Summer's End

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee's expression softened. "He'd say you don't have to run away to be special. We were born special." Impulsively she reached out and squeezed Jim's hand before releasing it.

[Jim Lewinski]

"Yeah."

It was a bashful, non-committal, response. Jim wasn't sure whether or not he believed that: sure, mutation was awesome and fascinating, but it didn't make someone exceptional, that was down to personal achievement. So strongly he'd believed that the Cullen's Institute was the key to his success - a place where he could truly thrive and flourish and allow his imagination and intellect to take flight. Now he wasn't sure such a place existed. How could he relate that to someone without sounding like the world's worst egomaniac? He sighed, and then gave the pamphlet a tap.

"So, what do you think?"

[Aimee Connors]

"Honestly? I could never afford a place like this." Aimee had already dismissed it as a possibility, and was back to moving furniture around in Troy's apartment in her mind. "I sort of... well my friends have room. And I don't want to be a bother around here..."


She hesitated, and then the moment extended a little too long and she made a face.

[Jim Lewinski]

Jim wasn't silent because he was having difficulty understanding. In truth, no sooner had the words tumbled from her lips than he'd considered three different responses to them, each as pointless as the last. No, he was silent because he was hoping he hadn't understood, that, perhaps, Aimee had not made herself clear. And then she made that face.

"Wh- You're moving out?" he asked, incredulous, "Aimee, you haven't even moved in yet. How can you move out if you haven't moved in? It makes no sense!"

[Aimee Connors]

"Uh," said Aimee, caught off guard. "That's a... good point. But!" she added, not willing to concede defeat, "Troy is the closest thing to family I have. I can't just - I mean, I said I would... oh fuck it all, I have no idea what I'm doing."

She threw up her hands and flopped back into the pillows. On top of it all the weird conversation with Mrs. Smith continued to percolate in her brain, and she pulled a pillow on top of her face. "Can we just watch the movie?" she said, muffled by the cushion.

[Jim Lewinski]

"I guess so."

Jim studied the pillow with concern, trying to imagine the face underneath. He wondered if Aimee was as confused as she made out or if she was just too tired to debate. A niggling doubt scratched at the back of his mind that made him feel suddenly foolish surrounded by pillows and DVD cases and that stupid school pamphlet. It stank of desperation. No wonder she wanted to leave. And what was with this Troy guy?

"Sure," he decided, feeding the disc into the player, "No big decisions."

He found a spot on the floor next to Aimee and crossed his legs. When she finally abandoned the safety of the pillow, he smiled, "There's always tomorrow."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee smiled with relief as she emerged from her temporary shelter. "It's only a day away." She settled back as the huge TV lit up with the DVD menu, and took a deep breath.

She'd make her decisions tomorrow.

Maybe.

The movie started, and she couldn't help but think that summer was truly over. No matter what she ended up doing, she was never going to be able to go back to the way things were, back at the House. The trick was remembering that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.