I'm a girl like everyone else. I can't touch them and I can't stop the memories that plague my brain, memories of other people's lives, of places I've never been to and of experiences I can never have, but I'm still just a girl.
Remember that as you shun me for my clothes and my hair. My appearance is for your protection, not mine. You're supposed to stay away from me so I don't accidentally hurt you like I've hurt other people.
My name is Rogue. I have no true human friends for two reasons. I'm a mutant and I could easily put them in a coma by absorbing their memories. They think I'm a monster, like I'd kill them as soon as look at them. All that time when I was still just 'someone' seems to have gone up in smoke now that they know who I am and what I can do.
I can't even love someone properly. Anyone I kiss would end up being put in a hospital, if not worse. And I've felt the loss of love already. Of course, he had no idea, being a guy with only eyes for one woman. But I wasn't that woman. And I will never be her.
It's hard, but I've gotten used to it. I have only friends at the Institute. I'm too different for the world to accept me. Humans don't change as easily as people would like to think. I bet precious Jean could walk around without people moving away from her, but I'm not Jean. I'd love to be her and have her little powers, even if they are dangerous.
Better yet, let me be Kitty. She doesn't have it so tough. The real pain is that Kurt can touch people, even if he is blue and furry. I miss being able to have someone's skin warm mine. People could dance with me. They could shake my hand and not feel the leather gloves I now wear. I miss it more than anyone else could know.
I'm a girl like everyone else. I keep saying it, hoping that my powers will just disappear. But I'm not a girl like everyone else. I'm Rogue, a mutant who can't touch people without hurting them. And that's the girl wearing the gloves and the boots, the one who wears makeup and has hair like a skunk. She hurts, you know.
That should prove I'm like everyone else, shouldn't it? Don't other people hurt when they're always left alone?
Maybe I'm not like you, but you should be glad you can be like the others. Go ahead and pick on me. It'll just push me that much closer to being truly alone in this world.