Life, Love, and Being an X-Man

By: Muse

The strange, albeit melodic, notes of the A Dorian scale can be heard resonating from Keith Schultz's room everyday in X-Mansion about one hour before dinner- if he's home that is. Considering he's only been there for three weeks, he usually is in the mansion at this time. While he has only formed what he'd refer to as "jello bonds" with the X-Men, he's making a good effort to turn jello into gold, in a manner of speaking. A New Jersey Native, and recent recipient of an **MSW from the Columbia school of social work; Keith is taking a year off before going into social work to try his hand at the X-Business after some VERY consistent prodding from the Professor.

Getting back to the A Dorian, those notes seem to be building into a strange, never-before-heard solo. A skilled guitarist (and actor) he has a knack for letting his fingers fly over the fretboard during his practice sessions. Today they draw the African ex- (or should that be X?) goddess Ororo Munroe.

"Keith? Keith? Keith!" she says, not angrily just loudly in an attempt to make herself know.

"Hmm? I didn't catch that?" He says, lowering the volume, but not turning his head. Suddenly, as if sensing something he turns around quickly, "Sorry about the Ororo, sometimes I let my playing get the better of me," he says with a warm smile.

"I'm sorry, I was just coming up to say that dinner is almost ready."

"Thanks," he says.

"You play very well," Ororo adds, stepping into the room a bit more.

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it, I'd hate to think I was bothering anyone."

"Oh no, it isn't like that horrid garbage Robert blares," she said, grimacing at the thought of Mase and Chumbawumba.

"I hope not," he chuckles. Please, sit down. If you can find room that is. Hope you've had your tetanus shot."

She laugh slightly, and takes a seat in a blue inflatable chair. "Perhaps I should stand," she says, immediately sitting up.

"Not to comfy, eh? It's about all I could fit in here," he says sheepishly of his room crowded with book shelves, a computer desk, and not to mention walls with pictures of actors and musicians, periodical cut-outs, poetry, posters of not-to-recent movies and bands, cartoons, and other knick knacks. His four walls are a veritable collage.

"It is a very interesting room though. Every time I come in I feel I spot something new."

"It is unique. Water? Diet coke? Leftover pizza?" He asks, getting a soda from the miniature fridge which occupies one corner of the good sized bedroom.

"I'll pass."

"I don't blame you, this seems to be growing things," he says removing the pizza box. "I'm usually not such a slob, absent mind professor yes, but not a slob. I'm still getting used to the schedule and the place itself."

"It is rather hectic and intimidating, no need to justify yourself."

"Thanks. It's good to have the nights off too."

"Agreed. Although some of us do partake in late night Danger Room sessions."

"So I've heard, literally. Logan is liked having some action flick playing all night long."

"I can imagine."

"So says the woman who sleeps in the attic," he jokes

"Touché, however I did say imagine," she replies with a rare, wry, smile.

"Hey Keith, if you do the dishes, I'll do whatever your chore is," Bobby asks, ever ready to get out of undue punishment, i.e., work.

"Done deal," Keith says with a grin, furiously shaking Bobby's hand. He can clean toilets all he likes, I'm happy to do dishes with Ororo.

Gee, he sure was eager. Maybe I should ask what his.... nah.

"So we meet again," Keith grins stepping into the kitchen.

"It would appear that way. What happened to Robert?"

"I guess he decided he'd rather clean toilets."

"Excuse me?"

"I had bathroom duty, we swapped. I think he thought I had garbage duty or something more mild. Oh well, to quote Paul Simon, 'who am I to blow against he wind?'."

"Indeed. Would you rather wash or dry and put away?"

"Normally I'd say either, but considering I tried to put a glass in with the pots and pans when I got in last night, I'll wash."
"Fair enough."

"You should come out sometime Ororo. There's great music to be heard in the City among other things to behold."

"Perhaps." Was he implying with Remy and Logan, or with just himself? Or with himself and his other friends? I hope he was implying with just himself... this is irrational. I should not be concerned with such things.

"Hello? Ground control to Storm? Come in please."

"Oh I'm sorry, I was think about something that happened in my training session today. What were you saying."

"I was wondering if you wanted me to dry that," he said, referring to the glass in her outstretched hand.

"Oh yes, thanks you," she said, trying not to blush. That was terribly intelligent.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I think I am just tired."

"Ditto. I think I'm going to have to restrict pulling all nighters to Fridays, Saturdays, and the nights before my days off," he lamented.

"That would be the wiser choice."
"I ought to be used to it, with school and all. However, school isn't always a real fool proof blockade of night clubs and things of that nature."

"I can imagine."

You're boring her and rambling! "Not the most exciting of chores, eh?"
"No," She smiled. "Tell me Keith, do you miss living in the City, as you call it."

"Sometimes, but I did choose to come here. It's an experience, ask me again in a year," he replied. "What about you? Do you miss Africa?"

"Sometimes, sometimes I miss it very much. This is my family, I love them, but there is something to be said for fresh air and untouched beauty. It is a simpler life I grant you, but that can also be much more luxurious."
"We agree there. I adore the tropics, and the mountains, and all of that.."

"Tell me, have you ever visited there?"

"Africa? No. I always wanted to though. I've done a lot of community service trips to very far off and exotic places, but I never got over there."

"Where have you gone?" She asked, curious of his endeavors.

"Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Caribbean, a Navajo Reservation, and some other places. I really like that sort of thing."

"Yes, I got a "natural high" from helping the people in my village as well. I enjoy knowing I have made someone's life better."
"I agree," he said, flashing her a warm smile. "I was a counselor at a camp too. I taught theater."
"Wasn't that one of your majors in college? Theater?"

"Correct. I love the stage, that is one thing I do miss."
"Supposedly you were quite the acclaimed actor."
"I wouldn't say was, exactly. I'll be back eventually. Definitely after this year, even if I do stay on."

"Do you miss it that much?"

"I think it was my first true love. There's a kind of magic for me on stage. I consider myself born with a gift, as strange as that may sound. It just comes naturally, second nature. And it's beyond therapeutic, it takes away all my pain, and grief, and sorrow. I love it, I really do."

"I suppose nature has that effect on me, if only to a lesser extent."

"Well, if I were an X-Man, theater might not be able to take all my problems then either. I mean, you guys have gone through a lot. And I think it's pretty mutual between everyone, that it's far form over."

"Yes," she aid, looking down bitterly.

"But without you guys there would be no end in sight, and now there is," He added.

"True. It is hard though Keith. It does take quite a bit out of you. It isn't easy when you've failed as many times as I have."

"Failed?"

"With the morlocks, with Forge, to name a few."

"Pardon me, but Forge was not your "fault". That guy had some serious entitlement issues, he was misguided. It was his "fault" as much as it was your own. Love is supposed to be unconditional and flexible. As for the morlocks, from what I understand, you did all you could."

"Where it's good to hear you say that Keith, you were not there. It does not help much. But thank you."

"I'm hard on myself too," he related. "When I was a kid, I used to have nervous breakdowns. I put a lot of pressure on myself. It wasn't easy for me growing up. Sure I had, and still have, great parents, but they did divorce. And that is not easy, under the best of circumstances. Some of you may look at me and see a rich, white kid from the 'burbs , but that's a really empty label. I had just as hard a time as anyone. There have been plenty of times I feel like I failed or that I didn't do enough or that I was unable to do anything at all."

"But Keith your mutancy-"

"Never go t in my way? Ororo, I'm not talking about mutancy. I'm talking about life. In case you haven't noticed, it's not easy. Mutant or not, I still had to grow up. That in itself contains a great many losses, and so called, failures. But you have to let them go. You have to find new things that keep you happy, and excited. And never forget what you do have."

"That is never very easy either."

"I concur. But take a look around. You have your health, your friends, and for all your hardships, you're a lot better off the than the kids I worked with at *Covenant House. Abused, addicted to drugs, both, worse."
"That is horrible. You do have a point Keith, but you are also correct when you say it isn't easy."

For a few moments there was silence.

"Look at us, it's a great night outside, there haven' t been any sentinal attacks, and we're in here depressed."

"It is odd," she said, looking up from her work. She shuts the window.

"Cold?" he asks.

"A little."

"Here," he says, taking off the denim shirt he had on over the black T-shirt underneath it.

"Thank you," she says, accepting it.

"And no more angst, form either of us. Even though it seems a prerequisite for becoming an X-Man."

"Agreed, on both counts," she smiles.

"How about some music?'

"Why not?"

"Anything in particular you'd like to here?"

"Something up beat."

"That's real specific,' he says sarcastically, but with a grin. He whips around, "I just had a better thought, it still is kind of early, wanna go out for some coffee?"
"All right."

 

"And so then they towed it and we left," Keith added sheepishly, ending his childhood tale of the time his housekeeper's car blew up in the school parking lot.

"That is both outrageous, and hilarious," she said, drying the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"It wasn't at the time," he smirked. "So what about you? What was your most embarrassing moment?"

"Honestly, I did not have the luxury to become embarrassed as a child, although I did have a lot of fun. Being a thief may not be typical, but it is much more exciting than most upbringings. And I did not go uneducated either."

"Ororo if you told me you went to Harvard I'd believe you in a second. Do you miss Achmed at all?'

"Sometimes I do, yes. Mostly on holidays, or when the others talk of their parents it reminds me of him. He was a good man Keith. In a dishonest world, he gave us purpose, and a place to belong. I grant you he was no messiah, but he was a father. I loved him."

"I can see that. Have you been back to Egypt at all since his death?"

"No," she shakes her head. "I have neither the time, nor the presence of mind. It would be very hard for me, I am not sure I am ready. So much has changed for both me and my homeland. Where rebels fight in Kenya, terrorists still bomb in Cairo. It gives me nightmares to think about it."

"Does it still haunt you?"
"Yes", she said quietly, as if ashamed.

"Ororo," he said, taking her hand, "any kind of childhood trauma is such that you never fully recover. My parent's divorce was hardly what you went through, and a small part of me still wishes it hadn't happened. My stomach still clenches if my mom and stepdad or dad and stepmom fight. It's natural. Anyone who tells you that you have to be strong, and that crying is for children, clearly hasn't a bloody clue what life is."

She looked at him, probing him deeply with her eyes. Part of her wanted to rebuke him- tell him he didn't understand. But the majority of her saw his point, and agreed. "You are a very insightful man Keith. It has been along time since I have laughed this much, and had such a rich conversation with someone. Perhaps too long."

They kissed a kiss that would have put Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy to shame. No "PDA" was something Keith never put much stock in as a hopeless romantic, and Ororo, well, she said it best "it's been too long".

"Well, good night then," Keith said sheepishly at the foot of the stairs leading to the attic.

"Good night," Ororo replied. They stared at one another for a few moments.

"I usually don't..."

"Neither do I......", Ororo agreed. "However, tonight is something neither of us want to spend alone I gather?"
"Not at all," he replied.

 

They lay, a tangled mass of sheets and skin. Her head was on his chest. He stared up at the ceiling, one arm draped casually around her. She felt secure, elated. He felt as though he were in paradise.

"That was wonderful," she sighed.

"Words don't describe," he said, reaching over to turn out the light.  

 

**- Masters of Social Work

*- Covenant House is asocial work organization. It is real. All rights reserved to its proper owners. Keith interned here while gettinghis masters.

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