Disclaimer: The characters and events depicted in this story are fictional. Any similarity to any actual person, living or dead, or to any actual events, firms and institutions and other entities is coincidental and unintentional. The story is based on Dokyusei written by Nana to which permission to use its plot has been granted by the author. All characters used are the legal property of Marvel and its constituents.
Attitudes & Feelings, Both Desirable & Sometimes Secretive
Chapter VI : How Can You Be Sure?
Neither girl felt like talking the next day. Rogue, for reasons which she did not divulge, sat in a corner of the classroom, trapped firmly in her own world, picking at her gloves. She would frequently sigh, and sometimes, a spasm of rage would cross her melancholy features, making Kitty think twice about asking her what was wrong.
For Kitty's part, it was a shock for her to discover that they were going to have back-to-back periods of physical science first thing in the morning.
'Why?' she wailed, inwardly as the session started and debated banging her head against the lab bench repeatedly.
And to be expected, Pete was not helping things at all.
He had gotten over being silent, Kitty doubted very much if that was in his nature, to begin with, but at the rate he was going, Kitty wished he would just revert to his silent nastiness the day before.
After being addressed alternately as "Hey", "Oi", and "Hey, you" for the fifth time, Kitty turned her back stiffly on her partner, concentrating in mixing the reagent with the appropriate buffer.
"Hey, you!" Pete called again, annoyed. "Did yo' hear wot I jus' said?"
Kitty shot him a look that effectively made him freeze.
"My name," she said, frigidly. "Is Katherine. If you, like, haven't gotten that name past that thick skull of yours, don't even bother talking to me. Don't talk to me, or look at me, or even do so much as get near me, OKAY?"
Pete looked taken aback, before rallying with "Who wants t', anyway?"
"Mr. Wisdom, if you cannot keep quiet, I suggest you go out of the classroom," called Mr. McCoy from across the lab.
Pete shot the elderly teacher a look of undisguised loathing before sitting down to glare at the boiling contents of the beaker before him.
Kitty watched him from the corner of her eye, fuming. 'He really thinks he looks SOOOO cool, playing the angry rebel, doesn't he?' she thought. 'Well, he looks extremely stupid, and I'm not going to let him get away with it!'
"Hey Kitty, can you pass me one of your pH indicators?" asked a girl from the next lab bench over. Pete's eye twitched when she responded with a smile and pass over the beige coloured paper.
She finished preparing the solution, and made her way to the boiling beaker, adding the specified number of drops indicated in the manual. She made it a point to ignore him, although she could sense him watching her.
"Oi," he said a moment later.
Her first impulse was to hurl the boiling beaker and its contents onto his face. She restrained herself.
"Kitty? That's wot yo' go by?" he continued.
"What's wrong with Kitty?" Kitty asked impatiently, despite herself.
"Sounds like a hooker's call name."
Kitty's mouth dropped open. "Did you, like, just sit there and come up with the most obnoxious thing that you could say?"
"Coulda been a lot worse than that."
A vein broke out at Kitty's temple. "Just don't talk to me," she shot back, not bothering to hide the fact that she was angry or lower her voice.
"Make me," he responded glaring down at her, invading her personal space. Leaning away from him, her arm knocked the graduated cylinder on the bench which shattered on impact.
Mr. McCoy was instantly at their side. "You two, get out of the classroom. NOW!"
"But, Mr. McCoy…t-the experiment!" Kitty gasped, aghast, looking back and forth from the glass on the floor to the boiling beaker.
"And you will not return until you learn how to behave properly in a laboratory," finished Mr. McCoy with finality.
"Like, now look what you've done!" accused Kitty when they were outside the classroom.
"Hmph!" Pete said, stuffing his hands deep into the pockets of his lab coat and leaning back on the wall.
"You…you are so…" Kitty began furiously, wondering how this person can repeatedly reduce her to a state beyond words. "You're such a jerk!"
Pete gave her a lidded look, plainly evident that he could not care less.
"No wonder Michelle wouldn't give you the time of day, considering you're totally uncivilized, and…and…"
That hit home.
"How," he growled low in his throat, "did yo' come 'cross that?"
"Aha!" declared Kitty. "So it is true!"
"I never said so!" he shouted. "Wot I want t' know is how yo' managed t' link me with that…that…girl?!"
It was Kitty's turn to gloat. "Hmph! It's not exactly a secret in the school how much you hate each other."
Pete found he could not say anything to that.
After a moment of silence, Kitty's curiosity got the better of her, and she said, "Well? Is it true or not that you used to go out with her?"
"Enough!" erupted Pete. "I don't intend t' tell yo' anythin' because it's none of yer business, so stop askin'!"
"Well, I will if you, like, stop being mean to me just because I rub you the wrong way!" returned Kitty.
"Feh!" Pete turned away.
Kitty glared at him for a minute or two before shaking her head and turning her attention onto the window and the lawn outside.
She sighed. The guy was impossible, but what he said was true; it was none of her business. It's just that she wasn't used to people hating her at first sight. Since coming to this school, she could feel her world had gone upside down just because of this one person. It was totally unfair.
Pete heard her sigh, and caught himself stealing a look at the girl. She didn't see him, she was too busy looking out the window. And as much as he wanted to look away, he found that he could not do so.
'Why does she have to be so bloody annoying…?' he wondered.
But no answer was forthcoming, and nothing was resolved as the school bell rang to usher in the second period.
During break time, Kitty accompanied Rogue to the second floor, and as they left their tiny world behind to enter the sophomores' domain, she couldn't understand why her friend wasn't nervous. She wished she was back in the lounge downstairs gossiping with Jubilee but Rogue had to deliver a package to Scott, along with the paper listing the track team's scheduled activities so that she can be spared from having to present it to the office of the Central Student Council herself. And since Rogue wasn't going to see the sophomore after classes, as they had no practice today, now's a good time as any to fulfill her task.
Kitty doubted if Rogue would relish telling her why she didn't want to bother with the CSC, so Kitty kept her questions to herself.
Kitty stood a distance away as Rogue went to a nearby door. Pretty soon, a tall boy with ruby red sunglasses came to meet her at the doorway, smiling. They spoke a few words, the parcel and paper exchanged hands, and Rogue rejoined her, relieved, if not a little flushed.
"C'mon, let's get outta of here," said Rogue, strangely hurried.
But they were not fast enough.
"Rogue," said a voice from behind her.
Kitty stared as Rogue she froze like a little rabbit.
Remy Lebeau approached at his leisure, wearing a serene, pleasant smile.
"'magine seein' ya 'ere, alon' wit de petit," he declared, nodding at Kitty, politely.
If Rogue had looked flushed after meeting Scott, it was nothing compared to how she was looking now. And seeing her blush, Kitty could not help but feel another question budding in mind.
"Been t' see someone, cherie?" inquired Lebeau casually.
"Yes," said Rogue, almost defiantly.
"Summers?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes," she gritted.
"Yo' sure ya don't have anybody else in mind yo'd like t' visit?" he asked, teasingly.
Kitty felt her jaw drop, and watched as Rogue's face flared to a deep, deep red at those words.
"NO!" She said, sharply and with a glare grabbed Kitty by the arm and made her way down the stairs.
When they were safely back on their floor, Rogue exploded.
"That…swamp rat!" She stormed, shaking. "How dare he insinuate that ah…that he…!"
"Rogue…!" cried Kitty, slightly alarmed.
Rogue forced herself to be calm. After a few deep breaths, she said shortly, "Ah'm alright, Kit. Ah'm sorry yo' had to be dragged into that. Yo' go on ahead, okay? Ah'll just go t' the washroom…"
Kitty watched her go, feeling apprehension mixed with a little bit of amusement. 'If his words were anything to go by, could it be that Lebeau had a thing for Rogue? And yet, Rogue did not seem to appreciate his attention at all. Too bad, though,' Kitty thought. 'They look cute together.'
A tap on her shoulder, and then suddenly she was being wheeled around and frog-marched out of the building.
"H--hey!" cried Kitty, turning her head to see who it was who was steering her from behind.
"Hi ya, dollface!" said a large boy with the Mohawk hairstyle currently half carrying her.
"YOU TWO AGAIN!!!"
"Don't fret, we're just carrying out orders. Somebody just wants to meet you," said the other one, gleefully.
"Yeah, don't worry, we ain't going to hurt you, promise!" piped in his companion.
"Let me go!"
They were outside now, and there, leaning on the railings near the stone steps, was a boy with shaggy brown hair. He looked like he just got out the hospital, as he had a cast on his left arm. He wasn't bad-looking, either, although there was a fierce look to his light blue eyes.
He straightened when he saw Kitty and came around her.
"Here she is, boss," announced the lankier henchman.
"What do you think you're doing? I told you to escort her out, not frighten her!" he said savagely.
The small boy shrunk away.
"I--I wasn't scared," Kitty said, careful not to get too close to this weirdo.
"I gotta apologize if they did," he said slowly as if the wrong word would send her screaming.
"I told you I didn't get scared."
"Oh."
An awkward silence ensued. The boy started pacing around her, taking her in.
Kitty could feel her brows twitching. 'What is this…?'
"What do you want from me?" she ventured.
He stuck his hand out. "My name's Lance. Lance Alvers."
"Hi—Katherine Pryde, well Kitty to most," said Kitty as she let him shake her hand vigorously. This was turning out to be a very strange meeting, indeed.
"Kitty," he said, and trailed off into silence again.
"Right." Kitty took back her hand, watching him uncertainly.
"Kitty - I've been thinking…"
"Oi! Since when were yo' capable o' that?"
'That voice…!' Kitty turned her head.
Startled, Lance whipped around.
"Y--You!" he said.
Kitty took a peek past Lance.
True enough, Pete was there, standing a few feet behind Lance, his hands in his pockets, surveying the whole scene with a dangerous smile.
"What are you doing here, you bastard?" growled Lance.
"What are yo' doin' with her?" Pete indicated Kitty with a jerk of his head. "I reckon she's not here by her choice."
"Who's she to you?" snapped Lance, then stopped as if a new and startling thought just occurred to him.
"You wouldn't have known we're here unless you followed her…" began Lance slowly, as if putting the pieces of a puzzle together and coming up with a picture he didn't like. "And then there was that thing yesterday when you drove Dukes and Tolansky away from her…"
Kitty stared at him, not sure what he was driving at.
"You've…you've been looking after her, haven't you?" Lance seemed to find this all very meaningful, in a horrible way. "Who is she--don't tell me she's your girlfriend?!!"
Kitty stiffened at that remark, a look of utter disbelief on her face. So did Pete. But it lasted only a moment.
"Hah!" said Pete with a smirk, his eyes closed derisively and a hand on his chin. "I don't know how yo' arrived at that thought, but you'd better have yer head checked, yo' wanker."
Lance took a step back.
"There's no way," said Pete, furiously, "that THAT bint could possibly be my girlfriend!"
This, with a jab at Kitty's direction.
"She's…she's just my lab partner…" he finished somewhat lamely.
"Then what're you doing here?" replied Lance coolly crossing his arms.
Kitty had had enough.
"That's right," she ground out. "Pete could not possibly be my boyfriend! He's got somebody else he likes! Or rather despises! Or whatever! And if that's the only thing you want to know, you've got your answer! I'd like to go back in now."
She stalked past the two guys.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Pete and Lance said, almost simultaneously. But Pete chose to follow her inside.
"HEY!! Where are you going?!"
"HEY!!"
"Go away!" Kitty snapped.
"What did Alvers want from yo'?" Pete wanted to know, catching up.
"How should I know?" Kitty hurled at him. "You very conveniently showed up!"
"He was checkin' yo' out, wasn't he!"
Kitty stopped and eyed him with misgiving.
"…so what if he was?" she replied.
Pete could not believe his ears. "Yo' mean yo' don't mind associatin' with wankers like that?!" he said, incredulously.
"You'd find this hard to believe, Wisdom," said Kitty quite coolly, "but he's got better manners than you can possibly have."
With that she walked away, leaving a stunned Pete to stand there and make sense of the mess of it all.
"Y--you…IDIOT!" was the only thing he could say.
'So unfair…this is just so unfair!!!!' Kitty groaned inwardly as the school day ended and once again, she was going across the lawn with Rogue on the way out of the campus.
Of course, it didn't help her any when she told Rogue what happened and Rogue told her Lance and Pete were enemies, and that they regularly got into nasty brawls. The last fight, it turned out, had left Lance with a nasty cut on his head and a broken arm and suspension for Pete.
"Well, at least…at least, he went after yo'," said Rogue, trying hopelessly to salvage the situation and cheer Kitty up. "At least nothin' happened between you and Lance…right?"
Kitty let out a weary sigh. From day one, no matter how much she tried to steer away from Pete, why was it she felt she was inevitably being sucked back up into his world?
'God, what did I ever do to merit this kind of punishment?'
"You'd better be careful, Kit," warned Rogue. "Lance might think that you're…ya know, attached to Pete. Maybe that was why he was checkin' yo' out."
Kitty shook her head. Somehow, she didn't quite think Lance would be that ruthless.
"If you want to know the truth, Rogue," said Kitty, "he's more likeable than Pete."
"Really?" snorted Rogue.
"And speaking of the devil…" Kitty muttered.
There right before them, was the familiar figure with shaggy, dark hair, his back to them.
"I thought we left him behind in the buildin'," said Rogue.
"Hey, Wisdom!" called Kitty, resentfully before she could stop herself.
It didn't seem right that he should leave school today without being given a full account of what he did to make her day lousy. That could help ease her misery a bit.
"Hey, wait…Kit, that's…" Rogue began.
They saw the guy go still ever so slightly at the sound of that name, and it was only when he turned that Kitty realized he was not Pete…
To be continued…
Read & review!
- Swing
Chapter Track: How Can You Be Sure? - Radiohead (Fake Plastic Trees)
Many thanks to the reviewers so far…anyone interested in being my beta for the story? The position is up for grabs.
Mimi The Witch – I know there hasn't been much Kitty based stories…unless you're a fan of Pietro/Kitty pairings which aren't very canon. Or Bobby/Kitty pairings which I find odd to say the least. melissarxy1 writes primarily Kitty/Pete pairings, check out some of her stories if you need a fix. And who doesn't love ROMY.
cooltangarine – I too am a hapless romantic. I watched the 10th kingdom last weekend and sighed dreamily through the whole 6 to 7 hours of it. Same goes for watching Princess Bride and Sleeping Beauty. Argh. I think that's what started my love of love/hate relationships: Sleeping Beauty. That scene in the forest with Prince Charming and the owl and the Princess…but I digress. I'll try to keep up the writing…I have this plot bunny…it involves intrigue and a favourite pyromaniac…
Star – More Kete? Is that what they call it? I have never had clotted cream but my mom says its good…bah…I enjoyed the ice cream I ate there…but I am a fan of the soft serve cheap ice cream that's a bike ride from my house…I am easy to please with ice cream. There was some ROMY but I am not too happy with accents, I rushed…I wanted to post a chapter…
ELLIEdangerous – We all know Rogue has issues…I would already be a pile of mush at Remy's feet.
inTHEgrid – Thanks!
PetiteDiable – Merci beaucoup!! Updates will be sporadic since I am back in uni again…
BrOKeN dArK ANgeL – Rogue will have her own cards to play…but Remy wants satisfaction…mhaha
NaijaStrawberrie – I love all your reviews!!! I feel so special, you reviewed every chapter!!! Remy will push more than Rogue's buttons soon...
melissarxy1 – More Pete and Kitty banter and an allusion to Michelle…de plot thickens! Thanks for all your help!