Log: Matt, Tandy & NPC

[x-daredevil.livejournal.com]

Monday after class at North Salem High School, Matt and Tandy chat with Melissa, Matt's note-taker there about mutants.



Taking debate at North Salem High School wasn't so bad, though it was a little weird being in a class with so many other kids again. Technically, all his classes at Xavier's had 20 people in them, but it didn't feel like it since so many of them were via distance learning. They didn't have heartbeats or anything he could register. Matt sat in a desk in the debate room making sure he had the homework recorded properly as he waited for everyone else to leave before he unfolded his cane.

"I'll email you the notes tonight," Melissa said, startling him. He knew she was still in the room, but he hadn't expected her to speak. She was his official note-taker and would type them up for him every evening so he could print them out into braille if he wanted a hard copy or his computer could read them aloud if he wanted. "Might be later than normal though, I've got stuff to do."

Matt nodded, unfolding his cane and almost immediately whacking it into a desk. They had pulled the desks together into groups earlier and the entire room was a wreck now. Great, "That's fine," he assured her, "I've got some other homework so I probably won't start on the project tonight."

"Okay," she agreed, then looked around the room at back to Matt. The teacher wasn't paying them any attention. "Um...do you need any help?" she asked hesitantly. She knew Matt went to Xavier's so he was probably a mutant, but he seemed like a blind guy to her.

"I think I've got it," Matt replied, making his way carefully through the maze of desks. There was enough sound to get him through without a problem. He was acutely aware that she was watching him though.

Leaving the room, he wasn't surprised to find Tandy waiting outside the class for him. Her drama class was right down the hall from his debate class, which was easy. Now they just had to wait for the halls to clear so they could head back to Xavier's. "Hey, Tan," he greeted her, leaning against the wall.

Tandy watched as the members of Matt's class left from where she stood just outside of his door. Her own class was let out ten minutes earlier, one of the beauties of drama class no class work just all skits. Of course he would be the last one to leave, Tandy thought as she stood up straight as he approached her. "Hey Matt. How was arguing with your classmates for an hour go?" Her eyes traveled to the last girl in the classroom. "Who is the girl?"

"It was a note day," Matt replied easily. They didn't argue EVERY day, but at least once a week. "This is Melissa, my note-taker," he explained. He'd had one in public schools for years and he sometimes had one at Xavier's and sometimes his teachers gave him notes, it depended on the teacher and the class.

"Hi," Melissa replied, "You go to Xavier's, too?" she looked normal enough as well. What had she expected though? Someone with blue scales or something? "Sounds boring." Tandy teased him. Looking back over at the female named Melissa, same name as her mom so Tandy tried very hard not to dislike her on the spot. "Hi Melissa - I'm Tandy. And yea I go to Xavier's too. Pretty new there, just arrived before summer started."

"So...you're a mutant?" Melissa was openly curious at the duo, they looked so normal.

"Duh," Matt replied for Tandy. "Don't tell her what I do, I'm making her guess," he grinned practically hearing Melissa's pout. Tandy blinked a couple of times, she was never called mutant by someone else before. "Yeah we are, but we won't shout it at the top of our lungs. Some people don't like people who are different. Oh good luck guessing what Matt's power is. If he hadn't told me I would still be pondering it."

"I just think it's so weird," Melissa explained, her tone indicating that 'weird' wasn't a bad thing. "I mean, everyone knows Xavier's here, but it's not like we ever see you guys or whatever practically. And now there are at least two in school! But it's no fair not telling! I won't tell!"

"More like, we take a class," Matt replied, bored. "We do the rest of our classes at Xavier's still, but have the option of doing one elective here, if we want. As much as public school can be a hassle, it's also kinda cool, you know?" "What can I say? We blend in well." Tandy said and giggled at Melissa saying it wasn't fair. "Well it is up to Matt to tell you what his 'abilities' are." She would have Matt's back in this case. "Yea they don't have drama there so I take one here. It is a different change of pace from going there and coming here. Totally a lot more kids to talk too."

"I bet," Melissa had no idea how many kids went to Xavier's, but it couldn't be all that many. There just weren't a ton of mutants out there. "I bet it's really crazy over there, right? I mean, people just fly around and stuff, right?"

"Yep, everywhere," Matt replied, keeping a poker face, "Don't you see us flying now?" Tandy smirked a bit at Melissa - she was curious she'll give her that. "It can get crazy. I think it is just the different personality types honestly - it doesn't have anything to do with powers, unless there is a power malfunction. I don't think I have seen too many people flying actually..." Tandy paused to think about it, "Actually I don't recall any flying. I know there are some people that have the capabilities to fly."

"Warren can," Matt agreed automatically. He was not a fan of flying for any reason unless it was him on the trapeze. He reached for his watch, flipping the face up so he could check the time. The halls were quieter, too, "I think it's time to catch our ride," Matt suggested.

Melissa sighed, "Alright. I'll get those notes emailed," she added, disappointed that no one was going to show her what they could do. "Is he the one with the wings?" Tandy asked, still trying to put names to faces. "It is about that time to head back." Checking her cell phone and looked over to Melissa and smirked slightly, "It is nice to meet you and I am pretty sure we'll see more of each other throughout the school year."

"Who? Warren?" Matt asked, "Yeah, that's him," he was purposefully teasing Melissa a little now even if Tandy wasn't trying to intentionally.

"Later," Melissa agreed with a smile.


After Melissa takes her leave, Matt and Tandy discuss public school and...girls



Matt held Tandy's shoulder easily as they headed down the hall, his cane arcing in front of him. He didn't need her to lead him, nor did he even need his cane, but he had to pretend like he was blind and without his powers here. "That...was a little weird," he noted. They'd left Melissa back by the classroom as they headed to the front office to meet their X-Men escorts. "She's nice though. Maybe a little weird, but nice. And she takes good notes."

"What? That she wanted to know more about us?" Tandy asked looking over her shoulder at Matt. "I am guessing she has heard horror stories of mutants, thinks we are all crazy and have scales for skin." Tandy giggled at Matt, "So nothing is going on between the two of you I should know about?"

"I guess," Matt agreed, "And no! Nothing is going on. I am pretty sure 'don't date the locals' is a rule somewhere. And if it's not, it should be. Anyways," he shrugged, "you get crap or whatever in your class?"

Tandy giggled again at Matt and grinned, she was just giving him a hard time. "I never heard that rule, but that might be a good rule to follow. She would probably just keep asking you questions about how it is living in Xavier's along with the other weridos." Running her hand through her hair and thought about her class. "Nope, not really. I think for drama geeks it is more of the 'don't ask don't tell' policy. But I am pretty sure that won't stop the rumor mill from happening. How many people do you think know that we go here?"

Matt liked Sue, but more than that, he didn't like the idea of someone dating him because he was weird or different or a freak. Melissa was curious, yeah, but she would definitely just want to know more and more and all that. Matt shrugged again, "I guess our classmates and....whomever they told?" he guessed. "So...I'd assume the whole school by now. Whether they recognize us or not is another story. It's not like we wear Xavier's shirts or whatever," at least, he didn't and he assumed the others from Xavier's didn't either.

Tandy sighed a bit, she didn't like being painted as different in a new school. "I don't think I would wear the Xavier's shirt anyways - if they had one. But yea, you are probably right the entire school might now by now." She stopped walking when she got to the office and looked over her shoulder at Matt. "But at least we still have each other to talk to right?"

"I have one," he had it as a part of his New Mutants uniform. Not that he wore it if he could avoid it. "And of course. I mean, who else would remotely believe the batshittery that can happen at school? No one who hasn't been there," and certainly not high school kids. "So far I've not really had a problem. Most kids don't seem to have a problem teasing and bothering the blind guy, so I can only assume they're terrified of me shooting acid spit or flaming farts or whatever."

"To be honest it just seems more drama in a regular school than up at Xavier's, but I have been wrong before." Tandy laughed at Matt's last sentence. "Well that is good that no one has been teasing you. Otherwise they and I would have a problem. Might as well keep letting them guess. It isn't like we can show them what we can do. Your's is a little hard to explain and mine...it can be deadly."

"More people means more drama?" it seemed like a sound mathematical principle. "Hey, I don't need you sticking up for me, okay? I can handle myself," he'd been in foster care a long time and he had been teased well before he was ever blind. Stick and stones, "Sort of makes you wish you farted flames, huh?" he joked.

"Always. And okay, I just don't want Sue yelling at me." Tandy smiled at Matt's joke and shook her head. "Only on days that end with a Y."

Why would Sue get mad at her? He could stand up for himself. He didn't need Sue to do it for him either. "I don't need Sue fighting my battles for me either, Tandy. Even before I came to Xavier's I took care of things myself. I'm blind. Not helpless," though, a lot of people did equate them together. He hated that.

"No...Matt that isn't what I meant...It...it is a girl thing. It is what girls do when they like someone." Tandy sighed, "I know you can take care of yourself. The first time we met you where hanging off a tree and then did some flip off it."

"Oh," Matt got quiet then, "I do not get girls. Nope." He did like them though. Especially Sue.

"Yeah, we are kind of hard to figure out." Tandy shifted her bag on her shoulder. "Maybe one day if you have the patience I can sit you down and explain why we say the damnest things."

Now there was an idea. Finding out the secret of girls. "I think that is an excellent plan," he agreed.