Andy decided to take one summer class - to make for a class he failed at his old high school in the hopes of a better future - and he was really starting to regret it...

Seated at his desk, he had been studying Chemistry (aka the worst subject ever) for what felt like hours. Okay, fine, it hadn't been hours. It had been minutes, seven long minutes.

With a sigh, he was about to read more of the first page of the first chapter on chemical reactions when, all of a sudden, he was bombarded by fantastic images of the coconut ice-cream that he remembered seeing in the freezer the last time he was in the kitchen. Despite his growling stomach, Andy tried to force himself to keep reading, refusing to let his eyes wander from the page. He knew it was getting late and his test, which he didn't feel at all ready for, was tomorrow. The problem was that he didn't want to. What he wanted was something cold and sweet.


A few minutes later...


"Ugh," Andy groaned, resting his face on his textbook as though he had given up.

You can do this, Andy. Your future depends on it, his brain reminded him.

Taking in a deep breath to regain his composure, he lifted his head back up and tried really hard to focus on reading the large chunks of tiny text in front of him, only to start thinking about ice-cream again. "Screw it," he spat out in a bout of frustration. He simply couldn't concentrate when he was hungry. "I got time," he assured himself as he stood up from his chair to leave his dormroom.

A quick trip to the kitchen couldn't hurt, or so he thought...

Tag: Gemma Taylor

It was late night snack time at the Mansion. If she was still awake, and did not have any other pressing issues to attend to, Gemma tended to perform some spot checks in the kitchen in the late hours of the night. If she caught kids that were too young to be up so late; she personally ushered them back to bed; if she caught people eating outrageous combinations of pickles and Nutella, she gently steered them towards some better choices. If someone seemed like they needed hot chocolate and a shoulder to cry on, which tended to happen late at night as well, she was more than happy to stay up and provide both.

This time, she was simply looking for some ice cream. It had been a hot day all day, and she had been too busy running errands to pause and relax; so now that the Mansion was quiet and the air cooler, she was sitting in the kitchen with the windows open, enjoying a bowl of ice cream. She looked up when someone else padded in.

"Hello there" she smiled, waving a hand from where she was sitting "Andy, right? Is everything okay?"

Andy entered the kitchen in a hurry. He hardly even noticed the woman sitting at the kitchen table. Eyes on the prize, he went straight for the freezer... But the prize wasn’t there. He poked his head further inside, ignoring the burst of cold air that swarmed his face as he searched almost desperately for the holy tub of coconut ice-cream. He came across other ice-cream flavors, like chocolate and vanilla, but coconut was nowhere to be found. Someone must have beaten him to it.

“Ugh!” Andy let out a groan of frustration, then shut the freezer door with enough force to make the entire refrigerator shake.

How was he going to be able to focus now? He was going to fail Chemistry. Again. What was he going to tell his parents? How was he ever going to become a marine biologist if he didn’t get good grades? Or even an X-Man, for that matter. Or maybe they didn’t care so much about grades as they did powers? But even in that department Andy felt like he was lacking…

>> "Hello there. Andy, right? Is everything okay?"

His eyes went wide upon remembering he wasn’t the only one in the kitchen. Quickly, he shoved his embarrassment behind a wide, toothy smile and turned around. “Hey, yeah, totally,” he assured the woman, who was probably a teacher, with the greatest tone of certainty he could muster. “I just really wanted some coconut ice-cream.”

Andy looked... a little frustrated, by the testimony of a fridge door that deserved better. Gemma knew an upset student when she saw one, and she also knew that if something fun had kept the kid up this late at night, he would have been more patient. Therefore, he was either studying, or had something on his mind. She asked if he was okay.

>> “Hey, yeah, totally... I just really wanted some coconut ice-cream.”

Gemma pushed the ice cream box across the table. Coconut was a good flavor, and sometimes hard to find; she'd bought it on a shopping trip the other day, hoping she would get a taste before the Mansion students scarfed it all down. She had just scooped her own portion out of it, and she had kept it on the table in case she decided to have more. There was plenty left in the box.

"Well, I can fix that." she smiled "Anything else I can help you with?"

The woman looked nice. There was a soft smile on her face that made him feel a little less embarrassed about his uncalled-for outburst. She also looked very calm, which was pretty much the opposite of what Andy had been feeling lately. Ugh, if only he could just swim all the time. If only he didn't have to go to school or get a job or save the world...

>> "Well, I can fix that. Anything else I can help you with?"

Andy eyed the box of ice-cream the woman pushed towards him with suspicion, almost as though it was an illusion. Maybe it was? Maybe she was playing tricks on him with her mutant powers? Or maybe that was the same tub of coconut ice-cream he had seen in the freezer yesterday? "No way," he spat out, his lips curving into somewhat of a hopeful smile. "Is that what I think it is? It's not a trick?"

Cautiously, Andy approached the kitchen table and rested his hands atop the box of coconut ice-cream, which felt just as he expected it would--cold. Relief washed over him and, for a brief moment, he felt like the luckiest boy in the world. Then reality hit, reminding him that no amount of coconut ice-cream would fix his problems. Plus, now he owed the woman an apology.

"Sorry for accusing you of using your powers to trick me, I just..." Andy took a breath. He wasn't used to opening up to others and much less to a stranger, but there was just something about her that made him want to for once. "I just can't deal with any more disappointment in my life right now."

Gemma watched the cautious hope appear in the boy's eyes as he saw the ice cream box.

>>"No way. Is that what I think it is? It's not a trick?"

"It's not a trick" she chuckled, shaking her head. Sometimes, the simplest pleasures in life, hot chocolate, coffee, or a good movie, could be powerful against all kinds of problems, at least for a momentary relief. There was chemistry to it too, and she was not above offering comfort in the form of frozen dairy products if it seemed to work.

>>"Sorry for accusing you of using your powers to trick me, I just... I just can't deal with any more disappointment in my life right now."

"No worries. Dig in." Gemma smiled, handing a spoon to the boy. There was still ice cream left in the box, but not enough that it would be shameful for a person to eat it all. "And I couldn't trick you, even if I wanted to. I'm not a mutant, I'm an adapted human. My name is Gemma Taylor."

>> "No worries. Dig in."

A wide, toothy smile stretched across Andy's face when the woman handed him a spoon. He was relieved she didn't hold his unfair accusation against him and excited to finally get his hands on the coconut ce-cream he had been fantasizing about for what felt like an eternity. Really excited. "Thanks so much," he said before dashing over to the kitchen cabinets to get a bowl. Having been at Xavier's for more than a week now, he already knew where everything was, so he found it in record time.

>> "And I couldn't trick you, even if I wanted to. I'm not a mutant, I'm an adapted human. My name is Gemma Taylor."

Setting the bowl on the kitchen table next to the box of ice-cream, Andy shot the woman a confused look, then pulled out a chair to sit across from her. How could she not be a mutant? Everyone at Xavier's was a mutant. And then she said something that didn't make him any less confused. "What's an adapted human? Is there really a difference?" he asked before scooping as much coconut ice-cream as he could fit into his bowl. Since there didn't seem to be that much left, the thought of eating it directly out of the box crossed his mind, but he wanted to respectful of others who might want to eat it later... should he not finish. Plus, a teacher was right there. 

"So, what classes do you teach, Mrs. Taylor?" he asked so as to carry the conversation as he enjoyed his ice-cream. A second later, he realized she might not be married or want to be married. "Or Miss Taylor..." he added, then commenced mentally kicking himself for his potentially offensive mistake as he scarfed down some more ice-cream. Stupid gender stereotypes. How could you fall for them? You have two moms! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

>> "What's an adapted human? Is there really a difference?"

"Yes, there is" Gemma chuckled. Apparently, yet another student managed to arrive to Xavier's without being informed that the guidance counselor had an aura that cancels powers. She really needed to talk to the Mansion Greeters about this. It seemed like important information to share, even if students like Andy could not immediately sense the difference. She had looked over his file and it seemed safe for him to be near her, but one could never be too careful... She would have explained further, but Andy became distracted by ice cream and other questions.

>>"So, what classes do you teach, Mrs. Taylor? Or Miss Taylor..."

"Miss, but not for long." Gemma chuckled. Her upcoming wedding was no secret at the Mansion, but Andy had not been around for long enough to know her or Jorge, or hear the news, probably "I am the guidance counselor. I have an adapted aura that cancels mutant powers, so I also help people with controlling their abilities, if needed."

Andy's salivary glands felt like they were on fire, exploding in anticipation, as he gazed down hungrily at the nearly overflowing bowl of delicious-looking coconut ice-cream before him. Finally, he thought, unconsciously licking his lips before-- "Mmmm, this is so good," he said, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the blissful taste of coconut that continued to roll around in his mouth even after the ice-cream melted.

>> "Yes, there is."

Gemma’s voice reeled Andy back to reality, reminding him that they were in the middle of a conversation… about something. Whatever, he thought as he shoved another spoonful of coconut ice-cream into his mouth. It probably wasn’t important, anyway. “This is literally the best ice-cream I've ever had," he said with a wide smile.

>> "Miss, but not for long."

Though she had every right to be, she was not offended in the slightest. She even chuckled. Andy breathed an inward sigh of relief, though made a mental note to never make the same stupid mistake ever again as he continued to dig into his ice-cream.

>> "I am the guidance counselor. I have an adapted aura that cancels mutant powers, so I also help people with controlling their abilities, if needed."

Andy’s jaw dropped slightly in surprise upon realizing she wasn’t a teacher at all, but rather the school guidance counselor. There he went again, making assumptions... But before he could even start mentally kicking himself, Miss Taylor said something so crazy that he nearly choked on his ice-cream. “You have a what?” he spat out, his eyes wide, as a sense of terror crept into his being. “You’re not using it now, are you?”

>>“This is literally the best ice-cream I've ever had,"

Gemma laughed, and made a mental note to buy more coconut ice cream in the near future, if the store still carried it. It was the summer, after all, and if the two of them could agree that the flavor was great, then other students might very well have the same opinion... Even if Andy spat out a mouthful the moment he heard what an adapted was.

>>“You have a what? You’re not using it now, are you?”

"I can't turn it off, it is permanent" Gemma sighed "But you are sitting just outside of it." she gestured towards the invisible line where her aura ended, a few inches away from Andy at the other side of the table. She had scooted back a little when he arrived, to avoid the shock of putting an unsuspecting student inside the adapted field.

Fear coursed through Andy, causing his heart to race. He gripped onto the edges of the kitchen table as though he was prepared to get up and run away at any given moment. He did not like the idea she was draining him of his mutant powers, which he cherished more than he expected anyone to comprehend. Not even the school guidance counselor. What was she doing in a school for mutants, anyway? How could she help students learn to control their powers if she was biologically designed to take them away!? Adapted humans weren’t mutants--they were thieves!

>> "I can't turn it off, it is permanent"

“What!?” Andy jumped up from his seat and started backing away from the adapted human as though she was the devil incarnate. He didn’t care how nice of a woman she was or how much coconut ice-cream she gave him; if she was going to permanently strip him of his beloved ability to breathe underwater and swim at incredible speeds, she could go to hell!

>> "But you are sitting just outside of it."

Andy placed a hand over his racing heart and heaved an audible breath of relief. He still didn’t want to take his chances, though, and so he stayed standing near the exit. In fact, he was probably better off leaving all together, but that would be rude, if not downright mean. Miss Taylor didn’t deserve that. I just have to keep my distance and I’ll be fine, he assured himself. “Are you sure I still have my powers?” Andy asked from across the kitchen, remnants of fear still visible on his features.

>>“What!?”

Andy jumped up and backwards as if he had been bit by a snake, or seen a particularly nasty spider. Gemma frowned, but she reminded herself that it was a reaction of surprise and self-preservation, not something aimed at her as a person. Andy was a nice kid, but apparently very much afraid of adapted powers. She remained calm, setting her ice cream bowl down for the moment to work through the situation.

>>“Are you sure I still have my powers?”

Gemma blinked, realizing the cause of his distress, and nodded slowly.

"Andy, adapteds don't delete mutant powers. They only get nullified as long as you are in my aura... you can't use them while close to me, but the moment you walk outside the aura, they are back to normal."

Andy couldn't imagine a life without powers. Even if he only had them for about two years, they were a part of who he was. They made his life... better. Sure, they were the reason he was called a big, fat cheater and kicked off his high school swim team, but who needed swimming trophies or friends when he could go to the beach every day and explore the great depths of the ocean, no snorkel or scuba tank needed... and now he was here, in this big, beautiful mansion, living alongside other mutants, all of which were naturally more inclined to be accepting of his differences because they were freaks themselves.

All sense of safety was shattered, however, the moment Andy discovered the school guidance counselor could take it all away if she wanted to. To Andy, his reaction was perfectly reasonable. That was until she told him she couldn't take away his powers permanently, only temporarily--for as long as he remained within her 'aura.' Andy's expression started to soften as he slowly came to accept this as a fact... and not as a lie. After all, Miss Taylor didn't lie about the ice-cream and it was doubtful she was lying about this. Plus, why would Xavier's hire someone who would harm their students?

"Oh..." Andy said, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment. Maybe he did overreact? "I'm sorry, Miss Taylor..." Taking a breath, Andy inched his way back toward the kitchen table and sat down. There was still a bit of ice-cream left in his bowl, though most of it was now melted. Ugh, he thought as he idly picked up his spoon, unable to shake the embarrassment... or the guilt of wrongly accusing an innocent woman twice in one day. Twice! No longer hungry, he sighed and said, "I should probably get back to studying for my Chemistry test..."

>>"Oh... I'm sorry, Miss Taylor..."

"It's okay" Gemma shook her head, smiling. "There's not many of us out there, and most people are not aware how our powers work."

It was really not Andy's fault that he did not have enough information. Stating things like she had could have gone either worse, depending on how fond of their powers mutants were. Some saw an adapted field as a horrible, painful thing, others a bother, and a few saw it as a rare opportunity. Or all at once. Andy looked ashamed of his reaction, but he had no reason to be.

>>"I should probably get back to studying for my Chemistry test..."

"Is that what's keeping you up so late?" Gemma tilted her head. "Is it an important one?"

Andy gave an inward sigh of relief, even though he wasn't completely surprised, when Miss Taylor accepted his apology. She was too nice not to. Still, he felt the need to apologize further and decided to purposely schooch his seat a little closer to her after he sat back down at the kitchen table. A part of him still felt weird, if not scared, about having his beloved mutant powers drained, but it was something he felt he had to do to feel like a good person again. A few moments ago, he had literally compared her to Satan. It was the least he could do. Plus, the effects of her 'adapted aura' were temporary. If they weren't, she wouldn't be working at a school for mutants; she'd be working for the government or the NYPD or something.

>> "There's not many of us out there, and most people are not aware how our powers work."

Andy couldn't help but internally cheer upon learning that there were not many adapted humans in existence, though he didn't dare to voice his opinion outloud or even smile. He simply nodded and looked down at what was left of his ice-cream. Then again, there were some mutants out there who used their powers for evil, so maybe a rise in adapted humans would be a good thing? In the wrong hands, though... Yeah, nevermind. Adapted humans were not and never would be a good thing. There were other, better ways of fighting bad mutants, such as the X-Men.

>> "Is that what's keeping you up so late? Is it an important one?"

Shit, Andy mentally cursed, his eyes wide in surprise, as he glanced down at the digital watch on his wrist. He had forgotten how late it was and let himself get distracted. "Yeah... It's kind of important." Oh, who was he kidding? It was really fuckin' important. If he couldn't pass Chemistry a second time, colleges would surely think he was stupid. He could even be held back... "Okay, it's really important, and I'm kind of freaking out about it," he admitted through a wide, toothy smile behind which he tried to hide all of his anxiety. "But it's going to be okay," he added, as though trying to convince himself. "I still got time..."