but seeing only innocent faces dismissed it.
" All right class, lets get to work."
She got up from her desk and walked to the white-board.
" I’ll give you a topic to write poetry about.."
The class gave a unified ‘Miss!’
" Don’t worry, I’ll try and make it interesting and variable as possible… lets see.."
She tapped the board with her marker.
" Ah!!"
She quickly wrote something in large letters on the board.
‘LOVE’
The class burst into rapturous laughter again. Some pleased giggles from the girls, some idiots who laughed merely at the word ‘love’ and the rest mostly at Gloria. Gloria hung her head and cursed silently to herself.
" This will be a long day."
" And remember class, this doesn’t have to be boy-girl love-"
She was cut off mid-sentence by the class, who immediately burst into hoots of laughter. Adrienne looked confused for a second and then went on.
" It could be family love or between friends… you get the picture. You can start it now."
Adrienne sat down again and decided to ignore the giddiness in her class, for now. She might have to put them on report if it continued. She decided to have a look around the class to see what they were all up to. It looked like a note was being passed around. She walked quietly down one of the aisles and noticed a girl with pink hair sitting next to one with died black hair and black make-up, she thought it was one of the Kelly girls that were admitted the other week. She decided to keep an eye on them. There was a burst of giggles in one corner and she walked over immediately to tackle it. One girl was in hysterics over a small piece of paper. She plucked it off her and read it.
Gloria tried to think of something original to write about. Her chain of thought was interrupted by a loud yell from one end of the class.
" Who started this note?!!!! Admit it now, or you’ll all go on permanent detention!!!!"
Gloria was interested now. More than likely the offending note was about her. Carmen, in the seat in the seat beside her, looked back at Gloria and then to the note and cringed. She looked over again.
" Sorry."
Carmen smiled weakly. It was the only thing she could say.
" What’s on that piece of paper?"
Gloria didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in her voice, she had figured by her expression, Carmen knew what was in that note. But wasn’t telling her of course.
" Err… Um…… nothing…. Really."
" Hey, if it’s about me, I want to know about it."
Adrienne Frost marched quickly to the front of the class. She didn’t have much experience in this kind of matter, but at least she knew some basic things about harassing from her days as a business woman.
" Right, since the perpetrator of this note has not confessed, I will have no choice but to punish the girl I found with the note, if he or she who started ..this….has any conscious in their body they will report to my office after school. This is a very serious matter and I will be putting this class on watch. Class dismissed."
Gloria immediately jumped as the bell rang just after Ms. Frost had finished her speech. She grabbed her books and stuffed them roughly in her bag. She was going to slit Eve’s throat for this. She was about to go out the door when Adrienne caught her by the arm.
" Gloria, we need to talk."
" People, we need to talk."
Gloria came up to Skin, Jubilee, Monet and Everett , who were all eating lunch together. They looked up at her with confused expressions, she had been sitting with Jonothon or on her own most of the time.
" Chica? Is this about the rumours goin’ round the school about you?"
"Look, to put it simply….. I’ve been having problems… people.. know… and it isn’t nice.. I just spent an hour in a class where I’m the biggest joke."
Jubilee looked up sympathetically from her lunch. Gloria hadn’t talked much, but she was her room-mate, now at least. And she didn’t appreciate her fellow team members being tortured. She looked worried for herself as well. Not that she blamed her. Being gay was only second to being a mutant. And she’d heard some nasty comments around the school.
" God, do you want to sort this out the polite way…?"
Gloria shook her head vigorously.
"Y’know what it’s like. They’ll know I told and I’ll be in even deeper shit then I am. I got enough crap at my old school. I don’t want it to happen here."
She pulled up a seat and sat down with her head low.
"Y’know, it’s not going to be good you being seen with me."
" Now, chica, that is not a good excuse to sink into self-pity."
Angelo slapped her heartily on the back.
" If you need any bodyguards….."
He grinned at her.
" That’s a nice thought. But this isn’t two or three jerks. This is the whole school. I don’t want us all killed. Anyway, I’m stronger than this mess of bone and tendon may seem."
Gloria removed some pre-prepared sandwiches from here bag.
" School lunches too good for ya, chica?"
Gloria eyed him and then grinned.
" I’m a vegetarian. And as we all know, there is only one thing on any school menu for vegetarians. Fries."
They tucked into their food and talked about school for a while until the bell rang.
" Look, Gloria, if you need any help you only have to ask."
" Thanks Everett."
Gloria walked past her room that she shared with Jubilee and down the hall. She would have a word with that sister of hers if it killed her. She’d noticed that Eve had ignored her after she smeared her private life over the school. Either she under-estimated the effects of her words, or she didn’t feel like a fight. She noticed that the nearer she got to Eve’s room, the more people shut-up when they saw her. Eve had probably, inadvertently told the entire school. She walked up to her room and knocked on the door. Eve answered it.
" Eve."
" Gloria."
There were a few girls in her room already. Eve was looking at them nervously. If she came in, they’d now she was her sister.
" Eve, who is it?"
" Um… no-one."
She turned to Gloria and whispered fiercely.
" What are you doing here?! If people see you here, they’ll know we’re related!! I’ve got a reputation you know!!"
Gloria returned her with a equally fierce determination.
" What like mine?"
Eve looked at her and suddenly got the point. She looked at her ‘friends’ in the room and back at Gloria.
" Outside…..Now…."
