The Rival
It was quiet at Bayville High the day after the girl's soccer game. The cover up story Professor Xavier had planted in the minds of all involved had apparently worked. The only ones who seemed to remember were the X-Men and the Brotherhood. It seemed so weird that there were only a few that remembered the events that had occurred the night before.
"Jean!" Duncan Matthews yelled from the other end of the corridor. Jean spun around to greet him. He was carrying a red rose in his left hand and immediately hugged her, handed her the rose, and kissed her cheek. "Good job on the game last night. I know it got interrupted, but I know that you would have won if it hadn't."
"Thanks Duncan. You're so sweet."
"How about we meet after school? I'll drive you home?"
"Okay, deal."
"Meet me out at the bleachers."
"Okay."
"Bye beautiful!"
"Bye Duncan."
***
"Hey Jean," Scott whispered while their teacher was writing an equiation on the white board.
"Yeah?"
"Wanna go see that new movie after class?"
"I would love to, but I promise Duncan I'd meet him after class and he's driving me to the institute."
"Oh."
"Maybe some other day?" she asked.
"Okay."
***
After class, Jean gathered her things from her locker and headed out to the field. She looked on the bleachers, but Duncan wasn't there. She walked around looking at the damage to the field. The Brotherhood had split the field, and pulled apart bleachers and pulled the new hawk ornament off of its place. Jean heard some rustling in the shed next to the bleachers. Jean walked over to see that Duncan was in the shed, he was going through all of the stuff in one of the corners. "Duncan? What are you doing in here?" she asked him.
"Oh Jean! I didn't see you there! I was just looking for something."
"Oh, well are you getting ready to leave?"
"Yeah, but first I have to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Jean, why doesn't everyone remember what happened last night? What really happened?"
"Duncan, I don't know what you're talking about. The fireworks that they set off..."
"No, what really happened. It was you that kept the score board from falling on the new principal wasn't it?"
"Duncan?"
Duncan pulled Jean into the shed and shoves her against the wall. "Duncan let me go! Let me go!" Jean yelled at him. Duncan held her there and hoped she would stop screaming, but Scott Summers and Kitty Pryde soon overheard Jean's screams.
"Duncan let her go!" Scott yelled.
"Why? Because Scott Summers-a mutant told me?" Duncan asked.
"What?"
Scott, don't do anything, Jean told him telepathically.
"Just leave Summers!"
"I don't think so, Matthews!" Scott said grabing Duncan and giving Jean the opportunity to get away. She ran towards Kitty, but Duncan grabbed her wrist. "Let her GO!" Scott pulled at the hand that had caught Jean until he let go. "Jean. Kitty. Go to the car I'll be there in a minute."
"Scott..." Jean started.
"I'm not going to hurt him," he told her and they left. "You may think that you're a hot shot Matthews, but if you think that you can hurt Jean, then let me tell you another thing. I won't let you hurt her!" With that Scott walked away leaving Duncan Matthews in the shed.
The short ride back to the Xavier Institute seemed like hours. It was so silent. No one had said anything. Scott had turned off the music when he had started the car.
Finally they arrived and Kitty hurried to the front door. Jean took her time, as did Scott. Wolverine was near by washing his motorcycle when he saw that they looked upset and were not looking or talking to each other. Scott slammed his door. "I hate him!" he yelled at her.
"I'm sorry, Scott."
"Is that all you can say? He knows. He could have hurt you really badly. You've been ignoring me for the last two days and been all over that loser and you're sorry?" Scott said unfeelingly.
"What the hell is going on with you two?" Logan finally asked.
"Nothing. It's just that Duncan remembers last night and was trying to hurt me," Jean told him.
"It looks like he succeeded. Your wrists are bruised. You should see Ororo about that. Go inside," Logan told her as he and Scott watched her walk inside.
"She doesn't listen to me. I tell her to stay away from them, but does she listen? I'm just trying to look out for her."
"I know, but she will do what she wants even if you hate it. She likes to give everyone a chance and she'll make sure that tommorrow she gives that Duncan Matthews another chance."
"Why?"
"That's just how she is, Scott."