Chapter 9: Skid Marks

Emma Frost sat on the front edge of her desk, arms crossed, leaning forward, enjoying the display her cleavage provided to her small class of students. As always, she was in white and as was her preference when teaching, she wore a thin gossamer long sleeved, collared shirt. Today, the sleeves were neatly folded, inversely to just below her elbows, but as always, only the bottom two buttons were buttoned, allowing all of her expansive cleavage to be seen.

Looking over her students sitting in various chairs and sofa's, she knew today's class would be a good one. She taught two "Mutants and Ethic's" classes and this one was the least advanced of the two, with all of the Year Three students being present as well as Tabitha, Rusty and Jubilee from the Year Two's.

Smiling at her students, "Ok, class let's get started. Phillip, this is your first "Mutants and Ethic's" class and even though this is your first day, I don't want you to hold back. From the conversations we have had, I know you will be able to contribute greatly to the class. Now let's start with something we have already covered once before, why does a mutant have to worry about ethics?" Looking over her students, "Rusty?"

"Well, Ms. Frost, because ultimately, we are talking right and wrong. Doing what is right and wrong."

"Very good, Rusty, but who decides what is right and wrong?" Knowing Jubilee didn't agree with the conventional wisdom of this answer, Emma called on her, "Jubilee?"

"Oh, that is easy; each person decides what is right and wrong. If it makes them happy, then go for it, I say."

"But..."

'Perfect'.

"Yes, Phillip? You would like to add something or counter Jubilee?"

"Uhmm, yeah, what if I like taking a carving knife to young oriental girls? Flaying them alive because I really enjoy their screaming and their eventual dying?"

Jubilee faced directly at Phillip, given him a nasty look, "Then I would say you are a weirdo."

Agreeing, "Yes, but under your definition, that is ok."

Turning her head back and looking smug, "Well if that is what you like."

Stacy had to interject, "So you are saying it is ok to kill. That anyone can do what they like if they get off on it?"

"Sure, people get killed all the time and there have been laws against killing for ages and ages, and the killing continues, so obviously the laws are wrong."

The sternness coming out of Rusty's voice startled most present, "Jubilee, have you ever KILLED someone? Have you? Because I have! I still have nightmares of that prostitute who was willing to give that very young and naïve sailor a good time, to make a man out of him. Only I wasn't ready for it. I was only 17. I wasn't ready for that and she died because of ME!"

Jubilee's smugness continued, "There, you said it yourself. You weren't ready for her, you shouldn't of been trying to get your wick wet."

"But Jubilee, what if Rusty did like frying prostitutes? What if he got off burning them from inside until they died in such agony? Is that not wrong?" Rachael pleaded.

Flippantly Jubilee countered, "Well, there is some sick girls out there, I am sure he would be able to find a few who would love to go that way."

"God, Jube's you can't be serious." Tabitha added with disgust in her voice.

"Why not, I mean, like, look at all of those whacked out girls that would love for a vampire to suck their blood. I mean, HELLO! Blood drinking equals your death ya' silly girls."

"Jubilee, what do you think of the possibility that what is 'ethical is what society allows?" Phillip asked, trying to use logic.

"Well, that is like, bullshit."

"Bullshit?"

"Yeah, bullshit! Society doesn't know its head from its ass. Look how many laws are so ... old and don't, like, work anymore."

Shaking his head in disgust, Phillip asked, "So I take it you don't believe in corporeal punishment?"

Pausing with an unsure look, "Corporal? Punishment? Hey, I like a good spanking as good as the next gal." Which caused a few chuckles from her classmates and for Sally to openly scoff at her.

"No, Jubilee, corporeal punishment is prison, and to an extent, society executing its worst offenders."

"Oh hell no, no way is someone going to jail me. I will bust out before they have a clue how cute I am."

Emma saw this as a good opportunity to move the focus away from Jubilee and her seriously hedonistic view of life, "Ok, let's move on class, let's look at another aspect of this equation, and for this purpose, Jubilee, let's assume that laws are a good thing and not to be broken."

Looking like that thought was alien to Jubilee, "What the hell fun is that?"

Giving Jubilee a nod, "None the less, lets look at ethics that way. Sally, you scoffed at Jubilee thinking most girls liked to be spanked." To which Sally demurely nodded agreement. "Ok Sally, what do you think if a mutant had the ability to cause pleasure, like Stacy here. Is it wrong for her to use her power and why?"

Keeping her eyes focused on her crossed hands in her lap, Sally nodded her head while her voice was very low, "Yes, I think it is wrong."

Causing Stacy to bolt forward like she had been just stabbed in the back, "WHAT?!? What do you mean it is wrong, what I can do is cause PLEASURE! What is the harm in THAT?"

Emma waved her arm at Stacy to calm her down, "Stacy, let Sally explain herself. Go on Sally."

Still looking at her lap, "You are invading them ... their space when you do that."

Not believing what she is hearing, "But it is a good thing. It isn't pain. It is fulfilling!"

"Not all, not all people want to be touched like that. It is a personal thing and you are taking it away from them." Phillip and Teresa, who were sitting on each side of Sally, noticed that she had tears running down her face. Phillip looked at Emma, who obviously was aware, even though she couldn't possibly see the tears hidden by Sally's hanging bangs, nodded at Phillip, conveying that she understood and everything was in control.

Stacy was still defending herself, "But ... how can someone not like what I can do to them?"

And Sally snapped, raising her head so everyone could see that she had been crying, "DO TO THEM? YOU ARE RAPING THEM! YOU are taking advantage of them. They aren't asking you to touch them and maybe they don't want to be touched. Maybe they don't want your 'pleasure'."

While Stacy was absorbing Sally's outburst, Jubilee added her twist to Sally's statement, "That and maybe some people want some pain with their pleasure." To which Emma gave Jubilee a scolding stare, "What? It is true, lots of girls and guys like a bit of pain with their pleasure, some like a lot of pain. Heh."

"Jubilee, that is enough." Emma spoke, thankful that they couldn't see her smiling inside.

Stacy recovered enough to respond, "Sally, do you think I am a rapist? That my power is to rape you?"

"I don't, I don't, no, I don't want you touching me. Yes, I think you are doing something not right." Sally spoke quietly while her head hung again and most couldn't see past her hanging bangs.

"But WHY? Why is my power so bad, so evil to you?" Stacy pleaded.

From the other side of the room, Rusty could barely be heard saying, "Oh, jeez here is comes again." Causing Phillip and Tabitha to look at him questionably.

Since Sally didn't answer Stacy, Stacy started pleading with her, "Please Sally, I have to know, why do you think I am evil?"

"You ... you're ... not evil."

"Then what Sally? What?"

"I don't like your power, that's all."

Illyana, who was mostly bored with this class, outside of a couple of Jubilee's comments couldn't help herself and joined in the debate, "That is stupid. Her ability is part of her. I don't like turning into a metal slug, but I do and I live with it."

"Now Illyana, while I am glad you decided to participate, don't you think Sally has a right to think what she does?"

"I don't know, Ms. Frost. Maybe, but I really want to know why she thinks Stacy is a pariah. So, Sally, why don't you like Stacy's ability? Don't cha' like sex?"

'Excellent.'

Sally continued to sob silently while not answering Illyana. Stacy, needing to know, so she carried on with Illyana's inquest. "Sally, is that it? You don't like sex? Please Sally, I need to know this. I need..." And then Stacy saw Sally's head shake side to side. "You ... you don't like sex?!?"

Sally lifted her head and looked directly at Stacy, "No."

Hearing what was anathema to her, Stacy couldn't stop, "But why? What could have happened to make you feel that way?"

"AW, JEEZ. Enough already", Rusty blurted out, "Tell them already! Tell them it was your father. Tell them how your father did things to you that a good father shouldn't do to his little girl!"

Sally's eyes drilled arrows of betrayal at Rusty, angered by his failure to keep her secret, then she saw the look of concern on her fellow students face and her anger evaporated and was replaced again by her tears. Minutes passed with Sally sobbing into her hands. At first no one moved, just looked at Sally or was lost in their own thoughts, and then Jubilee, followed shortly by Illyana, started fidgeting, adjusting their position, tapping their feet. Finally Sally lifted her face and spoke.

"My dad was great. It was just him and me. Mom died delivering me. Life was ... we were poor and didn't have a bucket to pee in, but life was good. We were happy. I was his tomboy who did well in school, making him proud and he worked and fed us and kept the house clean. Then it all changed. Something happened at work and he lost his job and the job that he got was even worse, money wise and he hated it. I was going through that change all young girls go through, but I was still a tomboy and at first, didn't' notice it. I remember the boys; they really loved it when I played tackle football with them. And dad, he started giving me more and more kisses on the face, telling me how beautiful I was."

Sally paused, took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "Then my dad started telling me how well I was developing and how sexy I was going to look. The local boys apparently agreed. I was getting a lot of attention from them and invite after invite to go behind the garage or on a date. All I wanted to do was play football with them, but that went bad too. We played a game and I went home and my privates were all bruised. I complained about it and they just laughed and said pinching and jabbing happens all the time to a running back when they get tackled.

"I played one last game with them. The guy I tackled didn't find it funny when I pinched his privates. He screamed, got up, yelled at me, I shrugged and told him that happens all the time and the next thing I know he was on top of me, grabbing my chest. Two more boys joined him and all I felt was their weight on me as they fondled me. After a few minutes I guess, two of the other boys started pulling them off of me. They helped me up and I just ran home, crying, to my daddy."

"After crying in my dad's lap for an hour, he insisted on seeing if I was damaged. Taking me by hand to the bathroom, he ran the water and then started stripping me, slowly, telling me it was alright and that he was going to take care of me. He ... he took his time examining me, gently caressing me. Telling me it would be alright. Then he bathed me and dried me. He actually made me feel good. But when he took me to my room, he insisted on kissing me on my sores, on my bruises, on my privates, on my chest, and between my legs. I begged him not to do that after I realized he wasn't going to give me a quick kiss to feel better."