Thanks to everyone who reviewed my first chapter! I really appreciated it!!

Chapter 2

"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all…" she murmured, reading aloud from her English textbook.

Well was it? Was it worth going through all that pain only to be hurt all over again? If she had just kept to herself, as she had for all those months before first she met Logan, would she be better off? She never would've experienced all this bitterness and hurt, she never would've known the frustration at everyone for thinking it was only a teenage crush…

But then she would also never have known the wonderful sensation of true love, or the pure joy of seeing someone you loved after all those months of heartache.

Yet what had it all led to? More pain, more loss, more sorrow, and most of all, more guilt.

Guilt.

At the thought of guilt, her heart wrenched. The picture of his still body lying there, that feral expression that was so him wiped off forever, it was all too much. She choked out a couple of sobs before collapsing onto her bed, as she had so many times before.

Outside, the sun started to rise, alone as always, but defiant, always defiant.

********

She slumped into her chair, textbooks falling into a heap around her on the floor. No one offered to pick them up, all too scared of hitting a nerve, too scared of her. Her hair was tangled and dirty; those two platinum streaks only a dirty blonde colour. She took no notice of the stares and silence directed at her, too busy wrapped up in her own thoughts. Her eyes were directed at some faraway distance; somewhere none of her classmates could even begin to comprehend. Nor could they detect the hurricane of emotions inside her. Her eyes were still, her mouth was set straight and her jaw was firm. Just like a face sculpted into stone. She was there, and you could see her, but something was missing. Something. Her spirit, perhaps, or maybe even life itself. Always the cool, beautiful creature, yet no one really knew her, constantly shut off by her barriers.

"Morning, class", an empty voice cut through the thick silence.

Heads turned to greet their Maths teacher.

He was neat and punctual, as usual, but his voice was so lacking of emotion, he sounded…almost robotic.

The lesson continued without any disruptions, and the minutes dragged by.

Except for two people.

Sometime during her trance, Rogue escaped back to reality for a brief moment. She looked up, only to be met by the red gaze of Scott. For a second, they were transported to a different realm where all his pain and agony shot through her like a bullet, all his suppressed anger and hurt. They were connected…through their loneliness and anguish, but all too soon, she slipped back into her trance, and he withdrew back into the depths of his mind.

"You can leave now", he said, marking the end of the class.

A rush of footsteps echoed throughout the classroom, until only one girl was left. Slowly, she too left the room.

********

Damn. She'd left her books lying on the floor of the classroom. It was a nuisance, but she didn't care. She was beyond caring, she told herself.

Good. Her things were still there, splayed across the floor. Picking them up, she began to make her way to the door, when suddenly she became aware of another presence in the room. Turning she noticed Scott sitting on the desk with his head buried in his knees. They had both been so absorbed with their thoughts that they hadn't noticed one another.

She saw his shoulders shaking uncontrollably and walked over to him.

"Mr. Summers, Mr. Summers, are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

Of course he's not all right you idiot. He just realised his lover betrayed him!!

Betrayed him with Logan, she thought, suddenly sick.

Then she noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks. Forgetting anything about teacher/student boundaries, or her own grief, or the fact that she didn't even know Scott that well, she dropped her books and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry Sir, I'm so sorry…" she whispered.

Tears were now running down her face as well, for in comforting him, she had awakened some more of the pain inside herself.

He felt the soft arms around him. The voice filled with hurt.

And a sob wrenched itself from his throat. He moved closer to his source of comfort, glancing to see whom it was. Shocked, he realised it was Rogue. Marie.

Now very aware of the wet trails down his face, he jumped up, moving away. Controlling his shaking, he recovered the mask he had worn for the past week – blank and empty.

A look of hurt crossed her face momentarily.

Tensing her body, she told herself, I should've expected this, everyone has always shunned me, this is no different…

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so…" she left the words hanging in the air.

"Sorry", she muttered, and left, once more forgetting her textbooks.

********

Way to go, Scott. She was trying to comfort you, she's already got enough on her mind, but you turned her away, like everyone else has. No wonder she loved Logan so much. He was the only one who never rejected her, who cared for her because of who she really was, unlike you.

He groaned in self-disgust.

How could you be so careless in the first place anyway? You weren't supposed to tell the world that you were in pieces by crying in an empty classroom!

All at once, the betrayal, anger and confusion came rushing back to him in a wave. Tears threatened to spill as he threw his visor across the room.

Dammit, Jean! How did you get such a tight hold of me!

He felt so alone, so empty, like all the contents of his heart had been emptied into the sea.

I need you Jean. Please, don't do this to me.

He needed someone so desperately, someone to hold him, comfort him.

And he'd had all that ten minutes ago, with Rogue.

Jesus Christ Scott, you are such a bastard.

Recovering his visor, he turned out toward the doorway and headed in the direction of a room owned by a certain girl with long gloves.

This one was longer than my previous chapter, but I don't think it was as good. But I updated it as soon as I could, like I said I would, 'cos of the positive reviews. Please, I'd love more feedback and if you got any ideas on improvement I'd love to hear them!