Empire State University, the Dorm Room:
Emma reaches for her head, turns her back on Christie and strides across the room. In her mind Emma sees images of Ian and Christie laughing, hugging, kissing, and having a wonderful time.
Emma stops halfway across the room, gives Christie a cold look and assures her roommate she has never felt better. Emma informs Christie that she feels she is hiding something from her. Christie questions Emma about this. Emma tells Christie that since she did not come home last night and when she did return refuses to tell Emma where she has been; these actions make Emma suspicious that Christie has found a little romance in her life. Christie apologizes to Emma for having it all wrong. She tells Emma that her parents popped in from Wisconsin for a surprise visit and treated her to a night out. Since she was too tired to return to school, she crashed in their hotel room. Then Christie apologizes again for not calling Emma and letting her know she was ok. Emma tells Christie that she is glad her roommate is ok. Inside her mind, Emma calls her a liar and knows that if her parents did show up, Christie would be in a hurry to get them back on the plane.
Christie interrupts Emma’s thoughts by saying she has a library book to return and invites Emma to go along. Emma tells her she will pass. Christie tells Emma she will see her later as she heads out the door. As the door slams shut, the only work on Emma’s mind is traitor.
Empire State University: Somewhere outside on Campus:
Emma meets with Astrid for a lesson and shows her telepathically what has been going on with her and Christie. Astrid sees no relevance in this to either of them. Emma tells Astrid it is relevant since Christie has become such a traitor to Emma’s friendship. Astrid tells Emma that Christie is only human. Astrid draws Emma’s attention back to her lesson on the rudiments of mind control.
Astrid points our Professor Pinter and his dog Elvis. She tells Emma they come here the same time everyday for a walk and the walk always ends in Elvis getting loose and chasing the birds. Astrid informs Emma that today things will be different and the two will not leave without a fight. Emma watches and laughs gloriously as the birds chase the professor and his k-9 companion back the way they originally came from. Emma tells Astrid she hopes she can learn to do that so she can introduce Christie to some heavy traffic. Astrid’s inner voice sounds shocked as she tells Emma it would be unethical to take control of another human being. To Astrid, animals and people are in two very different categories when it comes to mind control. Emma tells Astrid to relax, it was only meant as a joke. Astrid tells her it is not funny.
Emma apologizes sarcastically for not being happy for Christie when it comes to Ian. After all, Ian was her first big crush. On top of that, Christie couldn’t even tell her the truth about the situation. Astrid informs Emma that the situation between Christie and Ian is really none of her business. She reminds Emma that she needs to focus more on her schoolwork and less on someone else’s love life. She also suggests that Emma start by concentrating on how to pass tests on her own rather than rummaging through the minds of her classmates for the answers. Emma sarcastically asks Astrid how to do this. Astrid replies just as sarcastically “I don’t know”.
Empire State University Library:
As Emma and Astrid enter the library Astrid reminds Emma that she can study to pass the tests. As Emma and Astrid stroll toward the book shelves Emma is assaulted by various thoughts of the students at the library doing work. Emma grabs her head and moans out loud. A Librarian at her desk reminds the girls to be quiet. Astrid tells Emma to visualize the strongest thing she can think of to keep the other students’ thoughts out of her mind.
Emma visualizes a diamond: pure, flawless, sparkling, and very strong. The librarian approaches them and informs them that if they can’t control themselves she has to ask them to leave. Emma recovers herself, looks at the librarian, and assures her everything is under control. The two girls walk to another section of the vast library past more studying students.
Telepathically, Emma asks Astrid what she just went through. Astrid tells her that when humans study their thoughts are very organized and susceptible to telepathic reception. Astrid also tells Emma that’s how she received her secondary education. She went to seminars and piggybacked onto others’ thoughts. That way, she acquired her own knowledge and everyone else’s as well. Emma tells Astrid that she is really impressed. Astrid informs her that’s it’s beyond impressive. Then she takes Emma away from the library as she still has tons to learn.
Two Days later: Education Class:
As Emma is about to leave her class she stops by the Doctor Genn’s desk and impresses her teacher with her knowledge of the subject she is studying. Doctor Genn tells Emma that she is impressed with her student’s knowledge of the early pioneers of education. Telepathically, Emma hears a familiar voice inside her head tell her to quit showing off.
She turns and sees Astrid waiting for her in the doorway of the classroom. Emma says her goodbye to the Doctor and hurries into the hallway to meet with her friend. The two friends stand on opposite sides of the hall and communicate telepathically through the crowd moving in front of them. Astrid accuses Emma of being a show off. Emma tells her to “shut-up”. Astrid directs Emma’s attention to Max, who is coming down the hall and thinking of asking Emma out.
Emma tells Astrid she feels bad about saying no to him. Astrid tells her that she doesn’t have to say no and reminds her that life is about moving forward. Collage is not a rerun of high school, its more about the changing of the guard and reminds Emma she has nothing to be afraid of: except she might stop liking Ian and start liking Max. Astrid tells Emma she is going to give them some privacy and vanishes down the hallway into the rest of the crowd.
Max approaches by saying a simple “hi”. Emma turns and tells him she would love to go the movies with him tomorrow night. Max, confused, agrees to the date.
Later that Evening:
Emma is getting ready for her date with Max and Christie is sitting on the bed reading a magazine. Christie tells Emma she is glad that she is finally giving Max a chance. Mentally, Emma thinks she is only glad because it will distract her from Christie and Ian. Verbally, she tells Christie she does not knowwhere her head has been and casually asks Christie what she has been doing these past few days. Christie replies “work and more work”. The images Emma receives are Christie and Ian going to dinner, a canoe ride, and then sightseeing. As Emma leaves she tells Christie not to “kill herself”.
Outside in the hallway Emma leans against the wall and adds mentally “unless its excruciatingly painful”. Emma knows her worst fear has been realized: Ian and Christie and getting along just fine.
Later that Night:
Emma and Max are walking away from a theater whose marquee reads “Heavenly Creatures”. Emma asks him what’s wrong? Max tells her he did not expect the movie to be so twisted or mind blowing and tells her it wasn’t exactly a good date movie. Emma tells him that she thinks everyone needs his or her mind blown now and again. Max tells her the movie is going to give him nightmares. Emma replies that she did not think he was the type to have nightmares. He tells to change the subject and then asks if she likes pizza.
Over pizza, Emma asks Max if he is or isn’t a mutant? Max tells her that with scouts from the NBA lining up to sign him on after graduation, he doesn’t think blue fur would be a plus. He also tells her that if he were a mutant he would not pass himself off as a normal human because there would be no challenge in it.
Later as the Pair Approach Emma’s dorm:
Max asks her if the date was half as bad as she thought it would be. Emma tells him that she really had a good time. Mentally, she knows he wants to give her a goodnight kiss. However, Emma is just not sure she is ready for that at this point in her life. Emma decides it’s best if she tells him to take it slow. She states: “Max, I am not sure where we are going, but I would like to take it slow”.
Max, however, responds quite differently by interrupting her. He angrily explodes. He tells Emma that he has been waiting for this speech all night. He tells her that he knows she thinks he is a “brainless, stupid jock”. Emma starts to deny it. Max grabs her by the shoulders and tells her to “admit it”, he tells her he knew this because she has acted superior to him since day one. Max shakes her violently and tosses her away from him. Emma tells him that this did not exactly tickle. Max just copies what she says, making fun of her tone of voice as he approaches her. Emma warns him not to come any closer. Max gets closer and takes a swing at her face, Emma ducks and remembers from freshman orientation that she is supposed to yell: “FIRE”.
Emma yells and then runs as fast as she can away from Max. Two other students open their dorm window because of her yell, and see her being chased directly below them. Suddenly, Emma finds herself in a blind alley with Max closing in on her. She apologizes to Astrid as she realizes that mind control is her only option now. However, her powers fail her and Max grabs her by the neck and begins choking her.
Two students, who observed her earlier, have made it to the scene. One boy calls Max a jerk and the other drags him off Emma. Emma grabs for the building as she sinks to her knees. Max pleads with the two boys to let him go but they only say “yeah, right. Especially after you busted that chick’s nose!” and yell for someone to call campus security.
Fifteen Minutes later inside a nearby dorm Emma is being questioned by campus security while another officer holds the curious students in check. However, Astrid recognizes Emma and manages to get through to her. Emma verbally tells her it was nothing but a really bad date. Astrid hugs her and telepathically asks her if Max knows she is a mutant or something. Emma picks the something. Astrid asks Emma where Max is so she can end his child producing capabilities. Emma tells Astrid that they have already taken him away. Telepathically Astrid hugs her again and say she is beginning to realize that the humans are way more barbaric than their kind. Emma reassures her that she is not hurt. Astrid tells her that she is not ready to lose Emma after being alone for so long.
The Next Day at the Dorm Emma is asleep in bed when she is awakened by a knock on her door. Emma has slept in her clothes and gets up to answer the door only to find Ian in front of her. He asks if he can come in. Emma tells him to do what he wants and lets him know that Christie is not in residence.
Ian asks her again if it’s ok as she does not sound like it is. Emma turns and asks him point blank if there is something going on between him and Christie.
