Highmauve: Mutant History 101

September 6th, 2008

3:00 PM

In Hauser Building on the southern side of the campus, Noelle walks into her first Mutant History class, excited showing on her face. The classroom is rather small and has a rather old-fashioned style. The green carpet is firm and the dark brown paneling that adorned the wall was dull. There are three rows of plastic and metal desks that starkly contrast the homey feeling of the room. There are no windows, which make the room feel stuffy.

Noelle sits in the front row and takes out her textbook. She wears a clean, white blouse and a black skirt. Her hair is behind her shoulders and neatly brushed. She pulls out a notebook and a perfectly sharpened pencil. She folds her hands and waits for the professor.

Winter rushes into the classroom and checked her watch. She had forgotten to change the time on her alarm clock and watch to eastern standard time and she had been running late all day. She panted as she had ran all the way across campus just to make it to class on time. She placed her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. She looked up at the front of the classroom and let out a relieved sigh. Good... the teacher wasn't here yet. She then looked around the class room and saw a few faces she had recognized. Then her eyes landed on the shy girl with the reading and illusion powers... uh... Noelle!

Winter grinned at her and plopped herself down in the chair to Noelle's left. "Hey! First mutant related class for me! What about you?" She asked cheerfully as she ran a hand through her purple hair before fixing her silver aviators on top of her head. She was wearing a grey shirt with a great big hot pink smiley face on it and jean shorts and her classic black converse. She set down her stack of text books and a note book on the desk, once again choosing to forgo the whole backpack thing. She looked at Noelle expectantly with her purple eyes. "You excited?"

Noelle looks at Winter up and down, sighing "I had genetics this morning."

She starts to write a header on her notebook with perfect script handwriting. She frowns when one of her letters dip past the line on the paper. She erases it carefully, dusting off the erasers shavings. She didn't really feel comfortable talking to Winter. She hoped Tobi would show up soon.

Winter smiled. "Ooo genetics! I have that tomorrow. I had intro to business this morning." She watched Noelle add a header to her notebook. "Gee! Your handwriting is fantastic. I wish I could write like that. But I think its too late for me." She offered Noelle her best comforting smile. All she wanted was for Noelle to relax a bit. She didn't bite.

She then looked around the class room, realizing for the first time that there was no windows. She chewed on her lip a bit. Good things the lights were on or else it would get really dark in here. At that thought, she shivered. "I wish there were windows. It's nice to look outside in class."

Noelle doesn't respond, she just slowly keeps writing her header. Once she finishes, she takes out a small copy of Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland that has many tabs sticking out, as well as post-it notes. The book is from the 1910s and is very well taken care of. A couple places, there were words missing and replaced with blank spots, but nothing incredibly distracting. Noelle begins to read.

When Noelle ignored her, she frowned a bit. Maybe she didn't hear her? No... that wasn't it. She already knew that she was overly shy. Maybe that was it. Well... Winter hadn't met a person who wouldn't talk with her. Well... there was that one person when she first developed her powers but he was an ass. Winter rested her chin in her hand as she watched the other girl pull out a book. She had remembered what she stated her powers were and when she noticed the missing words, she put two and two together. She must have used her powers when reading this book.... Cool!

"I like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. My mom used to read that book to me when I was little." She commented, trying to meet Noelle halfway here.

"Alright class, get settled."

A older gentleman walks into the room. He's balding, with thing wisps of silver grey hair just barely clinging to his scalp. A fitted burgundy sweater covered his slightly overweight frame and his loafers smack against the carpet floor as he makes his way into the room. "I'm Doctor Richard Periar, your Mutant History 101 professor." He makes his way to the desk at the front slowly, dropping the books he carrying onto the hardwood top with a loud smack. Dr. Richard rounds the desk and sits with a soft sigh.

"Everyone here?" He calls.

--------------------------------------------------

Tobi had had a bad feeling about this class that had only gotten stronger the moment he noticed that the path he was taking was leading inside and down the large building. His dread settled into a gnawing fear as soon as he read the number outside the open door. Lower level classroom, no windows. Small, cramped, space.

"Nah, nah sir." He says at the frame of the door and turns to leave the way he came.

Noelle was starting to get annoyed. Couldn't Winter see that Noelle wasn't interested in having a conversation right now? Regardless, she nods silently at Winter's comment. Even if she did want to respond, how could she? 'Yeah. I like the Cheshire Cat too. He's a whimsical representation of indecisiveness found in children but recently has been labeled as just a cheerful mad resident of Wonderland. I wrote my Senior paper on this book.' Because that sounds like a super interesting conversation.

Noelle sits very still after she nods, reading silently. As soon as the books smack the desk, Noelle sits up, quickly putting her books away. She holds her attention to the professor. But when Tobi is at the door, Noelle turns and watches him carefully. He looked up upset and pale. Noelle tries to silently tell him that it'll all be okay and please sit next to me so I don't have Winter trying to talk to me.

Winter smiled as Noelle nodded. Well... a nod is close enough to a response. Just as she was about to make another comment, the teacher walked in and set his books down on the desk. She sat at attention, ready for class to begin. She got out her notebook and pen, ready to take notes when she noticed Tobi at the door. He didn't look too hot. She looked around the room for a moment. He probably didn't like being away from nature since that was his power and all.

"Hey Tobi!" She said and waved. "Come sit by us." She had seen Noelle looking at him too but knowing the poor girl, she couldn't say anything to him. Too damn shy. No matter. She would handle this situation. "We saved you a seat." She offered Tobi her best grin. Maybe he can tough it out for just a couple of hours.

The teacher notices Tobi at the door and glares at him. "Tobias, right? So you were the one they warned me about. Come and take a seat, class is starting." He motions to the empty seats available with an annoyed sweep of his hand. "You're holding up class, any longer and I'm going to have to make up the time you've wasted at the end."

Tobias catches a glance at the class inside. He sees Winter and Noelle, the former waving him over and the later trying to coax him inside with just a look. He can feel the panic starting to swell, tries to keep his calm. While he's sure it's a great class full of fantastic people, and as much as he wants to hang out with Noelle, he just can't do this today.

"Sir, all due respect, the devil his'self couldn't drag me in that room."

Noelle bites her lip and squeezes her hands into a fist. She figured it out. Tobi wanted to be outside, and there was no outside in this room. This room was the opposite of what Tobi needed. If only there was a window or something.

A window.

Noelle pulled out a book of poetry and tried to quietly flip to the page she wanted. She could feel the professor getting frustrated.

Winter frowned. This had to be more serious than being away from nature. Sure the room is a bit stuffy since there was no windows and it was on the small side... She blink as she rubbed her chin. Maybe... She looked up at the pale mutant. It has to be that. The poor kid was scare of being indoors too long! Obviously! She had to help him out.

She raised her hand. "Professor! It's beautiful outside. Can we please have class outside. It's only syllabus day after all." She said.

The professor turns to shoot Winter a withering look. "It's my class, Miss Winter, and this is the classroom it has been decided it will take place in."

He turns back to Tobias the the doorway, fidgeting more obviously with his backpack. He looks jittery, unfocused, and just this side of desperate to leave. "Now, all due respect, Mr. Tobias, you either enter this room and sit down, or suffer a failing grade. Do I make myself clear?"

Tobi bristles, but it's more borne out of panic than anger. "Sir, I hear you, I jus'..."

"Sit." The professor all but growls. "Down."

Tobi looks as though he's about to protest again, but instead slouches and steps inside the doorway. Each step looks like it's taking a genuine effort. Once he reaches the chair Noelle and Winter saved for him, he collapses into it gracelessly and buries his head in his arms.

"Finally. Now we can begin." The professor says, satisfied.

Noelle is deeply uncomfortable by the professor. She furrows her eyebrow, looking for the page in her book of poetry. She found it. Anonymous, 1875. It should last for an hour if she reads it.

From my desk, I saw a window
to my heart
the grass
the trees
the flowers
the breeze
I peered outside into my limbo

Noelle bites her lip and writes a note on a post-it and slides it to Tobi. She had no idea what has gotten into her- she would have never risk being a classroom distraction. But she needed to help Tobi. Somehow. As long as the professor didn't catch her.

The note reads

Hey
If I was able to give you your own personal window to outside would it help at all?
Just can't get caught.
I'm so sorry

Noelle sits, staring at her professor as she hopes Tobi reads the note.

Winter frowned as the professor shot down her suggestion. She set her hand down before raising it again to make another plea to try and move the classroom but Tobi was already walking to his seat. She sighed and put her hand back down and glared a bit at the teacher. "You know... For a class who's focus is on mutants, it's sure nice that the teacher is willing to make sure that all mutants are comfortable." She muttered sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and grunted again. It wasn't fair. Tobi was clearly uncomfortable. Why would the administration allow him to be put in a classroom that's in the basement?!

The professor slowly drones on at the front of the room, insistent on reading the entire syllabus and taking up every minute of class and then some.

Back at his desk, Tobi glances up slowly at the note. Not moving far out, he reaches out with his fingers and flips the note open, eyes quickly scanning the words. His eyes flip up over the barrier of his arm; his head lifts slowly.

'Please.' he mouths. He looks one step away from being physically sick.

Winter groaned softly to herself as the teacher droned on. She eventually placed her head on her desk. This was ridiculous! Why read the syllabus when they all could read it in their spare time! She sighed and rested her chin on top of her books and stared at the teacher. She glanced at her watch. It had to been over 30 minutes already right? She looked at the time and sighed. Nope. Only 5 minutes passed. She glanced at Tobi to see how he was doing. Man, he did not look so hot but there wasn't a damn thing she could do.

Noelle nods and takes a deep breath and waits for the professor to look away. As soon as she did she started to read aloud, no louder than a whisper.

It starts slowly at first, the ink congeals on the page, the words mixing together into a blob. And then, smoke starts to pour out of Noelle's mouth. She keeps her head down, trying to keep it out of sight. It pools at her feet, but she keeps reading slowly. The ink forms together and slides right next to Tobi's head and arms, creating a french style window on the desk, which looks out to Tobi's hometown. It can be easily blocked by a book from the view of the professor. She bites her lip and closes her mouth quickly when she finishes, looking back at the professor. The smoke dissipates quickly.

Well that had been unexpected, Tobias thinks blearily as a neat little window appears underneath him. Feels real; he can feel the cool glass of the window underneath his fingertips as he brushes them against the glass. Sight looks familiar too, he thinks. Then he realizes, that's not just some view, that's his home. Mt. Airy, North Carolina stares back at him through the glass. He can see the downtown, the forests surrounding it, old neighbors he hasn't seen in a longtime. Just barely, he can catch a quick snatch of the radio through the glass playing the bluegrass he's so fond of. He looks back over at Noelle, his eyes a little wide and some color coming back to his face.

His eyes flick to the window and back to her, the question clear. 'You did this?'

Noelle's eyes are still forward, not wanting to cause any trouble, but she gives a little nod. She starts taking notes, but her hands shake slightly. When she pauses, she slowly puts the small book of poems away, then goes back to notes, quickly.

Noelle has never used her abilities like that before. Purposefully for someone else in public. Even her mom and sister knew that she wouldn't read things aloud in public.

Tobi looks down at the window, then back at her. He's still feeling a little queasy and a little trapped, but this is much better than where he was a moment ago. She can see that she's not comfortable right now, but he's grateful for what she's done, and maybe a little woozy from the adrenaline high and subsequent crash. His hand comes up near his lips, palm flat and angled towards himself. It then pulls away from him in a quick, purposeful movement. He hopes she understands.

'Thank you.'

Noelle blinks and nods. She continues taking her notes, but slowly taps out a series of long and short sounds. They are quiet and would be easy to miss if you weren't paying attention, but altogether it made a simple message.

'Welcome'

She looks up at the professor, and the others around her. She realizes that she got away with it. She felt relief immediately.

Winter sighed as the teacher continued to drone on. She began to zone out actually. After a few minutes she blinked and returned to attention. She briefly wondered how Tobi was doing and she sneaked a peak at him. She noticed a wibdow had appeared on his desk. She widened her eyes and she realized what had happened. Noelle had used her powers. She smiled a bit and looked forward again. Alright... That was pretty cool. Plus, Tobi looked a lot better. Not completely alright but better. She rested her chin on her palm and struggled to remain awake for class.

Tobi zoned out the professors words as he laid his head against the glass. Breathe in, breathe out. Calm yourself, as his sister would say. You ain't in no danger.

He wishes he could. He wishes this wasn't an issue. He wishes he won't have to transfer classes cause of this. 'If wishes were horses,' he thinks then stops. 'Never could remember the end'a that metaphor.'

The professor finally pauses in his lecture. "Any questions?" He drawls.

Noelle keeps her head down, writing notes. She wishes she were invisible. At least Tobi was looking better. And the teacher didn't seem to care about anything in this class. That made her a little sad: The class she had been so excited about turned out to have an unenthused teacher and made her friend feel awful. Noelle hoped that Tobi would feel better