Not So Different

Chapter 4

I know what your thinking.  How could I leave a complete stranger, especially a mutant, alone in my apartment?  Well I was a little nervous about it but he was injured to the point of immobility after all, and he had saved my life.  I guess that's why I trusted him. 

When I exited my apartment building and saw the alley across the street was blocked off with police tape.  Seeing the alley way with darkspots of blood from both Chris and the gunman sent a shiver up my spine.  After I had gotten Chris patched up I had put on a brave face, telling myself that I was fine and putting all of my worry in Chris' recovery, but the truth was I still shaken up from the encounter.  You try having a gun pulled on you and feeling hunky dory afterwords.

The weirdest thing was was that I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't random.  I mean, those gunmen sure as heck werren't regular muggers.  Plus they didn't ask for money or anything and didn't try an abduct me, they simply pulled their gun and almost-

A collision with an older gentleman tore me from my thoughts.  I muttered my apologies to the man and hurried on, not wanting to get cussed out.  The crowds began to thicken with morning Mag commuters bustling towards the station.  To avoid the crowd I nearly cut through an alley, but stopped short.   Call me paranoid, but I doubted I'd be wandering through any alleys any time soon.

It took me twenty minutes to get to the grey cinder block building that was my school.  Crowds of students milled about in front of the building, avoiding entering it as long as possible. 

"JET!" A high, female voice called above the clamour of many drowsy voices. I turned, searching for the source of the voice.  Lily was running for me, her red hair streaming behind her.

"Hey, Lily, what's up?" I asked her when she reached me, her pale skin holding a slight blush from running.

"OMG, it's all over the news.  That shooting across from your apartment yesterday.  They say the police found four injured men with guns and gun shots were heard.  They also say there were traces of MUTANT blood at the scene."  Lily finished, looking at me expectantly.

"Yeah, I heard the shots and sirens," I replied, "Why are you looking at me like that."

"What happened?" Lily asked, practically shouting in her excitement, "What really happened?  Surely you saw what went down.  Tell me."

"I didn't see anything," I lied.  "I got in my apartment and I heard shots but I didn' see anything.  My apartment doesn't have windows and I didn't very well feel like running outside to investigate then getting shot."

"So you really didn't see anything?" Lily asked, disappointment showing in her eyes.

I shrugged, "Nope."

"Well that sucks," Lily said in a dejected voice as she started to walk to the front of the school, "The whole school is talking about it.  If you had seen the gunman, or better yet the mutant, " she said the last part with disdain, "You'd be the talk of the school."

"I guess I'll just have to deal with being normal for another day," I replied, not at all sad about it like Lily was. 

"Yeah I guess," Lily said.  "I just hope they catch the mutant, though.  My parents banned me from going out by myself except to go to school, because they think the mutant will go around killing people." Lily said and indignation spread through me.  That mutant had saved my life and most certainly wasn't going to go around on a killing spree.  I was about to say so when my good old common sense kicked in and I held my tongue. 

"Oh well," Lily sighed, " I wish they had banned me from going to school so I wouldn't have to give my report today."

"Oh crud," I exclaimed and hit forehead with the palm of my hand.  In all the excitement of yesterday I had forgotten to practice my report.  "I'm doomed."