My Heart in Your Hands
by Princess of Monkeys
Chapter 6
Disclaimer? We don't need no stinkin' disclaimer!
Reviewer thank you's: Caliente, Ima Super Mute Ant (hooray happy monkeys!), Winter Fire, DBZpunkchick, Yumiko, ChibiKeninchen, and ishandahalf (I've taken the bunny on crack as my spirit guide, so hopefully the chapters will keep flowing quickly!) Thank you so much- it really helps knowing that someone is reading and liking this. Yay!
When Rogue got to her first period European history class the next morning, a blood-red rose was sitting on her desk. At first she thought it was a mistake- another dance was coming up, so maybe someone had just left it on her desk by accident. Then, when she saw the little white envelope bearing her name lying underneath, she thought it was a joke; people had pulled pranks on her before. _Something nasty is probably going to come out of this envelope,_ she thought holding it at arms length away from herself. Carefully opening the envelope, she was surprised when nothing bad happened. Cautiously peering inside, she saw a card- this one the King of Hearts. She shook it out of the envelope, and a small, folded piece of paper fell out as well. Unfolding it, she saw, written in neat, precise writing: "Chere, meet me in the park by the fountain at midnight." It was unsigned, but it didn't need to be. Only one person would ever call her chere.
She heard the sound of a throat clearing, and looked up to see her history teacher glaring at her. "If you could perhaps deal with your little romance on your own time?"
Blushing, she shoved everything into the front pocket of her backpack and tried to pretend to pay attention. _Great, now it's going to be all over the whole school by sixth period. Just what I need- more insensitive morons speculating on my love life._ Sighing, she hunkered down in her seat and got lost in a daydream.
Her next period passed by in a blur, and Rogue found herself in the hall by her English class, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for Kitty to pass by. Kurt joined her, noticing her impatience, but not willing to risk her ire by asking her about it.
When Kitty and Amanda showed up, Rogue immediately grabbed the younger girl and pulled her into an empty classroom. Behind her, Kurt and Amanda stared at each other, mouths agape.
"What's her problem?" Amanda asked, staring at Kurt confusedly.
"Don't ask me- I haven't got a clue! She's been really vierd the last few veeks."
Amanda shrugged. "Maybe she'd got a crush on some guy or something. I mean, that dance is coming up...."
Kurt laughed. "Are you crazy? Rogue doesn't get crushes on people! And her, go to a dance of her own free will? Ha!" He was still laughing.
Amanda nodded. "Yeah, I guess that would be strange...."
In the classroom, Rogue showed Kitty the rose, card and note. "Ah found 'em on mah desk in first period."
Kitty studied the card closely, and then said "Hey, let me see the other one again." Puzzled, Rogue took out the other card, and Kitty held them up. "Look! He changed them so they, like, look like you guys!"
Rogue looked closer and saw that Kitty was right- the Queen had white streaked hair, while the King's eyes were black with red pupils.
"Oh, that's so cute!" Kitty squealed, and Rogue winced. _The problem with telling Kitty anything..._
"You so have to go meet him!"
"No, Ah dunno... What if it's a trap or somethin'?"
"Geeze, you sound just like Scott. Of course it's not a trap, he'd never do something like, so romantic if it was a trap."
Rogue just stared at her. _Sometimes Kitty's version of logic makes my head hurt._
Kitty rolled her eyes dramatically. "Look, I know where you're going, so if you don't make it back by like, I dunno, 2:00, I'll just go tell the Professor. Okay?"
Rogue sighed; she obviously didn't have a choice in the matter. "Fahn, whateva', Ah'll go. Don' ya have class?" Kitty yelped and ran out into the hall. Moments later, Rogue could see her dragging Amanda away. Laughing, she rejoined Kurt, who eyed her speculatively and asked cautiously "Vhat vas that all about?"
To which Rogue replied vaguely, "Oh, nothing. Girl stuff." Shuddering, Kurt dropped the subject, and seemed relieved when the bell rang.
She spaced out through English, and barely made it out of biology without mishap. When the bell rang for lunch, she didn't even think about heading out to the bleachers. Today, she actually wanted the company of her friends. With all the fuss Kitty was making over her pseudo-romance, she actually felt closer to the rest of them than she ever had before.
The simple normality of her friends' behavior was familiar and comforting. Kurt trying to filch fries from everyone, Evan hogging all the milk, Kitty and Amanda giggling abut something, Scott and Jean trying (and failing) to have a serious conversation, the new recruits ganging up on Amara... Sitting at the lunch table made her feel safe, in a way contemplating midnight trysts with Acolytes didn't.
Rogue knew that everyone would probably assume that something like this would be normal for her. She projected such a tough image, so street wise and hard, that no one would ever guess how unprepared she was to deal with anything even remotely resembling romance. Only Kitty knew the truth- she'd never even told Risty anything about her past.
Only one other boy had ever liked her- Cody, back home in Caldecott County, Mississippi. He had been her first and only kiss- when he'd kissed her, her emotions had gone haywire, triggering her mutant powers to manifest. She'd found out later that he'd been in a coma for here weeks.
By the time he recovered, she'd already been in Bayville, tricked into joining the Brotherhood by Mystique. _Thank god I found out the truth before it was too late,_ she thought, remembering the disastrous trip to the mountains when Mystique had tried to kill Scott. She'd joined the X- Men that day, after absorbing the shape shifter's memories and discovering the truth.
Sudden snickering brought her out of her thoughts, along with Kitty's angry voice. "Bobby Drake, if you don't unfreeze her shoes this instant, I'll tell Logan you were using your powers at school! You know what he'll do to you!"
"Rogue looked down at her boots, encased in ice, and said, in a strangely calm voice, "Dangit, Bobby, this is the third pair of mah boots you've frozen. Fix it or Ah'll make ya buy me new ones."
Kitty's threat scared him enough to thaw her boots, and he stood there, suddenly ashamed, as Rogue glared at him, grabbing her backpack and stomping off.
"Good going, Bobby," Kitty snapped at him as she followed Rogue. Everyone else was glaring at him too, and he said helplessly "What, it was just a joke guys, I didn't mean any harm, honest!"
Kurt looked at him and said, completely serious, "Mein freund, vhen it comes to pulling pranks on people, doing it to Rogue never ends up being funny."
"Rogue, wait!" Kitty called, and surprisingly, the other girl stopped.
"What do ya want?" Rogue snapped at her, hurt in her eyes.
Kitty looked up at her, startled, suddenly unsure of what to say. "Rogue, it was just a joke, he didn't mean anything by it, please don't take it so, like, personal! He only does it to friends...."
Rogue wanted to believe her, she really did, but she remembered other pranks, other "friends," other jokes with her as the butt, which never seemed very funny from her point of view. She shrugged Kitty's comment off, and said "Whateva'. Ah have ta go ta mah locker. Ah'll see ya in p.e." She turned and walked away.
Deflated, Kitty walked slowly back to the table. Why did he have to go and ruin everything? Rogue had been so distant since the Sentinel fight, and today she'd come to eat with them by her own choice, and Kitty thought she was finally feeling like she belonged, like she was a part of things, until Bobby had pulled his stupid prank on her. Rogue didn't see stuff like the rest of them did- jokes like that just weren't funny to her, she'd been on the wrong end of too many of them, from people who had meant it to hurt. Kurt had figured that out, but apparently Bobby was just really dense. She knew it wasn't really his fault, he just hadn't known, but she couldn't help being mad. _Rogue, don't think we're pushing you away!_ She thought, wishing her friend could hear.
by Princess of Monkeys
Chapter 6
Disclaimer? We don't need no stinkin' disclaimer!
Reviewer thank you's: Caliente, Ima Super Mute Ant (hooray happy monkeys!), Winter Fire, DBZpunkchick, Yumiko, ChibiKeninchen, and ishandahalf (I've taken the bunny on crack as my spirit guide, so hopefully the chapters will keep flowing quickly!) Thank you so much- it really helps knowing that someone is reading and liking this. Yay!
When Rogue got to her first period European history class the next morning, a blood-red rose was sitting on her desk. At first she thought it was a mistake- another dance was coming up, so maybe someone had just left it on her desk by accident. Then, when she saw the little white envelope bearing her name lying underneath, she thought it was a joke; people had pulled pranks on her before. _Something nasty is probably going to come out of this envelope,_ she thought holding it at arms length away from herself. Carefully opening the envelope, she was surprised when nothing bad happened. Cautiously peering inside, she saw a card- this one the King of Hearts. She shook it out of the envelope, and a small, folded piece of paper fell out as well. Unfolding it, she saw, written in neat, precise writing: "Chere, meet me in the park by the fountain at midnight." It was unsigned, but it didn't need to be. Only one person would ever call her chere.
She heard the sound of a throat clearing, and looked up to see her history teacher glaring at her. "If you could perhaps deal with your little romance on your own time?"
Blushing, she shoved everything into the front pocket of her backpack and tried to pretend to pay attention. _Great, now it's going to be all over the whole school by sixth period. Just what I need- more insensitive morons speculating on my love life._ Sighing, she hunkered down in her seat and got lost in a daydream.
Her next period passed by in a blur, and Rogue found herself in the hall by her English class, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for Kitty to pass by. Kurt joined her, noticing her impatience, but not willing to risk her ire by asking her about it.
When Kitty and Amanda showed up, Rogue immediately grabbed the younger girl and pulled her into an empty classroom. Behind her, Kurt and Amanda stared at each other, mouths agape.
"What's her problem?" Amanda asked, staring at Kurt confusedly.
"Don't ask me- I haven't got a clue! She's been really vierd the last few veeks."
Amanda shrugged. "Maybe she'd got a crush on some guy or something. I mean, that dance is coming up...."
Kurt laughed. "Are you crazy? Rogue doesn't get crushes on people! And her, go to a dance of her own free will? Ha!" He was still laughing.
Amanda nodded. "Yeah, I guess that would be strange...."
In the classroom, Rogue showed Kitty the rose, card and note. "Ah found 'em on mah desk in first period."
Kitty studied the card closely, and then said "Hey, let me see the other one again." Puzzled, Rogue took out the other card, and Kitty held them up. "Look! He changed them so they, like, look like you guys!"
Rogue looked closer and saw that Kitty was right- the Queen had white streaked hair, while the King's eyes were black with red pupils.
"Oh, that's so cute!" Kitty squealed, and Rogue winced. _The problem with telling Kitty anything..._
"You so have to go meet him!"
"No, Ah dunno... What if it's a trap or somethin'?"
"Geeze, you sound just like Scott. Of course it's not a trap, he'd never do something like, so romantic if it was a trap."
Rogue just stared at her. _Sometimes Kitty's version of logic makes my head hurt._
Kitty rolled her eyes dramatically. "Look, I know where you're going, so if you don't make it back by like, I dunno, 2:00, I'll just go tell the Professor. Okay?"
Rogue sighed; she obviously didn't have a choice in the matter. "Fahn, whateva', Ah'll go. Don' ya have class?" Kitty yelped and ran out into the hall. Moments later, Rogue could see her dragging Amanda away. Laughing, she rejoined Kurt, who eyed her speculatively and asked cautiously "Vhat vas that all about?"
To which Rogue replied vaguely, "Oh, nothing. Girl stuff." Shuddering, Kurt dropped the subject, and seemed relieved when the bell rang.
She spaced out through English, and barely made it out of biology without mishap. When the bell rang for lunch, she didn't even think about heading out to the bleachers. Today, she actually wanted the company of her friends. With all the fuss Kitty was making over her pseudo-romance, she actually felt closer to the rest of them than she ever had before.
The simple normality of her friends' behavior was familiar and comforting. Kurt trying to filch fries from everyone, Evan hogging all the milk, Kitty and Amanda giggling abut something, Scott and Jean trying (and failing) to have a serious conversation, the new recruits ganging up on Amara... Sitting at the lunch table made her feel safe, in a way contemplating midnight trysts with Acolytes didn't.
Rogue knew that everyone would probably assume that something like this would be normal for her. She projected such a tough image, so street wise and hard, that no one would ever guess how unprepared she was to deal with anything even remotely resembling romance. Only Kitty knew the truth- she'd never even told Risty anything about her past.
Only one other boy had ever liked her- Cody, back home in Caldecott County, Mississippi. He had been her first and only kiss- when he'd kissed her, her emotions had gone haywire, triggering her mutant powers to manifest. She'd found out later that he'd been in a coma for here weeks.
By the time he recovered, she'd already been in Bayville, tricked into joining the Brotherhood by Mystique. _Thank god I found out the truth before it was too late,_ she thought, remembering the disastrous trip to the mountains when Mystique had tried to kill Scott. She'd joined the X- Men that day, after absorbing the shape shifter's memories and discovering the truth.
Sudden snickering brought her out of her thoughts, along with Kitty's angry voice. "Bobby Drake, if you don't unfreeze her shoes this instant, I'll tell Logan you were using your powers at school! You know what he'll do to you!"
"Rogue looked down at her boots, encased in ice, and said, in a strangely calm voice, "Dangit, Bobby, this is the third pair of mah boots you've frozen. Fix it or Ah'll make ya buy me new ones."
Kitty's threat scared him enough to thaw her boots, and he stood there, suddenly ashamed, as Rogue glared at him, grabbing her backpack and stomping off.
"Good going, Bobby," Kitty snapped at him as she followed Rogue. Everyone else was glaring at him too, and he said helplessly "What, it was just a joke guys, I didn't mean any harm, honest!"
Kurt looked at him and said, completely serious, "Mein freund, vhen it comes to pulling pranks on people, doing it to Rogue never ends up being funny."
"Rogue, wait!" Kitty called, and surprisingly, the other girl stopped.
"What do ya want?" Rogue snapped at her, hurt in her eyes.
Kitty looked up at her, startled, suddenly unsure of what to say. "Rogue, it was just a joke, he didn't mean anything by it, please don't take it so, like, personal! He only does it to friends...."
Rogue wanted to believe her, she really did, but she remembered other pranks, other "friends," other jokes with her as the butt, which never seemed very funny from her point of view. She shrugged Kitty's comment off, and said "Whateva'. Ah have ta go ta mah locker. Ah'll see ya in p.e." She turned and walked away.
Deflated, Kitty walked slowly back to the table. Why did he have to go and ruin everything? Rogue had been so distant since the Sentinel fight, and today she'd come to eat with them by her own choice, and Kitty thought she was finally feeling like she belonged, like she was a part of things, until Bobby had pulled his stupid prank on her. Rogue didn't see stuff like the rest of them did- jokes like that just weren't funny to her, she'd been on the wrong end of too many of them, from people who had meant it to hurt. Kurt had figured that out, but apparently Bobby was just really dense. She knew it wasn't really his fault, he just hadn't known, but she couldn't help being mad. _Rogue, don't think we're pushing you away!_ She thought, wishing her friend could hear.