Empire State University, the Library:
Emma has just walked in the door when her cell phone rings. She answers because it is Ian. He tells her things that surprise her and her voice gets louder with each surprised exclamation she speaks into the phone. The Librarian behind the desk puts her finger over her mouth and makes a “SHHH” sound at Emma. Annoyed, the girl asks Ian to hold and turns to the Librarian. She addresses the Librarian by name and tells her to quit venting her frustrations regarding her failed acting career on the students and to either go on auditions or back to the card catalogue. The Librarian just stares at Emma with her mouth open while Emma walks out the front door and onto campus.
Later that Morning, Near Campus: Ian’s Apartment:
Emma is sitting on the couch cradling Ian’s head in her lap as he proceeds to tell her about his encounter with Christie the night before, at his office. He tells Emma that he ahs been suspended for assaulting Christie but that he has no memory of the event. He tells her that Christie threatened to reveal the nature of their relationship to the school administration and so he argued with her. The next memory he has is of holding Christie’s throat and her gasping for air, claiming that he attacked her. Ian ends by telling Emma he thinks he is finally losing his mind. Emma tells him that she knows him better than this and she does not believe for a second that he really behaved in such a way. She assures him there is a reasonable explanation and he needs to relax right now to give her some time to think of what to do next.
Emma stares down into his face, looking deep into his eyes. She carefully accesses his memory of the night in question without him even knowing she is doing this. She is amazed that it worked and that Astrid has taught her so well. In his mind, Emma relives the events of the night before just as if she is watching a movie. She sees every gesture and hears every word that is spoken between Ian and Christie as their argument progresses. Suddenly, the memories go blank and she finds herself fast forwarded in time to observe Christie rubbing her throat and accusing Ian of attacking her. Emma knows that this memory sequence is not right and there should be no blank spots anywhere. She knows she will have to investigate this matter thoroughly herself in order to find the truth.
Empire State University-Campus, Noon:
Emma calls Christie’s name as she sees her former room mate walking ahead of her on her way too or from class. Christie turns and does not looked pleased to see Emma at all. She tells Emma that there is no way she can be convinced to change her mind about what happened with Ian. A second is all it takes Emma to view the fight from Christie’s point of view as the memories are replayed. Emma stands in shock as she sees Ian actually strangle Christie. Christie asks Emma repeatedly what she wants but all Emma does is stare at her former room mate in shock. When she does speak she on says “No!” and turns to walk away. Christie calls after her, puzzled by this unexpected meeting with her former friend. It is clear that Christie does not have the slightest clue to the real reason Emma wanted to see her.
Empire State University, Emma and Astrid’s dorm room:
Emma and Astrid are relaxing together on their separate beds having a telepathic conversation. In reality, the room is quiet. Emma tells Astrid about Ian’s attack on Christie and how she probed their memories. She tells Astrid about the blank spot she found in Ian’s memory. Astrid acts very shocked by this finding. Astrid agrees with Emma that the “blank spot” does not make any sense.
Emma suddenly realizes that the only way it would make sense is if Ian were being controlled by another telepath and asks for Astrid’s agreement on her findings. Astrid tells her that it looks bad but she can explain everything if given a chance. She tells Emma that anything she did was only acting in Emma’s best interest. Astrid tells Emma that she was the one who brought Emma into bloom in the first place regarding her abilities. Astrid approaches Emma’s bed and asks Emma to take her hand but Emma only pulls away and empathically tells Astrid not to touch her.
Emma stands up, putting the bed between them. She asks Astrid how she could manipulate her boyfriend into doing such a thing. Emma tells Astrid that she was a trusted friend. Astrid tells Emma that she is her true friend and not some guy who is only going to end up hurting her anyway. Emma needs to see that Astrid has protected her from harm, the way a true friend would.
Telepathically, Emma yells at Astrid not to call her friend. Vocally, Emma tells Astrid to get out of her head. Suddenly, Emma asks Astrid if Max was involved, too. Astrid tells Emma that she has done all this specifically for Emma’s benefit, including costing Max his scholarship.
Emma angrily reminds Astrid about her rule of not using their powers to control other human beings. Astrid throws her hands into the air and admits to Emma that she did manipulate other people’s minds to her own advantage. But so what?? That is neither good nor evil and someday Emma will come to her senses and realize this. Emma tells Astrid that she must help fix the situation that she has created. Astrid tells her that it is “beneath her” to do so. Astrid tells Emma that it is not fair for her to teach Emma how to use her mutant abilities just so some guy can gain the benefits. After all, this guy will never understand Emma as much as Astrid does or be able to help her as much.
Emma tells Astrid that they are running our of time to get to Ian’s hearing and they need to hurry if this situation is ever going to be resolved. Astrid tells her “I don’t thinks so” and reaches out to grab Emma’s arm. Suddenly Emma finds herself knee deep in a sparkling fountain outside a palatial residence. Vocally she asks Astrid where she is and receives the telepathic reply “in a safe place, luv.”
Astrid proceeds to tell Emma that she will stay there until Christie testifies against Ian and he is dismissed from the university.
Astrid tells Emma that she is now in Astrid’s psyche for the duration of the hearing. She reminds Emma that she did not teach Emma all she knows how to do. She tells Emma that this will help her in the end as the others are just not like them. Non-mutants are nothing more than puppets for them to control and do with as they please.
Emma sees images in Astrid’s mind of Astrid’s little sister killing their parents when she was only five years old. Speaking out loud to Emma’s physical body as it lies there on the floor in the room, Astrid reminds Emma the sister is now eleven and mentally ruined from what the doctors at the institution tell her. Astrid tells Emma to enjoy her time-out which will ensure Ian’s hearing will go exactly as Astrid has planned it.
Astrid goes into the restroom and notices a nosebleed has started. Gazing into the mirror she sees Emma’s irate image and realizes that keeping Emma in her head may not have been a smart move after all.
Astrid fights but in the end Emma wins her freedom and goes back into her own body. Emma physically goes to the restroom to observe Astrid as she is lying helplessly on the floor. Astrid says she can’t fight as Emma is too strong. Emma agrees and states “of course, I am a Frost” as her mentor goes into unconsciousness.
Emma runs from the dorm room to the building. Congratulating herself on winning her freedom by going through Astrid’s memories to learn everything her mentor knew in the shortest time possible.
Emma promises herself silently to deal with Astrid later after she has straightened out the mess Ian’s life has become.
Empire State University-Campus, Ian’s Hearing:
Emma enters the building with an idea of how to fix everything. She is in time to hear one of top administrator’s remark to Ian that the school may be facing a lawsuit or a scandal because of this incident.
Emma sees Christie enter a room with two investigators (male and female) while Ian is kept in the hallway. The woman tells Christie to tell her side slowly from the beginning so they can write down the details. Christie begins to tell the investigators how it wasn’t love at first sight but slowly built into a raging fire. The woman reminds Christie to just stick to the incident but Christie goes on about her emotional state.
Outside the building Emma sits in the steps and talks to herself in public. Inside, Christie continues by telling the investigators that Ian told her he did not feel the same way about her as she did about them. Christie tells them that he was rude and obnoxious. Suddenly Christie stands up, throwing her chair violently to the floor while waving her arms in the air and talking loudly about how Ian was her soul mate. The female investigator grabs Christies’ wrists in an attempt to restrain the girl before she can hurt herself. Outside the building Emma is now standing on the steps and fighting off invisible captors. Other students passing her comment on how crazy her actions look to them.
Empire State University-Campus, later in the evening:
Ian and Emma relax on a bench to enjoy the outdoor park like setting and discuss the days exciting events. Ian tells Emma that he is off suspension. However, Christie appears to have suffered some sort of breakdown and is a local hospital for observation. Her parents have been notified and they are flying in to see her. He also tells Emma that the Empire State University President believes Christie was obsessed with him and could not handle his rejection of her affections. So, she invented a story to get even with him. Ian also tells Emma that he never realized Christie had such deep emotional feelings for him but he does not believe that making up a story is something that Christie would do. Emma politely tells Ian that Christie did not invent the story. Ian is looks at her with disbelief in his eyes. Emma also tells him that he really did assault Christie but she made sure Christie would be unable to tell the story to the schools administrators.
Ian replies that this is to unbelievable to be true, and even if it was, how in the world would Emma be able to stop Christie from doing such a thing? Emma tells him straight out that she is a mutant and that she took control of Christies mind in the hearing and literally forced the words out of the poor girl’s mouth. Ian sits in silent disbelief and just stares at Emma. After a few minutes, he breaks the silence by telling Emma to quit joking and be serious cause there is no way he is going to believe such a crazy thing.
Emma attempts to tell Ian the rest of the truth. Everything she has hidden from him from the first time they ever met. The more she says, the more Ian realizes that she really is serious and means what she is saying. He realizes he has made a huge mistake by becoming involved with her, with anyone of her kind….. a mutie. He rises quickly to leave and she begs him to stay. All he can do is tell her to stay as far away from him as possible. Now, the reason her grades were so good makes perfect sense to him and he accuses her of having an unfair advantage over normal people. He also tells her the media are right and mutants do consider normal humans just toys for them to play with. Again, Emma begs him to stay, tries to make him understand that she had no choice but her pleas fall on deaf ears.
Ian tells her to save her explanations because he is completely sickened by the whole situation. And to think he was even considering that he might be in love with… with…. a mutant!!!! He says “goodbye Emma” as forcefully as he can and walks away ignoring her pleas to stay and give them a chance. He is not around to hear her final words of “I love you” which she speaks to an empty park. Her words are swiftly carried away by the wind.
Empire State University, Emma and Astrid’s dorm room—Later that evening
Astrid is being transported on a stretcher, by paramedics, out of the building to a waiting ambulance. A paramedic confirms that she was found in this state by her room mate. The paramedic also comments she has a steady pulse and is breathing but seems to be mentally checked out. Emma mentally tells Astrid that things did not have to end this way. She reminds Astrid that she was responsible for sending her powers out of control when she first came to E.S.U. Emma realizes that she turned to Astrid for help. Just as Astrid had planned from the beginning. Emma telepathically asks Astrid if she was do desperately lonely that she was willing to risk loosing everything just for the chance to have one friend who depended on her for everything???
The ambulance pulls away, siren screaming into the distance. A crowd of students has gathered and Emma can pick up stray thoughts from them as easily as she can see them. Some of the students believe that Emma has poisoned Astrid.
Emma has had enough of this scene. She thinks to herself that Astrid was right after all. About all of the normal humans.
Emma turns and makes her way back to the dorm room. A lone figure in a courtyard full of people.
