Next to me, Rahne makes a face, "Yeah, right. We're so enthusiastic about it."

"I'd rather kiss Kurt", Jubilee cuts in.

The others snicker evilly. "You know", Bobby says, "you two wouldn't look that bad as a couple. Not at all!"

"Why you little-"

"Ahem." Scott frowns at us, though it's hard to tell because of his visor. Really cool visor, I must say. Makes a girl dream about-

"Elsie? Hello-o! Come on, we're moving!" Rahne tugs my arm. "Really. Were you in La-La Land again?"

"Wha'? Oh, sorry, left my mind wonder a bit there. So... where are we going?" I ask as I get moving along with the others."

"Well, judging from the looks of things, I'd take a wild guess and assume we're gonna have-"

But she doesn't need to finish that sentence. In the backyard of the mansion - though it's hard to call this huge landing a 'backyard' - there's a huge, evil-looking...

"-pool training", I mutter. "Damn."

"What's wrong with pool training?" Amara wants to know.

"Well, um - nothing." Except that I can't swim any better than a rollerskate would. And the water looks pretty deep.

"Okay, people, listen up. Today we're practising aquatical rescue. Now I want you to look very closely, Jean and I will make a demonstration."

"I'll take a wild guess and assume that Red over there is Jean", I whisper to Jamie, who happens to be standing to my right.

"Yup, that's Jean. Scott's big crush, too."

"Figures."

"Okay now. Jean - in you go."

"I hate this stuff", I hear Jean muttering before she jumps into the pool, splats of water flying everywhere. "Okay, goggle-boy, here I am."

"Good. Now, watch - and learn." In a swift move, Scott goes for a dive, then swims up to Jean, grabs her tightly and swims back up, getting out of the pool with her in his arms. Suddenly, Jean goes as red as her hair.

"Scott!"

Scott raises an eyebrow, "What?"

"What - what you're thinking, it's..."

"Oh!" It's Scott's turn to blush. "Well, I..."

"Put me down. Now."

Scott complies, having the facial _expression of a chipmunk. Some of us chuckle.

"Think that's funny, do you?"

"Yes!" Bobby's grin is wide. "'Mutant Manor drama, part one."

Scott clears his throat and tries to ignore the giggles. "Well, for your information, I'm ignoring you completely. Now. You'll split up in pairs. One will play the victim, the other the rescuer. Okay, Bobby with Jubilee, Rahne with Jamie, Roberto with Amara, Elsie with Ray, and Roberto... with me. Ready?"

Oh great. Me and Ray. Scott Summers, I'll kill you for this...

"Uh, Scott? One word please."

"Yeah?"

"Er..." I walk up to him. Now I notice how tall he is. I'm literally looking up to him. "Don't mean to sound like a looser, but I... well, I can't... you know, swim."

"Oh." Scott makes a face. "Well, in that case then... okay! Ray, you're with Roberto", Scott then says more loudly. "Elsie, take five."

"'Smatter, Blue-Eyes? Don't like water?" Before I can react, Bobby picks me up and heads for the pool.

"Bobby! Wait! You don't get it! I - Bobby! STOP IT!!"

"Too late! Enjoy the flight!" Bobby swings me around, then I find myself flying above the clear water. I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath.

"Oh, God, no, please don't let me die, don't let me drown, no, no, no..." I keep saying, as I wait for the inevitable impact, and then the cold water, and then...

Suddenly I hear someone say, "Well look at that!", but the voice sounds very distant. Then another one says, "Incredible!" It's even more distant. What the bloody hell is going on?

Slowly, cautiously, I open my eyes - and I can't believe what I see. I'm high up in the air, and I mean very high. The others are all looking up at me - no, they're staring at me, jaws hanging. I loose my own jaw. No way Bobby could've thrown me that far.

Then, I do the smartest thing I could do, given the situation.