xp_logs | Comfort (backdated to September 10)

Dealing with what happened on her visit home, Hope needs a little comfort.

Hope stared at the phone in her hands, not really noticing the soft drizzle that had started to fall around her. Yet again her mother had refused to answer the phone when she had tried to call. Her father had been in touch, having arranged to ship her belongings to New York that she had previously packed up. But since leaving the house with Dr Grey, her mother had refused all contact.

Coming home from classes, Matt walked up the driveway to Xavier's, his hoodie up over his hair since it was going to rain any moment. Hearing a heartbeat, he paused, realizing it was Hope. Detouring off the driveway and onto the grass, Matt dropped his bookbag on the grass then sat down with a boneless sort of grace. "You trying to make yourself miserable or just enjoying the natural ambiance?" he asked, resisting the urge to give her a hug. Hope seemed like she needed a hug right now.

"Hmm. What?" Hope looked up from her phone, still no really here. "Oh hey Matt, I was about to..." She gestured at her phone with one hand, letting the thumb of her other hand hover above the call button, trying to decide if she wanted to try again.

"Do something with your phone," that was how these things worked. "You've been really quiet and withdrawn since you went to see your parents. What's going on in there?" he tapped her forehead.

"Nothing much." Hope remained vague. "I just have been thinking about certain matters."

Yeah, that didn't sound good. "Tell Matt," he requested, almost cajoling. "Actually, no. Let's go get ice cream. Then you can tell me."

"Thank you for offering, Matt... But this is not really a good time. I still do need to check in with Amy and see if the situation is still working for her." Hope suddenly looked up, a rain drop having made it's way through the leaves. "... When I get inside."

"So you call Amy from the kitchen," it's not like the kitchen was that far away and it was inside. "While I make ice cream sundaes. Hot fudge...." now he really wanted one.

With a small press of her thumb, Hope erased the number that was still visible in her screen, still poised to be called. It would be better to try her mother later. "It would at least be good to get out of the rain." And as soon as they were inside, she would probably be able to slip away.

There was no way for Matt to read Hope's cell phone screen if he wanted to, all he had was her word....and a built in lie-detector if she was lying. But he couldn't see the screen. "Getting sick from the rain is no fun," Matt had to agree. "Look..." he said as he stood up, gathering his bag, "if you don't want to talk, that's fine. But I'll listen whenever you are ready. Because you're going through some tough stuff, I can tell. And you're not alone."

"I am fine, Matt." Hope quickly tucked her phone away, folding her hands neatly before her to keep from fidgeting. "It's just a busy time with the start of the new school year." She turned her gaze towards the house. "I suppose we have to make a run for it?"

"You do realize I come with a built in bullshit detector and it's going pingpingping like crazy right now?" Matt asked, "And yes. C'mon," he and Hope made a dash for the school trying to dodge the rain, to varying degrees of success. They weren't drenched at least. "But fine. I'll stop bugging you on it. Tell me about school then since I'm not there anymore," he was in college now. "And we're still getting ice cream. I'm hungry."

"I do not think that much has changed over the summer. Quite the same from last year. Psychology and Genetics and mutation are quite interesting though." Hope pulled a towel from the cupboard in the hall and blotted her face and hair dry, having handed Matt a towel to do the same.

Drying himself, Matt enjoyed his shorter hair. When it was longer drying took much longer. "True. No new students or anything to change it up. I kinda miss being in class with everyone. Forgot what it's like having class with more than a couple people."

"Are your college class large?" Hope figured she'd go along with the small talk for now, till she could slip away.

"Compared to here, yeah," then again, everything was, "Most are about 25 people or so," he went to get the ice cream from the freezer and two spoons.

"You are not in any of the large survey classes?" Hope had looked through Matt's college catalog once or twice. "Twenty five sounds like a fairly small class."

"My biggest class is computers, which is a survey course," and he hated it probably more than math, which was saying something. "I just go and get my notes and listen to the professor and then meet the TA for questions with my assignments and I've got a helper, too. Most of my classes are smaller though. My counselor helped me get smaller ones because I learn better that way."

Hope nodded and then quickly pulled out her cellphone as she felt it buzzing in her pocket, looking hopefully. When it was not what she expect, her face fell a little and she tucked it away again. "Sounds like you have everything worked out well." She gamely tried resume the conversation.

Matt had a pretty awesome counselor and assistance from the school. He was lucky because he had heard horror stories from some people. It seemed that since he had a visible disability, it got him what he needed faster compared to those with more invisible ones. "Yeah..." he let things trail off for a moment, "I mean it, Hope. I don't care what time it is, wake me up, whatever. If you need someone, I'm here."

Hope let out a deep sigh and stared a the table. "It's just... I have not spoken with my mother since I left with Dr. Grey." I don't know..."

"That's what? A week or two?" Matt asked. It clearly bothered Hope, but it wasn't that long. And her mom was kinda crazy and backwards. Maybe a little distance was a good thing? "That's not very long."

"Where before I had to stand up to her from calling every single day... It's like... I have tried calling at differing times, but she never answers the phone. She cannot be out at all times."

"So what exactly happened when you went home?" Matt asked, eating some of the ice cream off his spoon. He had dug a huge hunk out of the carton. "I know that girl went missing and you helped find her? And she was a mutant?"

A small smile crossed Hope's face involuntarily. "Not quite. I found out a friend of mine had possibly manifested. I went to see her because I thought she might like to talk to someone who understands... It turns out her parents have pretty much kept her locked up in the house, homeschooling her. She has a visible mutation."

"Did you suggest here?" Of course she had, that was a given. Stupid question, moving on. "That sucks, being kept a prisoner like that."

"I made sure I gave both Amy and her parents a brochure. But Amy is a senior now. She might just choose to tough it out and then leave for college. I think it will also depend on how things in town develop... since the fact we are mutants is not a secret anymore." Another thing she had been wondering about... how was the town treating her parents.

Matt knew appearances were important to Hope's mother. And to Hope, but not in quite the same way, "Could it be that she's embarrassed now? Or...ashamed of you?" He hoped not. He had opinions on that if she was.

"I would not be surprised if that was a part of it. Another part might be that I very deliberately went against my parent's instructions to hide my mutant abilities." Hope mumbled softly.

"Which circles right back to embarrassment and shame," Matt agreed, hearing her clearly, "and adding in insubordination. That's...part of growing up though. Defying your parents, finding your own path," he'd done it once. It had left him blind. Now it wasn't a factor, "making your own decisions. I guess it's tough for a parent to deal with that, but....it has to happen."

"To the point where she does not wish to have contact with you anymore?" Hope reacted rather incredulously.

Sighing, Matt shrugged, "I dunno. Seems like it's over-reacting to me, but I'm the failure at families, remember?"

"Did she truly not see it coming?" Hope wondered out loud. "Did she truly not see that I..."

Pushing the ice cream closer to Hope, Matt had no idea. "I don't think it's about you."

"You mean it's about herself in some way?" Hope raised an eyebrow, a little confused.

Matt nodded, "Right. See, she's hurt, upset, confused, whatever and instead of saying something to you, she's not saying anything while she figures it out. That's what's best for her. Meanwhile, you're freaking out because she's not speaking to you because that it's exactly what you don't need right now. But she has no idea because that's not what she's thinking about," he paused, "Make sense?" Thank goodness for those counseling sessions.

"It does make sense and I do hope that is the case..." Hope shook her head and stared at her hands. "But I cannot help but remember how she cut of a friend in the past in the same way. I am her daughter and I want to think she would not... but there is still that little voice."

There was no way to turn that voice off really, either. "Try to ignore it so it doesn't become all-consuming," easier said than done, but Matt wanted to help. "And yes, I know that's not easy. Stuff like gymnastics helps me quiet it down though since it takes my attention. So do something that takes your attention sometimes to help?"

"I have been trying to do something like that. I just..." Hope sniffed, stiffling the sound immediately. "What if she does decide to keep this up..."

Giving Hope a hug, there wasn't much Matt could say, "Then you either accept it and move through it or you go and talk to her and try to change things," there was no promise of success though, "Either way, I'll support you. We were talking about misused and misunderstood quotes in class the other day. Apparently 'blood is thicker than water' is a bastardized backwards interpretation of the true quote. 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,' which means that bonds of choice are stronger than bonds of family."

Hope didn't reply, just drawing some comfort from the arms around her. "Maybe I need to give her some time... But thank you for reminding me I am not alone..."

In that case, mission accomplished, "You're welcome," Matt replied simply, planting a platonic kiss on her head. Hope needed comfort and he knew how hard it was sometimes to ask for it when it was needed, "You know where I am. Your own personal cheerleader...but I'm not shaving my legs for the skirt!"

Hope giggled a little at the picture and shook her head. "I have to say, it makes a fun picture. But again, thank you." She paused, feeling some of the sadness lift from her shoulder. "Is there anymore ice cream?"