Author's Note - OMG! School got out and now I haven't updated in like...three weeks! What am I doing! (hits self in head) Okay, this chapter might not be the best, but it's to show that I am here! My family dropped a surprise two week camping trip on me and well...I was sort of stuck on the plot. But I'm good now! The fun stuff starts really soon...mwahahaha. Enjoy-ness!
Chapter Six - Uncomfortable Situations
There was a minute of silence as the four mutants looked at each other. If it had been only Kitty, Rika was sure that this would not have been the mood of the situation. The problem was, then, John.
Figuring that no one else would do anything first, Rika took Warren by the hand without thinking and led him to where Kitty and John had been talking; on the sort of porch that was sheilded from the rain.
"We were just talking. Sorry if the whole 'coming out of thin air' part startled you." She offered in what she knew was an all-too-cheerful tone. Noticing that she was still holding Warren's hand, she dropped it without looking back at him.
"Can't imagine where." John replied.
Rika thought she actually heard a hint of amusement in his voice, and reacted by shooting him a rather dirty look.
"We didn't want to be stuck out in the rain, and Warren suggested that we get something to eat." She added, ignoring his remark.
"It's not like it was a big deal." Katherine interrupted, somehow catching onto the fact that John and Rika were about to launch into a verbal battle. "It was sort of funny, really."
Rika had the fleeting impressions that Kitty was lying through her teeth. By the look on John's face, he just wanted to get out of the vicinity as quickly as possible. Once more she wondered just how much he feared the cure, to have come back.
And then Rika glanced at Warren, and found that he was watching John with a look that clearly said 'I don't like you'. If she had been invisible, she would have smacked herself in the face and moaned.
"You guys want to come with us?" She offered instead.
"What?" John and Kitty responded almost instantaneously. They both blinked, glanced at each other, and returned their gace to Rika as if nothing had happened.
Rika decided that she would somehow get Kitty to tell her what they had been talking about before she and Warren had dropped in.
"Go get something to eat." She finished.
"Sure." Kitty replied instantly.
"I'm not hungry." Was John's response.
"Bull." Kitty shot back, and Rika even heard Warren take a sharp breath of surprise at hearing the girl's tone. "You were just saying that you hadn't eaten anything all day."
"He had a Mountain Dew for breakfast." Rika put in, trying to break the ice that was quickly forming. "Other than that, he could be starting a hunger strike."
John glared at Rika for a moment, then looked back at Kitty, who had put a rather pleading look on her face. He totally ignored Warren's presence.
"Fine, but only because I really am hungry."
"Told ya." Kitty almost snickered.
Rika was getting rather annoyed at this point. She knew that everyone was uneasy with John, or Pyro, whatever they were each calling him. She also knew that, for Storm and Logan's sake, they were probably all trying to make the best of it. However, wasn't there a rule of some sort that said if you keep all your true emotions pent up they'll blow up in your face? In Rika's opinion, the only one that had shown a real reaction to John's return was Bobby. And maybe Warren, though she wasn't sure about him.
"Let's get inside. I hate the rain." John finally prompted.
They all followed him inside, Kitty making an effort to walk alongside him. Rika hung back with Warren, suddenly wishing that they were back on the roof in their little makeshift dance stance. She shook her head.
"Something wrong?" Warren asked, obviously seeing the gesture.
"Oh, no." Rika replied sheepishly. "Is anything bothering you?"
"Not really."
"Mhm."
He gave her a soft smile, and her mood lifted a little. Somehow, she'd get him to tell her what he thought of John. That made two people she needed to talk to after this; Kitty and Warren. Or she could leave everyone alone, but that would have to be decided later. However, the idea of spending the rest of the day in her room was almost inviting.
"You don't believe me." Warren added, apparently wanting the conversation to continue.
"No offense, but the look you were giving John wasn't exactly the nicest."
Warren stopped walking, and Rika did a double-take in order to turn back and face him. She was startled to see a rather startled and...perhaps hurt, look in his eyes.
"Put two and two together, Rika." He half whispered, obviously not wanting John and Kitty to hear, even though they had continued walking. "John." And he put a bitter tone to the name. "...happened to be one of, oh, the hundreds of mutants who would like nothing more than to see my father dead."
"Warren...I..." Rika started, not even knowing what she had planned on saying.
He cut her off anyways.
"No...it's just, I don't like it. I made the decision to come here to escape the cure myself...but I forgave my father. He was just doing what he thought was right, what he thought was the best way to go."
"Then...why are you still here?" Rika voiced, locking her gaze with his.
"Because, this place is more of a home to me than my real one ever was."
He brushed passed her, his pace quickening to catch up with Kitty and John. Rika had the crazy idea to turn around and go to her room, but her concious held her in place. Warren was sort of like her, caught in between showing his true feelings and trying to fit in and keep everyone else calm.
She literally jogged to catch up to him, and purposely brushed her arm against his. Even though she wanted to go upstairs and throw something out the window, she didn't want to totally ditch any of them...mainly Warren. Walking into the kitchen, she had second thoughts about not doing just that.
Peter and Logan were both leaning against the counter, talking quietly. Kitty was getting several things from the fridge, including what appeared to be a large carton of ice cream. John sat at the table farthest away from Logan and Peter.
"How many uncomfortable situations are we going to be in today?" Rika said under her breath, smiling to Peter and Logan as they made their way to the table John was sitting at.
"Getting into a lot of trouble already, Sparky?" Logan suddenly said as she and Warren were sitting down.
"You've got to be kidding me." Rika replied loudly, shooting Kitty a look. She was the only one that would have told Logan or Storm what her powers were.
Kitty, carrying several spoons, bowls, and the ice cream, smiled to Logan, and Rika heard Warren laugh shortly.
"Nope. I've behaved." Rika finally finished, deciding to ignore the name.
No one spoke, not even Peter and Logan, and the only sound heard was Kitty attempting to open the ice cream. Rika wanted to laugh, but instead watched Warren, who kept glancing from Logan to John. In fact, Logan and John were staring at each other.
"I'm not even doing anything!" John suddenly shouted, abruptly looking away after the last word had left his mouth. "We're sitting in the kitchen, for Christ's sake! I'm not going to blow it up!"
"Watch your mouth, bud." Logan said, and then proceeded to leave the room.
John put his head down on the table, but surprisingly didn't get up to leave as Rika expected.
"Finally!" Kitty exclaimed with a side glance at the door. "Who wants ice cream?"
"I'll have some." Rika replied. Beside her, Warren nodded.
Kitty put a rather extreme amount of the chocolate ice cream into each bowl, and added an extra scoop to the boy's just to empty the carton the rest of the way. For a few minutes, everyone ate in blissful silence.
"Brainfreeze." Rika mumbled after taking a large bite.
"Whimp." John muttered shortly.
"Shut it before I electrocute your spoon." Rika shot back, though she made sure to keep her voice light.
"Is that a challenge, Sparky?"
"Whatever."
Rika noticed that Kitty was trying not to laugh.
"All right, then." She said, a smirk forming on her lips. "Last one done eating their ice cream has to buy lunch for everyone else tomorrow." She knew it was a little childish, but she had to do something or she was going to leave.
John's look darkened, and Rika paused with a spoon of ice cream half way to her mouth.
"You think I can even get a foot out of the front door?" He spat angrily, glaring at Rika as if she had said it on purpose.
"She...didn't mean...it, John." Kitty stammered, glancing at Rika to make sure it was true. "She wasn't thinking."
"Sure." John pretty much hissed, finally dropping his glare.
Rika let out a heavy sigh, and glanced around the once more silent table. She was such an impulsive thinker sometimes, and she paid for it often enough. "Sorry." She muttered.
She got no response, and again wanted nothing more than to be out of the damn room before anyone else said anything. Or, for that matter, came in the room to cause more trouble.
"I think I'm going to go back to my room...organize some more." She stated, getting up and taking her bowl of almost-eaten ice cream to the sink. Even though Kitty knew the truth, that Rika had already organized her few belongings, she didn't protest.
Walking out of the room, Rika almost wanted to go back and take Warren with her. For some reason, Kitty seemed to be the only one that could connect with John for even a split second.
Silverwind24 - Yay! I had such a hard time writing that chapter and this oneactually, but I love Chapter Five now.
marinawings - Thank you so much! I loved the review, lol.