Girl Talk

~*~

One thing I know that won't change

It's hard, so hard - It's tearing out my heart

It's hard letting you go

-Bon Jovi

~*~

Later that night

Kitty sat outside watching the stars come out. She wondered if Lance was looking at the sky, which brought a new round of tears on. She leaned against the wall of the house sobbing softly. Pete came outside smoking a cigarette. He sat on the porch railing for a full minute before noticing her. He stubbed his cigarette out before going to sit next to her. "Hell, Pryde, I thought you were stronger than this," he said hoping to get a rise out of her, make her forget her tears.

"Me too," she whispered. Pete awkwardly slipped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him turning slightly to bury her head in his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Stupid Lance. I thought I was finally over him and I got the stupid note. I just miss him so much."

"I know, but you can't let him do this to you. There's an old sayin': 'no man is worth your tears, and the one who is will never make you cry.'" She sighed snuggling closer to him.

"I just don't know why this had to happen now, while my parents are getting a divorce. They told me yesterday."

"Damn, kid, you're right, it wasn't a good day."

"Well, it, like, could have been worse, we could have not had the mission, and then I'd be upstairs crying. . . instead of down here."

"This Lance guy doesn't deserve you," Pete told her gently. He reached out softly brushing away her tears. "He left you, kid. He doesn't deserve your tears."

"Technically we were broken up," she whispered and told him briefly about their relationship.

"Romeo and Juliet huh?"

"Except Romeo left Juliet instead of dying." She smiled wryly. "I guess that's a good thing. As angry as Lance makes me, I don't want him dead."

"So, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Kitty sighed not wanting to move. Somehow the feel of Pete's arms around her was very comforting. To her surprise he kissed the top of her head before moving away and lighting another cigarette.

"You're a great girl, Pryde, you'll have no trouble finding a guy who's not a complete wanker."

"Living here I will," Kitty sighed walking inside. Pete stared after her not sure what she meant by that.

"There you are!" Rogue exclaimed hugging her friend. Kitty tensed at the action knowing that the Goth girl never hugged anyone.

"What's going on?"

"It worked, Kit! The ring worked. Mr. McCoy and the professor are in the lab checking it out to make sure that it's safe but it worked. Thank you so much, Kitty. This might be it." She was startled to see that the Southerner was near tears. "I might finally be able to control my powers." Kitty hugged her friend again.

"That's great, Rogue."

Rogue's smile went down a few notches. "Were you crying?"

Kitty held her thumb and forefinger and inch a part. "A little, but I'm fine, Mr. Wisdom and I talked."

"You like him don't you?"

"No!"

Rogue raised an eyebrow at her friend's vehement denial. "You know, he told all of us to call him Pete."

"I know. That's why I'm calling him what I am." She crossed her arms. "I didn't forget what he said about *my* name."

Rogue laughed. "He was joking, and you hit him with the door."

"Yeah," Kitty grinned, "that was fun."

"I worry about ya sometimes, sugah."

"So, how'd your fight go with Gambit?"

"Ah still have that stupid swamp rat's dirty thoughts in my head. The stuff he thought about *me*." She shook her head.

"Did you touch him?"

Rogue smirked. "Ah kissed him."

"Really, how was it?"

"It wasn't long enough to make him lose consciousness, but Ah have ta admit, Ah know what Ah'm missin' now."

"You know, Lance only kissed me once," Kitty confessed as the two went into the kitchen for a snack. Rogue got out some 'Death By Chocolate' ice cream and two spoons.

"Ah would have thought he's be the type ta be all over ya," Rogue said.

Kitty giggled. "Me too, but he never was. Lance was a perfect gentleman." Rogue placed her hand over her heart exaggeratedly causing Kitty to giggle again. "If I'm honest, I had hoped he'd be a little less of a gentleman, but how do you bring that up? 'Lance, I'm glad you're respecting me and all but, I want smoochies!'"

"You've been watchin' too much 'Buffy', Kit," Rogue chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah," Kitty said taking another spoonful. "It's been too long since we did this."

"Yeah," Rogue agreed. "We're missing something though." As if on cue Amara, Tabitha, and Jubilee came in. "And that'd be it. Get a spoon girls." Smiling the other three got spoons sitting across from the roommates.

"I heard about the ring," Tabitha said. "If it's okay who's the lucky guy gonna be?"

Rogue flushed remembering what she said she'd do when she got control of her powers. "Ah-"

Kitty's hand shot up on the air. "Ooh, I know!"

"Kitty!" Rogue shouted. Kitty put her hand down laughing. "He's the enemy and a complete player."

"But really cute," Jubilee sighed.

"Even those eyes," Tabby agreed.

"What about Mr. Tall Dark and British?" Amara inquired.

"Nah, he's Kitty's," Rogue said.

"He is not!" Kitty said taking another spoonful.

"Can I have him then?" Amara asked.

"Don't you have Sam?" Kitty asked.

"Spoil my fun," the princess sighed.

"So, why don't you want him?" Jubilee asked.

"He's arrogant, and crude, the deep blue eyes, great hair, and wonderful body can't change that." She tensed as the other girls looked behind her and started giggling. "God, not again." She turned around. "Hi, Mr. Wisdom."

"Ladies," Pete nodded. He looked down at Kitty his eyes sparkling. "`Allo, Pryde."

"I don't want you to think for a minute that we were talking about you," Kitty tried to cover.

He merely chuckled. "Of course not."

She narrowed her eyes. "Because we weren't."

"I know," he said but his smile merely widened. "Well, it's late and I still have to work on the. . . lesson plans." He still looked down at Kitty although he addressed all of them. "Goodnight." The others said their goodnights. He watched Kitty waiting.

"`Night," she said finally. He winked at her before walking up the stairs. "Damn him."

"He's cute," Jubilee said.

"That's not the point!" Kitty exclaimed.

"So you admit it," Tabby grinned.

"I hate you guys." They polished off the rest of the ice cream while gossiping, before heading upstairs. Kitty laid in bed staring at the ceiling and thinking about Lance and Pete.