After talking a little more with Maria and Alex, Liz decided it was time to talk to her parents. It had been a long taxing day but she knew she couldn’t put off telling them. Now that she made the decision to leave, she needed to get their permission. She had not made the decision yet whether to tell them she was a mutant or not. She would figure it out as it came along.
When she reached her apartment, Liz dialed the number that Professor Xavier had given her and told him that she had decided she wanted to attend his school. He told her how happy he was about her decision and they set up a meeting for the Professor to talk to her parents. He was set to arrive within an hour so Liz thought it was time to talk to them. She wanted them to know what was happening before he got there.
Knowing there was no turning back, Liz went into her dad’s office. She knew that her mom was in there as well so it made it the best opportunity to talk. Her dad yelled for her to come in after she knocked and she made her way inside. Her dad smiled brightly at her as he asked, “Lizzie, what are doing in here? You’re off today.”
“Yeah, I know. I wanted to talk to you about something that happened today, something kind of big.” Liz stated.
Both of her parents frowned in concern as her mom asked, “What happened?”
“An opportunity was presented to me.” Liz said cryptically. “I got called into the Principal’s office where a Professor and headmaster from a prep school in New York was waiting for me. He wants me to go to his school.”
The frowns instantly changed into smiles of happiness. “That is wonderful news. We’re so proud of you.”
They both hugged her enthusiastically and started peppering her with questions. They asked about the classes she would attend the people she’d met everything they could think of. Liz told them everything, about the meeting and the later talk with Bobby but of course leaving out the mutant factor as she did. She tried to answer their questions as best she could before asking, “So you’re saying I can go?”
Her dad looked hesitant to answer but said, “It sounds like a good deal but we need to talk this Professor Xavier first and check out some things. There are some details we need to discuss with him such as your tuition and the rules of your dorm. Things that parents need to know.”
“Are you sure that moving to New York won’t be too much of a shock to you?” Nancy asked.
“I thought it would be but it’s not like I’m moving to Times Square. West Chester is peaceful and the school is on a large plot of land. There are lots of trees and space even a lake. Exchange grass for sand and it’d be like Roswell.” Liz said shrugging as she replayed what Ms. Monroe had told her.
“Well if everything checks out and we can afford it, it sounds like a great opportunity.” Her dad assured her.
Liz opened her mouth to approach the mutant subject but stopped herself. She would tell them someday but at the moment she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz went out into the café to wait for Professor and the others to arrive. She sat at the counter and talked to her mom about what they would need to do to get Liz ready to move. Her mom knew that Liz would be leaving within a few days so not to get too far behind in the semester at her new school so they didn’t have much time.
While still listening to her mom, Liz looked at the door in time to see Max, Michael, and Isabel coming in and settling in the usual booth. Without even asking, Liz knew they were there to check out the Professor for themselves. She had told Max that she planned to have the Professor meet with her parents that night so she knew they would stake out the café until he made an appearance.
Max nodded to Liz in greeting but did not approach her instead he slid into their booth next to his sister. When he had mistakenly told Michael and Isabel that Liz was meeting with Professor Xavier they had insisted on going to the Crashdown and get a look at him. He had started to argue but stopped because he wanted to see him too. He wanted to see who was in charge of the school that Liz was going to go to. They had just finished ordering their food and received their drinks when the door opened again revealing a man who could only be Professor Xavier.
Liz smiled as she saw Professor Xavier, Ms. Monroe and Bobby enter and was surprised to see an additional person with them. He looked to be somewhere in his mid to late twenties and cute. But the first thing that caught Liz’s attention was the glasses he was wearing. They looked like sunglasses but instead of dark mirror lenses, they were rose tinted. Liz wondered if they had something to do with whatever his mutation was. She’d have to discreetly ask, she didn’t know for sure if it was polite or not to out right ask. Bobby didn’t seem to mind earlier but she’d be careful in the future.
They were still outside when Professor Xavier felt the unusual readings again. They were close and if he wasn’t mistaken just inside the café. It took them a minute to get out of their vehicle before Scott took over control of his wheelchair and pushed him inside. As soon as they passed the door, the feeling became stronger and he was able to single out where it was coming from. It was coming from three teenagers, two boys and a girl who were watching him but trying not to watch him. One of the boys, a dark haired boy with amber eyes seemed to also be watching Liz Parker and it was unmistakable that he cared for her.
Reaching out with his mind for a stronger analysis, Professor Xavier scanned the three kids. The first thing he noticed was that their minds felt different. But he was still able to gain access to them and what he found surprised him. The whole event transpired in the time that it took to be wheeled from the front door to where Liz Parker was having a conversation with a red headed woman he figured was her mother.
Liz jumped off the stool as Professor Xavier approached. “Hello Professor, Ms. Monroe. Hi Bobby.”
Bobby and Storm said their hellos as the Professor said, “Hello Liz, it’s nice to see you again. This is Scott Summers, another one of the teachers at our school.”
Liz took the offered hand and shook it. As she did, she was hit with a flash.
((Flash
A beautiful red head woman smiling at her, love and strength evident in her eyes
Flash))
Liz felt herself sway as the emotions felt in the flash ripped through her. Love, adoration, longing, anger, and hurt were all missed together in a way that was so intense that Liz knew that the woman she had seen in the flash was Dr. Grey, Mr. Summers deceased girlfriend. She shook it off and said, “Um, …hello Mr. Summers. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too.” Scott replied giving her a half smile, one that didn’t meet his eyes.
Pushing back the sadness she felt for her soon to be teacher, Liz turned her attention back to Professor Xavier. “This is my mother, Nancy Parker.”
Nancy and Professor Xavier exchanged pleasantries and Nancy informed them that the meeting would be taking place in the back and was about to show them the way when Professor Xavier spoke up. “If Bobby would prefer, he can stay here. I’m sure you’d rather get something to eat then to sit through another meeting.”
Bobby was grateful to have a way out. He didn’t want to sit in on the talk that was about to take place. It was too similar to the meeting he himself had when the Professor came to his home. It brought back painful memories. “Thank you Professor.”
“Just let one of the waitresses know what you want Bobby and they’re take care of you.” Liz stated then added. “On the house.”
Bobby expressed his thanks as he settled down at the counter. Her mom started leading them all to the back staircase with Storm behind her. Liz was about to follow when Professor Xavier captured her hand. “Liz, I was wondering if you could do a favor for me.”
“Of course Professor, I can try.”
“I was wondering if it would be too much of an inconvenience for your friends to with me tomorrow. I have a few things to discuss with them and I think they’d be more comfortable if you were there.”
“My friends?” Liz asked confused.
“Yes, Michael, Max, and Isabel.” The Professor clarified as he nodded his head in their direction. Reaching out with his mind he said, ‘I would like to speak to the three of you. As you are aware, I am Professor Charles Xavier and I have some questions for you. Shall we meet tomorrow?
Liz had heard the Professor’s message just as the others did. She knew that he knew about the aliens. She just nodded her okay to answer his question since the others were too stunned to do it. Then the mutants went to the back leaving three shocked aliens in their wake.
PART 7
The silence at the alien’s table lasted another five minutes after the school’s group left before Isabel said, “Oh my God, what are we going to do?”
“That’s easy, we get out of Roswell tonight before he can tell anyone what we are and they come for us.” Michael stated. He couldn’t help but glance over at the young mutant that had been left behind. He remembered from the meeting with Liz and from what he heard earlier that his name was Bobby and was a student at the school as well. Michael wondered if he too knew the truth about them. He didn’t appear to but looks could be deceiving.
“Come on. This isn’t the place to be talking about this.” Max said as he got up and threw down some bills to cover their check. Isabel and Michael scrambled out after him and followed him out to the jeep.
Bobby watched the three teens hurry out of the café with confusion. There was something strange going on with them but he had no idea what. He had noticed them when the mutant group had entered and had just assumed that they knew Liz and were curious about what was going on with her. But then as soon as Liz was gone, they hightailed it out of there like someone was after them. For a moment he wished he had the Professor’s power to read minds so he could find out what it was. Pushing it aside, Bobby went back to his food and thoughts of the female mutant back at school that held his heart.
Max drove the jeep away from the Crashdown and headed straight for their house. He knew his parents wouldn’t be home for at least another half an hour so that would give them time to finish up talking if they needed to. He looked over at his sister and Michael and saw the worry in their faces.
This was different then when Liz, Maria, and Alex had found out the truth. They had known those three although distantly most of their lives while they did not know Professor Xavier. Not to mention that he was an adult. Max understood why they were freaked, he was too. But a part of him stayed calm. Liz trusted the Professor and he trusted Liz. “Okay guys, we need to stay calm about this.”
“Is that your solution to everything?” Michael asked. “Just stay calm and it’ll all blow over. We need to get out of here like I said before we have no choice.”
“Michael, running is going to help.” Isabel stated.
“So you’re siding with Maxwell.”
“I’m not siding with either one of you. All I’m saying is that I don’t want to run.” Isabel explained.
“Sometimes running is the only thing to do.” Michael declared. “You guys don’t seem to realize how big a deal this could be. This guy isn’t some high school student or some alien tourist; this guy runs a school. People will listen to him.”
“What’s the Professor going to say?” Isabel asked. “It’s not like he can just go up to anyone and tell them. They’d ask how he knows and what’s he going to say? I found out by using my mutant mind reading abilities? They’d throw him in a cage before they even came after us.”
“Isabel has a point. If Professor Xavier exposed us, he would be in just as much danger if we exposed him.” Max mentioned. “Besides, we might be blowing this all out of proportion. He just said he wanted to meet with us, no threats about exposing us. Just a simple talk. We don’t even know what he wants to talk to us about, he might not even know what we are and we’re just being paranoid.”
“So we’re meeting with him?” Michael asked.
“I can’t speak for you two, but I am.” Max stated. “Liz trusts him. Enough to leave her home and go to his school. That at least makes me willingly to hear him out.”
Neither Isabel nor Michael offered an answer but Max was sure that he wouldn’t be the only alien at the meeting with the mutant professor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the first twenty minutes, Liz understood that she did not need to hang around while Professor Xavier spoke to her parents. He already knew that she did not wish to tell her parents about her being a mutant so she felt comfortable enough to leave and go check on Bobby. He was still where they had left him, sitting at the counter but now he had finished eating and appeared to be looking through a small magazine that listed Roswell’s tourist traps. “See anything interesting in there?”
Bobby jumped slightly in surprise at Liz’s unexpected arrival. “Give me a heart attack.”
“Sorry.” Liz mumbled. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t appear to be needed back there so I thought I’d come see what you were up to. I can leave if you want me to.”
“No, it’s okay. I should have been paying more attention.” Bobby assured her. “I just kind of spaced out thinking about school and wasn’t paying attention.”
“Thinking about a girl?” Liz asked.
“Yeah.” Bobby said blushing.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I know what it’s like to want to be with someone when you can’t be.” Liz stated.
Bobby’s curiosity was peaked by Liz’s statement and couldn’t help but pry. “Talking from experience?”
“Yeah.” Liz answered. “You probably saw him earlier. He was sitting right over there, dark hair, amber eyes, adorable ears, handsome…”
“I get the picture. And I did spot him earlier when we came in.” Bobby said thinking of the three teens and their confusing behavior. “So what happened? You two brake up?”
“Yeah.” Liz said. She thought about what had happened since the shooting including the incident earlier with the aliens and the Professor. “We were together for a short time but then something happened and he broke it off. It’s really complicated. We’re still friends, it’s hard being around someone that you can’t really be close to.”
“I understand that more than you know.” Bobby said thinking about Marie and their unique relationship. “Did you tell him you were leaving?”
“Yeah, he was the first one I told actually. No matter how complex our relationship is, I trust Max completely.” Liz stated. “I told him the whole story.”
Bobby’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “The whole story as in how the students are ‘gifted’ at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters?”
“Yeah, exactly how. My friends too. Don’t worry, none of them are going to tell. They know how dangerous it would be if anyone found out about me.” Liz said when she saw panic in Bobby’s eyes. She then proceeded to tell Bobby more about her friends to prove to him that they were okay.
“So you told your friends but not your parents?” Bobby asked.
Liz bit her lip in thought. “I knew, like intuitively that my friends would be okay with it. It’s hard to explain but I knew they would accept it. But with my parents, I’m too scared of their reactions to tell them. I’d rather lie to them and have them then tell them and they turn away from me.”
“I know all about that. My parents reacted exactly that way when the found out. That was almost a month ago, I haven’t talked to them since. I’m scared to call them.” Bobby explained. His words were cut off by the back doors opening revealing Liz’s mom Nancy.
“Liz, can you come back here?” Liz nodded as she slid off of her stool and motioned Bobby to come too.
Liz felt jittery as she followed her mom into the back room. She thought she knew what their answer was going to be but wouldn’t know for sure until they spoke them. She looked at her dad expectantly as her mom settled back down next to him. “Your mother and I have talked in depth with Professor Xavier as well as Ms. Monroe and Mr. Summers about the possibility of you attending their school. And we decided that it’s a good opportunity for you and we support you.”
Liz jumped up and hugged both of her parents. “Am I going alone?”
Her dad nodded. “For now. I hate to not go with you but neither your mother nor me can get away right now. But we will visit as soon as possible.”
Liz nodded and couldn’t help but wonder if the Professor hadn’t influenced her parents’ decision about visiting in some way as Professor Xavier spoke. “We will be leaving Roswell in a few days after I take care of some other school business. Can you be ready by then?”
“Yes, sir.” Liz answered.
PART 8
Before the Professor and his entourage left the Parkers, he set up the meeting with Max, Isabel, and Michael by way of Liz. They set up a time and place then told Liz he would see her the next morning. When he was gone, Liz called Max to let him know about the meeting and that her parents were letting her go to Westchester. She couldn’t talk for long so she had to hang up before they could really talk. It was hard for her to get to sleep that night from all of the excitement of the day.
The next morning Max came and picked Liz up from the Crashdown. Michael and Isabel were already with him and tried to barrage her with questions about what had happened the night before. Liz had told them that aside from setting the meeting, the Professor had not said anything more about them. Liz didn’t like missing school but they had already figured out their excuses so she knew she wouldn’t be getting into any trouble. She wouldn’t be there but for a few more days anyway.
They pulled up at the hotel that the Professor had said they were staying at and Liz was the first one to hop out. Max was next with Isabel and Michael following. When they arrived at the room number the professor had spoke of, Liz knocked on the door and received an answer in her head. Come in
Liz tried to turn the knob but it was locked. She looked back at Max with confusion before hearing. Use your abilities to unlock the door Liz. Imagine turning the lock
Liz blew out a breath and knew she was going to have to get used to this. She closed her eyes and imagined what the other side of the lock looked like. Next she pushed the lock with her thoughts and was surprised when she heard the lock click and the door swing open. On the other side was a smiling Professor Xavier. “Good work Liz. You are a quick student.”
“It wasn’t that big a deal.” Liz said blushing at the praise as she moved inside. She could see that the others had been privy to the internal conversation and were absorbing it. It was probably still strange for them to see people who they knew weren’t aliens using powers like theirs.
“Yes, it was. As I said before, most mutants with telekinetic abilities cannot move objects just by visualizing them. You have not even begun to tap into the full extent of your powers nor learned all about them, when you do, you’ll see that your abilities are quite unique.” Professor said with admiration. “And I believe that Max had something to do with that.”
“What do you mean?” Max asked curiously.
“We will get to that in a short time.” Xavier stated. “But first, please sit. We have a lot of talking to do.”
With trepidation Max, Isabel, and Michael sat down while Liz took a seat close to the Professor. “Where are the teachers and Bobby?”
“I sent them out for our meeting. I thought you would rather keep this meeting as private as possible. I have not spoken of what I learned about the three of you to any of them and do not intend to if you wish.” The Professor stated.
“And what have you learned?” Max asked.
“That you, your sister Isabel and Michael are not human nor are you mutants.” The Professor enlightened them. “I detected you at the same time that I picked up Liz using a piece of equipment I invented to amplify my mind back at the school. Once I was in Roswell, I was able to sense you without Cerebro and that’s why I scanned your minds earlier. Out of respect for privacy I typically do not do that without permission but I felt I had to so that I could ascertain your true nature.”
“So that gives you the okay to just stick your nose into our heads?” Michael said angrily as he thought about what the Professor might have seen.
“No, it is not okay but it was necessary.” Professor Xavier stated them.
“What did you see?” Liz asked curious about what he was capable of doing.
“As I said before, I uncovered the fact that the three were not normal humans but also some of their story. Such as their births from their incubation pods, their powers, the fact that they know little about themselves, things of that nature. Including Max healing Liz.” The Professor clarified. He had seen a little more on the personal side but did not think it was smart to inform them of it. He felt a kinship with the three.
“So if you knew all of this, why did you want to see us?” Isabel asked in her best ice princess voice.
The Professor treaded carefully so not to alarm them. Their thoughts ran rampant with paranoia and fear. “To talk to you, and to let you that although I know your secret, I am not a threat. I know how worried you are of discovery and wanted to make certain that you know I would not expose you. I’m willing to help you if you choose.”
“Choose?” Michael asked. “What kind of help could you give us?”
“You are aware of my school and that it is a sanctuary for mutant children.” The three nodded before the Professor continued. “I offer you three the same sanctuary.”
All three of their mouths fell open in astonishment at the Professor’s offer. Liz was shocked right along with them but her mouth was closed and she had the ability to speak. “You’re allowing them to go to Westchester?”
“Why?” Michael asked guardedly.
“You are in just as much danger as the other students from people who do not understand them. And you have gifts similar to our own that need to be guided on.” The Professor explained. “If you agree, no one outside of this room will know that you are not really mutants unless it is considered necessary. I can speak to your parents to make all the arrangements and you can finish the school year in Westchester.”
Max couldn’t believe his ears. They had just been offered refuge from the Sheriff and whoever else was around and he would be able to stay close to Liz. It was more than he could ever expect. He glanced over at Michael and Isabel to see if he could judge their opinions.
Isabel looked torn about what to do. It was like she wanted to go and be safe but also wanted to stay and live her ‘normal’ life in Roswell. Isabel had always tried the hardest to have a normal life, one that she didn’t want to give up. Over the past few months she had been struggling with the idea that her life wasn’t as normal as she wished it was.
Max changed his stare to Michael and was surprised by what he saw. Michael actually looked like he was considering it. Max should have known that if there were a chance to get away from Roswell, Michael would take it. He had wanted to leave when everything happened with Hank but had choose to stick around because of him and Isabel. Now if they went too, there was nothing holding him there. Max wondered if Michael had thought at all about what Maria might say but decided to bring it up later.
The final issue would be his parents. He was almost positive that they would be overjoyed that Isabel and he had been offered a spot at a prep school, they didn’t need to know that it was for mutants. But his mother would have a big problem with them being across the country. She had mentioned back when Topolsky was in town and talking about future plans that she was dreading when they would go away to college. Would she be able to handle it if they left a few years early? He guessed they’d find out if they decided to go.
Michael was the first to give his decision and voice it. “I’ve got no where else to go, so I’m in if Max and Isabel go.”
Max looked at Isabel to see if she had made her final decision. “I don’t like the idea of leaving Mom and Dad behind but I know that getting out of Roswell for a little bit would be for the best. If anything it’ll keep Sheriff Valenti away from Max and him safe. I’ll go.”
All eyes turned on Max to see what he had to say. Liz looked at him with hopeful eyes and he was happy that she appeared to really want him to go with her to New York. It was his final bit of incentive to decide what he did. “Looks like we have some talking to do with our parents.”
Liz’s face broke out in a huge smile and she had to restrain herself from jumping up and down. Max was going with her! The only thing that would make this more perfect would be if Alex and Maria could go. But that would just be too handy. She would just have to be satisfied with what was dealt. Now they were going to have to explain to Maria and Alex that the four of them were leaving. She was not looking forward to that.
The Professor went about talking to Isabel and Max about meeting with their parents and other things that needed to happen before they could go to New York as well. The Professor assured them that he could deal with any problems that may arise regarding the suspicious circumstances of the four leaving Roswell. While Liz, Isabel, and Max were all good students and they attending a prep school would not look unusual, it would for Michael. So they worked out a cover story incorporating his new found emancipation and freedom.
The Professor told them more about the school to them, telling them about their teachers, students, and curriculum. While they had regular classes, they also had training their powers. The three of them would not have to hide that part of them from anyone at the school. Everyone would just assume that it was their gifts from their mutation. After all, the talents of the faculty and students varied so much that adding their gifts would not be out of the ordinary.
“Professor Xavier, you mentioned earlier that you thought I had something to do with Liz’s powers. What did you mean?” Max inquired. “I didn’t make her into a mutant did I?”
“Max…” Liz said when she noticed the remorseful tone in his voice. She knew if he thought he caused her mutation then he would feel guilty about it. But before she could, the Professor spoke up.
“No. You didn’t make her into a mutant, genetics did.” Professor Xavier explained. “Liz’s DNA has always contained the mutant gene although it was dormant until recently. It is typical; mutations do not usually emerge until adolescence. What I meant was that although you did not create the mutation, you did alter it somewhat. But first, I need a more detailed explanation of what you did to heal her.”
“Okay.” Max said trying to think of the best way to explain. “I connected with her first, mentally so that I could scan her internally and see the damage the bullet did. Once I did that I used my powers to mend the destruction, manipulating her muscles, veins, and skin back together. When I was done, I broke the connection. It took a lot of my energy and barely managed to get out of the café. Michael had to help me quite a bit.”
“When you connected to her, it allowed you to access her memories, right?”
“Yes, flashes. That happens when we connect.” Max answered.
The Professor fell silent for several minutes after that. The four teens could tell he was deep in thought by the way he pressed his fingertips together in the steeple fashion. “Your explanation supports my previous theory about the effect of Max’s healing on Liz’s mutation.”
“And what is that theory?” Liz asked.
“That it increased your already enhanced mental abilities.” The Professor stated. “Max stated that he used a lot of his energy, alien energy to heal you. That energy ‘evolved’ your mutation. On your own without the healing, your abilities would have been impressive. I have no doubt of that. But with the healing it enhanced and even added to your mental abilities to make you even more formidable.”
Wanting to give her an example of what he meant, he said, “I told you before that most telekines cannot move things they cannot see, however you can. That is an example of one of the changes to your abilities, as are the gift you have to acquire people’s memories from touch.”
“So Max’s healing caused an adjustment to my abilities? That’s what you’re telling me.” Liz asked making sure that she understood what he was saying.
“Yes. His alien energy worked similar to radiation, which I have no doubt contains similar elements, altering your mutation and granting you some of Max’s own powers.” The Professor reiterated.
“But it’s not going to harm Liz in anyway is it?” Max asked.
Michael and Isabel couldn’t help rolling their eyes at him, they had just been told that Liz was some type of super mutant but the primary concern of Max’s was Liz’s welfare. They both would have thought the gesture was admirable if it hadn’t been so sickening sweet.
Professor Xavier smiled slightly. “No, the changes won’t hurt Liz. But she does need to learn what she is capable of, and how to control those abilities.”
“No pressure there.” Liz said trying to take the remaining edge off.
It worked they all started laughing. That was how Cyclops, Storm and Bobby found them when they returned. The Professor turned his attention to them and said, “I’d like you to meet some new students of ours.”
PART 9
The next few days were busy ones full of deep discussions with parents, explaining things got Maria and Alex, packing, and all the other little things the four Roswellians needed to do to move to Westchester. Maria and Alex had been upset that they were being left behind but understood that it was the safest thing for their friends.
Liz promised to write them regular mail and emails as often as possible and call when she could. Isabel told Alex that they would keep their tentative friendship going in much the same way. The six of them had lunch at the Crashdown the day before they left as a send-off then later, Michael and Maria had a more private goodbye.
Max and Isabel found that the meeting with their parents both been weird and great at the same time. They had been shocked at first; finding out that their children had been recruited for an exclusive prep school had done that. But they had been elated by the news particularly when the kids showed an interest in attending. It had been a delightful surprise especially with regards to Max. He had always been a quiet child who never like to venture far from home. The Evans hoped that his choosing to go was a sign of him breaking out a little more out of his shell. There had been signs over the past few months that he was indeed doing just that what with him hanging out with new people.
But as pleased, as they were at their kids’ achievement, they weren’t too happy about the fact that they would be living so far away during the school year. They weren’t too keen on the idea of not being around for their kids’ daily lives. But after talking to the Professor and the kids they felt better about it and gave Max and Isabel their permission.
After the decision was made up until the moment they left, Diane fussed over them. She double-checked all of their bags, making sure that they had enough clothes and necessities, checking their cell phones, and anything else she could think of. Philip tried to help as best he could, getting the kids out of the house to run errands or keeping their mom occupied.
Like expected, Michael had the easiest time of all of them in regards to arrangements. According to everyone else, Michael Guerin had just decided to up and leave Roswell once he was free from the child protection system. They told the Evans that he was going to get a job and finish out high school in the town near Westchester so that he could be close to Isabel and Max. They knew how close the kids were so it didn’t seem too out of the ordinary.
Both sets of parents knew that Liz and the Evans kids were going to be going to the same school so they all met up at the Crashdown to say their good-byes. Thanks to some mental urging from Professor Xavier, the parents also gave consent to have him and the other teachers take the kids to the transportation they would be taking to New York by themselves. The kids didn’t know why this was important until they saw the school’s private jet.
They were all amazed by what they saw. Even Michael couldn’t hide his amazement at the sleek aircraft. There was no way that they would be able to lie and say it was any type of common aircraft. She noticed that once they took off, the three aliens seemed to be very uncomfortable flying. She couldn’t figure out why for a minute then it dawned her. Their last trip had ended in their spaceship crashing. That had to be traumatizing and cause a fear of flying.
Though the last few days had been demanding, Liz thought it was all worth it. She was excited to be trying the new experience and the opportunity it was going to give her. And she loved the thought of Max being so close all of the time. They had talked a little about it but more along the lines of what had to be done to leave Roswell and not so much about when they arrived in Westchester. Even now as they flew to the school, she didn’t have the opportunity to talk to him. He was busy with Isabel and Michael so instead she turned to talk to the mutants.
“Professor, I’m curious. Why would you need a jet like this?” Liz asked.
Xavier smiled at her curiosity, it seemed to be never ending. “The school is not only a sanctuary and training institution. It is also the headquarters of group of mutants the students refer to as the Xmen. Two of its members are right here, Ororo and Scott codename Storm and Cyclops.”
Storm heard the Professor say her name and turned around to give Liz a reserved smile. “My name comes from my ability to control the weather.”
“Then Storm fits you.”
“The Xmen do what is needed to help mutants in trouble as well as stop any nefarious plans that might compromise our existence. They were the ones who stopped the attack on Liberty Island months ago as well as the attack on humans just a month ago.” The Professor explained.
Liz had heard about the attack he was referring to and knew about the other one. She looked up at her soon to be teachers with awe and admiration. “So they’re like super heroes?”
“Of a sort.”
Liz sat back to think on what he had said and saw that Max had been listening to the conversation along with Isabel and Michael. She made no move to engage him in the talk, seeing that he was falling back into his old pattern of watching from a far. She turned back to her present conversation. “Where do you land the plane?”
Xavier had planned on waiting until they were on the tour of the school before telling them about the underground installation but Liz’s questions had brought it about early. “Underneath the school. This plane was developed so that it is capable of landing similar to a helicopter and lowers into a hangar.”
Liz’s eyes were wide. “What else is under there?”
“Tunnels, offices, training rooms as well as Cerebro.”
“Coming up on the school.” Cyclops announced from the pilot seat.
Although they could not get out of their seats, Liz, Max, Michael, and Isabel all strained as much as possible to get a glimpse at the school. Liz was in the middle seat next to Bobby so she had the best view. While they had lower in altitude, they were still high enough up to have an excellent overview of the property. Seeing it all for herself was far superior to the descriptions she had previously heard.
Liz could see that there was indeed quite a bit to the grounds of the school, most of it was covered in trees and one end of it bordered on the lake. What grass wasn’t concealed by the trees was a brilliant green that made her almost forget the brown of the desert sand. As they descended she saw several large gardens as well as various sport courts. The basketball court spit open and Liz knew that was where they would be setting down.
As they descended, she transferred her gaze to the actual school building. It was a huge structure, with wings jetting out of the main section, a large garage and towers that made her think of the grand Victorian houses she had seen in various books. She could see how it could be transformed into a school. The vastness of the building intimidated her somewhat as she tried to think of how she hoped she wouldn’t get lost but it didn’t stop her admiration of it. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. The property has been in my family for generations. As the years went by, our numbers dwindled until I was the only one left in the large house. The size of the house is ideal for a school.” The Professor explained.
Liz looked back out the window and saw that they had dropped even lower and was now practically level with the building. She thought she could see several people most likely students looking out to see the new arrival. Liz had no doubt that they were aware that at least one new student was arriving today.
Then they were underground. The appearance of the underground facility was complete opposite of the above ground one. The main building was from the past where this one definitely spoke of the future. It was sleek, metallic, and very contemporary. Liz knew that whoever designed the jet, had had a hand in the underground.
Cyclops set them down with almost no turbulence and the ramp was let down. They gathered a few of their bags, intending on coming back for the rest later and followed the Professor’s wheelchair. Bobby was the only one still with them; Storm and Cyclops had disappeared somewhere else. He showed them around some of the underground, but there were several shut doors that they were not allowed access.
“Welcome to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.” The Professor announced. “Now let’s go meet the rest of your teachers, your peers and get you settled into your rooms.”
PART 10
Max felt a lot better when they started leaving the underground facility and moved up into the school. The underground was too sleek for his comfort. It reminded him of the sterileness of a lab, which brought back all the fears and nightmares he had had about being captured and dissected. The upper building fitted him a lot better. The walls were a mixture of welcoming colors and wood, the effect made the area seem not as large as it was but more homey. He glanced over at Liz and saw that she liked it as well. Of course she did, Liz had always liked Earth colors.
The Professor allowed his new students to absorb the appearance of the main entryway before he spoke, “The students are all in class at the moment although not much learning is getting accomplished with our arrival. But it does give us the opportunity to show you around and outline the rules without too many interruptions.”
“Rules?” Michael asked crankily.
“Yes, Michael. There are rules here, this is still a school.” The Professor stated. “But don’t worry. There aren’t many. You’ll find that most of the rules regarding your schoolwork are much the same as they would have been in Roswell. Such as assignments are turned in on their due date unless you have special permission by your teacher. But since this is a boarding school, there are some slightly different rules.”
“The mansion’s lights are lowered at ten o’clock. You are allowed stay up later to study but no guests, of either sex are allowed into your rooms past that time. The classrooms are all closed then but you are allowed in the kitchen and lounge area as long as you are quiet and do not disturb those who are sleeping. No roaming the grounds either.”
“Your room is your responsibility. You and your roommate are expected to keep it clean and orderly. You don’t infringe on others privacy by going into their rooms without an invitation.” The Professor stated. They noticed his face grew more serious then as he added, “And the most important rule you follow here is that you do not use your powers on each other. I can not stress this enough. We understand that accidents do sometimes happen, after all many here are still learning control but if it is found that you intentionally use your powers to cause harm to another, you will be punished. Understood?”
"Yes, Professor." All four of them chimed.
"Good." He said smiling again. “Let’s get you acquainted with your new residence.”
The first floor consisted of the rooms used for socializing. Just off to the right of the foyer was a one large common area with several comfortable looking couches and chairs that surrounded a plasma TV and entertainment system that had Michael drooling. There were also long tables where students could draw, play games or just hang out. The room lead into another larger room that looked like a dining room. There were a bunch of small round tables with three or four chairs as well as a few long tables that sat eight or nine. Both rooms looked well used and you could tell a lot of kids moved in and out of it.
The dining room of course led into the kitchen and pantries. Liz recognized quite a bit of the kitchen wear and could tell that it had been remodeled the most recently of all the rooms with its large sub zero refrigerators and other appliances. On the other side of the foyer was a library with a computer room adjourning it. Liz was pleasantly surprised to see that the library held a vast collection of books that would keep her busy for hours. There were several more rooms to the first floor such as the arboretum and the Professor’s office. He told them that they were welcomed to pay a visit whenever they needed to.
Through out the tour, the Professor told them various thing they would need to know as well as answered questions. When the first floor rounds were completed he thought it would be a good idea if Bobby led the four Roswellians up the stairs while the Professor would wait for them in his office. They still had the introductions of the teachers. Classes would be over soon and they would be available to meet. But first Professor Xavier knew they were want to see their rooms. “Bobby will show you to your rooms so you can drop off your stuff.” .
The Professor had told them before arriving that Liz’s room and roommate had already been prearranged before it was known that the aliens would be coming as well. So instead of rearranging it all again, they just put Isabel in a spare room by herself until another girl student came. Xavier knew that Max and Michael would feel more comfortable if they roomed together so they were assigned to be roommates.
They gathered their stuff where they had dumped it in the foyer and headed up the stairs. The stairs came up into the middle of the hallway, distinctively separated it into two separate sections. They were both lengthy and had ended in a T-junction that led to more rooms and corridors.
“Girls are on the right, boys are on the left. Two bathrooms on each side. Michael and Max’s room is the third one down the boys’ corridor on the right. Liz’s is the last one on the left, Isabel’s is the second on the right down the girl’s corridor.” Bobby instructed. They all split up then and went to investigate their new living quarters.
Max and Michael found their room easily and made their way inside. It was empty save for furniture. Two beds, two desks along with lamps, and closets for each of them. On one wall was a large window that looked out onto the front of the school out onto the lawn. He looked out the window for a minute before looking to Michael. “What you think?”
“Better than my sardine can of a room at the trailer.” Michael said shrugging. “And it’s not like you and I aren’t used to sleeping in the same room.”
“Just make sure you Metalica posters stay on your side of the room.” Max joked.
“You make sure that you keep your butt in here and not down the hall.” Michael retorted referring to Max and his fascination with Liz Parker.
Max nodded, knowing exactly what Michael was talking about as he started to unpack.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz’s room was exactly as she expected it to be. It looked like a standard dorm room you would find at any boarding school or college but instead of an institution décor, it was like the rest of the mansion, warm and comfy. There was a large window with a window seat along one wall that looked out onto the back of the property. It wasn’t as nice as her balcony, but she was sure it would be a good place to sit and write in her journal. At least until she could scout out another location.
Evidence of her missing roommate was present on one side of the room so Liz plopped her stuff down on the vacant side. Her methodical nature was illustrated even in her packing so it didn’t take her long to unpack and have everything arranged the way she liked it.
Once she was done, she took the opportunity to look over at her roommate’s side of their room. She didn’t touch or disturb anything, just looked around. She saw several CDs that provided evidence that they had similar tastes in music and a few books that looked interesting. She was surprised to see a pair of long gloves resembling thick opera gloves, lying haphazardly on the end of the bed and couldn’t figure out why they would be there. They looked like they had just been discarded like someone would when they changed shirts. A noise out in the hallway pulled her away from her probing and she went to see what it was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While the others were getting settled, Bobby stopped by his room to drop off his bag. The room looked just as it had before he’d left; after all he didn’t have a roommate since John had abandoned them a month ago. John’s stuff had been boxed up and taken away, probably stored until it was needed for someone else but Bobby could still the impression of his friend. He shook it off and left the room, deciding to go check on the others.
Michael and Max told him they were fine and would be down in a minute, he didn’t bother Isabel, she looked too busy to talk to at the moment so he went to see Liz. Of the four, he liked her the most; the others were a little too standoffish for his taste. But he didn’t get that far before he heard the most beautiful voice in the world. “Bobby!”
He twirled around and saw a familiar head of dark hair with a white streak barreling towards him. She had on a long sleeve shirt and gloves so nothing stopped her from jumping into his arms. “Marie, I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I’m so glad you’re back. It seemed like you were gone longer than a few days.” She replied as she pulled back from him. Although she was covered up, she still didn’t feel comfortable touching people for too long.
“Well we would have been back sooner but the Professor picked up three more students and had to make arrangements with their parents too.” Bobby explained although he was sure the gossip mill among the school had already told her all of it. There weren’t many secrets in the school.
“What are they like?” Marie asked. “Tell me everything.”
“Pretty cool. Isabel a little detached kind of acts like most popular girls in schools. There are two guys; you’ll love Michael. He’s a lot like Logan. Max is quiet and reserved. Doesn’t say much unless he’s talking to the others, especially Liz. She’s your roommate. I think you’ll get along pretty well. She’s in your room right now.”
“Well why don’t you introduce us?” Marie asked. Bobby nodded and they headed towards the girls’ room.
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