"Of course!" I exclaimed excitedly. She grabbed my arm and we hurried out together to the biosphere.

I stopped dead in my tracks and sighed in pleasure, awed at the scene before me. Rows of seating stood on either side of a long aisle. Lush white carpet ran the length of the aisle and up a short flight of stairs to a platform where we would stand before the minister. A white wooden lattice archway curved up and over the aisle. Vines intertwined with tiny red rosebuds were woven through and hung from the archway. More roses ran up both edges of the aisle, bordering it, completing the look.

Jubilee broke the silence. "So...do you like it? she asked. "See? And the bouquet you picked out is roses and baby's breath, so everything coordinates."

"Like it?" I repeated. "Oh, J, I love it! It's gorgeous, absolutely perfect!" We walked up the aisle to the platform to get a better view of the whole setup. I didn't tell her that I had already "seen" it all through Angelo's eyes. He hadn't let me directly look, but I got a good feel of it. It was awesome seeing it in person though.

"I can't wait to walk down this aisle tomorrow," I said as we stepped up to the platform.

"I'm glad you like it so much," Jubes said, giving me a hug. "Emma's people worked all of yesterday afternoon and part of this morning to set this up. And Angelo was a big help, too."

I moved to the front of the lectern to better examine a large flower arrangement in front of it.

"Oh, he basically just hung around saying stuff like, 'nope, she won't like this,' and 'yeah, she'll love that!' Jubilee replied. "And I see he was right--"

"Eeeew, I take it back," I grimaced. "This couldn't be his idea, where did they get these horrible fake flowers? I thought they looked weird, how tacky."

Jubilee laughed. "Chill, they're just some artificial ones till the real ones get here," she told me. "They wanted you to see what it would all look like before putting up real ones, which would be all wilted by tomorrow anyway."

I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness..."

"Hey, ladies. Stunt flowers aside, it all turned out pretty nice, didn't it?" Ange stood at the doorway of the Biosphere.

"Hi, Angelo!" J called. "Hey, have you seen Ev? I need to talk to him about the DJ."

"Si, he was in the kitchen with Jono last time I saw him," Angelo answered her.

J hopped down from the platform. "Thanks, gotta go!"

As she left Angelo came up and joined me on the platform.

"Oh, Ange, it's perfect," I exclaimed, getting all teary-eyed again and looping my arms around his neck. "I can't wait for tomorrow."

He smiled. "Me, either." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close for a kiss.

"Hey you two, rehearsal isn't for another two hours," a voice said from behind us. Startled, we broke apart to see Kris standing behind us.

"True, but you can never practice too much," Ange explained. "We want to be sure we get it right when it really counts." He kissed me again.

I started to laugh. He's gettin' bold, that's for sure. "Ange, I doubt the kiss part will be our biggest problem."

He sighed. "Summer, you're not making this very easy on me. I can't kiss you when you're talking."

At that point Jubilee returned. "Summer, your mom just got back with your dress," she told me. "She's sorta, uh, hyper."

I blinked. "My mother, hyper?"

"Look, Sums, I know hyper when I see it!"

Mom rushed in. "Summer, there you are! Come on, I need you to try on the dress one last time to be sure it still fits." She eyed Angelo. "And as for you, you make sure you've cleaned yourself up by tomorrow, young man," she ordered, shaking her finger at him. "Ah don't want any scruffy ragamuffin wedding pictures hanging on my wall!" She grabbed my arm and started to lead me inside, leaving a startled Angelo behind.

("I'm sorry, Ange!") I gave him an apologetic look. "Momma!" I objected. "What are you doing?"

"We still have to figure out how to fix your hair, and makeup an' make sure everything fits right, and..." She babbled on nervously as we entered the girls' dorms.

"Momma, please. It'll--"

"What about shoes? Wasn't there a problem with the heel on one--"

"Momma, please! You're upsetting me!"

Her jaw worked silently a moment before she spoke. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's just that...well, my baby's getting married, and I'm nervous for you." She smiled and patted my cheek. "I'm sure it'll all go off without a hitch." She paused and blinked thoughtfully. "Maybe that was a bad choice of words."

I giggled. "C'mon, Momma, let's get to it."

That evening, at dinner...


Angelo paled, shocked, and stared in disbelief at my mother. My face took on the exact same look. She did not just say that! She did NOT just say that! ...but she did. She didn't realize anyone had heard. In fact, I'm the only one who heard her. Which meant Angelo heard her.

I had just been thanking Emma for lending Angelo and me her Caribbean home for our honeymoon and Mother had muttered under her breath, "Something has to compensate for having to see that man naked."

I grabbed Mom's arm and pulled her away from the table. "Excuse us a moment, please," I said sweetly.

"Summer, what are you doing?" Mom demanded. "I'm your mother, not your sister, and I expect you to--"

I lead her into the rest room. "Momma, you think no one heard you, but I did. And Angelo did too."

"Oh that's nonsense, he's at the other end of the table!"

"Everything I hear, he hears. Trust me on that. And if you make a scene at my wedding, I swear I will NEVER forgive you!" My eyes teared up and I started to tremble. "Why can't you at least try to act civil around Angelo? Can't you see that the way you treat him hurts not only him, but me?

Mom inhaled sharply. "I don't--"

"Oh, yes you do," I interrupted. "You may not come right out and say things to his face, but your actions speak volumes. Every distasteful look, every snide little comment behind his back, every time you ignore him, or purposefully avoid him. For heaven's sake, Momma, you wouldn't even discuss the dance at rehearsal! What will you do when you're supposed to dance with him at the wedding? How do you think it makes me feel to watch helplessly as you snub someone I love so very much?" I fought desperately to keep from bursting out in tears. "And," I added quickly, "I'll have you know I am very much looking forward to my honeymoon."

She paled. "Summer, I..."

"This is supposed to be a happy time in my life, Momma," I whispered. "Please, I want you to share this with me. With me and Angelo."

Mom sighed. "All right, Summer. Don't cry sweetie, I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings."

I sniffled. "Hurt my feelings? Momma, I can see you're having trouble accepting this, but yes, I am a telepath. Angelo and I share a close bond because of that. We feel what the other feels, including pain and emotions. I can tell how much it hurts him, even though he pretends it doesn't. He's too proud to let on that it does. But we virtually share a mind, Mother.

"Mom, look...I can't believe I'm saying this...he's wearing his image inducer, he looks normal by any standard! If his looks are what bothers you, well, they're covered up!"

There was a pause. "That doesn't make a difference."

"Do you have a problem with his image indu--Oh, so you don't like him with the image inducer because he's hispanic? And to think you were the one who taught me about tolerance when I was little--" Of all the petty things! "I had absolutely no idea. Well, look," I said angrily, "if we're going to use the image inducer to make him something he's not, why don't we just program it so he looks like the perfect man. What do ya say? Tall, big, srtong guy, blonde hair, blue eyes...is that what you want?"

"Summer! --"

I stopped myself from saying any more. I wasn't going to shame her into liking him or seeing what she was doing.

"I can't continue this conversation. I don't want to say anything else either of us will regret." I turned and left the rest room and sat back own at the table beside Angelo.

He reached over and took my hand under the table. ("It's not your fault, Summer. Please, don't... I can't stand to see you so upset.")

("I can't help it, she's my mother, but she's acting so...She hasn't even heard a word I said!")

("I know.") He gave my hand a little squeeze.

"Is everything all right, Summer?" Kris asked.

"Yeah. Momma'll be out in a minute," I said, trying to act normal. ("No...")

The waiter returned. "Are you ready to order?" he inquired.

Sean glanced at Dad. "Did ye want ta wait for yuir wife t' come back, Mr. Ison?"

"Yes, maybe we should--oh, never mind, here she comes."

Mom approached the table and sat down next to Angelo without incident. She picked up her menu.

"Could you recommend something, waiter?" she asked sweetly. "I just can't decide."

"Yes, ma'am. The orange roughy and the lamb chops are two of our specials tonight. Both are quite delicious."

"I'll get the lamb chops, then," she said, laying her menu back down on the table.

She's so slick... Actin' all cool and composed like nothing just happened!

("Summer?") Kris sent.

"Kris, could you pass me a sugar packet for my tea?" The sugar caddies were sitting in front of Kris' seat.

"Sure," he handed me the packet.

I took it from him, brushing my fingers across his hand. I knew I could have told him later, but I wanted him to know now, maybe to prevent anything else Mom might do, or so he would be informed if Mom and Dad talked to him about it.

The rest of the dinner passed rather uneventfully. The topic of conversation always seemed to come back to the wedding. Nothing, however, was mentioned about the school or mutants in any way, despite the fact that my parents and the twins were the only ones at the table who weren't mutants.

The waiter returned with the check, which had to be considerable as there were 15 of us and the restaurant we were at was definitely on the ritzy side.

Dad got out his wallet.

Emma spoke up immediately. "Absolutely not," she declared.

"But--" I knew Dad hated things handed to him--especially by a mutant--and that he was uncomfortable about the situation.

"You're my guest here, Mr. Ison," Emma continued. "Please allow me the privilege of covering your meal."

Kris looked sideways at Dad and gave him a knowing look--one that told him Emma was not one to take "no" for an answer.

Dad frowned slightly then put his wallet away. "All right, then. And I thank you, Ms. Frost."

Emma took a sip of her champagne. "It's my pleasure." The waiter took her credit card and left. A few minutes later he returned and we all got up to leave.

We exited the restaurant and headed for the nearest crosswalk, since we'd decided to do a little window shopping before Bumpkin picked us back up. When the "walk" sign lit up, we crossed the street and stepped up onto the curb. Paige wandered over to a dress shop and peered in the window.

"Oooooh, isn't that dress cute?" she squealed.

Beth nodded. "Let's go in and try some on."

Several male voices groaned.

"Dress shopping? Awww, come on, girls--"

"Oh, Kris, don't be such a stick in the mud," Jubilee said as they dragged him toward the store. "We need a guy's opinion, anyway."

"More like you need my credit card," he mumbled.

"He's learning!" We giggled.

Even later at Xaviers School For Gifted Youngsters...


"There's the Big Dipper." I pointed heavenward.

Angelo stared up at the night sky. "It's beautiful out here, isn't it?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Back home I would sit outside and just gaze up at the stars. I'd do it for hours on end. Totally at peace. Sometimes Daddy would come and sit with me." I leaned my head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around my back.

"In LA, there was too much light from the city to see many stars," Angelo said. "Besides, if you're stupid enough to sit outside at night..." He sighed.

I looked up at him. "Do you miss LA?"

"No. Yes." He paused and shook his head. "No, I don't miss LA's drugs and violence and gangs. Yes, I miss my mother and the few true friends I had there."

"Do you think about her a lot?" I asked softly.

He nodded. "Every day of my life." He took one last hit off his cigarette and flipped the butt into the grass. "I've got to stop this crap," he muttered.

"No kidding. I wake up in the morning with a killer craving and there's nothing I can do."

He tilted my chin up and kissed me.

I coughed a few times. "Smoke breath."

He poked me in the stomach. "I get the point."

"Orion's Belt."

"Yep. And over there is Cassiopeia."

"Where?"

"Over there." I tilted his chin the right direction. "See that group of stars right there, near the north star?"

"They sort of make a 'W' shape," a voice said from behind us.

We turned to see Mom standing behind us.

"Momma."

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked.

"No, not at all," Angelo told her. "We're just watching the stars."

She sat down on a bench facing ours. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. "I...I just wanted to...apologize for this evening," Mom began, her voice wavering a bit.

A startled smile played at Angelo's mouth. "S'okay," he murmured.

Mom nodded and got up to leave. "Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone." She paused, then turned back to us again. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Turning again, she hurried back to her cottage.

After Mom left, Angelo and I sat together quietly for a while. Finally, I stood up, rubbing my eyes. In a mutual, unspoken decesion, we decided to walk to my room. I had to get some sleep, I was already exhausted, and he wanted to walk me to my room.

"I suppose you realize this is the last time I'll be leaving you," he said to me after stopping at my door to kiss me goodnight.

"I do."

"Just checking."

He turned and left.

I walked into my room, shut the door and began to change my clothes. When I went to my bed, I noticed a envelop with my name on it. It was Angelo's handwriting, kinda, it was starting to look a little like mine.

I opened it to find a very short note on the inside.

   -Tonight is the last night you sleep alone.-

I almost didn't sleep after that.

A part of Shades of Gray

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