Field Trip

�Good morning!� I said cheerily.

Jubilee scowled, and rubbed her eyes. �How come you are like this in the morning? It�s not natural.�

�I�m a lark,� I said, still cheery. �And you are most definitely an owl. Besides, I�m excited about the field trip today. Aren�t you?�

Jubilee scowled again. �Anything that means we have to get up this early is not good.� But she sat down at the table anyway.

�Cereal?� I asked. She grabbed the box and a bowl that was sitting on the table and began to make breakfast. �You know, apart from me, you�re the only one of us students up. Mr Summers was in here earlier, though. He and Professor Xavier want to make sure everything goes okay. I mean, they�re letting us loose on the unsuspecting public,� I explained when Jubilee looked at me, spoon in her mouth. �And that is never a good thing.� I looked up at the ceiling. �Uh oh.�

�Uh oh?� asked Jubilee. �What is it?�

�My. . er. . . my bathroom senses are tingling.�

Jubilee laughed, choking on some cereal. �Your. . . what. . . is tingling?�

I could feel heat rising up my neck. �My bathroom sense. You know how I can make toilets flush?� Jubilee nodded. �And how I can sense water in the vicinity?� She nodded again. �Well, my power means I can sense whether the shower is on, or if someone just flushed the toilet. That�s, um, my bathroom sense.�

�And what does that have to do with anything?� asked Jubilee. �If you just wanted to share that, you could have done so with somebody else.�

�John would have found it absolutely hilarious, and would have taken it upon himself to say that that is another reason why fire, rather than water, is the best element,� I said, getting up from the table. �Oh, and Jubilee? A lot of people just used the bathrooms. So that means their next stop will be here. Have fun sharing the table.� I grinned wickedly, and left.

Just as a tidal wave of students descended upon the kitchen.

*

�A huge mansion, advanced technology most people would never even dream of - including a jet that comes out of the court - and this is the best they can do? A bus?!�

�Oh, quit complaining, Flame-Boy! You should be enjoying this!�

�Not everyone is a nerd like you, Nick.�

�Oh! I am smart, but not a nerd!�

It was time for all of us to go to museum for our field trip. And, as John had pointed out, we were being driven there by bus. Okay, it was a nice bus, and a bus was the only way of transporting all of us to the museum, but it was a bus just the same.

And when you pack a whole bunch of students into a bus ready for a long trip after making them get up early, you are just asking for trouble.

�Would you two just give it a rest just once? I don�t see why the two of you are sitting together, anyway, if you know you are going to fight.�

I leaned over the back of the bus seat to face Bobby and Rogue, sharing the seat behind John and me. �But then life would be absolutely boring, right John?�

John nodded. �Right.�

�See?� I asked, returning back to Bobby and Rogue. �It�s a part of nature. Another form of fire and water in their eternal battle to prove who is better. Only this time, they can swear at each other,� I added as an afterthought. I grinned at Rogue. �Isn�t evolution a wonderful thing?�

Rogue laughed quietly, but said nothing.

�Well, I just hope the two of you don�t decide to continue your quest to prove which element is better with all of your ability,� Bobby cautioned. �You know what the teachers are like.�

�Yes, Mr Drake,� I chorused. �Hey, Bobby,� I added, an idea coming to me. �Do you and Mr Summers go to the same doctor?�

Bobby looked confused. �Yeah. The same one you go to. Dr Grey. Why?�

�So is she the one who makes sure the sticks up both your butts aren�t infected?� Hidden by the seat-back, John gave me a hi-five. Rogue laughed much louder this time.

�All right, everyone, take your seats.�

As I sat back down, John said to me, �I think Mr Summers heard you.�

I was not bothered. �Like I�m the first one to make that comment. I seem to remember you being the first one to say that to me. But no matter,� I said, cutting John off from replying, �we�re leaving this fabulously furnished prison they call a school. So who cares? We get to walk among the �normal� people, and just be one of them.� I sighed, and sank back against the seat. �I haven�t done that in a long time.�

*

�Catching flies, Nicki?� asked John. �If not, then you should close your mouth.�

I shut my mouth. �Well, I�m sorry, but it�s just that we don�t have museums like this back home. The biggest one is Te Papa, and that is sort of a New Zealand-based theme park. We did have the Lord of the Rings exhibition there, though. . .� I trailed off, caught up in the sights and sounds of the museum.

I like museums, okay?

�All right, children,� announced Ms Munroe, and there were collective groans from all of the older students: John and I being the loudest.

�Students,� Dr Grey corrected, smiling. �The younger students will remain with Ms Munroe, while the older students are allowed to look around on their own.�

�Yes!�

Mr Summers shot us a look, and the teen who made that outburst went quiet, looking sheepish.

�On condition that they complete the research project that they are here to gather information on,� Ms Munroe finished.

�All the usual rules apply,� Mr Summers added.

We all nodded. We knew what those were.

The main one is, don�t let anyone know what you are. Ever.

Of course, there are times when that rule, and others, get broken.

But that�s a little later on in the story.

So we split off into little groups a short while later. Bobby, Rogue and John went off to who-knows-where, or at least, I-did-not-know-where; Jubilee went on one of her wanders - I guessed she was off to the mutant exhibition, a place which gave a lot of us, including me, the creeps (no prizes for guessing why); and I went off to the marine section (again, no prizes for guessing why).

I eventually found myself in front of a display which was like the x-ray aquarium back home, which in reality was a bunch of skeletons of marine animals hanging from the ceiling, as if they were swimming. Yeah, right.

I scribbled something in my notebook, muttering, �Okay, the diagram shows that the whale here has vestigial hip bones, but how come I can�t find them on the skeleton?�

�They don�t put them in when they rebuild the skeleton, I guess, because, as you say, they are vestigial,� a voice said suddenly next to me.

I almost jumped with surprised. Almost. �I didn�t notice you there.� The guy who was standing next to me looked like one of those stereotypical jocks that I had seen growing up and watching those shows about life in an American high school. I guess I don�t need to say much more to describe him. I looked back at the skeleton. �I guess you�re right.� Then I looked back at the guy. �I�m sorry, but you don�t seem like the kind of guy to know about that.�

He grinned. I felt sick. �Yeah, well, neither do you. I�m Andrew, by the way.�

�Nicki,� I replied. �And I guess you could say that I have a very special relationship with the sea.�

He raised his eyebrows. I figured he must be one of those poor souls who cannot raise one at a time. �You�re not from around here.� When I raised an eyebrow, he added, �Your accent.�

I hate it when people say I have an accent. So I gave this guy - Andrew - the same reply I give to everyone who says I have an accent. �I do not have an accent - it�s the rest of the world who does.�

Andrew chuckled, and I did my best not to roll my eyes. �So where you from, anyway?�

�New Zealand.�

�You mean the place where they filmed The Lord of the Rings?�

Is that the only thing people know about New Zealand? That The Lord of the Rings was filmed there, and we have a lot of sheep?

I tried to wriggle out of the conversation. �I�m sorry, but I�m here with my school, and I really should find some of the other students.� I started to walk away.

Andrew grabbed my arm. �Don�t go.� Stupid move, I thought to myself. �Are you saying that a whole school from New Zealand are here?�

I took my arm back. �I�m an exchange student,� I said coldly.

�Really? At what school?�

�A private one. You wouldn�t have heard of it.�

Well, he wouldn�t have! And I think we would all be seriously worried if he had. As Professor Xavier says, Anonymity is a mutant's first chance against the worlds hostility.

�Do they let you out at night?�

�Excuse me?�

��Cause if they do, you might need someone to protect you. I don�t think they have mutants in New Zealand.�

Now he was pushing it. �Oh, we have mutants in New Zealand. Mutants so powerful that they can destroy the entire country with a single wave. They could create a tsunami so powerful we would all be dead before we could do anything to stop it.� Okay, maybe I was exaggerating my powers a little bit, but give me some time, okay? �I can take care of myself, if that�s what you wanted to know.�

�But you should know that here are lots of mutants in America, even more dangerous ones. You need someone who knows what they�re like, how bad they are.�

I glared at this guy. He sure knew how to get a girl interested. �Trust me on this: I can take care of myself.�

�But there are mutants who look just like normal people, just like you and me. . .�

�Peter!� I interrupted. I waved at Peter, who, thank whatever power is messing with us, had just entered the marine section. Why? I didn�t care. I was too busy thanking the higher powers.

�This guy bothering you, Nicki?� Peter asked when he arrived. He must have noticed the pleading get-me-out-of-here look in my eyes.

Andrew looked a lot less confident now that Peter had showed up. Blonde exchange student of average height he had no problem dealing with, but when it came to over six feet of solid Russian muscle. . . well, I guess I don�t have to explain who would win in a contest between the two.

�No, no,� I said in response to Peter�s question. �Andrew here and I were just discussing the mutant phenomenon, and how the really dangerous mutants look just like everyone else. Isn�t that right, Andrew?�

Something must have been caught in Andrew�s throat, because he just nodded, and did not say anything. I think he was concerned about the size of Peter�s arms.

I know it is wrong, but I was busy imagining Peter transforming into his metal form, and then crushing Andrew like an empty can of Coke.

I tell you, every girl needs a metal Russian - it�s just one of those things, like the little black dress.

�I was looking for Jubilee when I found you,� Peter said to me.

�I think I know where she might be,� I replied. �What about Bobby and the others?�

�They will be fine.�

�It�s not them I�m worried about,� I muttered. Then I perked up. �I forgot to introduce you two!� I said, grinning from ear to ear. �Peter this is Andrew, whom I just met. Andrew, this is Peter, another student at the school, and a friend of mine.�

I watched the introductions sink in. Andrew looked tiny, and Peter, although normally the sweetest, gentlest guy in the world, looked like Andrew was a bug he wanted to squash under his foot.

�Come on, Peter, we�d better find Jubilee before something happens. �Bye Andrew!� I said as Peter and I left , with me leading the way to the mutant exhibit.

*

�I told you she�d be here,� I said to Peter, as we spotted Jubilee leaving the mutant exhibit. Some people were giving her some strange looks, which did not make me feel too good about finding her.

�Are you all right?� asked Peter, seeing the look on Jubilee�s face.

�I hate those exhibits,� she replied. �They think that we�ve de-evolved.�

�Shh! Keep your voice down!� I said. �You don�t know who might be listening. You know the rules.�

�I know the rules,� Jubilee shot back. �I�m just saying that it�s wrong the way they treat us.�

I grinned wryly. �You�re preaching to the choir, Jubes.�

�We�d better find the others,� Peter said.

�Good idea,� I replied. �Now, if I were a group of teenagers in a museum, with no interest in learning, where would I be?�

Jubilee and I looked at each other. �Food court,� we said in unison.

Our hunch was right, although not in a good way, because when we were headed in the general direction of the food court, nearly there actually, something bad happened. There were the sounds of a fight, boys shouting, and then everything went quiet.

Too quiet, as they say.

That was because everyone except the mutant students had frozen. Gone completely still I should say, not frozen as if Bobby had used his powers on them, in which case they would be covered in ice. They all looked like they were champion Musical Statues players, if that makes any sense (and knowing me, it probably doesn�t).

�What�s going on?� asked Jubilee, looking around.

�Something�s happened,� I replied.

�Professor Xavier did this,� Peter added. �No one else here could.�

The fact that everyone was still made it pretty easy to find the others. They were, as it happened, at the food court, where John and Bobby (Rogue, I knew, would not have intentionally been involved) had gotten involved with two other guys, both of whom were frozen.

And one of them was covered in ice.

Professor Xavier was telling Bobby and John off, while the rest of us pretended not to be listening. Some of us were just not listening, so did not need to pretend (I saw Theresa push a guy to see if he would move. He just rocked slightly).

�Next time you feel like showing off,� Professor Xavier told them, �don�t.�

I only half-heard what was going on, as I had just realised that I was standing, ironically, next to that jerk, Andrew. He was frozen like the rest.

I just couldn�t help myself.

Extending my forefinger, and making my hand into that gun shape, I aimed low, and fired a stream of water. Jubilee saw what I did, and I saw a glint of mischief in her eyes. Then I realised that I still had my notebook and pen in my hand. Flipping to a new page, I scribbled something on it, ripped it out, and placed it in Andrew�s hand. I resisted the urge to make him stick his finger up his nose, but I�d figured I�d done enough to embarrass him plenty.

I�d tried to be subtle, but I guess when you have two telepaths for teachers things like this don�t remain secret for long. But luckily we had to get out of there before Professor Xavier started the people up again.

I only regret not being there to see the look on Andrew�s face.

*

�So what did you do to that guy?� John asked me back on the bus, after I had received my telling off.

�Well. . .� I tried to think of a nice way to put what I had done. �I made him kinda have an accident.�

�You mean you can make a guy wet his pants?�

I looked offended. �Of course not.� I smiled slightly. �Making it look like he�s wet his pants. . . well, that�s not so hard to do. Oh, shut up!� I added, hitting John, who was just going nuts with laughter.

�Why did you do that?� came Rogue�s voice from the seat behind John and me.

�Okay, he was a jerk, tried to hit on me, suggested I needed to be taken care of, insulted New Zealanders-�

�How�d he do that?� interrupted John.

�Lord of the Rings and sheep. I swear, is that what people think of when they think of New Zealand?� John chuckled. Being Australian, he actually knows about New Zealand. Like where it is, for starters.

I continued on with my rant. �. . . insulted me, insulted mutants -�

�Well, that makes it all right then.�

I nodded. �Thank goodness Peter showed up. Andrew didn�t like the fact that a guy as big as him asked me if he was bothering me.�

�What did you write on that piece of paper?� asked Kitty, sitting in the seat across the aisle.

�Um, let me think. Oh, yeah, �Be careful what you say, for you don�t know who might be listening. After all, we do look just like everyone else. Love, a big bad mutant.��

Everyone who heard that started laughing, even Bobby, who�s normally the responsible one.

Once the laughter had died down, I said to everyone, �I think that field trip went rather well. When�s the next one?�

�Nicki!�

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