Disclaimer: I don’t own any characters recognizable from “X-Men� or any of its affiliated comics, movies, etc, and I guess that should go without saying that I don’t own the comics, movies, so forth and so on either. Marvel™ et al own everything. I don’t own the lyrics either. Seal, his record company, et al own them. I make no money off these works; I do this simply as a means of entertainment. No copyright infringement intended.
Foreword: This fic isn’t really set in any particular X-Men verse. I had movieverse and ultimate verse in mind sort of, and I took the liberty of making Ororo’s eyes blue since her eyes are not blue in either verse.

- - -

There has been no one brighter than you
I can't deny these things that I do
Feels like the world's at stake 'cause
I have been waiting
I have been waiting for you

Heavenly, that's what you are
You're burnin' me like a shining star
How am I supposed to be that king without you
Waiting For You by Seal

- - -

Prologue
New Beginnings

Ororo stood uncomfortably on the fringes of the crowd, trying not to look too bored. It wasn’t proper etiquette for the best friend of the bride-to-be to actually be bored at her best friend’s engagement party. Wasn’t there even some clause in the Best Friends’ Guide to Life that said she had to be happy for Jean? She was truly happy for Jean. Marrying Scott was all Jean had ever talked about since they were young. And what kind of friend would she be if she missed Jean’s engagement party? It didn’t matter that no one aside from her knew it was an engagement party.

The rest of the people there thought it was just another fancy party thrown by the ever-illustrious couple Scott and Jean—Jott, as she referred to them in private with her good friends Yukio and Yuriko. They were going to announce their engagement at the party as a pleasant surprise for their guests. She didn’t think anyone would truly be surprised. There would probably be a collective sentiment of “finally, what took so long!� They’d been dating off and on since Ororo and Jean were thirteen. They should’ve been married a long time ago.

“Champagne, miss?� a young, tie-clad server asked her, proffering a tray with fluted glasses.

“Thank you,� she said, helping herself to one of the glasses. The server nodded at her, walking away to repeat his task with the next person.

She brought the wineglass to her lips, taking a dainty sip of the clear liquid, as she looked around the room, looking for familiar faces. The room was full of yuppies, doctor and lawyer types who liked to compare business cards. As much as she hated to admit it, she was part of this world. She saw some of those people in her office two to three times a week, but she wasn’t looking for those people. She was looking for people she knew before she became Dr. Ororo Munroe—over-priced psychiatrist—people she had shared her life with growing up.

Earlier, she had glimpsed Bishop and Hank in one corner of the room chatting good-naturedly, and she hoped they weren’t trading stories about her, both of whom she’d dated at some point or another in life. She knew it was ridiculous to believe they were gossiping about her, as if they were still kids, but she hadn’t missed the sly smile that either of them had shot her way. Goddess, she hoped they didn’t, but at least she could take comfort in the fact that neither man was crude enough to rub anything in her face. Her relationship with both men had ended amicably, and she still considered them close friends. But they were still men, and men talk.

Yuriko, who had accompanied her to the party, had wandered off somewhere. No doubt, a man was involved. Jean had mentioned Rogue and Remy when she rattled off the people she’d invited. Those people had known her a long time. Everyone else in attendance was pretty much for show. You couldn’t have a party without inviting all the powerful, rich people in your life. At least, that was what Jean said when Ororo asked her why she hadn’t invited more people from their old neighborhood or college.

Ororo walked among the crowd, mingling, trying to partake in the boring conversations these people rendered. She didn’t want to talk about lakeshore property or the newest hi-tech DVD player. She didn’t care that Mrs. So-and-So was wearing a ten-thousand dollar dress that Giovanna Versace had given her. It was all so mind numbing and meaningless, and these were the people that Jean wanted to spend the rest of her life getting to know.

It was all so fake. When she got married, if she ever married, she wanted her engagement party to only include the people that were closest to her. She didn’t need an impressive guest list to make such an occasion truly memorable. She loved Jean and wished her all the best, but sometimes, it bothered her how one-dimensional her best friend could be. She couldn’t think of anyone who could possibly be having a worse time than she was.

She excused herself from another dull conversation and grabbed another glass of champagne off a tray, pushing herself through the crowd, walking out onto the spacious balcony. She kicked off her pumps, letting her feet touch the cool concrete beneath her feet. The wind blew slightly as she stared up at the stars. Freedom, at last. Now, if she could just find a way to ditch the dress without causing a stir, she’d be happy. She chuckled to herself.

She heard the tap of hard sole shoes behind her, and she turned slowly, offering her company a cordial smile. Logan walked toward her, pulling uncomfortably at his tie, and she’d forgotten how much he made her heart stir. But she remained silent, allowing him the opportunity to speak first. They hadn’t seen each other in passing for a few years, but she still thought about him from time to time, especially about how things could’ve been.

“Hello, Dr. Munroe,� Logan said teasingly, letting his eyes travel up and down the length of her body.

He had been checking her out discreetly since she arrived, but had avoided talking to her, waiting for a moment just like now where they weren’t overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of the conversations of the elite. She was easily the most beautiful woman at the party in her simple, elegant black dress. Her snow-white tresses were pinned up in an elegant chignon, showing off her graceful neckline. She was wearing little makeup, if any at all, the only natural beauty in the place who hadn’t spent a fortune getting plastic surgery.

“Hello, Mr. Howlett,� she responded, noting the roaming eyes, surprised at how giddy it still made her feel. He hadn’t change a bit, though, and she would never let this go beyond a little casual flirting. “How are things at the firm?�

“Don’t tell me that you’re getting all formal on me, too,� he complained, sidling up beside her. “All night I’ve had to listen to, ‘Hello, Mr. Howlett. How are things at the firm?’ They might as well ask me how much goddamn money I make because that’s what they really mean when they ask how things are at the firm. Maybe I should start every conversation by saying, ‘Hello, I’m James Logan Howlett, I work at Swanson & Swanson & Howlett, and I make one-hundred thousand a year representing assholes like you, and you are?’ I bet that would really shake them up.�

“I don’t care how much money you make, Logan. I was trying to be conversational,� she said a little offended. She’d forgotten how touchy he could be at times—something that hadn’t changed much since they were kids.

“I know you were, darlin’, and I’m sorry for snapping at you.� He apologized, still looking at her. He had hurt this woman repeatedly, but she had still forgiven him time after time. Gone was the innocent girl he first met with the wide eyes, in her place stood this beautiful, poised woman. “I never apologized about to you about that day–�

She waved a hand into the air. “Logan, let’s not talk about that. I forgave you a long time ago. Let’s talk about anything, but not that.� She didn’t want to talk about that day, not that she was surprised it came up. They stood in silence lost in their own thoughts, each thinking the same thing. How would things have been different between them? If only…

“Who would have ever believed that I would be putting on a suit everyday and going to a job in an office?� Logan mused after a few minutes of silence, smiling a little.

Ororo laughed. “Not me, that’s for sure.�

She had always thought that that Logan would end up doing something exciting like a firefighter or a forest ranger. He shocked the hell out of her when he actually went to college earned a degree in pre-law and actually got accepted into a top law school. He wasn’t dumb, but he’d spent so much of their childhood so wild, so unfocused and erratic. He always had his own beliefs about the way life work, and she hadn’t thought it included law school. In fact, the year after they graduated he worked for a construction company. He shocked the hell out of her when he told her he was going to college the following year.

“I never expected you to become a psychiatrist. I thought you would end up teaching and getting married to Bishop, having two kids, living in some suburban neighborhood like the one we grew up in.� He said, leaning against the rail of the balcony. She’d always been that type of woman in his mind. He’d always thought that she would make a good mother and wife.

“You had already planned out the next thirty years of my life for me?� she joked, not that she hadn’t thought about how life would’ve been different if she’d married Bishop.

“You were predictable, except when you weren’t predictable.�

“You want to run that back by me again?�

“When we were growing up, I always felt like I knew you, like I knew exactly what you were going to do in certain situations, and most times you did. And just when I thought I had you all figured out, you’d pull a complete one-eighty and leave me speechless. I think that’s what I liked best about you. You could make a guy feel comfortable, but there was still something about you that made you mysterious.�

Mysterious? Me? I don’t think so. You were the mysterious one. You always looked like you were hiding secrets from the rest of us. You always seemed so much older than we did, as if you had experienced so much more than we had. Even though I grew up with you, I still don’t know much about you now,� she said.

Well, since that’s the case, I think formal introductions are in order.� He stuck his hand out to Ororo, smiling mischievously. “My name’s Logan and you are?�

Nice to meet you, Logan. I’m Ororo,� she said jokingly, shaking his hand.

He concentrated his gaze on her hair. “So,� he said, resting his hand lightly on the side of her face. He felt her relax against his touch. “Does the carpet match the curtains?� They chuckled together, remembering the first time he had asked her that question back in 1987 when they had first met.

- - -

Author’s Notes: So… I’ve been letting this lay for three years for no apparent reason. I actually have more chapters of this that I’ve just not posted. So, I decided to give this story a makeover. Hope you all like it.

Chapter One
Summertime, Summertime

Summer 1987. She could think of many memorable moments in her life, but the summer of 1987 was special. It was a good summer, the best summer of her life. It was the summer that everything changed for her. It was the summer Ororo met Logan.

She was twelve and had just completed her first year of Junior high school. She was going to be a 7th grader next year. That meant she was no longer bottom man on the totem pole, and she was finally going to be a teenager in the coming weeks. That made her practically an adult, and she did not intend to let her parents forget that.

They still treated her like a baby instead of the mature minded woman she was becoming. Mature minded, she’d read that in Seventeen magazine and thought it sounded like exactly the kind of girl she wanted to be. Her mother had rolled her eyes when she told her that she was “mature minded,� making that weird noise in her throat that Ororo knew all too well. It said, “She cannot be serious.�

But what did her mother know about being a mature minded woman, anyway? When her mother was her age, she still had to be inside the house before dark, and her mother’s parents made her wear dresses to school everyday, even if it wasn’t a special occasion. To 12-year-old Ororo that screamed Stone Age. Girls in the 80’s were more adult than the girls were in her mother’s day. They had more liberties, more ambition. Her mother just had to get with the program.

“If you’re so mature minded, why are you and Jean still hopping around in the sprinklers like… like… 6th graders?� her mother asked her with false shock in her voice.

Her mother had a point. Playing in the sprinklers was so 6th grade, but she couldn’t let her mother know that she’d gotten the best of her. She rolled her eyes letting out an exaggerated huff. “Mo-om. Girls in the 80’s just wanna have fun. We’re not so serious like you were when you were our age. I mean, you were already thinking about marriage and babies when you were my age. Girls in the 80’s are much more modern.�

Her mother laughed loudly, swatting her on the butt. “Just be home in time for dinner, Ms. Liberated. I don’t know how we old timers can compete with you mature minded girls of the 80’s.�

“I’m serious!� she said slightly aggravated. How did her mom expect to understand her, if she wouldn’t even take her seriously? Her mom still treated her like a stupid kid.

She was going to Jean’s house to celebrate the first week of summer, and she couldn’t think of a more fitting way to bring in the summer than by jumping through the sprinklers. Moms just didn’t get it. Jean sauntered out of her house clad in a flowered two-piece that she bought the week before. Ororo was still wearing her white one-piece from last summer. She wouldn’t be caught dead in a bikini until she got boobs. And that was that.

The two girls forgot all about maturity and being modern women, as they held hands, spinning in the grass while the water drenched them. Finally, dizzy from their frenzied spinning, they tumbled to the grass, still laughing, as droplets of water continued to fall on their bodies. Ororo lay on the grass her arm linked with Jean’s. Between their laughter, they tried to catch their breath.

“This is going to be the best summer ever.� Jean said, pulling in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh smell of summer. Ororo just sighed contently in agreement and closed her eyes.

She loved the way the summer sun felt on her skin. She felt as if it were melting the last remnants of winter off her bones, commanding her to be happy and joyful. She saw sunspots behind her eyelids, and welcomed the summer sun’s rays. Then, the brightness was no longer there. She thought a cloud might be passing over the sun. She opened her eyes slowly after the “cloud� didn’t move.

She saw Scott, Bishop, and some boy she didn’t know standing in a half-circle around their heads, looking down at them. Jean was still happily oblivious with her eyes clenched close tightly, and Ororo elbowed her hard. Ororo could already feel the awkwardness starting to set in. She didn’t know why but this was becoming a problem. Why should she feel awkward around Scott or Bishop? She’d been friends with them forever.

“Hey, what did you do–� Jean stopped short when she snapped her eyes open angrily, but her look of anger turned to one of surprised when she saw the boys. Ororo and Jean scrambled to stand up.

Jean hugged herself, covering her chest with her arms. Jean had adopted a habit of covering her budding chest. She was somewhat embarrassed by them. She complained that her breasts were still too small. Jean wanted breasts the size of watermelons. Ororo was somewhat envious of the fact that her best friend even had breast while she still looked like a flat chest boy. Having breasts, even small ones had to count for something. Right?

“Hello, Scott,� Jean said in a breathy way. Ororo rolled her eyes Jean’s way. That was another thing she had adopted. She was trying to model her voice after those glamorous actresses they saw at the movies. She said it was sexy. Ororo thought it just sounded like she was running out of air. If she were a boy, she would not like that.

“Hey,� he said, seemingly not affected by her “sexy� new voice. “Bishop and I were just showing the new guy around.� He motioned at the nameless boy with his thumb. “This is James. He moved here from here Canada.� Scott said, stressing the word Canada, as if Canada was a million miles away.

“Logan. The only person who calls me James is my old man.� The boy said gruffly, frowning up at Scott.

“This is Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe.� Scott said, pointing to each girl, ignoring the new boy. Ororo peered at him from beneath her wet bangs, brushing them away from her eyes timidly. She’d been trying to let them grow out. She had foolishly let her mother talk her into getting her hair cut a couple of months before. Now, she was constantly brushing her stray bangs out of her face.

“Hello,� she said softly, with a hint of shyness. Boys were steadily becoming an unsolved mystery to her. She hadn’t really thought much of them until recently. She could remember when she thought all boys were gross; now they weren’t so bad.

“Hey,� he muttered a greeting her way. His eyes swept over her in that way only a boy could do, and she felt her face warm a little.

“They’re attached at the hip, dude. You will never see one without the other.� Bishop said with a smile. “Ororo isn’t so bad, though. She likes to play football and stuff. The only thing Jean knows how to do is be pretty.�

“Haha, Bishop.� Jean said dryly. “That was so funny I forgot to laugh.�

“We call them the wonder twins.� Scott added chuckling.

Bishop and Scott then made a big show of prancing around pretending to be Jean and Ororo while they chanted, “Wonder twins power activate!� Jean giggled, but Ororo didn’t find it too humorous. Neither did Logan who sort of turned his lip up at the boys. Ororo studied the new boy out of the corner of her eye while he was distracted.

She guessed he was around thirteen or fourteen. He wasn’t tall and gangly like Scott, who looked like a rail with arms. He stood about a head shorter than Scott, but he already had muscles forming. He had dark, unruly locks that he obviously didn’t give a damn about. His mouth was turned up in an arrogant smirk, and he seemed like the type of boy she had heard Jean’s older sister talk about to her friends. The ones who like to touch girls where they shouldn’t.

Ororo felt funny when she thought about Logan putting his hands down her pants. She would never let a guy put his hands down her pants. God, boys were so gross… somewhat.

After a few minutes, Scott and Bishop finally composed themselves. Jean was still laughing like a moron, stroking Scott’s arm. Ororo decided that there was one thing that could be said about the presence of boys—they made some girls stupid. She vowed to herself then and there that she would never act so lame because of a boy.

Logan turned toward her suddenly, focusing his eyes on her hair. Then, he looked her straight in the eyes. “Does the carpet match the curtains?� he asked her.

Scott and Bishop snickered, elbowing each other. Ororo felt her face warm in righteous anger. She stood there unsure of what to say. She didn’t know what he was talking about, but she wasn’t going to tell him that she didn’t get the question. She didn’t want to look stupid. She knew it had to be something offensive from the way Bishop and Scott were laughing at her.

She crossed her thin arms and rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not going to answer that,� she said defiantly, rolling her neck, feeling self-satisfied with the way she handled the situation. He shrugged at her obviously not bothered by her comeback. He turned his attention to Jean who was busy trying to engage Scott in conversation. Ororo was used to Jean getting all the attention from guys. Not that she cared, anyway. She didn’t want any rude boys to like her. So there.

“How’s my girl?� Bishop said, throwing an arm around Ororo’s shoulder.

“You wish,� she said, suppressing a giggle. Truth was, she did have a little crush on Bishop, but she hadn’t told anyone—not even Jean. She hadn’t been too obvious about the feelings she had when he was around. She didn’t want to look stupid like Jean sometimes did around Scott. No way.

“Now, is that any way to treat your boyfriend?� he joked, making kissy faces at her. Ororo pushed Bishop away from her, sticking her finger in her open and mouth and making gagging noise.

“Don’t make me barf. You’re not my boyfriend!� she protested, but silently, she thought about how cool she would look if she wore his football jersey and how all the girls would be envious because she was Bishop’s girl.

They all chatted idly for a few more minutes, and then Scott said they had to get going. Ororo and Jean watched the boys retreating backs, and Ororo noticed that Logan didn’t stumble along gawkily like Bishop and Scott did. He sauntered with a swagger that seemed much too mature for a boy his age.

They lay on the grass again after the boys had disappeared from view. Ororo lay on her back looking at the sky again. She loved gazing at the sky. She could stare it for hours and feel nothing but peace. Jean lay on her stomach, picking at the grass. “Logan was kind of cute.� Jean said.

“Yeah, if you like rude boys.� Ororo said, trying to sound indifferent. She was still trying to figure out the whole “curtain� and “carpet� question. She wondered if Jean knew what it meant. She was too ashamed to ask because she didn’t want to look stupid.

“Would you let him stick his tongue in your mouth?� Jean asked.

“No! That’s how you get pregnant, and I’m too young to have a baby.� Ororo said. She tried to imagine herself with a screaming baby, and she cringed. Still, the thought of Logan putting his tongue in her mouth made her tingle.

“That’s not true. You can only get pregnant from letting a boy put his tongue in your mouth if you have your period. And you haven’t had your period… have you?�

Ororo sucked air through her teeth. “If I had, you would be the first person to know.�

“Same here. When I have mine, you’re going to be the first person I tell. I won’t even tell my mother until I tell you.� Jean promised. “Do you think Scott’s cute?�

Ororo thought about Scott for a moment. He’d gotten really tall. At the beginning of the school year, he’d only been a little taller than them. Now, both girls only reached his chest. He was sort of cute in a way she supposed. He could be sort of annoying. He thought he had to be in charge of everything, and, sometimes, he was too serious. He was older than them by a year; this fall he was going to be an 8th grader. And he never let them forget that.

“He’s alright. I guess. Why? You like him?� Ororo asked. She already knew the answer to that question.

Jean twirled a blade of grass between her fingers, then said in a dreamy voice, “Scott is so awesome, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. It’s a secret.� Ororo didn’t think Jean was making it too much of a secret when she had tried to get Scott’s attention earlier.

“You know I would never tell anyone that.�

Jean rolled over on her back and said, “I was thinking that we should try out for the cheerleading squad when we go back to school.�

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,� Ororo said.

“Of course it is. What better way to get me closer to Scott? And if you became a cheerleader, Bishop would stop seeing you as a tomboy.� Jean said slyly. Ororo looked at Jean slack-jawed. “You didn’t think I didn’t know, did you? Oh my God, you are not serious! We’re best friends.�

Sometimes, Ororo would swear that Jean could read her mind. “I’ll have to ask my parents,� she said, not acknowledging Jean’s statement about Bishop. Ororo quickly changed the subject. She didn’t want to talk about boys or cheerleading anymore.

- - -

He was starting to get sick of Scott, and he hadn’t even known him a whole day. If given the choice, he wouldn’t have introduced himself to the asshole, anyway, but his father said it was important that he try to make friends. Bishop was an okay guy. Logan knew he wouldn’t have a hard time getting along with him at least. The only upside to knowing Scott was that he seemed to know many people – girls in particular. In fact, Scott had just introduced him to a cute redhead named Jean and her friend, Ororo.

He was interested in Jean, but he couldn’t help but notice Ororo. Who wouldn’t? She was doe-eyed, innocent. He probably would have never given her a second glance if hadn’t been for those eyes and that hair. Her eyes were blue. Not that subtle, dark blue that could almost pass for black, but bright, crystalline blue that seemed unreal. And that hair. He had never seen a black girl with white hair before. Hell, he had never seen anybody with hair that white. Even her eyebrows were white.

You don’t just ignore those things, but she seemed very mild, making her almost a passing thought. Even when he had asked the “carpeting� question, she appeared angry, but it was that calm kind of anger. He could already tell that she was the quiet type. It was easy to forget she was around, especially when you added someone energetic like Jean to the equation.

He let his thoughts wonder back to the redhead. She obviously had a crush on Scott, but he wasn’t interested. Scott was going on and on about some girl named Wanda. And if Scott wasn’t interested (he wouldn’t have cared if he was), that left the opportunity open for him to make Jean his girl.

Later, he found himself at the park, arguing with Scott, Bishop, and some of the other boys about letting Ororo play football with them. Scott had showed him around and then assembled some of the local boys for a game of football. Logan thought he had heard wrong when Bishop said she played football, but apparently, he hadn’t.

“I ain’t playin’ football with no girl. She’s a girl.� He repeated as if to reiterate his point. He glared at Ororo and she glared right back at him, her hands placed firmly on her hips. “She might get hurt.�

“She won’t get hurt. She’s like one of the guys.� A boy named Rory said in Ororo’s defense.

“She always plays football with us,� Scott’s younger brother, Alex, said.

“Well, if she doesn’t play, I don’t play.� Another boy named, Japheth, said.

“Good, then it can be four-on-four.� Logan said snidely.

Bishop patted Logan on the shoulder, “I think you should give it up, man. You’ve been outvoted.�

“Don’t put her on my team,� Logan grumbled, annoyed that everyone, except him, wanted her to play. It wasn’t natural for girls to be playing football. Football was a man’s sport.

“She’s going to be on my team, and you’re going to be on Scott’s team. How’s that?� Bishop said.

“Wait, maybe I wanted Ororo on my team,� Scott argued. “You just want her on your team because you like her.� The two boys started to squabble. Logan couldn’t believe it. They were actually fighting over whose team she was going to play on. What was he, chopped liver?

“She was on your team last time.� Bishop said.

“No, she wasn’t. She was on your team.� Scott shot back.

“No, she wasn’t.� Logan’s eyes rested on Bishop. They were serious about this. She was just a stupid girl. She should be waiting on the sidelines with the other girls.

“Yes, she was.� Logan’s eyes volleyed back to Scott, who sported a pair of odd colored sunglasses that hid his eyes, but Logan could see that he was a little angry. Probably mad ‘cause he wasn’t getting his way. That almost made the argument worthwhile.

“No, she wasn’t.�

“Yes, she was.�

“Yes, she was.�

“No, she wasn’t.�

“You’re right. She wasn’t on my team last time, Scott. Munroe, you’re on my team this time.� Bishop said, beckoning her toward him.

“You tricked me!� Scott yelled after Bishop who was walking away with Ororo. Scott turned and looked at Logan and said through clenched teeth, “You better be good,� as if he couldn’t handle a girl.

They lined up for the first play. Logan chose to block Ororo just to prove a point. He shook his head at and she nodded back at him, her mouth pulling into a thin line, her eyes turning almost cold. She had a good game face, but there was no way she was going to get around him.

Alex snapped the ball to Bishop. Logan blocked Ororo’s path, but she did a juke move and spun around him, looking over her shoulder at Bishop. Bishop threw the ball in her direction before Rory brought him down. She caught the ball easily without breaking her run, and now, she was running full-speed to the designated end zone.

Logan couldn’t believe she had actually caught the ball. He stood there awe-struck for a second. “Go Ororo! Make a homerun!� he heard Jean scream. He might have laughed at her if he wasn’t trying to catch Ororo; she was pretty fast to be a girl.

She was near the end zone when lunged for her. They both fell to the ground hard. He thought he had tackled her too hard because she was shaking under him. He knew this would happen. Now, she was crying. He hated when girls cried. He stood up quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…� Then he realized that she wasn’t crying. She was laughing.

Ororo jumped up, still holding the football. She turned to look at him and spiked the football to the ground. “Touchdown!� she cried gleefully, doing the goofiest dance he’d ever seen. Logan couldn’t help but stare at her slightly amazed.

Bishop ran toward them, picking her up, spinning her around. “That’s my girl!� he said with pride. If those two kiss, I’m outta here. Logan thought to himself.

Before Ororo jogged off to rejoin her team, she said, “Better luck next time, Logan.� She patted him on the shoulder and trotted off to join her team. He balled up his first and remembered that she was just a girl. What just happened was nothing more than sheer luck

“I was just taking it easy on you because you’re a girl!� He called after her. In the end, her team beat his team 18-6, and Logan decided that maybe he didn’t have Ororo figured out… yet.

- - -

Author’s notes: Everyone mentioned in this chapter is affiliated (or has been affiliated) with the X-Men or one of their many verses. I just picked people at random. Hope you enjoy the revised version of this story, if you even remember that far back. I didn’t change too much for the most part (aside from the beginning) it’s the same.

Dear Ororo Munroe,

This is your body speaking. It has come to my conclusion that football stunts your growth.

This is why you have no boobs.

Don’t look so shocked. Those beestings ARE NOT considered breasts.

Football is bad, very bad, for the female body. Just look at Jean Grey. She doesn’t play football and she has the best pair of boobs in like the world, not just Westchester, but the WORLD, Ororo.

This is why you will give up playing football with the boys. They are crushing all your woman parts (or the parts that would be woman parts if you STOPPED PLAYING FOOTBALL!!!!). Boys make you uncomfortable now, anyway.

So do yourself and me a favor and just STOP! You do want boobs, right?

Love,
Your growing body

P.S. It’s not cool to write letters to yourself. Well, I guess it’s okay if you don’t show anyone including Jean. I don’t care if she’s like your bestest friend in the world. She would think you were weird.

x o x o x o

Roro,

Did you ask your parents if you can go to Wanda and Pietro’s end of the summer party?

That would be so cool!!! PIETRO IS SO CUTE!!!! God how did he get a sister like WANDA????

YOU DIDN’T ASK, DID YOU? Oh my god, you have to come. I know your parents only like you to go to parties where parents are, but you don’t have to tell them that the twins’ mother isn’t going to be there.

Oh my God, I heard that the twins’ grandmother is sick and there mother is going to Romania, Transylvania, wherever she’s originally from to look after her until the school year starts. THAT MEANS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STAY OVER WITH BOYS!

I wonder where their dad is? They never talk about him. Well, Pietro once said that he’s some really rich guy that only saw his mother once. Wanda said he’s some powerful politician and that she talks to him ALL THE TIME. Pietro said Wanda is aliar. He’s probably right.

What are you going to wear to the party? I haven’t decided yet. I want to wear something that Scott will like. Do you think Logan will be there?

ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU CAN GO TO THE PARTY!!!! RIGHT NOW!!!!

Hugs & Kisses,
Jean

x o x o x o

SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN CONVENIENTLY AVOIDING ME, I LEFT THIS NOTE HERE ON YOUR BED TO TELL YOU TO CLEAN THIS PIGSTY, OR I WILL GO THROUGH THIS ROOM LIKE A HURRICANE, YOUNG LADY!

And by the way, Lucas Bishop called. He asked to speak to you. Your father intercepted the call. He asked your father if he could take you to the movies, and your father threatened to scalp him. Remember, kissing gives you cooties.

- Mom

- - -

Author’s Notes: I got that inspiration. Thank a little book called Feeling Sorry for Celia and my old journals from the 9th grade. LOL. (And if it hadn’t been for GoddessReiko’s story, I probably never would’ve picked up Feeling Sorry for Celia again—so she gets some credit, too.) I’m revising the next chapters to reflect all the ideas that I have running through my head. :) The prologue and first chapter have been revised a little bit from their original posting. :) The second chapter will pretty much be the same with some added details.

Chapter Two
Seven Minutes in Heaven

The end of the summer came too quickly. The grownups had decided it would be nice to have an end of the summer picnic at the lake for the families to relax. The air was filled with the smell of smoking barbecue and laughter. Later that night, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were having a party at their house. Ororo had never been to a party where grownups weren’t present. She wondered if it would really be different or if people would just do the same old things they would do if their parents were there.

When she asked her parents if she could go, she’d taken Jean’s advice and had conveniently forgotten to mention that there would be no grownups there. It wasn’t lying. She just left out the information she didn’t think they needed to know. If they had asked her if Wanda and Pietro’s mother was going to be there, she would have told them the truth… maybe. Besides, she was thirteen now, and that practically made her a grownup.

Ororo turned thirteen the week before. She didn’t have a party for her birthday. She hadn’t wanted one. Her mother had wanted to throw a party, saying you only turn thirteen once, but Ororo had stood firmly against it. She was too old for some childish birthday party with streamers and balloons. Instead, she had a girls’ day out with Jean. Her mother had dropped them off at the mall and warned them to be careful. She spent her birthday with her best friend shopping.

Her parents were giving her s few more freedoms, including a later curfew, but she still was expecting to feel different. She was expecting to feel grownup suddenly, but she didn’t really feel any different. She was just another year older. The only thing different about her was the fact that her breasts seemed to sprout out of nowhere. If you let her tell the story, she went to bed with no breasts one night, and the next morning they were there. They weren’t all that big, but they were still there.

She decided that she didn’t like them as much as she thought she would. Sometimes she could close her eyes and wish for them to disappear, but her wish never came true.

She felt someone push her slightly. She turned and faced Bishop. She pushed him back, but he barely moved. Bishop had grown a little more over the summer as well. He didn’t look as young and awkward anymore, and every time he was around, her heart would start to beat a little faster. She read about skipping heartbeats in Jean’s romance novels she hid under her bed, but Ororo thought her heart might skip three, four, or five beats when Bishop was around.

He picked her up and swung her around like he always did while she laughed. “Put me down, Bishop, or I’m going to punch you,� she threatened.

“You have to catch me first.� Bishop said, running away from Ororo.

“You know I’ll catch you. I can outrun you and any boy on the block and you know it,� she yelled behind him. Ororo pulled off her shoes and took off behind Bishop.

- - -

Earlier, Logan hiked through the woods with Scott, Ororo, Bishop, Wanda, and Jean. Scott was in the lead, of course. Logan was convinced that Scott had some fixation with being the leader.

Jean was busy scowling at Wanda while Wanda batted her pretty eyes and pretended not to notice.

After a few minutes of walking, Ororo had charged ahead with Scott and Bishop. Jean and Wanda hung back, screaming at every little thing that moved, grabbing his arm, asking him to make sure there weren’t any snakes around. He had felt important at first protecting them, but after a while, he thought it was silly that they jumped at everything.

They came to a clearing where a brook ran. Scott and Bishop started wading in the water and were joined by Wanda. When Scott splashed Wanda, an all-out water war started.

Jean lay in the grass saying she needed to “catch a few rays,� but what she really meant is she had to seethe. And Ororo sat on the ground next to her, turning her face to the sun, closing her eyes. Logan saw her do this often, not just during the day, but at night as well. Sometimes, when they would play a twilight game of football, tag, hide-n-seek, or anything else she could be found standing there, gazing at the heavens, transfixed.

He sat down beside her and stared up at the sky, trying to see what it was she saw, trying to capture some of that fascination, but he couldn’t. He pulled a strand of her hair, and she swatted away his hand playfully. He was much more comfortable around her now. It didn’t even bother him when she played football, basketball, or kickball with them now. She was actually pretty good at sports.

She really was almost like one of the guys with breasts. He tried not to look at her chest though, but it was as if one day, she barely had any and the next they were there. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d gotten distracted during a game because of them. Still, boobs and all, she was good at sports.

He wondered if she would always be that way of if she would grow out of it. She was okay. When he talked to her, he didn’t have to worry about what he would say to her. He could say anything to her… almost. One thing he was grateful for was the fact she didn’t giggle a lot—at least not when she was talking to him. She giggled plenty with Jean. He didn’t like giggling. It always made him think that something was in his teeth.

“How come you got white hair and blue eyes and neither of your parents do? Were you adopted? Is your dad your real dad?� he asked her suddenly, pulling on another strand of her hair.

She opened her eyes, slowly, slapping his hand away from her forcefully. “My parents are my real parents,� she said, her voice frosty. She shot him a cool glare that made her eyes seem like two pools of ice. She stood up and walked toward Bishop, Wanda, and Scott.

“Was it somethin’ I said?� He muttered after her.

Jean pulled her sunglasses off her eyes and said, “Yeah, it was. Ororo’s mother is originally from Africa, and sometimes, the women in her mother’s side family are born with white hair and blue eyes. It’s seen as a blessing in Africa, but here she has to do a lot of explaining.�

“I didn’t mean to upset her. I was just curious.�

“It’s one thing to be curious. And another to say something dumb. You asked her if she was adopted, and then you asked if her father was somebody else. That would hurt anybody’s feelings.� Jean said, pulling her sunglasses back down over her eyes.

He mulled over that for a minute and decided that she might be right.

They headed back after a while, and he tried to think of a way to tell her he was sorry. When he finally decided to just say it, before he could get the words out of his mouth, she waved him away as if he were an annoying bug and said, “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.� He was glad that she understood what he was trying to say without him actually saying it.

Now, he watched as Ororo chase Bishop around the lake and up a small hill where a rope was tied to a tree. Bishop grabbed the rope. She wrapped her spindly arms around Bishop’s neck and her legs around his waist. Bishop pushed off the ledge with his feet. Ororo and Bishop let out a loud whoop as the sailed over the water. Then, Bishop released the rope, and just as they hit the water, Ororo let go of him. They entered the water with a splash. Seconds later, they emerged from beneath the water. Logan could hear Ororo’s laughter floating across the lake.

“David, if that girl lives to see 16, it’ll be a miracle.� Logan heard Ororo’s mother sigh behind him.

“It could be worse, N’Dare.� Ororo’s father said with a chuckle.

“Please, don’t say things like that. I worry about her enough as it is.�

Bishop and Ororo wrestled in the water for a moment. Then, they stopped abruptly and looked at each other, a sort of embarrassed look spread across their faces. He saw Ororo punch Bishop in the shoulder and smile at him. Her lips moved and Bishop smiled back. Then, they swam back to the opposite shore.

Scott was standing on the slight hill now, taking off his shirt. Logan laughed at how dumb he looked beating his bird chest like King Kong. He grabbed the rope and made some pathetic sounding Tarzan yell as he swung across the water. Logan wandered off to a spot and joined a couple of kids in throwing around a ball until it was time to eat.

- - -

Wanda’s basement seemed to be packed with bodies. There weren’t just people from their school there, but she saw some high schoolers and people from the other schools. “Control� by Janet Jackson was blaring from a stereo, and Ororo saw some of the older kids against the wall grinding against each other. She actually felt a little embarrassed for them—even though they probably weren’t embarrassed.

Pietro was zipping across the room, making sure that no one was destroying his home. He stopped to talk to them once. He talked so fast that it was always impossible to catch everything he said. He could hold a conversation that would take most people an hour in secods.

“Isn’t this awesome?� Jean asked excited. Ororo wanted to stay no, but she just nodded. She didn’t want to dampen Jean’s spirit.

At the refreshment table, they saw Bishop. Jean made small talk that mostly revolved around Scott while Ororo looked at the ceiling and Bishop looked at his shoes. Jean seemed oblivious to the awkward situation. “Have you seen Scott?� Jean finally asked.

“Last time I saw him was when I was upstairs about ten minutes ago.� Bishop said. Ororo and Bishop both looked at each other shyly and then looked away again. Ororo wanted to fall through the floor. “Uh… I gotta go,� he said and disappeared before Jean could say anything else.

“What’s wrong with him?� Jean asked huffily.

“I think he’s embarrassed.� Ororo said, scrubbing the toe of her sneakers against the floor.

“Embarrassed about what?� Ororo mumbled something in response looking down at her shoes. “Huh? I couldn’t hear you.� Jean said, moving her head closer to Ororo’s mouth.

Ororo dragged Jean to a corner of the basement that wasn’t occupied. “I said Bishop accidentally touched my breast today while we were at the lake earlier, and I think that’s why he’s acting weird.� Ororo confessed to Jean.

“He did what? Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?�

“I told you it was an accident. We were joking around in the lake, pushing each other and stuff and it just sort of happened.� Ororo said, her cheeks starting to burn at the memory. God, she hated her breasts. They made everything weird.

“You have breasts all of two months and already boys are touching them.� Jean said enviously.

“He didn’t mean to.� Ororo said again in Bishop’s defense.

“How do you know?� Jean asked, not sounding too convinced.

Ororo couldn’t believe that Jean thought Bishop would do something like that on purpose. They were just kidding around and it happened. “I just know. C’mon, it’s Bishop.�

“How did it feel?� Jean whispered, her question barely more than a movement of lips.

Ororo thought back to the way Bishop’s hand felt when he touched her, and she chewed on her lip. The scene had already played itself out in her head a thousand times. “I just… I don’t want to talk about it.� Her voice held a note of pleading. It was already embarrassing enough without going through it again with Jean.

“Why not? You’re supposed to tell me stuff like this because we’re best friends.� Jean said miffed

“Well, why don’t you let Scott touch your chest? And then you’ll know how it feels.� Ororo said annoyed.

“Maybe I will.� Jean snapped back.

Ororo tried to keep on her angry face, but she couldn’t help giggling at the thought of Scott touching Jean’s breasts. Scott probably wouldn’t do it. “Would you really do that?� Ororo asked between giggles.

“Not even! Well… If he really wanted to,� Jean responded, giggling along with Ororo. “Do you think he’s touched Wanda’s boobs?�

“Who hasn’t touched them?� Ororo smirked.

“Good point. Wanda is so nasty.� Jean laughed. Both girls laughed, but they were a little envious of Wanda. Wanda was pretty and perky and she always had guys drooling over her, even older guys liked Wanda. Jean’s sister, Amanda, said it was because Wanda was giving it up.

The stood there quietly for a minute before Ororo asked, “Do you really want to know what it felt like?�

Jean’s eyes shined brightly. “You know I do. I’m the only person who’s ever touched,� and she made a motion at her chest. “I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to have someone else touch them.�

Ororo opened her mouth to tell Jean, but was interrupted by Wanda. “Hey, girls. C’mon, we’re going to play a game.� Wanda said, grabbing Ororo and Jean’s hand.

Ororo found herself sitting in a circle beside two boys she didn’t know (she believed they were in high school) as she put her hand hesitantly on the bottle. If Wanda had mentioned what game they were going to play before she agreed to do it, she would have made an excuse for why she couldn’t play.

Wanda had made everyone sit boy-girl and presented an empty Coke bottle before Ororo realized what was going on. She wouldn’t have been so apprehensive if it had just been a regular game of spin-the-bottle, but it wasn’t. It was what Wanda called seven minutes in heaven.

Ororo spun the bottle, and when it stopped, her stomach fell to her knees. Of all the people, she complained to herself. She would’ve even kissed Scott if it meant she wouldn’t have to kiss Logan. She should’ve never played this stupid game to begin with. Now she was going to be stuck in the closet for seven minutes with him.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Logan. She liked him well enough; he was her friend after all. And she really wasn’t mad anymore about what he said earlier. She just didn’t want to kiss him, and the thought of being in the closet with him made her feel… funny.

She stood up slowly, looking to Jean for support. Jean held up a thumb. Ororo looked at Logan again and felt her stomach drop even further. He stood slowly as if were the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s get this over with,� he muttered, and she followed him silently to the closet.

Wanda was standing at the door with a tube of bright red lipstick. “You’re so lucky. I want to hear every single detail before you go home,� she whispered in Ororo’s ear as she put on the lipstick.

Why don’t you go in the closet and kiss him then? Ororo thought to herself. All she could think about was how she was going to explain to her parents that she was pregnant now from kissing Logan. The scenario didn’t play to well in her mind. She could almost see her father strangling Logan.

She walked into the closet, pressing herself against the corner furthest away from him, pressing her lips firmly together. She wondered why he even played the game. He seemed like one of those people who would be above playing a silly kissing game.

He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders, and she squirmed under his hands. “Quit movin’,� he said, but she didn’t comply. “What the hell is wrong with you?�

“If I you kiss me using your tongue, I’ll get pregnant.� She said fearfully.

“Who told you that? You don’t get pregnant from kissin’.� He said with a snort.

“Uh-huh.�

“No, you don’t. You ain’t never gonna get pregnant from kissin’.�

“How do girls get pregnant then?� She asked indignantly.

“Your parents didn’t give you the talk?�

“The talk? The talk about what?� She looked lost.

“The talk about sex and babies and all that other stuff.�

“Well… no…� She remembered her parents trying to talk to her about something, but they kept stammering around the subject until finally they agreed to try again later. Maybe that’s what they were trying to tell her about.

Logan sighed. He couldn’t believe that her parents hadn’t told her this stuff. His parents had given him “the talk� before his mother died. “Look, this is how girls get pregnant…�

She listened fascinated and horrified as he explained that a man had to stick his thing—except he didn’t say “thing,� he said something she wasn’t allowed to say—in a woman’s thing, except instead of saying “thing,�again, he said something far worse. Then, the man shot this stuff inside a woman, and the stuff fertilized these eggs that were inside the woman, and a baby was formed.

“That’s the most disgusting thing I have ever heard,� she said when he finished. She couldn’t help looking at him with a disgusted look. It was fascinating. She wondered what sex was like, but at the same time, it sounded gross. Then, she asked, “Have you ever done it?�

“That ain’t none of your business. I don’t need some kid blabbin’ my business all over the place,� he said. He didn’t really mean that she was a kid. She had grown in more ways than one since they first met, but he was serious about that not being any of her business.

She took offense to him calling her a kid. She wasn’t a kid anymore. She was a teenager. She was also a little hurt that he thought she was a kid. She had breasts and everything.

That mean she was no longer a kid. She was more than ready for those seven minutes to be over. She felt like she had already been in there an hour. She leaned over and kissed him chastely on the lips without letting any vital body parts touch each other, just in case, and she started to pull away from him.

Then, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, not allowing her to escape. He pressed his lips to hers – harder this time. She closed her eyes and her lips parted of their own will. Her heart was thumping hard against her chest, and she thought he might feel it. She opened her eyes wide when she felt his tongue slide into her mouth.

At first, she didn’t know what to do. She thought she sort of liked the way his tongue probed her mouth gently. Then, visions of pregnancy danced in her head and without thinking, she brought her knee up just as her father told her to when a boy was getting fresh with her.

“Damn,� he groaned, folding over. That hurt like hell, and his eyes started to sting. She got him good. He couldn’t believe she just kneed him just slipping her a little tongue.

She opened the door and ran out. “Wait, it hasn’t been seven minutes yet,� she heard Wanda say behind her.

“God, Ororo, what did you do to him?� she heard someone else say as she ran up the stairs, rubbing her lips with the back of her hand, smearing red lipstick all over it.

Later that night, Ororo and Jean lay on the floor of Jean’s bedroom talking. Ororo had just told Jean how it felt to have someone touch your breast. It couldn’t have lasted a split second, but it seemed like it lasted forever. The way his hand touched her had made her shiver, but it wasn’t a bad shiver.

Then, her stomach felt all funny for a second, but that a feeling of embarrassment quickly overshadowed all feeling. She tried to shrug it off for Bishop’s sake. She knew he had felt bad enough about the accidental touch.

Then, they talked about Wanda’s party. They giggled over the fact that Jean had to kiss Fred. Jean kept making gagging noises while she told Ororo about how it was a miracle that Fred didn’t get stuck in the closet. Then, Jean said she thought he was going to pass out when she kissed him on the cheek.

Ororo tried to skirt around her time in the closet with Logan, but Jean wasn’t going for her vague answers. “Why did you knee Logan, anyway? Did he touch your boobs, too?� Jean teased.

“No. He put his tongue in my mouth.� Ororo answered, trying to sound nonchalant about it. She thought she might’ve actually liked it. What would’ve happened if she hadn’t kneed Logan?

“No way! How did it feel? Are you pregnant now?�

“It was nasty. Well, it wasn’t too nasty. It just felt weird,� Ororo said, and then added haughtily, “and no, I’m not pregnant. Besides, you don’t get pregnant from kissing.� Ororo told Jean what Logan told her about getting pregnant.

“Ororo Munroe,� Jean said with a repulsed look, “you’re the biggest liar this side of Westchester, New York.�

- - -

Author’s Notes: The music mentioned in this chapter did come out during the time period of late-1986 to late-1987. I may not be completely accurate with the date the songs came out, but they did come out during this time. I didn’t change as much as I thought I would. Thanks everyone for your reviews.

Dear Body,

Good job on getting something that actually resembles boobs. See football didn’t stunt our growth.

But can you do me a favor? Get rid of them.

I don’t want them anymore. They’re a little annoying.

Thank you,
Ororo

x o x o x o

Baby, put the cereal down. I left breakfast on the stove.

Cereal is not real food. It’s cardboard with sugar on it meant to fool kids into thinking they’re eating some delicious. Just look at it. You know I’m right.

I don’t care what your father says. Your father will eat sand beetles if they have hot sauce on them.

And I don’t care if Mikey will eat it. That doesn’t mean Ororo will eat it, too. Listen to me. You’ll thank me when you get to be my age.

- Mom

x o x o x o

Mom!!!! Will you stop leaving notes in my cereal box? Dad doesn’t do that!

And I’m not a BABY!!!!! I’m almost 13!!! And I won’t be your age for another million years!!! Then, I won’t want any cereal.

Maybe Daddy really likes sand beetles. They sound yummy.

Love,
Your Daughter

P.S. Kissing does not give cooties. I stopped believing in cooties when I was 8. And why didn’t you tell me kissing is NOT how you get pregnant?

x o x o x o

Who told you that kissing wasn’t how you got pregnant? Of course, it’s how you get pregnant, sweetheart. Why else would I tell you not to do it?

- Dad

x o x o x o

That note was for mom! And you do not GET PREGNANT by KISSING. Logan told me so.

x o x o x o

I knew there was something I DID NOT LIKE about that young man! You didn’t kiss him. DID YOU?

x o x o x o

Daddy, you don’t like any boys, and I didn’t kiss him. That’s gross.

x o x o x o

Dear Mature Minded Young Woman,

I think it’s time we had a little talk.

- Mom

x o x o x o

Roro,

If you’re reading this, I know you’re a nerd for sure since I hid it in your MATH NOTEBOOK from last year!

I wanted to tell you this out loud, but Scott and Bishop and Logan wouldn’t go away. So yesterday when Scott took me over by the tree while we were in the park he told me what Logan meant when he asked you if the carpet matched the curtains because I asked him because you asked me.

Oh my God, he was being a total PERVERT.

I’m not even going to write it down. Just come over to my house and I’ll tell you. You really want to hear this. You should come over like RIGHT NOW. I don’t care what time it is. Just knock on the window if I’m sleep.

Oh my God, did you see that skirt Wanda was wearing? I swear you could see her underwear under it when she bent over and SCOTT WAS LOOKING LIKE I WASN’T EVEN THERE. HELLO!!!!! My sister says she’s such a slut. Did you know that she DID IT with Tony? Tony is a SENIOR. She’s only in 8th grade. Oh my God, that’s so nasty! AND SHE’S PROBABLY PREGNANT.

Tony Stark is kind of cute though. She better not do it with Scott or I’ll scratch her eyes out. What if she’s already did it with Scott? He’s always looking at her like they’ve done it. I’m going to cry. YOU HAVE TO COME OVER!!!

BFF,
Jean

P.S. Give it to Ororo! ORORO WILL EAT IT! I found your mother’s note. Does that mean I get to be Tommy if you’re Mikey?

x o x o x o

Dear Self,

You REALLY HATE Logan. Next time you see him you’re going to knee him again for asking you such a nasty question. You will never kiss or talk to him (if you weren’t already not speaking to him) AGAIN!

Love,
Ororo

x o x o x o

Jean,

Every guy in the stratosphere IS NOT cute. In fact looking at some of them makes my eyeballs want to melt out of my head.

- O

x o x o x o

You’re just saying that ‘cause you like Bishop. I didn’t say every guy was cute. Just a lot of the boys we know are cute. Name like one guy who isn’t cute that lives in our neighborhood who ISN’T cute!!

- J

x o x o x o

Victor Creed. Ruff, ruff.

- O

x o x o x o

We haven’t seen Victor like all summer since he went with his family to Disney World. He could be a total babe now.

- J

x o x o x o

EWWW!!!! Gag me.

Victor went to DISNEY WORLD? Whose lame idea was it to take him there? They should put him on display and put up a “DO NOT FEED THE ANIMAL� sign. He could be the main attraction.

- O

x o x o x o

Oh my God! That’s so mean. You just don’t like him because he elbowed you in the nose when you were playing basketball with him.

God, he said he was sorry!!

- J

x o x o x o

Yeah, he said he was sorry WHILE LAUGHING AT ME WHILE BLOOD POURED OUT OF MY NOSE.

- O

x o x o x o



So Victor is a little mean. He’s nicer to you than he is to me. He pushed me down while I was skating the day he left for Florida. He didn’t even say sorry or try to help me up or anything. He just pointed at me and laughed.

But didn’t you punch him in the eye for laughing at you? That makes you even.

I think he likes you, though. Why in the world would he ask you—just you—to play basketball with him?

- J

x o x o x o

Ew! Please, I JUST ATE!!!

And I didn’t punch him in the eye for laughing at me. I punched him in the eye cause he grabbed my butt.

He told everyone I gave him a black eye for laughing at me. And the only reason he even admitted that is because Alex saw me when I hit him. You know Victor lies. How was I supposed to punch him AND keep my insides from leaking out of my nose?

- O

P.S. Why didn’t you tell me he pushed you down? I would’ve given him another black eye!

x o x o x o

Like… OH MY GOD! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME VICTOR GRABBED YOUR BUTT! He sooo likes you! I didn’t tell you because the day Victor left you were out of town for the weekend and by the time you got back, I forgot.

But wait, I have to ask you this. Are you STILL not speaking to Logan? Cause he sort of asked and I didn’t know what to tell him. I told him he’d have to ask you and he just said never mind.

Smile,
- Jean