Amberle shoved the rest of her school clothing into the locker provided. The small locker was just one of many inside the provided locker room, clearly Xavier had great plans and hopes that this x-men initiative would become larger than any of them thought was possible.
For now though, the women's locker room only had three participants- Amberle, Jean and Ororo.
The three girls kept the conversation light and brief as they changed into their training uniforms, the black suits were gender fluid amongst the team. Long sleeves and pants made breaking them in a bit tiresome, seeing as movement was mildly inhibited. But after the first few weeks of training back in the summer, the suits were far easier to move in. Amberle was happy to have no more blisters in the crevices of her arms, she had to apply rash cream to Scotts armpits and the backs of his knees for those first few weeks.
Amberle did feel that the massive yellow X across the chest was a bit of an overstatement, but she was in no position to comment- it is not like she was the one funding this entire program.
Jean had gone ahead as soon as she was finished changing, leaving Ororo and Amberle alone to catch up.
Ororo and Amberle shared a glance, despite the briefness of it, it was enough. They could both tell that something was bothering Jean, deeply. And while neither girl necessarily wanted to confront the class five level mutant about what was bothering her, they both felt it would be in everyone's best interest if the red head expressed her emotions a bit more.
But Jean had never really been one to be out and open with her thoughts and feelings. While she would occasionally allow one of their friends in, opening up just enough that they felt like she was trustworthy enough to be considered a worthwhile teammate, it was just enough. Regardless of her near limitless powers.
What was boundless potential within a teammate if you did not act like one?
"You need to talk to her." Ororo near whispered as the two trailed through the door where Jean had left a couple minutes prior.
Amberle trained her attention onto her friend, a brow lifting, "Why am I the one who has to do it?" She asked, genuinely curious as to why the white haired girl suggested that she be the one to ask.
"It would be better coming from you, I think." She exclaimed. Ororo waved her hand in the direction of the training room, where Jean likely was, "She trusts you the most, I think that much is evident. Though she might feel as though you do not trust her. But I think that is just a setback that comes with her mutation, she fears that everyone is scared of her. And that includes us, her friends.'
The blonde often forgot how Jean was before she had gotten to know her. Upon her own arrival to Charles' school, Amberle had been warned by a handful of students to be 'wary of the red head, Jean Grey.' For reasons that were far too out there to be considered true, or so Amberle had thought.
In truth, she herself had distanced herself from accumulating friends and developing those relationships. She had just been exposed in her hometown for being a mutant when she arrived. Amberle had been effectively shunned by those she had considered her friends since young childhood, her own aunts and uncles- even her parents had seemed to want nothing to do with her as far as association.
Her grandparents had been the ones to step up and demand that she go somewhere where she could learn to control and harness her mutation, "Why not take advantage of an opportunity like this, for her? Why shun her for what she is?" Her grandmother had reasoned.
Despite her grandparents oftentimes being 'old fashioned', Amberle was surprised the most by their reaction to her being a mutant. Her own parents had made little to no effort to communicate with her since she arrived at Xavier's school. While her grandparents had both been nothing but supportive of what she needed, such as new school clothing or supplies, money for spending, field trips- they had stepped into the roll of a parental figure without even a second thought.
"I think that she sometimes feels that is alone in what she is experiencing, due to how expansive her mutation is. And while I personally cannot relate to her on the scale of abilities-" Amberle paused, giving her a moment to finish her comment before the two cleared the doorway, where they would likely run right into Jean and the rest of their team, "I think you are right. I am going to try and reach out to her tomorrow, see if I can get through to her and narrow down what is bothering her so much lately."
Ororo only nodded silently as the two pushed into the training room, coming face to face with everyone except for one.
"Where is Kurt?" Scott asked aloud.
"You mean he wasn't in the locker room with you?" Ororo asked,
"He would not be asking if that were the case, storm fry." Peter quipped, his arms folded over his chest. A grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
Amberle gave Peter a pointed look, which he only grinned wider at.
"He is probably just running late." Jean interjected, "It is no big deal." She further reasoned, "Besides, he could appear literally whenever he wanted to. Something is likely keeping him up."
"I bet it's Warren keeping him up." Scott joined in, his own lips were growing into a smile.
Scott was close with Warren, the two had a rough start. Which was valid, of course. Considering how Ororo and Warren were introduced to them all. But while Ororo had been forward and assertive with making amends, Warren was a bit secluded.
It was not that he was not interested in making amends and proving himself, it just how he was. He was a bit more quiet than most in their group. Oftentimes preferring to spend the night in instead of out at the mall or the parties in the forest. Amberle knew that he was struggling with a lot more than what was on the surface level, it was evident in the weight of his shoulders and the way his eyes seemed to be fogged.
While he had never mentioned anything about his home life or upbringing, Amberle had her suspicions and wrote off his personality as the outcome of his childhood.
"He will be here. It is not like he is technically late anyways, Hank and Charles are not even here yet themselves." Jean sighed out. Her growing annoyance became evident.
"It is out of their character to be late." Ororo spoke up, "I wonder what is holding them up. Maybe something came up with another mutant?" She tried to reason, looking about those near her.
Amberle nodded, "That very well could be the case. Would not be the first time something happened." She then made a face at Scott. Who immediately knew what she was referring to.
"The tree incident was not my fault, technically!" He exclaimed, raising a finger as if telling her to 'wait a minute'.
"It was all Charles' fault. He encouraged it." Scott finished with a tone of defensiveness, "And Hanks technically, but it is hard to not want to take the blame from anything he does. He is too nice and it makes it hard to be upset with him." He shakes his head.
A few bursts of laughter followed, Peter the loudest, "He did find a way to create me shoes that would not wear down so quickly." He lifted his right foot, indicating to the group what he was referencing, "These last me at least a month. Whereas my old ones lasted a week, if most." He wiggled his foot, turning it around to show the group the lack of scorch marks on the rubber soles.
"I do want to have a chat with him about these uniforms." Amberle chided, pulling at the collar of her own uniform, "They are wildly uncomfortable." She grinned.
"They are meant to be practical, Amberle." Ororo reasoned, though the quirk of her own lips indicated that she too, at least on some level, agreed.
"That does not mean they cannot be at least a little bit more comfortable! Practical has no correlation to comfortable." She argued back.
Ororo only rolled her eyes at the teasing. The group finally hit a beat of silence as they lost the flow of conversation.
While only the sound of Scott fumbling with his glasses filled the room for several moments, eventually the sound of rushed footsteps began to sound. Drawing noiser the closer they neared.
"It is Hank." Jean spoke up, turning just a few moments before the man himself entered into the training room, the rest following her direction reel.
"We got a call for the X-men." Hank near wheezed out, the man half buckled over onto his knees. His dark hair a tad dishielved and icy blue eyes wide.
"Why didn't Charles just tell us to come to his office with his abilities?" Jean was annoyed, that much was evident in her tone, "Would have saved quite a bit of time." She started to push past the group, making her way down the way that Hank had come.
"Especially if there are lives at stake." Amberle tried to back up Jean without sounding as negative as her friend. Her feet remained planted, despite her friends stepping forward to join Jean.
She wordlessly looked to Hank, wondering if her abilities were needed, her presence necessary. Amberle refused to look at any of her friends, she despised the looks they gave her when she was asked to hang back. When her abilities were not needed like theirs were.
Hank only shook his head.
She did her best to not let her deflatement show. Forcing her back to be pin straight and chin up. She gave one single nod and watched as her friends and teammates marched on without her.
She did not miss the look Scott gave her when he looked back.
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