DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, Issue #1

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Gabe grimaced as he headed into the school. 'Argh, I knew I forgot something in all the excitement this morning..breakfast! Why do I get the feeling this really isn't going to be a good day?' Gabe's rather gloomy train of thought was cut short by the slamming, juddering sound of fist striking locker, and he blinked in surprise.

'Wha? Eleyna? No, that's not her style. At least I don't think it is. Hey, what's she looking at? Someone in the Coach's office?' Gabe carefully approached Eleyna, trying to see what had caught her attention without invading her space. His fatigue, coupled with the anxiety he was feeling, was causing a knot of indefinable worry to form in the pit of his stomach. Nervous, he coughed slightly and quietly spoke.

"Uh, E-Eleyna? Did something happen?"

Worry lurks in Gabe's blue eyes, both for the slight oddity of this event, and for Eleyna. As she turns, Gabe's eyes widen slightly, and for a second, he looks a little..surprised? shocked? more worried? It's hard to tell.
'Wow, up close she's even paler. I know she's been looking sort of ill for a while, but I'd swear that she looks paler today than she did last time I saw her..'

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

"Uh, E-Eleyna? Did something happen?"

While walking through the building, Eleyna overheard the conversation (more like argument, really) between the man in the suit and Coach Shelton, and she couldn't help but listen. She had never heard of anybody pushing Coach Shelton around like that and she knew that, despite his gruff outward appearance, the coach cared about his kids probably more than any other faculty member in the school. If any of his students were in trouble, he was gonna do anything in his power to protect them. She knew that. So why was this guy threatening the coach about not doing what's best for his kids?

Something occurred to her then. Coach Shelton had mentioned "internment camps." They were talking about mutants. There was going to be some kind of impromptu gen-scan today, and the coach was fighting it. But, there wasn't any reason for him to be worried... unless there were mutants in the school. Eleyna had always been sickened by how mutants were treated. Mutants were people too, and that they were born different shouldn't change the way others treated them. But, even if there were mutants here at school, how would the coach even know who they were...

Abruptly, Eleyna was brought back to reality with the sound of a slamming locker. A bit startled by the sound, she stared into the coach's office, deep in thought about the argument that had just transpired. So much so, that Eleyna didn't notice Gabe walk up beside her. He frightened her slightly, but she was still reeling from the sound of the locker, and from the remifications of the coach's argument. She hadn't allowed anyone to get too close to her since junior year, and he had gotten closer than she was comfortable with.

Still, in spite of herself, she smiled at him, meekly. "Hey... um, hi Gabe. No, I..." she shook her head at first, realizing a moment later that he had been asking about the locker. She lifted her hand and pointed toward Coach Shelton's office. "Well, yeah, uh, the coach just got into some kinda argument with some guy in a suit. He looked like some kind of fed, or something. I think they're gonna hold a gen-scan today."

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Abruptly, Eleyna was brought back to reality with the sound of a slamming locker. A bit startled by the sound, she stared into the coach's office, deep in thought about the argument that had just transpired. So much so, that Eleyna didn't notice Gabe walk up beside her. He frightened her slightly, but she was still reeling from the sound of the locker, and from the remifications of the coach's argument. She hadn't allowed anyone to get too close to her since junior year, and he had gotten closer than she was comfortable with.

Still, in spite of herself, she smiled at him, meekly. "Hey... um, hi Gabe. No, I..." she shook her head at first, realizing a moment later that he had been asking about the locker. She lifted her hand and pointed toward Coach Shelton's office. "Well, yeah, uh, the coach just got into some kinda argument with some guy in a suit. He looked like some kind of fed, or something. I think they're gonna hold a gen-scan today."

Gabe's eyes widen, and an expression passes across his face. A sudden look of...something. It looks like mingled confusion and fear. For a moment, Gabe's outward appearance of nerves and shyness drops to reveal someone who's deeply troubled, and more than a little scared. Then, as he catches Eleyna's eye, he half-turns away from her and ducks his head, letting his hair mask his face.

A gen-scan? Now? But why? They *never* do it this early..why? What *is* it for, anyway? I know it's a medical sort of thing, but..ohgod. What if what's been happening to me shows up on a medical scan? Or a brain scan? Or whatever the heck it is the gen-scan scans? Ohgod. I...what do I do? Calm, Gabe, breathe. You may be panicking over nothing. But what if I'm not? What happens then?

Gabe stands there frozen for several moments, seemingly oblivious to Eleyna's presence. Without realising it, his right hand darts up to his neck, pulls something out of his t-shirt, and begins rubbing it with his thumb. A pendant of some kind? Gabe begins muttering quietly, not seeming to realise that he's speaking out loud.

"But why? They *never* do it this early..why? What if..[pause] ohgod. [pause] What happens then?"

As he mutters "ohgod", something seems to occur to the boy, and his hand tenses around the object in his hand. He goes rigid for a moment, his whole body tensing. After he mutters "what happens then?", Gabe takes a shuddering breath, and glances up through his hair at Eleyna. He looks and sounds drained, as if something just took a lot out of him, or he got a nasty shock. His eyes look worried, or...haunted? When he speaks, his voice sounds different, like he's got something caught in his throat. His normal shy smile is absent, and he looks pale and ill.

"Right. OK. Thanks. I...I have to go."

Gabe turns and heads in a hurried fashion towards the nearest toilets,the knot in his stomach turning into a churning and acidic throbbing, intent on splashing some water on his face and trying to stop himself getting so worked up over what might be nothing.

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

"Right. OK. Thanks. I...I have to go."

Gabe turns and heads in a hurried fashion towards the nearest toilets,the knot in his stomach turning into a churning and acidic throbbing, intent on splashing some water on his face and trying to stop himself getting so worked up over what might be nothing.

Eleyna watched as Gabe became suddenly panicked and fearful. She knew people, she could figure them out. It was one of her talents, and the main reason she wanted to persue psychology in the first place. But, it wouldn't have taken a psychologist to figure out what had happened to Gabe just now, though. She couldn't let this happen to him...

"Gabe, hold on! Wait!" She ran after him and grabbed his arm firmly to turn him. Glancing around carefully, she looked at him with eyes that expressed nothing but the deepest concern. In a quiet, hushed voice, she asked, "God, you're a mutant, aren't you?"

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Eleyna watched as Gabe became suddenly panicked and fearful. She knew people, she could figure them out. It was one of her talents, and the main reason she wanted to persue psychology in the first place. But, it wouldn't have taken a psychologist to figure out what had happened to Gabe just now, though. She couldn't let this happen to him...

"Gabe, hold on! Wait!" She ran after him and grabbed his arm firmly to turn him. Glancing around carefully, she looked at him with eyes that expressed nothing but the deepest concern. In a quiet, hushed voice, she asked, "God, you're a mutant, aren't you?"

Gabe's first expression as Eleyna grabs him is a look of profound shock, but when she speaks, his face becomes a mask of terror. For a moment, he tries to pull away, but then seems to shrink into himself, cringing from Eleyna. His gaze flickers to her hand grasping his arm, but it's obviously not only that that's holding him paralysed. Gabe's mouth works for a moment, his wide eyes locking onto Eleyna's. He can't hold her gaze, however, and he glances down to the side, sagging slightly. When he speaks, it's so quiet as to be barely audible.

"I...I don't know. I...strange things have been happening to me recently. Please..."

Gabe looks up, meeting her gaze, and grasps the wrist of the hand on his arm with his free hand. He squeezes it slightly, the pressure a silent plea, and whispers, more quietly than before.

"Please don't tell them..."

Gabe is actually shivering now, his body reacting to the extreme anxiety he's feeling. Still whispering, he speaks in broken sentences.

"I..I don't know what to do. What I can do. Will...will the scan tell them what I am? And if it does...what then? How...I don't want...oh, god, don't tell them..please.."

His voice breaks, and Gabe's hand releases Eleyna's wrist, coming up to his face to rub his eyes, trying to hide the imminent onset of tears. He feels ill, his stomach churning. 'This is a nightmare..'

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

His voice breaks, and Gabe's hand releases Eleyna's wrist, coming up to his face to rub his eyes, trying to hide the imminent onset of tears. He feels ill, his stomach churning. This is a nightmare..

Eleyna reeled. She had suspected this when he began to panic, but to hear it from Gabe himself? She had never known a mutant before. Or, apparently, she had, she just never realized she had known any. Strange things have been happening to him? Oh god. The gen-scan! I can't let him get taken away... I just can't!

Eleyna gazed at Gabe, and for the first time in a great while, she completely forgot about all of her problems. In fact, she felt like her old self again, and all she wanted to do was help this poor guy (mutant) she had known since freshman year. She found a comforting smile for him, easier than it had been in months, and held out her hand, "C'mon, let's get out of here before anyone realizes where we are!"

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Eleyna reeled. She had suspected this when he began to panic, but to hear it from Gabe himself? She had never known a mutant before. Or, apparently, she had, she just never realized she had known any. Strange things have been happening to him? Oh god. The gen-scan! I can't let him get taken away... I just can't!

Eleyna gazed at Gabe, and for the first time in a great while, she completely forgot about all of her problems. In fact, she felt like her old self again, and all she wanted to do was help this poor guy (mutant) she had known since freshman year. She found a comforting smile for him, easier than it had been in months, and held out her hand, "C'mon, let's get out of here before anyone realizes where we are!"

Gabe looked up, brushing away tears, his face shocked.

"Wha? You..I..."

For a moment, he just stood there, looking at Eleyna and her smile, a look of absolute shock on his face. Then, his face softened and he looked away again, a half-laugh, half-sob coming from him. The tension left his body, and he drew a long breath. Without saying anything, Gabe took Eleyna's hand, almost managing a weak smile.

"Eleyna..."

Gabe looked away again for a moment, but then returned his gaze to the girl.

"Eleyna..thank you."

Suddenly realising what he was doing, Gabe flushed and ducked his head.
'Her hand feels nice...cool...comforting. Things are pretty bad...but I trust Eleyna. She...she's a good person.'
Gabe followed as Eleyna began leading him away, asking meekly:

"So...where to?"

And for a moment, as Eleyna takes charge, he almost smiles.
'I *knew* the old Eleyna was in there somewhere!..Gabe, you idiot, this isn't the time to think about this, you're in a lot of trouble! Focus!'

 

[Keia]

Lorenzo Reynolds HP 2/2

Lorenzo had entered the school, laughing at another of Zak's impersonations, when the sound of a slamming locker echoed into the hall. Seeing only Eleyna . . . and Gabe ahead of him, Lorenzo stopped for a moment or two to confer with Chris and Zak.

"You guys wait here a sec . . . I'll go see what's going on. That way you won't be involved," Zo commented to Chris and Zak. With that said, he walked quietly up the hallway.

Gabe and Eleyna were talking, quietly . . . urgently. And Eleyna was talking . . . that was something new. He just had to get in on it. It looked like there was something going on and Zo didn't want to miss it - especially if it meant getting someone out of trouble. When he was close enough he saw Eleyna grab Gabe's hand and say something, though Zo only heard the reply.

"So...where to?"

"Hey if you guys are ditching," Lorenzo said with a smile, though quietly - he still didn't know where the locker slam came from, "count me in. Mrs. Harper has a quiz today that I so do not want to take."

Seeing the paleness of Elenya and Gabe's tear streaked face, Lorenzo paused wondering just what he stepped into. There must really be some trouble . . . hope I can help,' he thought.

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

"So...where to?"

Eleyna's smile grew as Gabe took her hand. His question resonated for a moment, and she was about to speak when she heard a familiar voice...

"Hey if you guys are ditching," Lorenzo said with a smile, though quietly - he still didn't know where the locker slam came from, "count me in. Mrs. Harper has a quiz today that I so do not want to take."

Her eyes darted to Lorenzo as he came ambling towards them, and then back to Gabe. She let go of his hand and switched her satchel from her right shoulder to her left. Looking once again to Lorenzo, she replied, "Oh, hey Zo. Been awhile." Her smile changed, her previous compassion replaced with more of a general friendliness. "I'm sort of talking with Gabe here... we're kind of in the middle of something... can you give us just a second?"

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Eleyna's smile grew as Gabe took her hand. His question resonated for a moment, and she was about to speak when she heard a familiar voice...

Her eyes darted to Lorenzo as he came ambling towards them, and then back to Gabe. She let go of his hand and switched her satchel from her right shoulder to her left. Looking once again to Lorenzo, she replied, "Oh, hey Zo. Been awhile." Her smile changed, her previous compassion replaced with more of a general friendliness. "I'm sort of talking with Gabe here... we're kind of in the middle of something... can you give us just a second?"

Gabe's eyes widened slightly in alarm at Lorenzo's approach. 'Could he have heard us? No, not possible...I hope.' His hand tightened in Eleyna's, and he held hers for a moment longer as she let go, seemingly a little reluctant to break the brief contact. He ducked his head, not meeting Lorenzo's gaze, and tried his best to keep Eleyna between himself and the newcomer without really seeming to. Gabe almost imperceptibly relaxed as Eleyna spoke up, covering for him and relieved of the burden of having to explain himself.
'Seems she really was serious about helping me. Even with this, knowing what she does. Would other people have been as understanding? Guess I was just lucky..really lucky.'
Gabe remained silent while the others talked, looking at the floor. Every so often, he glanced at Eleyna, too physically and emotionally drained by recent events to take any action, but taking strength from her comforting presence.