Not too much action in this or the next chapter, but it's coming. I've
decided how 'A life Worth Living' is going to end, and I'm happy about
that. I don't really think that you readers are going to like it too much,
though, because it's going to make you wait a little for the SEQUEL. Yep,
I'm already thinking about that, but 'A life worth living' still needs some
working on. There will be a few major important things happening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 28:
Nathan ate with the others that night. He sympathised for the first time with Bobby and Pyro, and most of all, didn't let himself listen to the little voice, still humming in his head. After supper, he preferred avoiding Kitty or Rogue and went outside with the boys for a Basketball match. After that, there were a few 'power battles' that the kids gave out on the grounds, but Nathan preferred looking at them fight, then join in himself. He wanted to forget his mutation just for some time. He noticed that Kitty would have liked to talk to him a couple of times, but he would start talking to other boys for her to go away without her knowing that he knew she was there. At first, he thought this would upset her too much, but he had realized that she would just go back talking to Jubilee and other girls, probably thinking she would have the opportunity to talk to him later. Rogue, on the other hand, stayed away with her free will, even trying not to look in Nate's direction.
Around ten, the students were told to go to bed and Nate rushed to his room before Kitty or someone else could talk to him. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Kitty, it was more that he was growing more and more fond of her, and couldn't accept the idea that maybe she wouldn't feel the same way, and that scared him.
He slept relatively well that night, savouring the thought that he was in a place out of harm's way, a place he could call home.
~~~
The next morning, Nate woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door.
"Get up, Nathan!" he heard Jean shout from the other side of the door. "Don't you be late for you're first class!"
Nathan jumped out of bed, thinking that class was starting very soon. He looked at his clock and read seven o'clock. Classes weren't starting before nine. He sighed with relief before frowning as he waked to the door that he opened to walk out. Jean was knocking on another door, a few metres away.
"Jean?" he said, shacking his head. "What was that for? Do you do this every morning?"
She chuckled at the sight of his reluctant pose, his uncombed hair and sleepy look.
"Yeah," Jean said. "It's the wakeup call."
Nate walked back into his room, still shaking his head. He was tempted to go back to sleep, but he knew he might as well stay up, so he decided to take his shower. After that, he got dressed and walked down to the kitchen where he found Bobby, John and Max sitting at a table. He joined them and ate breakfast as a student, before spotting Kitty at another table and remembering he had to talk to Rogue. He didn't want to imagine her getting the news, but she had too one way or another. At eight thirty, he went looking for her around the school, but no one had seen her. At nine, he was still looking when he was told to go to class. Talking to her would have to wait.
~~~
His first class was history, with Ororo in the greenhouse. It was the first time he actually entered the glasshouse, and it was to say, he was impressed. The place was simply magnificent, the tables placed in a semi- circle surrounded by hundreds of plants all taken care of by Storm herself. There was a long movable chalkboard on which were already written a few words and dates on the Renaissance. Ororo wasn't in yet and Nate had the time to settle down with the other boys and talk a bit before she came in, holding a pack of papers in her left hand.
"Okay, everyone," she said, a smile on her face. "Calm down and take a seat."
Slowly, the students obeyed and they all took a seat in some of the chairs. He noticed that Rogue still wasn't there, and that bothered him. Why wasn't she in class?
She actually arrived in the middle of the class and seated herself beside Jubilee without even a glance at Nathan, and he decided that he would do better to concentrate on the class, about Michelangelo and François the first. The class passed surprisingly fast and at the end, Nate's courage for talking to Rogue disappeared into thin air. Taking himself together, he walked to her once Jubilee and Kitty had left her alone to take her things.
"Hi, Rogue," he said. -Damn, I shouldn't have started like that,- he thought. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Yah, okay," Rogue said, a small smile on her lips. "Can it wait for after lunch? I promised Bobby I would eat with him."
A gigantic weight flew off his heart, as an unwanted smile appeared on his features.
"Sure!" he said, slightly too enthusiastic.
"Great, then see you later," she said, walking out.
Nathan sighed once she was further away.
~~~
Nathan entered the cafeteria ignoring the looks some of the students were giving him, and walked directly to Max who was talking to a pretty girl with dark purple hair. He pulled him away.
"Max, She's going out with Bobby!" he said.
"Who? Kitty?" Max exclaimed. "Ah, man, don't worry about it. We'll just kick his a-"
"Not Kitty! Rogue!" Nate said, shaking his head.
"Ah," Max said, his determined look changing to a comfortable one. "Then she doesn't like you, so you don't need to talk-"
"Well, yes I do," Nate said. "But it's going to be better that way."
"Yeah. Now, can I go back to my business?" he asked, vaguely pointing back at the purple haired girl.
Nate chuckled. "Yeah, go."
Nathan sat next to John and a French boy with red eyes playing poker with another boy. They ate hamburgers and French fries for lunch, and afterwards, some of the students went into the gardens for recess. Others went to the library or their dorm rooms, but Nate preferred going outside. There he found Rogue, sitting alone on one of the benches under a group of trees, not too far from the basketball court. He walked to her.
"How was your lunch?" he said to start the conversation.
"Ah, very well," she said. "So, you're staying as a student, hum?"
"Yeah," he said, sitting next to her. "I think it's a good choice."
"So that way you can stay with Kitty," Rogue said calmly.
Nathan's eyes widened as he turned to look at her. She was just sitting there, a little impish smile on her face. She didn't look bothered at all.
"Wa- . . . how? . . . but-," he tried to said something, but the words couldn't come out.
"Cat got your tongue?" Rogue asked, still smiling.
"But-how? . . . euh . . . ?"
"I hope you know I don't mind at all," Rogue continued between Nate's inarticulate speeches. "I just hope you're going to be alright with her. I know you'll make a nice couple."
There was a moment of silence as Nathan just stared.
"But we still are friends, aren't we?" Rogue asked.
"Of . . . of course we are!" Nathan blurted out. "Rogue . . . thanks."
She smiled.
"No problem, Nathan," she said, getting up from her place. "I'll see you around then."
"Sure," he answered, a wide, honest smile illuminating his features.
She walked away towards the mansion, leaving Nathan to think about the conversation they had just had. He just couldn't believe how well it had all went. On the other hand, he didn't see how she cried once she reached her dorm room, a few words echoing in her head: It wasn't meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's only fair that you review if you read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 28:
Nathan ate with the others that night. He sympathised for the first time with Bobby and Pyro, and most of all, didn't let himself listen to the little voice, still humming in his head. After supper, he preferred avoiding Kitty or Rogue and went outside with the boys for a Basketball match. After that, there were a few 'power battles' that the kids gave out on the grounds, but Nathan preferred looking at them fight, then join in himself. He wanted to forget his mutation just for some time. He noticed that Kitty would have liked to talk to him a couple of times, but he would start talking to other boys for her to go away without her knowing that he knew she was there. At first, he thought this would upset her too much, but he had realized that she would just go back talking to Jubilee and other girls, probably thinking she would have the opportunity to talk to him later. Rogue, on the other hand, stayed away with her free will, even trying not to look in Nate's direction.
Around ten, the students were told to go to bed and Nate rushed to his room before Kitty or someone else could talk to him. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Kitty, it was more that he was growing more and more fond of her, and couldn't accept the idea that maybe she wouldn't feel the same way, and that scared him.
He slept relatively well that night, savouring the thought that he was in a place out of harm's way, a place he could call home.
~~~
The next morning, Nate woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door.
"Get up, Nathan!" he heard Jean shout from the other side of the door. "Don't you be late for you're first class!"
Nathan jumped out of bed, thinking that class was starting very soon. He looked at his clock and read seven o'clock. Classes weren't starting before nine. He sighed with relief before frowning as he waked to the door that he opened to walk out. Jean was knocking on another door, a few metres away.
"Jean?" he said, shacking his head. "What was that for? Do you do this every morning?"
She chuckled at the sight of his reluctant pose, his uncombed hair and sleepy look.
"Yeah," Jean said. "It's the wakeup call."
Nate walked back into his room, still shaking his head. He was tempted to go back to sleep, but he knew he might as well stay up, so he decided to take his shower. After that, he got dressed and walked down to the kitchen where he found Bobby, John and Max sitting at a table. He joined them and ate breakfast as a student, before spotting Kitty at another table and remembering he had to talk to Rogue. He didn't want to imagine her getting the news, but she had too one way or another. At eight thirty, he went looking for her around the school, but no one had seen her. At nine, he was still looking when he was told to go to class. Talking to her would have to wait.
~~~
His first class was history, with Ororo in the greenhouse. It was the first time he actually entered the glasshouse, and it was to say, he was impressed. The place was simply magnificent, the tables placed in a semi- circle surrounded by hundreds of plants all taken care of by Storm herself. There was a long movable chalkboard on which were already written a few words and dates on the Renaissance. Ororo wasn't in yet and Nate had the time to settle down with the other boys and talk a bit before she came in, holding a pack of papers in her left hand.
"Okay, everyone," she said, a smile on her face. "Calm down and take a seat."
Slowly, the students obeyed and they all took a seat in some of the chairs. He noticed that Rogue still wasn't there, and that bothered him. Why wasn't she in class?
She actually arrived in the middle of the class and seated herself beside Jubilee without even a glance at Nathan, and he decided that he would do better to concentrate on the class, about Michelangelo and François the first. The class passed surprisingly fast and at the end, Nate's courage for talking to Rogue disappeared into thin air. Taking himself together, he walked to her once Jubilee and Kitty had left her alone to take her things.
"Hi, Rogue," he said. -Damn, I shouldn't have started like that,- he thought. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Yah, okay," Rogue said, a small smile on her lips. "Can it wait for after lunch? I promised Bobby I would eat with him."
A gigantic weight flew off his heart, as an unwanted smile appeared on his features.
"Sure!" he said, slightly too enthusiastic.
"Great, then see you later," she said, walking out.
Nathan sighed once she was further away.
~~~
Nathan entered the cafeteria ignoring the looks some of the students were giving him, and walked directly to Max who was talking to a pretty girl with dark purple hair. He pulled him away.
"Max, She's going out with Bobby!" he said.
"Who? Kitty?" Max exclaimed. "Ah, man, don't worry about it. We'll just kick his a-"
"Not Kitty! Rogue!" Nate said, shaking his head.
"Ah," Max said, his determined look changing to a comfortable one. "Then she doesn't like you, so you don't need to talk-"
"Well, yes I do," Nate said. "But it's going to be better that way."
"Yeah. Now, can I go back to my business?" he asked, vaguely pointing back at the purple haired girl.
Nate chuckled. "Yeah, go."
Nathan sat next to John and a French boy with red eyes playing poker with another boy. They ate hamburgers and French fries for lunch, and afterwards, some of the students went into the gardens for recess. Others went to the library or their dorm rooms, but Nate preferred going outside. There he found Rogue, sitting alone on one of the benches under a group of trees, not too far from the basketball court. He walked to her.
"How was your lunch?" he said to start the conversation.
"Ah, very well," she said. "So, you're staying as a student, hum?"
"Yeah," he said, sitting next to her. "I think it's a good choice."
"So that way you can stay with Kitty," Rogue said calmly.
Nathan's eyes widened as he turned to look at her. She was just sitting there, a little impish smile on her face. She didn't look bothered at all.
"Wa- . . . how? . . . but-," he tried to said something, but the words couldn't come out.
"Cat got your tongue?" Rogue asked, still smiling.
"But-how? . . . euh . . . ?"
"I hope you know I don't mind at all," Rogue continued between Nate's inarticulate speeches. "I just hope you're going to be alright with her. I know you'll make a nice couple."
There was a moment of silence as Nathan just stared.
"But we still are friends, aren't we?" Rogue asked.
"Of . . . of course we are!" Nathan blurted out. "Rogue . . . thanks."
She smiled.
"No problem, Nathan," she said, getting up from her place. "I'll see you around then."
"Sure," he answered, a wide, honest smile illuminating his features.
She walked away towards the mansion, leaving Nathan to think about the conversation they had just had. He just couldn't believe how well it had all went. On the other hand, he didn't see how she cried once she reached her dorm room, a few words echoing in her head: It wasn't meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's only fair that you review if you read.