Making a new friend

Posted on Wed Jan 10th, 2024 @ 5:04am by Aurora Summers & Kennedy Kelly

Mission: Episode 3: X-Tra Ecclesiam
Location: Mansion
Timeline: August 22, 1990 Prior to Juggernaut's arrival

With Scott having departed Aurora quietly made her way back into a new routine. She hadn’t meant to act so rudely towards the newest arrival at the mansion yesterday, so she headed to find Kennedy to offer an apology. It wasn’t that hard to locate the newest arrival, she found Kennedy in the library, reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee. She politely knocked on the door before entering the common space.

“Hello...Kennedy?” She offered the best smile she could muster. “Hope you don’t me intruding, I wanted to apologize for being rude yesterday.”

“Oh Hi, Good Morning.” The blonde placed a silk bookmark between the pages she was reading and shut the book. “Don’t worry about yesterday. It seemed like there was a lot going on, not really the best time to meet new people.”
Kennedy tried to skim past the awkward details that had made everyone so uncomfortable.

“Besides I was kind of an unexpected addition to the day. Your name is Aurora, right?”

Aurora nodded. “That’s me” She offered the best smile she could muster. “Yesterday was...difficult to say the least. Having to tell everyone that you just got married, and that you’re pregnant, isn’t exactly easy. Plus my husband Scott.. Cyclops, had to leave. He’s got to find a home for us so it’s all kind of...up in the air right now!” She sighed, paused for a moment, then gave Kennedy an apologetic look. “Sorry didn’t mean to drop all that in your lap first day here.”

“Oh! Well, congratulations?” Kennedy didn’t really know what to say in response to all that information. They were almost the same age and the idea of having a baby felt overwhelming and stifling.

Kennedy wasn’t sure which news her parents would have hated more, her being pregnant or being a mutant. It was a sadistic version of ‘would you rather’ that made her mentally smirk.

“It does feel like a lot to deal with all in one day, and if you’re excited about it’s easy to talk about.” Kennedy took a sip of her coffee

“Have you been here long? Did you just graduate?”

Aurora shook her head. “I’m pretty new here actually, I was rescued the same time as Bobby. The Professor asked me to w

“Oh, well I hope you’re liking it. Everyone seems pretty nice so far, I think it will be easy enough to make some friends.”

Kennedy idley ran a finger over the spine of her book as they spoke. The motion brought her attention to it.

“I was assigned this book as summer reading from my old school, even though I’m not going back it was so good I wanted to finish it, it’s Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre. I recommend it if you haven’t read it.”

Kennedy offered her a small smile before taking another sip of coffee.

“Any plans for the future? Or is it just about the baby?”

“To be honest I’ve no idea!” Aurora offered a brief smile. “My baby comes first, I promised Scott I’d stay here and be safe so that’s what I’m doing. How about you? What do you see your future being like?”

“I wish I knew.” Kennedy huffed.

“I have my senior year of high school to finish and I was already accepted into Smith College. But it’s a really expensive school, and I don’t have the financial means that I once had so I’m not entirely sure how I would pay for it and if I did go I’m not even sure what I would study.” She looked down and fussed with the tassel on her bookmark for a moment.

“I guess we’re just a bunch of Lost Boys around here, unclaimed children who were whisked off to Neverland.” Kennedy looked up at her with a winsome smile.

“Maybe that’s why we’re all here together, to help each other figure it all out? Let’s take a moment to be selfish, what is something you love to do?”

“Me? Erm...” Aurora paused. “I like sitting by the lake, it’s peaceful, quiet. I take my studies and my reading along with me, and just sit and enjoy it.”

“I like the lake too.” Kennedy replied with a touch of enthusiasm. “My family has a house by the ocean. We usually spend all summer there, boating, swimming, and campfires on the beach. It was my favorite time of the year. It’s no ocean, but the lake is comforting with its serenity.”

Kennedy picked up her cup that once held coffee, disappointed that she forgot she had finished already.
“I think there are some old boats in that building by the lake. We should take one out to the middle of the water and go swimming.”

Aurora nodded. "That sounds like fun, it's been ages since last time I went swimming." she smiled warmly. "We could arrange to meet up here later, or maybe tomorrow when I've got less classes. The Professor certainly likes to make sure that students here get a good education, I have lessons galore!"

“Let’s try for tomorrow, it sounds like you’re busy today.” Kennedy stood up and collected her coffee cup and book. “I’ll see you later Aurora, have a good day.”

Aurora watched Kennedy go. "You too Kennedy."