Second Best

Disclaimer: X-men Evolution is not mine. It belongs to its rightful owners.

"Hey Rogue, how have you been?" Kitty asked as she sat down the chair opposite her ex-roommate. It had been five years since graduation and Kitty had not seen Rogue ever since. They do connect through Facebook and through text messages. But today, they were finally meeting for a get-together.

Kitty had grown a little taller, and she gave up her ponytail for Korean curls and bangs. Her sense of fashion had been like how her Korean friends dress. Rogue, meanwhile, had her hair cut just above her shoulders, but she kept the white bangs longer. She gave up the Gothic look though she still wore her mascara and her eyeliners done to give cat-eyes. Her dark purple lipstick had been changed to light pink, and she now wore a little blush on. Yet, Rogue still wore long sleeves for the most part to cover her deadly skin. The black leather gloves were still worn.

"Ah've been good. It's been a long tahm since we saw each other. And hey, Ahm happy to see you personally Kitty. Mah mah, how tahms have changed! And you've grown up too!"

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"Naw, ah've been just a few minutes befawr you came."

Kitty pressed her skirt as she sat down. This had been a habit of hers ever since she went to that prestigious school wherein everyone had to wear uniforms that must be pressed properly. Rogue rested her head on her hand as she observed her friend, wondering why Kitty had to do that.

"I'm really sorry, Rogue. The subway unexpectedly had repairs done today, and people were in a hurry to go just anywhere. I also had to talk to Kurt into it. He initially didn't want me to go because our group's gonna be presenting our thesis two days from now. But I slipped right out of the apartment. If you only knew Rogue. I just can't catch you! What have you been doing?"

"It's mah lahfstahl, it's kahnda taxin' for the most part. School in the mornin', work at naht. And Ah keep bumpin' into Logan. He's been kahnda jolly lately an' always drunk. Ah wonder what got into 'im."

Kitty laughed at Rogue's story about Logan.

"Speaking of bumping into someone, did you know that I had bumped into Scott recently?"

Rogue blinked her eyes as she studied her friend.

"And your point is?"

"There's nothing to point out, Rogue! It's about Scott...or...hey, have you outgrown your infatuation on him?" Kitty was surprised.

Rogue sighed. "There's no use, Kitty. He already has Jean. Ah don't wanna come into the scene and be the third wheel." There still was bitterness in the tone of her voice.

"Anyway," Kitty continued, "I'll just tell you even if you're no longer interested."

The truth is, Rogue still had feelings for Scott. Any mention of him by Kitty just broke her heart. All Kitty had told her about was how Scott and Jean this and that. Kitty didn't want to hurt Rogue, but it seems to Rogue that Kitty was doing it on purpose to see if she (Rogue) would react or budge.

"We met last week at Harvard while Kurt and I visited Amara and Tabitha. I don't know what his business really was. Anyway, Kurt decided to check out the museum. That left me and Scott to go get Starbucks coffee and chill. We talked about how the Professor had been, Logan, Ororo and Mr. McCoy and everyone in the institute. Oddly enough, he suddenly asked about you."

Rogue's ears suddenly quirked. "He...he asked about...meh?"

Kitty nodded. "Uh-huh, you heard it right, girl."

Rogue's palms suddenly felt clammy underneath the gloves. She felt like her head feel light, unable to decipher Kitty's revelation.

"Well,he was asking how you have been, since you never get to answer his text messages, and he said he can't find you on Facebook. I told him to search for you in the list of my friends, yet he can't find you."

"Ah've restricted mah FB Kitty..."

Kitty sighed and scratched her head. Rogue somehow really had made her threat real by shunning almost everyone from her past. She even had practiced the art of blocking her thoughts so that Jean couldn't trace her.

"Scott had wanted to meet with you Rogue. He had wanted so much to talk to you. He knew about your feelings for him. He neither entertained nor dismiss them. Yet, for all of that, he still wanted to be close to you...because he considered you as his best friend."

The last word sent a bitter taste to Rogue's mouth. Who was Scott kidding? He had always insinuated that Jean was his best friend, and that he knew her better than anyone else. So, why the sudden revelation of Rogue being his best friend?

"He ain't mah best friend..."

"But he considers you to be. Moreover, he said he wanted to talk to you about how you really felt for him, He told me he won't judge you, nor send you away. He said it's just normal for you to feel that way for him. And he said sorry for you mistaking his friendship for something deeper."

Rogue closed her eyes. She knew it. Based on the streams of Scott's memories on her head, she found none that would concern his feelings for her.

"And, get this, Rogue: Scott likes you."

"Wha...what?"

"Yep, he likes you."

"Only as a friend, ah guess..."

"No. He likes you more than a friend, but not the same like he has for Jean."

Jean, Jean, Jean...Ah'll shave yawr head bald when ah see ya, damn ya!"

Kitty saw Rogue's uneasiness. She reached out to Rogue's fisted hands and squeezed them.

"I'm so sorry Rogue for me to say all of those things. Scott does like you too. I know it hurts being the second best. I've been there. But you know what? Scott said that he'd also like you to be his girlfriend if things don't work out between him and Jean."

Rogue stood up and banged the table.

"What does it matter, Kitty? Ah'm still the second best! Ah'm never gonna be the first! Even so, Ah know that that Scott and meh bein' together would never happen 'cause he's way happy with that telepathic bitch than when he'll be with meh! There's really no point at all in this conversation!" And Rogue grabbed her backpack and walked away, wiping hot tears that were falling down her eyes.

In her haste, she didn't notice she passed by someone who went over to where Kitty was seated.

"Well?..."

Kitty shook her head. "I'm sorry, Scott. I told her all that you told me. I thought she would be happy, at least with the thought that you even thought about her. Yet, she took it so hard. I guess she really doesn't want to be the second best."

Scott heaved a sigh as he looked Rogue crossing the street. "I'm a jerk for even saying I wanted her even when I wanted Jean too."

"Yeah, you are a jerk, Mr. Summers," Kitty said nonchalantly.

"But I'm really serious about it. I liked her too since then, though I didn't hint so much about it to anyone. It's all my fault. I let a girl hope, only for me to shatter her heart even more."

"You not only shattered it, you stomped it good with your feet till the blood had gone dry."

Scott blinked. His heart suddenly ached for what he had done for Rogue. Tears were fighting to fall from his eyes. He had finally seen Rogue, yet his revelation pushed her away eve more.

"I'm really a jerk," he whispered.