Chapter 4: Grand Theft Auto

                Remy walked out of his last class of the day, looking quite agitated. Xavier had finally talked him into taking part in the actual school since, despite his age, he'd never even set foot in a school. He could read and write and do basic math... but everything else he'd learned had been about stealing and conning people.

                He was wearing a t-shirt and some black pants, actually making an effort to look 'nice', at least compared to his usual dirty, worn clothes. It had been horrible, of course, kids two, even three years younger than him in some cases were doing better than him in the class. It was almost embarrassing... at least if he actually cared. Remy knew he all ready had the skills he needed to survive.

                Rogue wandered the halls, considering whether or not she'd meet Kitty outside her French class. Ever since Risty was revealed to by Mystique - hurtful in more ways than one - she'd been left spending her school hours alone, minus occasionally walking the halls with one of the X kids. They were her closest friends, but having Risty, someone normal, allowed her to forget about her powers and their ramifications. And feel, well, normal.  Oh well, back to the loner goth scene. Deciding to skip her daily dose of Kitty's verbal slaughter of the French language, Rogue wandered outside to wait for Scott's car.

                Remy had all ready reached the parking lot and was in the midst of requisitioning a ride. A sleek black car, newly purchased by one of the teachers. They always seemed able to afford nice cars, yet complained about how they never made enough money. Oh well. The door was all ready open and Remy's legs where hanging out as he laid on the floor of the car on his back, prying open the steering column to get at the ignition. Finally the plastic shell popped off, revealing the mess of wires. He pulled a switchblade from his pocket, quickly slicing two of the wires, hardly even looking at them. He'd done this enough before he didn't really need to. Now it was just a matter of getting the thing started.

                Rogue glanced at her watch. Scott should be out by now, she knew he didn't have any afternoon classes. Probably went off somewhere with Jean, she thought bitterly. But Jean had been nothing but sweet to her - to EVERYONE - so what right had she to be upset? None. It's over, finished. Moving along.. Rogue quickly scanned the parking lot to see if Scott's car was still there. No such luck, but she did note that Ms Richard's new car door was open, and was in fact teaching Kitty's French class this very moment...

                A short walk over revealed something that shouldn't have surprised her - the swamp rat, hot wiring it. Quietly she approached and leaned against the edge of the open door.

                "Ah thought the purpose of goin' to school was ta learn, not ta steal teachers' cars."

                There was a spark and the engine rumbled to life. Gambit slid out and stood, grinning at her.

                "Ain' Remy's fault none if dese yankees don' know how ta take care o' deir propaty. Besides, Remy all ready done wit his classes today, he goin' fo' a little joy ride..." He was about to slide into the car before he hesitated and looked at her, thinking for a moment. "Yo' wanna come along, Cheri? Yo' all

ready an accessory to da crime, unless ya go an' report ol' Remy, so it won' hurt none... An' we ain' gonna get caught, neither..."

                Rogue paused as she thought about it. Normally the idea of going anywhere with the swamp rat, in a stolen car no less, would have been absurd, but when weighed against the alternative.. Sitting outside for a good hour waiting for Scott, only to be force to sit in the back with a drawling Kitty and Scott and Jean talking about football or some other team spirit rally. Still.. It was a toss up. She needed just one reason, ONE to go with Remy.

                "Ah don't know what's worse.. Ridin' home with Scott or with a swamp rat in a stol'n car."

                His grin changed to a charming smile and he leaned forward a bit, looking right into her eyes, his own red ones shining with the excitement of the auto heist. His voice quieted a bit too, thickening like honey, and just as sweet.

                "Aw, come on, p'tite, Remy ain' so bad... He sho' nuff been nice-ah ta yo', ain' he? Remy been tryin' ta be good, cher, he promise... Jus' give him a chance."

                By the time Remy had finished talking, Rogue found that she had stopped breathing. When did the jerk learn to be so convincing? Oh yea, when he became a con artist. Still, there was her reason.. time to go.. yep. She still hadn't moved - he was looking at her. Blinking rapidly she threw one arm up, walking away from him and around to the passenger side.

                "Fahne, but if someone catches us, Ah'm just gonna tell them ya kidnapped me." And with that blustered speech, she opened the other door and slid in.

                Remy just grins and slides in as well, pulling his door closed and slamming the car into reverse. He tore back, whipped the wheel around to avoid hitting the cars behind them, then shifted to drive and blew out of the parking lot. Once they were on an actual road Remy drove for the shore... not much of a drive, really. He seemed to know where he was headed, and didn't seem like he would accept other directions, at least not yet. He didn't drive at speeds conductive to not being pulled over, but with no cops in sight, he didn't really have much of a point to.

                "So, Cheri, why yo' always gotta be so mean ta Remy? He happen ta like da sou'ern belles. Yo' ain' still angry 'bout dat one li'l cahd, is ya Cheri?"

                "Two cahds, if Ah remember correctly." The card slap to the ass didn't help his case. "Besahdes, it was a *battle*. Ya know, where people kill each other? You were working for Trask."

                His affiliation with that maniac was two strikes against him. Rogue still have vivid dreams of the days she and the others spent in captivity, and in unguarded moments she could almost hear the voices of the few people she'd been forced to absorb.. Though they seemed to be sitting in the back of her mind in a glowering silence. Remy was a part of the team now, but she needed someone tangible to blame, perhaps.

                He shoved the wheel to the side and the car slid, skidded sideways as he let off the gas, only to resume course when he hit the gas again and they rocketed off down the road.

                "Dat one yestahday was jus' playin', p'tit... An' don' Remy desave a second chance jus' like da rest?" Another turn took them into a dirt parking lot and Remy sent the car sideways. He turned the car off as he reclined the chair a bit and looked out on the sparkling view of the ocean that was laid out before them now.

                "Ahh, dat's much bettah dan da city view, ain' it?"

                What part of that couldn't he get through his skull? Rogue looked at him bitterly before turning her gaze to the ocean. She herself had lived by the river when she was young, but she enjoyed the sea just as much. She remembered the day she, Kitty, Evan and Kurt had taken a Rogue trip to the beach when Scott had left to find his brother - the same day Magneto captured her and others, and took them to Asteroid M. Rogue shook her head from that train of thought. Why did everything hold a bad memory for her? Hard to avoid when your entire existence is someone else's nightmare. Time to change the subject..

                "How long has it been since you've gone ta school?"

                Remy blushed, something he hadn't been seen to do so far, by anyone, at least among the X-group. He looked to the side a bit and shrugged.

                "Well, nevah exactly wen' ta schoo'... Jus' one o' da hazahds o' livin' on da street, Cheri." He looked back at her with a slightly shakey smile and shrugged again. "Really, could live wit'out it still... dose kids is all ready sma'tah den Remy, all dose classes be teachin' him is dat he no' as smaht as de priv'ledged yankees."

                Remy was actually embarrassed, and a bit flustered at that.. Any other day she would have taken pleasure in seeing the Cajun so out of his rhythm, but she felt sorry. Naturally she had no idea about his life, but it was easy to guess that it hadn't been the easiest life a kid could have had. Even some of the least well off parents sent their kids to school - it was basically free, and the law.

                But she wasn't about to pry that deep. What did she care, right?

                "Well Ah mean, it's not that you're not as smart.. You just learned different things is all." Thinking on that last bit, she tried to turn the half compliment/comfort into a matter of fact. "Unless yer a part of the Bayville system ta begin with, it's hard to figure out." Smooth, real smooth.

                He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Don' worry, Cheri, Remy know he ain' da shahpest knife in da shed." He smiled and deftly slipped his hand, interlaced his fingers with her and brought it up then kissed it. "Yo' don' have ta try an' make 'im feel bettah about it."

                Her pity was momentarily replaced with disgust as she pulled her hand away.

                "Let's keep our paws to ahselves, swamp rat."

                She tried to keep the bitterness to a passing comment, not feeling like getting into another verbal duel with him - though it was usually only her attacking. He had this way of turning whatever she said into some sort of lame flirt. Eurgh.

                "Still, ya must be doin' alright in French right? Ya did take French, didn't ya.."

                He grinned, he'd been expecting her to pull away after all.

                "O' course, cher, Remy may no' be very smaht, but he no foo'. Da teachah ain' much likin' da slang Remy knows, dough. He be teachin da kiddies some o' da bad t'ings ta say." He chuckled at that and folded his arms behind his head. "How 'bout yo', Cheri? What classes do yo' take?"

                Rogue settled back into her seat. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable sitting here, talking casually with Remy. But there was always the fear that he'd pull something or subject her to more lame flirting. But he was being pretty normal so far... which could only mean he'd explode with something swamp rat-ish at any moment. Still, he was right, he did deserve a second chance.. she guessed.

                "Just the basics.. Ah'm takin art for an extra, and Spanish." She smirked at him almost teasingly. "It's easier."

                He shook his head and sighed.

                "Yo' broke Remy's heaht, Cheri..." He flicked a card out of nowhere, it seemed, and as it fluttered up, revealing the Ace of Hearts, the rest of the card burns away, then a line splits down the heart and the two remnants slowly drift down. "Francais is much mo' romantic, p'tite, the language of love, ah, sweet amour. De Spanish... jus' no' as good."

                Rogue lifted her chin a bit, still smirking. "Ah disahgree, Spanish sounds more exotic. And Ah doubt Cajun French is as romantic as real French. Though Ah only have Kitty's horrible accent to go by.."

                Hmm. Sitting in the car with Remy arguing over which language sounded more romantic. Her mind quickly sought an alternative train of thought, which in fact brought her back to the reason they'd started the conversation.

                "Ah think Ah have an idea.. Ah'll help you with your other classes if you'll help Kitty with her French. She's almost failin', and Ah can't stand to listen to her drawlin' n'more."

                He arched an eyebrow at that and looked over at her, leaning forward a bit, inspecting her face. Then he shrugged and leaned back.

                "Yo' on da up an' up, Cheri? No' gonna leave Remy in da lurch, are ya? Anoder little prank like da one last night?" He grinned. He all ready knew the answer, of course. She may not be the type you could con, but she was still pretty easy to read. The loners usually were, since they mostly thought alike.

                "Somet'in could be arranged, he t'inks."

                "If you can help her with her pronunciation, Ah can at least help her with the grammar.. It's similar enough." That way Kitty wouldn't have to bother him all the time. And she'd be free of the daily torture. She had to admire Kitty, though, for being determined to practice even though it was quite hopeless. But back to the matter at hand..

                "Ah'd agree to meet ya after school, but not if we'll be leavin' in stolen cars." Not to mention Remy had a stealing habit they needed to work on.

                He chuckled and shook his head.

                "Cheri, one o' da first t'ings yo' learn is dat yo' don' keep hittin' da same spot wit'out givin' it a bit o' a wait." He smiled over at her and gave her a gentle nudge with his elbow. "An' besides, Remy don' hear yo' complainin' bout da ride he found fo' us... If yo' don' like it he can find anot'er one." He grinned at that.

                Rogue couldn't help but crack a smile before quickly covering it with an annoyed gesture and pointed look at the ocean.

                "Ah'd prefer if we ditched it soon as possible.. Ah don't feel like gettin' expelled for stealin' the French teacher's car." Not to mention what would happen when Logan would find out. Goodbye life, hello level 10.

                He thought for a moment, then nodded and opened the door before he stepped out of the car and stood. He stretched a bit and gave a little yawn.

                "Maybe yo' right, cher. Le's blow dis popsicle stand. Da cops be findin' da cah and dey give it back ta de teachah."