A/N: I don't own the X-Men or Orwell's 1984, but I do own Truman and his
family. I felt that this needed to be written, because X-treme Measures
made me want to find the good in humans once again. This story is
dedicated to my little brother.
A Lesson of Acceptance
Rogue sighed. Yet another day in the prison called school. She had become used to the giggling and conversations that stopped as she entered a room, but her classes were the worst. The other students never took the desks near her, even if she sat in the middle of the classroom. She'd tried this today. There was at least one desk between he and the nearest person on any side. It was as if Rogue was encased in one of Jean's telekinetic bubbles.
She wasn't exactly comfortable with people, true, but this was ridiculous.
Rogue's musing continued aimlessly until she heard Mr. Bohn say "worth two hundred points." Her head snapped up, and she realized that there was a handout with different choices for a presentation on Orwell's 1984.
"You will present this book with a partner. Since we have an even number in this class, there will be ONLY two people to a group." Mr. Bohn looked directly at Rogue. "I will assign partners if this proves to be too difficult for all of you. You may begin."
There was a general scramble to get compatible partners. Rogue tuned it all out. She knew she'd end up doing the project alone again. Mr. Bohn didn't really enforce anything he said. A shadow fell over her desk. Probably no free desks now.
"Ah'll move. Give me a sec." She began packing up her stuff.
"It's okay, I'll sit in this desk." The guy's desk scraped across the floor, and Rogue paid no more attention until it bumped up against her own.
"What th'?" She finally looked up to see who had the gall to talk to a mutant. Who she saw surprised her. That quiet kid who always sat in the back corner desk beamed at her. What was his name? Rogue didn't think that he had said two words all semester.
"Hey. You looked like you needed a partner," he whispered. His voice seemed to be suffering from neglect. "I thought that since I don't have a partner, and you don't have a partner, we could fix that and be each other's partners."
Well, that was definitely more than two words. "Uh, thank ya."
"Truman."
"What?"
"My name. People normally don't know my name. It's Truman."
Rogue shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Sorry. Mah name is-"
"Rogue." Truman flipped through his book's pages. "I remember names well. Your name reminds me of 1984." Seeing her blank expression, he explained. "The characters Julia and Winston rebelled against the society. They became rogues." He shrugged. "Pretty dumb way to remember, huh?"
"Nah. Ah just nevah though about mah name lahke that. Well, since we're partnahs, what project do ya want t' do?"
"Well, I'd kinda like to perform this one." Truman pointed to the part of the handout that said, "Perform an important scene in the novel and explain why you chose it."
"Sure Truman." She saw that he was once more flipping through the book. "What scene d'ya want ta do?"
"I've always liked the scene where they were first given The Book. It has a kind of lost hope in it."
Hope. Ororo was still searching for Evan, and his name echoed in the sewers every night. Evan had given up on hope, entrusting his life to the Morlocks.
Truman looked up from his book. "You hate my idea, don't you?"
Rogue shook her head. "Nah. Ah think it's a perfect theme. Hope is kinda thin around heah nowadays."
Truman smiled ruefully. "Yeah, like I have no hope for my grade in this class. Hey, Rogue, I've got a video camera at home. Should we meet after school at your home to start practice?"
Rogue considered this option for about two seconds. What with the students rebuilding the mansion, blue and fuzzy guys running around, and Berserker and Storm smelling like the sewers from searching for Evan, the Institute was not the most school-project-friendly place right now. "How 'bout yoah place? Our place ain't fixed yet."
"Oh yeah, you live in that place on the news. Sure, my house is okay."
"Ya sure?" Rogue asked. "Yoah parents ain't afraid o' mutants?"
"Why should they be? Mutants haven't done anything to us."
The bell rang and Truman collected his school stuff. "See you after school in front of this class, Rogue."
**
Truman: a faithful, or loyal, man (Old English)
A Lesson of Acceptance
Rogue sighed. Yet another day in the prison called school. She had become used to the giggling and conversations that stopped as she entered a room, but her classes were the worst. The other students never took the desks near her, even if she sat in the middle of the classroom. She'd tried this today. There was at least one desk between he and the nearest person on any side. It was as if Rogue was encased in one of Jean's telekinetic bubbles.
She wasn't exactly comfortable with people, true, but this was ridiculous.
Rogue's musing continued aimlessly until she heard Mr. Bohn say "worth two hundred points." Her head snapped up, and she realized that there was a handout with different choices for a presentation on Orwell's 1984.
"You will present this book with a partner. Since we have an even number in this class, there will be ONLY two people to a group." Mr. Bohn looked directly at Rogue. "I will assign partners if this proves to be too difficult for all of you. You may begin."
There was a general scramble to get compatible partners. Rogue tuned it all out. She knew she'd end up doing the project alone again. Mr. Bohn didn't really enforce anything he said. A shadow fell over her desk. Probably no free desks now.
"Ah'll move. Give me a sec." She began packing up her stuff.
"It's okay, I'll sit in this desk." The guy's desk scraped across the floor, and Rogue paid no more attention until it bumped up against her own.
"What th'?" She finally looked up to see who had the gall to talk to a mutant. Who she saw surprised her. That quiet kid who always sat in the back corner desk beamed at her. What was his name? Rogue didn't think that he had said two words all semester.
"Hey. You looked like you needed a partner," he whispered. His voice seemed to be suffering from neglect. "I thought that since I don't have a partner, and you don't have a partner, we could fix that and be each other's partners."
Well, that was definitely more than two words. "Uh, thank ya."
"Truman."
"What?"
"My name. People normally don't know my name. It's Truman."
Rogue shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Sorry. Mah name is-"
"Rogue." Truman flipped through his book's pages. "I remember names well. Your name reminds me of 1984." Seeing her blank expression, he explained. "The characters Julia and Winston rebelled against the society. They became rogues." He shrugged. "Pretty dumb way to remember, huh?"
"Nah. Ah just nevah though about mah name lahke that. Well, since we're partnahs, what project do ya want t' do?"
"Well, I'd kinda like to perform this one." Truman pointed to the part of the handout that said, "Perform an important scene in the novel and explain why you chose it."
"Sure Truman." She saw that he was once more flipping through the book. "What scene d'ya want ta do?"
"I've always liked the scene where they were first given The Book. It has a kind of lost hope in it."
Hope. Ororo was still searching for Evan, and his name echoed in the sewers every night. Evan had given up on hope, entrusting his life to the Morlocks.
Truman looked up from his book. "You hate my idea, don't you?"
Rogue shook her head. "Nah. Ah think it's a perfect theme. Hope is kinda thin around heah nowadays."
Truman smiled ruefully. "Yeah, like I have no hope for my grade in this class. Hey, Rogue, I've got a video camera at home. Should we meet after school at your home to start practice?"
Rogue considered this option for about two seconds. What with the students rebuilding the mansion, blue and fuzzy guys running around, and Berserker and Storm smelling like the sewers from searching for Evan, the Institute was not the most school-project-friendly place right now. "How 'bout yoah place? Our place ain't fixed yet."
"Oh yeah, you live in that place on the news. Sure, my house is okay."
"Ya sure?" Rogue asked. "Yoah parents ain't afraid o' mutants?"
"Why should they be? Mutants haven't done anything to us."
The bell rang and Truman collected his school stuff. "See you after school in front of this class, Rogue."
**
Truman: a faithful, or loyal, man (Old English)