xp_logs | Reconstruction: Yvette, Cam

x-penance.livejournal.com posting in

Yvette runs into one of the other volunteers.

Cam wrinkled his nose. He was all for new experiences, and the enchiladas and rice they were serving in the cafeteria smelled pretty good--but knowing that the rest of his friends were munching on burgers and fries made the Mexican food less appealing. He shrugged and grabbed a bottled water, balancing his tray on his hip. Maybe they had some good dessert--

"Hey!" His water bottle hit the floor and he grabbed at his tray as he bumped into a smaller girl...with...red skin?

"Oh!" Yvette spun, her hair swinging out and brushing the back of his hand on the tray. "I am so sorry! I hope I did not hurt you?" She looked him over anxiously, convinced she'd at least caused a graze. Stupid of her to not look where she was going - she'd let her guard down in her eagerness to get something to eat after a long day.

"Hurt me? Nah. Not even a bruise." Cam blinked as he readjusted his dinner tray. Not bad. Red, yeah, but kinda cute--nice eyes. He threw out a grin he hoped was charming--he wasn't exactly in his best Portland prep, but he knew he looked good in his jeans and he hadn't sweat too much painting today. "Hey, sorry about that--my fault. I was looking for the desserts and wasn't paying attention."

"But..." Yvette was nonplussed, and not just because he didn't seem to have taken any kind of injury from colliding with her. He was smiling at her. A cute boy was smiling. At her. "It is okay. I was worried I had hurt you. My skin and hair, it is very sharp. But I do not seem to have touched you." Small miracles for that at least. "My name is Yevtte. And you?"

"Cam," he eyed her, now noticing the edges of her spiky hair and the sharpness of her skin. "Well, Cameron, really," he revised, and then broadened his smile, "but my friends call me Cam. So why don't you?" He motioned over to one of the empty tables with his water bottle. "I'm going to drop this tray again if I don't sit down--want to join me?"

"Oh, I..." She hesitated, still a bit flustered by the attention. But Laurie and Angel kept telling her just to try talking to boys, and Dr. Samson would be proud of her for not running away. "I would like that... Cam." With her accent, the name felt strange, but not in a bad way. She gave him a shy little smile. "You are here with your school friends, yes?"

"Yeah, but they ran off and left me," Cam threw her another smile and tried for a pitiful look. "They're chowing down at Jack In the Box, and I'm stuck here." He walked over, with a quick glance behind to see if she was following, and sat down at one of the empty tables. "I still have to finish up a painting job on House 6. So what school are you with? I'm from LEP High, in Portland."

She joined him, making herself sit more normally than her usual crouch. Acutely aware of her unnaturally long fingers as she set her own tray down, she continued talking, trying for casual. "I am from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, in New York," she told him. "There are many of us with Red X there, so we came to help during the spring break." Her eyes glowed brighter blue with humour. "The food here is better than the Jack in the Box, I am thinking."

"Dude, like in the city? That's awesome! You ever get to see The Bravery play?" Belatedly, Cam processed the rest of her comment, and remembered his teachers explaining what Red X was. And vague memories of some blonde chick on CNN talking about a school for mutants a few years back.

"Huh. Xavier's? Right, I saw that on CNN. So most of the kids there are mutants?" He raised a hand quickly, waving it rapidly, "That's cool and all, I mean--you know, me too, probably why you didn't hurt me, it's just--huh. Most people in Portland don't really, you know, talk about it." He took a bite of his enchilada, watching her. Though I guess she really doesn't have much of a choice. Poor kid. Definitely cute though. Kinda Drew Barrymoreish, in that chick-flick Raina made me watch.

"Wait... you have the power that means you do not be hurt?" Yvette paused in the act of slipping off her gloves so she could eat. Her eyes glowed brightly.

Cam shrugged nonchalantly . "Yeah. I mean, I could probably get hurt if I fell out of an airplane or something, but I never cut myself chopping food or anything."

There was a pause and then something in Yvette seemed to relax. She continued pulling off her gloves, laying them neatly beside her tray, before using the tip of her index finger to slice a bite-sized piece from her food before spearing it and popping it in her mouth. Suddenly, it didn't seem such an issue that she was eating with her hands, or that her hair hung stiffly behind her, or even that she was wearing an ankle-to-neck length body suit in California. "So, who is the Bravery?" she asked. "I am from Kosova, so I do not know all the American things yet."

She was using her fingers as knives. Mouth full of enchilada, Cam chewed slowly to process the sight before answering. Red skin, sharp skin, and glowing eyes... cool. Way cool. Yeah, a little weird too, but...definitely not boring. He swallowed and grinned again. "Yeah, Bravery. Awesome indie-rock band in NYC. They used to do some ska, and now they do more rock, punk stuff. You should check out their website." Cam cocked his head, and blurted out, "I could email it to you?"

"I would like that." Her own answering smile was far less tentative than before. "I will give you my address."