The Sadie Hawkin's Dance
Bib:
The school dance where the girls ask the boys out is coming up and one man is hoping a certain girl will ask him out.
Story:
"So, would you mind?" Rhane asked Rogue.
Rogue was lay on her stomach, her head half in a book when Rhane knocked on her door and said she had a question to ask. The question had baffled Rogue.
"Why would it matter what ah think?" Rogue asked, not quite understanding. She had an idea why Rhane was asking her from the little whispers and mumbles she'd heard, but she was trying to deny that was the reason.
"It just does. So, you don't mind if I ask Remy to go with me?" Rhane said.
Rogue sat up on her bed, closing her book.
"Ask him whatever ya want. Ah ain't his keeper," Rogue said, moving off her bed and turning her back to Rhane.
She knew that her face was obviously showing how disappointed she was, but she didn't want Rhane to see it.
"Yay! Thanks Rogue!" Rhane had said, giddy with glee.
Eventually, Rhane left Rogue alone and she was glad to see the back of her.
Rogue glanced at her calendar, seeing the words Sadie Hawkin's written over a date. She knew it had been coming up and had been wondering about something for a time, but as it got closer to that date, the idea just seemed more stupid.
Rogue picked up her pen and crossed out the date.
Xxxxx
Somehow, Rogue had ended up walking and talking with Jean. Jean was going on about something, but she completely lost Rogue's attention as they stepped outside in the garden. Both of them turned to see Tabitha giving Amara a nudge towards Remy who was bathing in the sun with his eyes closed. Amara, of course, seemed nervous, but she was approaching him none-the-less.
"Tabby's pushing Amara into asking him out," Scott filled in for Jean and Rogue as they approached.
He was frying up a few burgers on the BBQ. From his set jaw, both women could tell Scott was glaring at Remy.
"I just don't get what the girls see in him. He's just a jerk. He's already turned down Rhane and Diane," Scott said.
Jean glanced at Rogue, but Rogue was trying to glance away from everyone.
"And there's another shut down," Scott said, watching Amara walk away defeated.
Jean and Rogue watched her walk away and Tabitha comfort her. After Amara was gone and it had been made clear that Remy still wasn't attending the dance, Scott shifted his focus. That's when he properly acknowledged Rogue.
"You're not planning on asking him out too, are you?" he asked.
"What, meh?" Rogue huffed, "After last time, ah'm sittin' this one out," Rogue said.
"Really? So, your like, not going?" came a voice from behind her.
Rogue turned to see Jubilee approaching them.
"No," Rogue huffed, not liking all the attention. "Ah've had mah fair share of dances an' all. Would rather avoid another night of fightin' off dinosaurs."
"Awww, well, that's too bad," Jubilee said, dismissing the subject quickly.
Rogue and Jean both raised their eyebrow at her, not liking how fast she did drop the subject. Jubilee quickly excused herself and left.
Rogue, feeling awkward, tried to make her escape too, but Jean followed.
"You know, I reckon you should go," she said.
"Ah already said, ah don't-"
"Are you sure the reason why you're not going is to do with the crazy things that tend to happen to us when we're out? Or because of your skin?" Jean asked.
Rogue huffed at that.
"It ain't-"
"Any of my business, I know," Jean said.
"You bettah not be-" Rogue began.
"I'm not reading your mind either. Look Rogue, I don't think your mutation should be reason enough to stop you. I think you should brave it and go to the dance and just try to have fun. After all, all your doing is punishing yourself unnecessarily by not going. That and whichever lucky guy you chose to ask," Jean said.
Rogue glanced at Jean like she'd just grown a tail.
"Since when were you so forth comin' with ya advice?" Rogue asked.
Jean shrugged her shoulders.
"We've been talkin' quite a bit. I reckoned I could get away with it," she said, smirking.
Rogue shuck her head at the red head. It was true. They had been hanging around together more and more and Rogue wasn't completely sure how that had happened.
"Ah-huh, well, ah'm gonna go finish this physics assignment an' stay outta the way 'fore Tabby or someone accuses meh of brainwashin' Remy in ta rejectin' everyone. Ah don't know how many times ah have ta tell em, ah don't control that boy!" Rogue stressed.
"I think it's going to take a while for them to figure that one out. But you know Rogue, you shouldn't-"
"Ah think one piece of advice from ya is good enough for tha day," Rogue interrupted, putting her hand up.
Xxxxx
It was like she had a radar, or something stuck in her head. Rogue had watched a few more girls go to ask Remy out and get shot down. It was like she came along perfectly on time just to watch Remy turning people away. It always felt awkward when he did turn someone like Jubilee away and then there was that awkward pause between the two of them. That awkwardness didn't need to be made more awkward by the presence of a third person, so Rogue had tried slipping out of the way unnoticed as best as she could each time.
Although, even though she wouldn't admit it, a part of her did feel smug and quite giddy each time she caught Remy shutting down a girl. She knew that didn't clarify anything between them, but still, the warm, fuzzy feeling she felt inside was hard to dismiss. She was just glad Jean wasn't around to read her thoughts.
Xxxxx
As Rogue was looking for a nail filer, she crossed Kitty's bedroom door to hear crying. Rogue sighed and retraced her steps. She knocked on Kitty's door and waited for an answer. As soon as she knocked, the sobbing silenced.
"Kit, it's meh," Rogue called out.
"What do you want?" Kitty asked, sounding more defeated than moody.
Rogue began to open Kitty's door.
"Just lookin' for a nail file. What's wrong with you?" she asked, closing the door behind her and moving to sit on the edge of Kitty's bed.
Kitty had sat up on her bed, looking like she had been caught trying to make a run for it. At being caught, the tenseness in her shoulders deflated and she curled up on her bed as the red streaks on her face were obvious to anyone.
"Oh, nothing," she tried saying.
"Yeah, right. Come on, spill," Rogue pushed.
Kitty closed her eyes, looking pained.
"You promise you won't judge me or think badly of me if I tell you?" Kitty asked.
Rogue placed her hand over her heart.
"As long as you ain't done nothin' stupid like locked Mystique in a trunk and through her into the ocean. Actually, ah think that'd be a smart idea," Rogue said, making Kitty giggle a little.
There was another pause as Kitty mustered up the courage to speak.
"Well, it's about the dance," Kitty said.
Rogue knew it was coming. Everything was about that damn dance at the moment.
"Somebody reject ya?" Rogue asked.
"No. At least, not yet… I…wanna ask Remy," Kitty said.
"Remy?" Rogue questioned, although, she wasn't much surprised. "Ain't he a bit old to be going to a high school dance?"
Kitty's body seemed to deflate more than it already was.
"Everyone's, like, been asking him and he keeps rejecting people. I think he's waiting for the person he wants to ask him out to ask," Kitty stressed, glancing at Rogue.
Rogue just raised her eyebrow, hoping she was fooling Kitty. With Rogue not saying anything and looking clueless, she let that topic drop along with her eyes.
"I don't want to be rejected too," Kitty said.
Rogue frowned, having a feeling that she already knew what Remy's answer would be to Kitty if she asked. But still, she didn't like seeing Kitty hurt.
"Isn't that kinda the point of this dance? It's always the boys askin' the girls out an' getting' rejected, so this time, it's the girl's chance ta ask the guy and feel what it's like to get rejected?" Rogue said.
"Gee Rogue, thanks for the vote of confidence," Kitty said, wiping a tear away.
"What ah mean is, what you're feelin' right now is probably what every guy feels right before they ask a girl out. But still, they do it and risk the humiliation of bein' rejected. If they didn't, then no one would get anywhere," Rogue explained.
"Guess that's true," Kitty said.
"Yeah, it is and it sucks too. The perfect guy for ya might be out there right now, wantin' ta ask ya out, but is scared of bein' rejected. Hell, he might never find the courage ta ask. Buuuut," Rogue said, rolling her U. "If you could ask him out, then it helps both of you out. But if you can't ask a guy out, then how the heck are you and mister right ever gonna get together? You do wanna meet Mr Right, don't you?" Rogue asked.
"Yeah," Kitty said.
"Then see this as practice. Go ask Remy out. The worst he can do is say no and, if that happens, then he's probably not your Mr Right and ya can move on until you find Mr Right. Only, when ya do meet him, you'll have more confidence ta ask him out 'cause ya've already done it. Plus, you'll probably turn out ta be an expert in askin' someone out and gettin' the answer you want when you do meet him. After all, ya have ta kiss a few frogs till one turns into a prince, right?" Rogue said.
"You've got an odd way of explaining thing," Kitty said.
"Look," Rogue said, standing up from Kitty's bed. "The worst thing that can happen is that he says no. And if that does happen, then you'll be one of the many girl's he's rejected and y'all bond together over bein' rejected. Probably cheer each other on and become stronger together. But if ya sit around mopin', an' bein' too scared ta ask, someone else might just scoop in and ask him themselves an' if he says yes ta them, then ya've lost your chance. Ya've got more ta lose by not askin' him than ya have by askin'. So just ask him already," Rogue said.
"I…guess you've got a point there," Kitty said. "Thanks Rogue."
"Don't mention it," Rogue said, turning and going to leave Kitty's room.
"Hey Rogue," Kitty called. "Aren't you going to ask him?"
"Ah ain't goin' so no," Rogue said, leaving Kitty with that last reply.
Xxxxx
Of course, word soon got to Rogue that Remy had rejected Kitty. She continued going about her day until night fell and she fancied a midnight snack.
"Couldn't sleep either?" came Remy's voice.
Rogue jumped after opening the fridge and turned to see Remy sat at the kitchen table in the dark.
"Geez, do ya really have ta do that?" she asked.
"Désole," Remy replied.
Rogue returned to what she was doing, reaching into the fridge and pulling out what she needed to make a sandwich.
"So, how does it feel to be a heartbreaker?" Rogue asked Remy who illuminated the kitchen for her with one of his cards.
"Ain't the aim," Remy said, seeming rather disappointed. "Just waitin' for de right femme t' ask." He said, glancing over at Rogue.
Rogue refused to meet Remy's eyes, scared of what she might find there, and continued to butter her bread.
"So, who you takin' t' dis prom?" Remy asked her.
"Ah'm not goin'," Rogue explained for the tenth time that day.
"Pourquoi?" he asked.
"If that means why, then 'cause the last time ah went ta one of those dances, Mystique was still paradin' around as Risty, tricked meh in ta goin' and, oh yeah, we got attacked by dinosaurs. Ah think ah'd rather have a quiet night in then fight space monkey's or whatever else pops up," Rogue said, waving her knife around at the word space monkeys.
Remy smirked at that.
"Sounds like y' should go, just t' keep an eye on t'ings. Only, this time, y' should take a partner who'll actually watch y' back," he said.
Rogue snorted at this.
"Yeah right! Like who? You?" she said before thinking, her brain being half asleep since it was late.
Remy's smirk only grew larger.
"That your way of askin' moi t' de prom, chérie?" he asked.
"What? No! That's not what ah meant at all!" Rogue stressed.
"Shame," Remy said, coming to a stand. "'cause if that was the case, I'm sure we'd a had a good time," and with that, he left the kitchen, leaving Rogue staring after him with her lower jaw dropped.
Xxxxx
The night of the dance rolled around and Rogue was right where she wanted to be. In her room. She had a book open on her bed that she was sort of reading, but her mind kept daydreaming and taking her off to places of romance and dances.
A knock at her door disturbed these thoughts.
"Yeah," Rogue called.
The door opened and Remy stood there, leaning against her door frame.
"Readin' anythin' interestin'?" he asked.
"The usual. Everyone gone?" she asked.
"Oui, just the adults hangin' around. Wanna watch one'a Stephen King's movies?" he asked.
"He doesn't actually make the movies, but sure. Why not?" Rogue said closing her book.
"Bon," Remy said, reaching out to his TV on a moving table that had been hidden from Rogue's eye sight since it was behind her wall.
Rogue snorted and then began to chuckle as she sat up on her bed. She should have known Remy had something planned.
As Rogue sat up on her bed, Remy proceeded to set the TV up at the end of her bed, put the video in and then join her on the bed. He spread his legs out, letting them cross over at the ends and used his arm to make a pillow for himself as he started the movie.
"So, what dress would y' have worn t'night?" he asked her.
"Last time, ah just wore some Jean's an' a new top," Rogue said.
"So no dress?" Remy asked.
"Like ah said, ah didn't know Mystique was takin' meh to that dance an' there didn't seem much point in dressin' up too nice just for a friend," Rogue said, watching the movie.
"But if it'd been someone different?" he asked.
"Then ah have a green dress tucked away in mah closest for that. But no one's gonna see meh wearin' it," she said.
"Never say never chére. Never say never," Remy said.
xxxxx
French Translations
Désole - Sorry
Femme - Woman
Pourquoi - What for
Moi - Me
Chérie - Darling
Oui - Yes