Phasing Through Life

Man! I can't believe that Jubes doesn't think I can handle myself! I mean, I totally went up against Doc Ock, right? Sure, I shrieked a bit and tried to run, but I seriously mucked up those tentacle thingies on the Octo-Creep!

So, like, I'm gonna show her. I've totally got this plan to get into Central Park. I know I can do it. I just have to concentrate and step forward and *BAM*, I'll like totally be inside the viney dome and maybe I can help the trapped people inside.

And like, I'm seriously not the only one trying to get in there. This guy Warren Worthington? He owns like a big company or something. He's trying to get in. I ran into him when I was wandering around the park perimeter, trying to check out a way in. Nothing. But! I like, totally found out that there's at least fifteen minutes or so between shift changes, since they like, do them at intervals. So if I can find a place where the police are switching out and someone hasn't come back in yet, it'll be totally great.

I'm gonna show you, ju-ju-be! I'll totally show you how great I am at this!

Okay, like, it's been forever and a day since I've written, right? But I've been super busy and all'a that stuff. Getting settled in a new school, taking extra classes at the Institute, and I've signed up for a night class at Columbia too. Not to mention I've got like super programming projects and lots of other stuff I'm trying to do.

But, like, that totally means I've been missing tons of quality time with my roomie, which is bad. I know, it like, makes me the worst friend in the history of friends. I'm a horrible, horrible person. I'm even more horrible 'cuz I like, woke her up yesterday morning. I mean, all I wanted to do was head out when there was a break in the rain, take the horses out for a bit, get them some exercise and stuff, right?

So we did that, and we totally caught up and talked boys. Sounds like the lil' ju-ju-be has two guys interested in her. One sounds like a total stalker creep. I tried to tell her that, but y'know Jubes. She's not gonna listen until it's too late. But I mean, this guy, like keeps forcing kisses on her and stuff, and sounds like he keeps trying to get her in trouble. I think I'm gonna talk to Mr. Sydney 'bout it, since she said he didn't really trust the guy either. The other guy though? Bryan? Sounds like a total sweetheart. Guess I'll have to meet him to play DDR or something.

So long as that like, occupies Jubes' mind and she doesn't try to set me up with Bobby. Sure, I got like a huge crush on the guy, but ack! She just like, better not tell him that!

So, I guess I'm like, supposed to go shopping with Miss Fiore in a little while, but I'm totally up early so thought I'd like write to my journal, right?  I've not been able to like, get out much, except to explore the grounds, and so that gives me little time to have like, gotten a gift for my 'hero'. Soooo I turned to a girl's best friend! The internet! Ordered something and it came the next day, which is good, and it's especially good that they called my cell phone ahead of time so I could like, smuggle it in through the gates. He totally seemed to like it too, which is just a great bonus.

But some boys are just really dense.

Okay, this place is like HUGE! Oh. My. Gosh! I've been totally lost at least three times in the last few days. I got on the elevator to go down to the main floor and like, decided to take the stairs back up. I went in the total wrong direction and nearly walked into someone else's room, and I haven't even like, explored the grounds yet or anything.

They've got stables though and I'm so totally gonna see if I can get someone to teach me how to ride. Maybe I can get a summer job or something and save up for my very own pony! We'll see, they're expensive, I know, and I have like, university and stuff to pay for. I can likely get all sorts of scholarships though!

Anyway, I was totally trying to relax when this other teacher came into the rec room. She's okay, I mean, once you get past that southern accent of hers. Then Jean came in and they were totally gossiping about boys and Mister Summers. They keep telling me I'm gonna like him best but uhh... he's like way too old for me! And like, anyway, I totally have a favorite of my very own already.

I made a picture of that superball kid for Jean last night before bed. Gonna totally stick it to the fridge like a grade-schooler just to be a bit of a brat. Tomorrow, I'm totally going shopping and then finishing up that closet-program I offered to make for Miss Fiore.

We got back and I totally called my parents. They freaked, mom sobbed, dad yelled... typical parent stuff, y'know? But after sitting down with them and telling them that I was gonna leave for Columbia come fall anyhow, they've agreed to let me stay.

On one condition:

I don't let this mutation thingy I have get in the way of my education.

Like, as if I would let this curse or whatever stop me from totally going to Columbia! I mean, dude! I love the school, I love the campus! The computer sciences department is one of the best I've ever seen! So what if I'll totally be the youngest kid there? I've got early admissions in there, and like, if I don't get in this fall, I'll just totally take extra classes or like, audit the ones I want to, right?

The only sucky thing is that the way this room is set up, looks like I'll be sharing with someone. I totally hope it's not someone that snores, or that's a total slob.

But the best thing? Bobby totally called me Kit-Kat again! Sure, it makes me sound like a chocolate bar, but it feels nice to have a nickname.

*written from her PDA on the bus*

Sooooo... I'm like, on the bus back to Westchester with this super cute and funny boy. He says he's from that school that I went to for testing. I dunno why I totally believed him. I guess it's 'cuz he seemed like, way laid back about my super-secret-alien powers or whatever. I mean, I totally turned into a babbling freak but he had food!

We like, ate and talked, and he convinced me to come back with him. I guess I might'a worried people or something, but as my run-ins with Doc Ock have proven, I can totally look out for myself!

Still, I think I'm gonna give this school a chance if mom and dad let me. Maybe they can fix what's wrong with me, or maybe they can totally help me so that I don't run through walls any more and freak out nice strangers that were just trying to help me out...

Dude! Seriously! Nowhere in this city is safe! I was totally just minding my own business, sitting on a bench in Central Park. Y'know, like, not too far from the hostel I've been staying at, right? Caught up in the book, I was ignoring the world at large. Trying to like, get a bit of peace and quiet. But ohhhhhhh no! Not a chance! Not in this city!

I heard a skreel.

I freaked. I totally tossed my book at some stranger dressed like a luau in the middle of winter. He was wearing a mask too. I'm kind'a hoping he was going to a costume party, but he totally took the whole Octo-freak incident in stride. Like that kind'a thing happens all the time.

I'm totally beginning to think that it does, 'cuz I mean, like wow... too much weird stuff going on in this city.

What's weird 'bout all'a this though? The Octo-freak totally told me to get inside to keep myself safe from monsters. I mean, he's a monster, isn't he? I just... I don't understand him! Why is he like trying to look out for me? Or maybe, he was like, calling me a monster 'cuz'a what I did to his robo-arm?

Whatever. The hostel by the park isn't like, safe any more and I'm totally running out of places to go. I'm loathe to admit it, but maybe that Professor guy and Jean can help me out. If I like, don't find a place to stay tonight, I'll totally call my mom and see if they'll at least discuss me staying in Westchester for a while...

*ENTRY MARKED TO PRIVATE*

Okay, so like... it happened again. I don't know how it happened, but I totally dragged someone through a wall with me. This? This curse? It's like totally starting to wig me out. I just keep thinking I'll like, wake up from this nightmare and be at home in my bed in Deerfield, with my little dragon plush sitting down by my feet grinning up at me.

Yes, I totally still have a stuffed animal. There's like nothing wrong with that! Except thinking of it makes me miss home all the more.

There's this youth hostel near Central Park I've been staying at. It's like $20.00/night which isn't bad. I'm almost outta my reserves of money, but I think I've got enough to last a few days. That Jubilee girl would totally love it here, like wow! I mean, the other girls are kind'a just like her. They even dress the same! I was totally freaking at first 'cuz I thought she'd be here, but I'm kind'a glad she isn't. I mean, it lets me think about all this crazy mutant stuff, right?

But, I totally wouldn'a dragged this guy through a wall if a bomb hadn't gone off in Times Square yesterday. I mean, they had it shut down for part of the day and I was rerouted through another place and wound up by this creepy church. I ran into a boy, who was totally cute and totally gonna help me find my way back to the park, but we were set upon by muggers. Then this devil thing jumped out of the sky at us and there was a knife involved and I panicked again.

Then we started running, only I swear we weren't actually touching the ground.

Then we went through the wall.

And I panicked again and totally ran off.

I feel bad, 'cuz like the guy was nice, but I mean, he like totally turned into a superball.

I want. To. Go. Home.

*ENTRY MARKED TO PRIVATE*
I don't know what's happening to me. I don't get it. I don't want this, and yet... it helped me?

Here's the deal, right? I like, went to the Bronx Zoo, 'cuz no one would think to look for me there. I stayed late, 'cuz they were like, totally having this whole new exhibit thingy. For that World of Darkness spot. You know where all the animals have to be in a certain light otherwise they freak and shriek and run away? That one.

It was pretty cool. I mean, they were octopuses. Octopi? There were a few of them anyhow. And they spit acidy-gooey poison. I think they're freaks of nature, or like, modified like a lot of our food is now, y'know? Either way, the guy standing beside me? TOTALLY DOC OCK! The big tentacle guy from the Bugle! I noticed it and I like, ran into the crowd. To get an umbrella. To defend myself with.

It totally didn't work. I sure could'a used Jubilee and her fire-power. I mean, she totally could've done something useful, right?

Me? I froze. I panicked and I just stood there gaping like an idiot. My umbrella got snagged, I got snagged... even a little octopus got snagged. Those tentacles have a death grip like HOLY WOW. I thought it was gonna crush me. When it went to lift me up though? I totally didn't go with it. And uhh... I think I broke it. I mean, I didn't mean to break it. It just kind've broke. Y'know? Like the circuits fizzled or something. Then the other tentacle thingies started like, clicking and whirring, and while it was pretty cool... one of them made a serrated blade thing.

I thought I was gonna be dead.

But he stopped them. The guy. Doc Ock. Whatever you want to call him. He stopped them. He saved my life.

I don't know why.

But like, maybe he's not as much of a monster as the Daily Bugle makes him out to be?

I'll never know now, 'cuz he like totally left when the thing got all fizzled and confused.

Also? Ewww. I like, punched an octopus and got slimey all over my hand.

I think I need a place to stay other than the mall. Jubilee will look for me there soon enough and I'm like, totally not ready to head back to the mansion yet.

I don't even know where I am right now. The last few days have been seriously like, messed up. We got to New York, I met that girl Jean who seemed nice and wanted to, like, help me and stuff, right? Then we got the tests back from Doctor O'Connell and he basically said that my headaches don't exist. I'm totally not making them up, but they don't exist, what?

So I told mom and dad 'bout that place. The one Jean mentioned. They freaked. They told me that we were going home, and that was that, y'know? I mean, that's fine and all but don't they wanna know what's wrong with me?

Mom decided to take me shopping to cheer me up, but we separated at the mall. No way I wanted to look at old-woman clothes with her or whatever. I just totally went up to the ice cream place and met this girl who was carrying around fireworks. She was pretty cool, and convinced me to head to Westchester to get the tests done without my folks.

I wish I had just stayed with my parents and gone back to Deerfield.

The place, this private school, the Institute or whatever it's called? It totally rocks. From the outside at least. The grounds there are like, waaaaay huge! They've got stables, and a lake and everything. Jet skis too probably, and boats and lots of fun stuff. I didn't see any of the classrooms or whatever, but they took me down to the infirmary and ran some tests.

I wish they hadn't.

When they were over, Jean came and told me that I had a gift. That I wasn't human.

That's worse than aliens in the brain. Totally worse.

It's a curse. I'm not normal. I'll never be normal again.

I panicked.

I ran.

Now I'm in some internet cafe in Manhattan, sending off this journal entry to my blog but like, if any of you reading this tell my parents where I am, I'll totally never ever speak to you again!

Oh man! I was in soooooo much trouble when I met up with mom. I swear, she like, thought I was kidnapped by that Doc Ock guy that she saw on America's Most Wanted last night. I like, tried to tell her it was just a media gimmick to get more people to read the Daily Bugle, but she doesn't believe me at all. I kind'a wish she'd just relax. I mean, if there is something seriously wrong with me, I'd rather our time together here wouldn't be all panic and worry.

I was late for a good reason too! It's not like I was running through the alleyways looking for danger, or trying to protect people in need! I was just caught up in wandering around the university campus and like, talking to this really nice student from there. It's funny, y'know? But I like, totally felt at ease talking to her. Maybe it's 'cuz she wasn't all up in my face about being so young, or maybe it's because the stuff she was saying was like talking to someone my own age. I don't know what it was, but she like, gave me a name and number for some guy she says helped her out when she had headaches.

I haven't like, given the paper to mom or dad yet. All they'll do is wig out 'cuz I talked with some stranger and told her all the medical stuff that's going on. We're gonna go see Doctor O'Connell this afternoon and if he hasn't figured out what's wrong with me, maybe I'll like, give them the info and let them check out this Professor Xavier guy.

They won't do anything about it. I mean, they'll check, but then they'll likely whisk me back to Deerfield and lock me up in the house. Do you know how boring it is to sit in the house all day? Even if I had my computer, I'd be like, going totally insane!!!

---

So, like, we totally landed at LaGuardia a few hours ago and took a taxi to the hotel. I'm kind'a like, glad I didn't get a migraine on the plane, 'cuz I'm not certain if I would've ended up in the cargo bay or not. I mean, it like totally sucks to get a headache, black out and like, not know where you are.

Tomorrow we've got an appointment with Doctor O'Connell, who's going to run all these tests like CTs and MRIs and other stuff on my brain to see if he can't figure out what's going on with these pesky headaches of mine. I'm like, really not looking forward to being all poked and prodded like a lab rat, but I guess it's like, better than the constant headaches.

I really hope these things don't take too long, 'cuz I want to, like, check out the Columbia University campus and tour around the city a bit. I've totally never been to New York and I hear that the shopping here is like, the absolute best!