Designated Things

Chapter Ten

A/N: Thank you all once again for your reviews and feedback. It is always a pleasure to see a new one added. I would like some input though. I'm trying to update regularly so the chapters tend to be a bit short. Would it be preferred that I continue to update the way I have or make the chapters longer with fewer updates? Advice would be appreciated.

And as always, I don't have a beta so please point out any errors that just grate your nerves. Thank you!

For the first time in Ororo's life she was anxious to get to math class hoping that she would have an opportunity to talk to Remy before class started. She was only a little disappointed when he hadn't strolled through the door before the bell rang then became even more forlorn as the minutes passed. Thirty minutes into the class she finally accepted that he was going to be a no show to class also.

'Where could he be?' she asked herself. 'Surely he wasn't so upset that he wouldn't come to class. Maybe something has happened to him.' That last thought visibly shook her as the minutes passed at a slow creep. She tried very hard to concentrate on Mr. Xavier's words but her mind was cluttered with worry for Remy.

Once the bell rang Ororo hopped up from her desk and was the first one out of the door hoping to see Jean or Logan in the hallway so that she could ask them had they seen or even heard from Remy. She stood by her locker, her neck craning up and down the hallway looking for her friends. As her eyes swept through the thick mob of students she made eye contact with T'Challa. She gave him a slight smile feeling bad for brushing him off when he tried to talk to her on Friday. But she really needed to find Remy to get her books back from him. She sighed then suddenly remembered their previous conversation when T'Challa told her that he was an assistant in the front office. She waved him over, broadening her smile, hoping that maybe he'd know why Remy wasn't in school today. He tilted his head at her in acknowledgment and turned to speak to his friends before making his way over to her. Vanessa and Tia, who Ororo recognized from lunch on her first day, looked over at her and grimaced before laughing and turning away.

"Hi, T'Challa," she beamed.

"Hey, how's it going?" His tone held a trace of malice but Ororo didn't notice. Her mind was preoccupied with more important matters.

"Pretty good." She didn't want to just leap into asking him about Remy so a brief moment of silence lingered between them as her mind searched for an opening to their conversation. "I'm finding my classes and I just wanted to say "thank you" for your help that first day. So…thank you!" she smiled.

T'Challa smiled and nodded slowly, "Not a problem. I try to help anyone, anytime I can." T'Challa was still upset at her disregard and humiliating him in front of his friends. He was perturbed at her audacity to wave him over but his curiosity made him walk over to her. Perhaps she'd come to her senses.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that because I was wondering if you knew why Remy is not in school today."

T'Challa flinched slightly at her words not believing what she was asking him. He struggled to keep his grimace from reaching the features of his handsome face; hiding it behind a tight smile that covered his gritted teeth before replying, "No. I'm sorry. I don't". He saw the disappointment of his words on her face. 'Bitch'.

"Well, thank you anyway," Ororo turned and walked away from him not giving him a second thought after getting the information she'd wanted. She didn't see the look of anger that marred T'Challa's face that followed her down the hallway.

After two more classes that seemed like an eternity Ororo was relieved to know that she'd finally see Jean or Logan during lunch. And perhaps Remy had finally shown up too she hoped. As she made her way to the cafeteria she pondered what she'd say to him once she had the opportunity. She knew that after the dream she had about him and that wonderful kiss that she only wished was real she needed to talk to him. Had she missed something that her subconscious didn't? Overtly Remy was a hopeless flirt but something in him made her think that there was more to the Cajun than he let on. His smile was genuine when he wasn't trying to make her blush; his voice calm and sincere while he explained math functions, sometimes multiple times, never losing his patience. Anna was crazy for not cherishing him along with his love for her. Ororo felt a pang of jealously at the thought of how Remy felt for Anna but quickly forgot it when she saw Logan and Jean already at their usual table.

"Hi", Ororo chirped once she approached; both returned her greeting as she sat.

Before she could get a chance to make her own inquiry Jean turned towards her, "Have you seen Remy?"

"No. I was about to ask you two the same question," Ororo's shoulders slumped a bit as Jean shook her head.

"Nope, I haven't seen him either."

Ororo harrumphed before remembering that Jean should have seen him sometime after he left her house, "Jean, did you see him Saturday or yesterday?"

Jean frowned. "No. Was I supposed to?"

"Uh-huh, he said he was going to your house. So you two could make up."

"Really? No. I never saw him." Jean's face was set in confused contemplation before realization struck her, "When did you talk to him? He left school on Friday."

"Oh, yeah. He came over to my house on Saturday…to help me with math." Jean and Logan stared at her. "I'm really bad at math…," she tried to sound nonchalantly.

"Right." Logan drawled and nodded before giving Jean a smile.

"I hope he's okay," Ororo stated worriedly, ignoring Logan.

Jean and Logan glanced at each other sharing a knowing thought. "I'm sure he's fine", Logan said.

Ororo walked through her front door and headed straight for the kitchen. She could hear her mother singing 'Don't Worry Be Happy' as she chopped onions, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ororo shook her head at her mother's sense of humor. "Hello, Mother."

"Hello, Dear. How was school? Did you get that math turned in?" N'Dare asked after a short pause in her task.

"It was fine and yes, I did," Ororo said into the refrigerator as she rummaged gathering ingredients for a turkey sandwich. "Remy didn't come to school today and no one seem to know where he is. I hope he's okay."

N'Dare smiled, "You like him, don't you?"

"No." Ororo dragged out, placing her fixings on the butcher block island. "He's okay."She shrugged.

N'Dare finally turned to her daughter and gave her a doubtful look, "Uh huh…you like him. I can tell. You were doing that 'I'm a shy little girl hip twist' when we were standing in the foyer the other day."

"I was not", Ororo pouted at her mother.

N'Dare laughed as she mimicked Ororo, swinging an invisible skirt from side to side. "You were tooooo", she sang. "It's okay. He's cute."

Ororo let a crooked smile creep to her face as she remembered her dream. "Yes. He is. And nice. And smart."

"And not stepping foot in this house again," David stated from the entrance of the kitchen.

"Huh?" Ororo was confused.

David brought over the 'Local' section of his newspaper. "The boy was arrested Saturday night for stealing of all things."

"Huh?" Ororo found the small section of listed arrests and there it was, "Remy LeBeau, 18-Petty Theft"

David continued, "Of course I did a search in the paper's arrests database and the boy's name came up several more times in the last six months: petty theft, disorderly conduct, underage drinking… Ororo, I don't want you to talk to this boy anymore. He's a bad seed."

Ororo gasped; shocked at the thought that Remy had been in jail, that's why he hadn't shown up. In jail! She tried to gather her thoughts to defend him, "Dad, this has to be some sort of mistake. Remy's a really nice guy. I don't understand…" she trailed off as she looked from her father back to Remy's name in print in disbelief.

N'Dare wore a pained look on her face. "Dear, your father's right. It's probably best that you don't associate with him any longer; especially if he has a tendency of getting into trouble."

Ororo looked at her mother pleadingly; imploring her to think back to the conversation they were having just a minute ago. "Mother, what about my math? He was helping me!" She tried desperately to change either of their minds.

"I'll find you another tutor. It's for the best, Ororo." N'Dare stated sternly.

"Fine", Ororo left the newspaper as well as the ingredients for her sandwich and ran upstairs to her room. She stood in front of her window staring out at nothing in particular.

She was angry. Angry at her parents but most of all she was angry at Remy. She wondered how he could be so stupid. Her parents would never allow her to talk to him again. She sighed and turned to lean on her windowsill when she realized that the rest of her furniture had been delivered: a desk, chair, and an armoire. She decided that she'd do her homework later. Her mind was too preoccupied to concentrate and her efforts would more than likely be futile.