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Relax? Have You Said Relax?: Chapter Two
On the other hand, contrary to Samantha and Bryan, Maria, a young Italian holidaying at Sara's home, her american pen friend, didn't seem to be aware about it...
"Ma of che are you talking?" she asked in a little italianised English.
"Haven't you seen these reports about the mutants which inundated the TV channels some months ago?" wondered Bryan
"Si, of course, ma brevemente," answered the young girl. "Our television hasn't said too much about it, perché?"
"Well, Sara's sister, Jean, and the friends she'll bring with her, are X-Men, mutants if you want."
Maria opened rounded eyes.
"Blimey!...ma, aren't they pericolosi? On the televisione, they said they were training for the guerra.”
"Don't listen to what the media says," made Sara in a quiet voice. "Most of the mutants are good people -- particularly the X-Men who are taught to control their powers and to use them wisely -- At the beginning, they're humans like you and me, but they've evolved more quickly, a lot more quickly...In a way, we are their ancestors."
"Don’t make ourselves look older too quickly," said Bryan before his wife cut the conversation.
"Ok, Mathilde is ready, here we go!" said Samantha, cutting short the conversation.
***
After almost one hour's drive with a good speed, the X-Van had just turned into the beach's parking. Despite the imposing dimensions of the car, Scott didn't have too much difficulties in finding a place; after all it was only 9.30 a.m.
The ocean, with limpid blue water, expanded to the horizon, a slight swell was producing just the waves required to assure good bathes. The fine-sand zone was already almost filled, but some free-place was remaining.
The people in charge of the little group of mutants needed already to restrain the enthusiasm of some of them…
"No," said Scott.
"But it'd be easier!" argued Kurt; his hologram was projecting a view of a young Wagner wearing a shirt with hawaiian-colours and a boxer quite as colourful.
"I doubt whether that the sudden appearance of an adolescent surrounded by a pile of bags goes unnoticed..." supported the leader.
Cyclops was also wearing a beach's Bermuda-short, but enhanced by a shirt with less aggressive colours; his ruby-quartz sunglasses was giving to him a particularly attractive look.
"Scott's right," approved Ororo, wearing a long and vaporous sky-blue dress, her pure-white hair was restrained by a simple headband. "Each one carry his bag and assume it; moreover, we'll share the provisions."
"Ok ok," said Kurt, raising his shoulders, not at all hurt. "I was just purposing it to be of help to you, that's all."
Bobby, totally disregarding the conversation, took a deep breath by opening his arms to perfectly fill up his lung. "Hmmmm, can you smell this good sea-breeze?"
"Sniff, sniff, me, I don't see difference with the one of the institute," answered Amara.
"Of course there's a difference! The emanations of the chips, sun-lotions and apple doughnuts!" joked Tabitha.
Wearing her hair in her way, with her two little golden ponytails behind her head; dressed with a short really short, a top showing her navel and having her sunglasses and some studs in her ears, the young girl was sporting her accustomed rebellious look.
Jean quickly spotted a bar with pavement and dancing called 'The Atlantis' and led them along in that direction.
"Sara said that they'd wait us in front of this bar, near the beach-volley pitch."
At these words, Bobby and Kurt opened their eyes wide.
"Like before I'm going to be obliged to say to you no and even add: certainly not!" said Scott, catching them unaware.
"But you don't even know what we wanted to say!" protested Kurt.
"No need to be a telepath to know that you were tempted by the perspective to do one match or two..." smiled Ororo
"Yes," admitted Iceman. "And why not?"
"We've already experienced this kind of sport with the base-ball Bobby; a match without powers is not in your line," reminded the young man. "The goal is not to attract attention to us; so, I'm sorry to disappointed you, but we’ll have to be satisfied with bathes and relaxing, it's wiser."
They all nodded, even the two protesters, understanding perfectly that he was right.
"And now, like, to us the shellfishes and the fine sand!!" said Kitty with an overflowing enthusiasm as she had just put her foot on the beach.
The little group cleared a way between the numerous tourists basking in the sun. Some people had taken care to rest in the shade, others might have come here for days, and judging by their lobster-red flesh, peeling in spots, they stayed in the sun without taking any precautions.
Storm leading the way, Scott and Jean, hand in hand, bringing up the rear, they made their way calmly toward the place indicated by the telepath. The frivolous atmosphere was already here: Bobby was chatting up with Amara by playing the gentleman, purposing to carry her bag, as Tabitha, Kurt and Kitty were poking fun at them in a rather exasperate way. At least, since some time; the adolescents seemed to have changed theirs targets and the two oldest students of the professor could take the liberty of hoping for a slight tranquillity.