[In the past, Kevin would probably have gotten up and stalked off. But he doesn't care anymore. It's not that he's gotten so calloused to being disliked or hated or anything like that. He knows a lot of the people here, Julian included, are merely tolerating him, and even knows some of the reasons why.
The issue of team loyalty. That same Kevin who would've been so uncomfortable with the tension in the air before would've said, "Why should I stick up for a team that's never stuck up for me?" But deep down, he knows. All that's changed. People have changed his life, as cheesy as it is to admit it. He questioned it before, whether the X-Men only came to get him out of some kind of wounded pride or school integrity. There's no question about it anymore, though. After coming back and settling into a routine at the school again, he feels... cared for. And accepted. Not by everyone, but some. And it's a start.
As the score ties up yet again and the other boys are jumping up and down on the sofa and screaming, Kevin is able to drown out the noise and reflect. He tries to conjure up that old feeling of "Why should I?" again and can't seem to find it. If he had to protect either of these boys jumping on the sofa and whooping at the TV -- he'd do it.
Articulating that out loud, however, would be way too touchy-feely. So he just groans when Steve Nash attempts a three for a total air-ball to remind them of his presence and makes an off-hand comment.]
The old man's getting tired with all these overtimes. You never see him shoot for total air.
Re: ♥
The issue of team loyalty. That same Kevin who would've been so uncomfortable with the tension in the air before would've said, "Why should I stick up for a team that's never stuck up for me?" But deep down, he knows. All that's changed. People have changed his life, as cheesy as it is to admit it. He questioned it before, whether the X-Men only came to get him out of some kind of wounded pride or school integrity. There's no question about it anymore, though. After coming back and settling into a routine at the school again, he feels... cared for. And accepted. Not by everyone, but some. And it's a start.
As the score ties up yet again and the other boys are jumping up and down on the sofa and screaming, Kevin is able to drown out the noise and reflect. He tries to conjure up that old feeling of "Why should I?" again and can't seem to find it. If he had to protect either of these boys jumping on the sofa and whooping at the TV -- he'd do it.
Articulating that out loud, however, would be way too touchy-feely. So he just groans when Steve Nash attempts a three for a total air-ball to remind them of his presence and makes an off-hand comment.]
The old man's getting tired with all these overtimes. You never see him shoot for total air.