Lauren caught up to Emma right before she entered Art class and pulled her to the side.
"Have you been avoiding me?" she inquired right away.
Emma frowned. "Uh, no..."
Her face showed the opposite. Well, she couldn't blame her for lying like that. Luc could make himself quite convincing when the situation required it. Lauren slouched against the wall, wondering how she'd restore her trust.
"I know my brother talked to you." Her eyes widened as if imploring Emma to believe her. "I can only imagine the things he told to scare you and I'm so sorry. He can such be a tool sometimes..."
"Really... it's fine," she replied, but her smile was brittle. "It's no big deal. I-I get that I'm not the type of person to hang with you... You have your friends and I have mine..."
"And you are one of them." Lauren assured. "It's true. I really like hanging out with you even though it doesn't happen often."
Emma said nothing for a while and she let her ponder, hoping she still wanted to talk to her. A part of her was angry at Luc for causing this even though he meant well. In his mind, humans and mutants didn't belong in the same circle.
But without humans, mutants wouldn't exist. They walked, breathed, slept and bled like them. A part of their DNA was identical to theirs. Was it practical to believe humans could be avoided forever?
"Why is your brother so pissed that you're talking to me?" Emma asked.
Lauren looked at the floor and her shoulders slumped. "He's just... like that. He's nice when you actually get to know him. But won't let him bother you anymore, I promise. Whatever he said, I'll make sure he leaves you alone. I'm pretty good at getting what I want most of the time, sister tricks and all..."
As the tension eased with Emma feeling more secure, they laughed. A bell rang, startling her, but then she grinned lightly. "Okay, then... In that case, we can see each other at the talent show? I don't know if they're still searching for helpers or..."
A giddy smile cracked Lauren's face. She gave her a second chance in spite of being openly threatened. Right then, she knew this girl had more than just bubbliness deep down. There was a determination simmering underneath, and a kindness that made it all worth trusting.
"Yes, of course! Just give your name to Miss Carson and she'll assign you to the tables if you want that spot. It's where I'll be." She winked.
--At the fundraiser talent show, after school hours. It's basically a montage made by the school and the participants. Parents pay the entry to come and see and the funds go to charity--
Lauren directed the couple towards the sea of chairs lined up in the gym. Against all odds, some friends of Raymond's had come through and tended to the technical aspects of the show.
Little Ethan sat on a folding chair next to the plastic table, and she passed him the money so he could stash it in the strongbox. Most seats were filled already. She assumed it had been the last parents to come see their child perform and turned to the snack table.
Emma waved and the show started. A teacher stepped onto the makeshift stage to introduce the first young performer--a singer.
When Emma finished selling homemade goodies and gathered the bills, she brought her chair next to Lauren. She smiled at Ethan and inquired about him.
"He's my little brother," Lauren said proudly and messed his hair up. "I dragged him here."
"Oh!" Emma stared at the two, surprised. "It's weird, you don't look very much alike."
Ethan suddenly stirred in his seat, sending big eyes towards Lauren. She bit her cheek on the inside, a troubled shyness overcoming her blushing face.
"Um, well we have a big family and you'd be surprised to see that we don't all resemble each other. It's... strange but true."
Emma leaned her elbow on the table. She wondered if one of them was adopted but didn't venture there to avoid unsettling them. It wasn't any of her business, and frankly it didn't change anything to her. She thought it was cute how Ethan followed her around with a timid, boyish stance as he confronted the high school pool. He'll attend here next year.
"I almost forgot." She gave the bills to Lauren. "From the snacks."
Lauren turned, absentmindedly opening the strongbox as a group of dancers invaded the stage. Colorful projectors lit up the platform as music boomed across the gymnasium. With her eyes trailing the choreography--she'd never seen rehearsals--her hand dug into the box and withdrew. A sharp sting sliced her palm.
Lauren hissed and moved her hand away as Emma reacted to the sound of pain. A several inch-long cut slashed the corner of her palm and started welling with blood.
"How did you get that?" she asked. "Oh my God, you should probably clean that..."
"I must have scraped one of the box's edges..." Lauren said, examining the wound.
Ethan silently urged her to take care of it before Emma would notice the cut disappearing and the skin healing unnaturally fast. Lauren closed her fist and nodded, reaching for a tissue on the table.
"Yeah, I'll be back in a sec." She walked off towards the washroom nearby just as the slash began receding at an accelerated rate.
The rest of the night was pleasant. Parents enjoyed watching their children deliver their acts and people had a good time. Lauren, Ethan and Emma listened tothe comedians and their jokes, watched the dancers and followed the more peculiar talents. There was this one girl that was super flexible and she took out a hula hoop...
"The most I can do is a split and I thought it was a lot," Emma said as the girl was bending her body to its limits. "Jesus..."
Lauren frowned. "I don't even know if I can do one anymore. I used to as a kid, though."
"Why don't you try it? You're wearing cotton shorts."
Everybody had their back to them and didn't mind the kids at the tables. She subtly stood in front of Emma and Ethan, then slowly let her feet slide further and further away along the floor. A second later, she sat in a split and threw her hands up with a smile.
"Yup. Still got it."
Emma smiled at first but her expression faded as her eyes caught her injured--now unscathed--open palm. She checked the other to make sure she hadn't looked at the wrong hand, but both were intact... How was that possible? She'd clearly seen the cut and the blood oozing out of it...
Lauren regained her seat as another performer took the stage, unaware that Emma had noticed the abnormality or that she'd shown her compromising hand.