Thorn • Scott Summers

twenty three

Florence sat in an armchair in Charles's office. He was behind his desk, writing something down on a paper inside a folder. She tapped her fingers quietly on the arm of the chair, the room silent besides that. She shifted in her seat, turning her head to her left and right shoulders, earning several loud cracks from each side. Charles looked up, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry," she whispered, her hand going up to her neck.

He looked back down, continuing his writing. "That'll hurt your neck, you know."

"I know," she muttered, subconsciously rubbing the back of her neck.

After more continuous silence, a while, Charles looked up again, pen still in hand. Florence stared at him, eyes scanning his face; waiting for him to speak.

"I need you to tell me what happened, Florence. Start at the beginning."

She took a deep breath. It would be a long night.

-

It was a Saturday, and for the first time in a while, the whole group was together. Jubilee and Kurt had convinced everyone to have a picnic outside, insisting the weather was too nice to just stay in the parlor. Ororo and Peter ended up being responsible for the food.
They sat on a blanket one of them had brought out, eating peacefully and chatting. Florence provided shade from the sunny area by stretching branches from the tree they were next to, thick with leaves. She sat close to Scott, as the pair usually did, mainly quiet as they normally were.
Charles and Hank headed out to the back of the school, and saw the group. They both smiled, as it was a sight to cherish. He had a special place in his heart for the group, and had always felt a deep connection between all of them. It always amazed him how people so different in so many ways could hold such a strong bond, and it gave him faith in mutants, in humanity.

The group, after some time, had eventually earned themselves a reputation. They were looked upon by the younger students at the school, and admired by the rest. They were the strongest at the school. All of them except for Jubilee and Florence had dealt with Apocalypse, and everyone knew. That made them "un-fuck-with-able", as Peter said. Everyone knew not to mess with them. But most students didn't want to. They looked at the gang as an example, the epitome of courage and strength. Either that, or they were despised, which was often the case with some more than others. For example, Jubilee's bright and bubbly self was adored by most students. She was genuine and kind, outgoing. The kind of person you want to be around. Peter and Ororo were the cool ones that everyone wanted to talk to, their stylish appearances bringing them attention. But on the other hand, Florence or Warren, were more withdrawn, quieter people. This made them seem intimidating and self-centered, which was what most students thought of them. Adding to that, Florence's temper and the outbursts she would sometimes have (and the episodes that had happened in the garden, that everyone seemed to notice), made her one of mutants everyone was more weary of. Averting eyes, ducked heads, and shushed whispers around her had become normal, and she had taken full notice of how people acted around her. Despite Scott's attempted comfort about it, there was no way she couldn't notice it. But she didn't care; Erik had told her it was better to be intimidating than approachable.

Erik.
She found comfort in him, someone who had ended up being a fatherly figure to her. She had written to her real father a few times, but the letters were empty and monotonous. She understood, though. It was hard to create a connection when it was never there. But with her and Erik, something clicked. More than a parental presence, he became a surprisingly good friend. Finally, Charles had convinced his old friend to stay at the mansion, at least for a while. This strengthened his bond with Florence, as he saw so much of himself in her.

"So, Florence and I were just, you know, chillin',"

"As one does," Florence said, adding to Peter's words.