Disclaimer: I don't own no character, no singer, no song used in this fic.
A/N:
Yey! Chapter 2!
OK, confession time. I know Evo Rogue doesn't do pop, she prefers rock or heavy metal or something. But I live and breath pop. So all I know is pop. Therefore most (if not all) songs I'll use will be pop. Rogue will sing pop. Yeah! Pop is pop!
Many thanks to Taineyah (Okay, here's more), Peachy-Poo (Aw, shucks! I'm really flattered), Athena (thanks for the tip!), Lady Starlight so kiss my ass (Well, what do you know? I've continued!), ishandahalf (uhh, bunny on crack? shudders at the mental picture anyway, the delay was due to my midterms, so sorry!), and Rogue Warrior Spirit (my first reviewer! Yey!).
And to the person who emailed me, please receive my gratitude and apologies! I was on a terminal that time when I read your mail, and I forgot your name. I was thinking that I'll answer you when your review appears on the review board, so I deleted it. It was only minutes later when I realized that it won't appear on the review board! SO sorry! I could be so stupid sometimes… And I would appreciate it if you could email me again, so that I could acknowledge the names of the people who encouraged me to write another chapter.
RockStar
Chapter 2: Real
Rogue slammed her locker door shut and bit back a groan.
"She is hot," Rogue heard a wimpy-looking freshman say to his friend as they walked by.
"And her voice," the friend sighed dreamily.
"I wonder who she is…" thankfully, the duo walked far enough so that she wasn't able to hear their tirade anymore.
She was sick and tired of hearing about her all the time…
"Hey, Rogue!" Kitty greeted her cheerfully. "Scott said that, like, he's going to be a little late and, like, if we want to hitch a ride from him we have to wait for a bit,"
Rogue winced. That would mean that she either stays longer in school than she has too or she could start walking home. She decided on the latter. She was feeling claustrophobic the whole day, probably a manifestation of Miss Monroe. She can't help but feel agitated whenever she hears about the mysterious red-headed singer the night before, the most favorite topic of discussion for the day. "I'm walking home, Kit." She muttered.
"Like, I'm coming with you!" She announced, but before she can take a step forward, Rogue noticed a slight difference come over the girl.
Kit's eyes had glazed over and her cheeks had become tainted with a red blush.
"Kitty!" Jason called out. He was the one who played Dracula in the school play with Kitty and Rogue a while back.
Rogue hid a smirk. About time that girl gets over Lance. She was getting sick and tired of Kitty's sighing and moaning. Thankfully, the band had provided a distraction from her heart problems.
"Hey, Jason! Like, what's up?" Kitty gushed while Rogue rolled her eyes.
Jason grinned at her as he walked up to the two ladies. "Congratulations on your gig last night,"
Kitty giggled. "Like, thanks."
"Um, anyway, can you do me a favor?"
Kitty raised an eyebrow.
"Can you introduce me to the lead singer last night?" Jason asked, his cheeks becoming red.
"You mean Bobby?" Rogue asked incredulously.
"No, the girl. The redhead." Jason told Rogue. "You see, the drama club's doing a musical, and she'd be perfect for the lead role."
"Forget about it," Rogue waved her hands off as she began to walk away. "She doesn't know how to act,"
"You know her too?" Jason asked in surprise. "Because even Bobby and Kurt swore that they had no idea who she was."
Rogue, whose back was turned back from Jason now, winced.
She forgot that it was only Kitty who recognized her the night before because her hair, the darkness, her clothes, and the fact that it was only the Valley Girl who got close enough to see her.
And she swore Kitty to secrecy under the pain of death.
"Like, yeah," Kitty replied, once again butting in the discussion. "She's, uhh, like, Rogue's friend from her old school. She doesn't go here, so, like, she wouldn't be able to join the drama club," she twirled her hair in her fingers nervously.
"Oh." Jason sounded disappointed. "Well, too bad." He shrugged. "See around, then," he walked away, his shoulders slumped.
Rogue shook her head as she began to walk outside. Kitty ran after her.
"Like, why didn't you want people to know that you're the mysterious singer, Rogue?" Kitty asked.
"Not so loud, Kit!" Rogue hissed.
"Like, if that was me, the whole world is going to know about it by now,"
"It's a one time thing, a favor. I'm not going to go up stage with ya'll again," Rogue told her.
"Why not?" Kitty whined. "And like, if you have the talent, why not flaunt it?"
Rogue sighed. "It's complicated."
It was a scene straight out of a horror movie.
All light items that were placed on tables were floating. The heavier furniture were shaking and grinding. The floor was rumbling. Damn Jean Grey and Lance Alvers.
But actually, they had nothing to do with it.
Every room Rogue goes into, the results were the same.
She knew she had to calm down soon or the whole mansion would come tumbling down.
And she knew just where to go.
Now she was in the living room where Ororo's grand piano was located. She knew she was taking a big risk by being there, but she had to calm herself down, and this was the only thing she knew that would sooth her angry soul.
She opened the piano and closed her eyes, her fingers poised over the keyboards.
And then she began playing. An instrumental she heard blasting over Kitty's radio. Rogue had liked it very much, the powerful chords, the complicated keys. And it would give her an excuse to pound her fingers forcefully on the keyboards. Flight of the Bumblebee, she thinks it was called.
Damn that Cajun.
She had returned home from school, trying to escape the rumors and the questions about the mysterious girl. Who was she? Where did she come from? Is she a mutant too?
And just when she thought she had found refuge in the comfort of her room, she found the place, her side of it, framed with lighted scented candles. And in the middle of her bed was a card, a Joker.
Great. It seemed that she found herself a stalker.
But no matter. Minutes later into the piece, the rumbling ground had stopped. All items that were previously floating had dropped down with a thud. She mind was gloriously free from all distractions.
All too soon, she finished her piece.
She opened her eyes. She doesn't want to go out yet. It wasn't often that she finds peace, living in a houseful of teenagers outside and living with the people she'd absorbed within. So she knew that she should treasure moments like these.
She frowned in concentration as another one of Kitty's songs came to her.
Look at me I'm twenty three
Beautiful a sight to see
Tonight
A little dress to draw the press
And I'll be leaving
All the rest behind
Well be pleased girl
If this is what you wanted
The whole world is watching you take the stage
What will you say
Aren't I lovely
And do you want me cause
I am hungry for something that will make me real
Can you see me and
Do you love me cause
I am desperately searching for something
Real
I close my eyes imagine time
Will not forget
My sacrifice
I numb the ache and decorate
My emptiness
Stand naked in the light
Well be pleased world
If this is what you wanted
This young girl is everything that you made
What will she say
The world goes home
The lights go down
My lipstick fades
Away
As the last notes faded away, Rogue gently closed the piano and placed her elbows on it. She cradled her head with her hands and resolved to enjoy the momentary tranquility in her. She took deep breaths and enjoyed the quiet.
Suddenly, there was a crash that caused Rogue to whirl around.
It was Bobby, who dropped his armful of books. "It's you!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt asked.
Rogue half-expected him to be angry. Instead, she almost jumped out of her skin when Kurt threw both of his arms around her. "Uh, Kurt?"
"My little sister's so talented!" He cried out happily.
Rogue tried to pry Kurt's arms away from her, not wanting to absorb him. Her powers were confusing enough as it is. "Half-sister?"
Kurt nodded enthusiastically. "You didn't like it when I called you the elder sister, so I'll call you little sister instead!"
Rogue merely rolled her eyes.
"This is great!" Bobby grinned. "We have a gig tonight."
Three heads turned to look at him.
"What?" He protested. "A really gorgeous older woman approached me this afternoon after school and asked our band to be in this really cool coffee shop." He explained. "Do you really expect me to turn her down?"
"Yes!" Three voices solidarily replied.
"Well, come on, it'll be our first paid gig." Bobby coaxed them.
"Paid?" Kitty's head bobbed up. "You mean, like, we get money and all?" It was no secret that she's been obsessing lately over a new pink sweater she saw on the mall. Unfortunately, it was waaaay off her budget.
Bobby nodded as he told them the figure that the girl offered him.
"Wow," Kurt's eyes widened. "That's a lot of money."
"I could buy my sweater,"
Stuck inside the rec room, the trio didn't know that a rain had started outside the mansion.
"But, only if our singer comes tonight, that was the deal the lady told me." Bobby added as three heads now turned towards Rogue.
"No." She narrowed her eyes.
Outside, the rain started to pour down forcefully.
"Like, please, Rogue, think about my sweater!" Kitty whined.
The rain had now officially become a storm.
"My sister!" Kurt grinned maniacally at her. "Why don't you want to share your talent to the whole world?"
Floods started to form.
"Please, Rogue, please, please, please!" Bobby begged.
"No!"
"Like, they don't have to know it's you," Kitty told Rogue.
"There's one problem with that," Rogue told them. "I don't exactly have control on Mystique's powers." She spat out the name like it defiled her by just saying it. Before her, Kurt winced.
"So we'll get a wig," Bobby pleaded.
"No! How would it get through your thick skull that no means no!" Rogue practically screamed.
"Stripes!" A gruff voice bellowed. "Let it off with the storm, you're drowning Bayville!"
"Storm?" Kitty frowned. "It seems that Mr. Logan won't let any one of us out tonight, since it's raining and all."
"And whoever you are who's bothering Stripes down there, don't let me catch ya!"
Rogue smirked. She had found a protector in the unwitting Mr. Logan.
Maybe she could sic him on the Cajun…
If it was up to her, she would turn her back completely on music. In fact, today was the first time she touched a piano since she started living in the mansion.
True, music brought her peace.
But it brings her memories as well.
Memories she would rather forget.
Memories of her.
Her mother. And Irene…
"No more!"
"Sweetie," Irene gently admonished the little girl. "Try again, here, I'll show you,"
The little girl marveled at the skillful way Irene's fingers seem to fly all over the keys.
"Irene,"
The two whirled around to see who had interrupted their practice time.
"Momma!" The little girl cried out as she hopped down the bench to run at the woman who had just entered the room.
The woman with auburn hair and green eyes held her arms open and hugged her little girl. "Did you miss me?"
The girl nodded solemnly.
The woman walked over to the piano. She gently set down the girl and sat down beside Irene.
Irene smiled serenely as she began to play out a song.
The woman smiled at the little girl before turning to Irene and humming to the music.
Beside them, seeing the two women and hearing the soothing music that they made, warmth enveloped the little girl's heart. Her spirit soared and she felt safe.
Suddenly, the other woman stood up. "I'm not your momma," she said.
The little girl looked up in confusion as her momma started to fade before her very eyes. The familiar eyes, nose, and lips seem to disintegrate to be replaced by a blue face with blue eyes and blue body.
"Momma?"
"That's right, I'm your momma! You do what I say!"
"No!"
The woman stalked over to her. "You really think that someone would love you? You're here only because you're useful."
"Irene?" She appealed to the blind woman.
"Sorry, but she's right."
"And now you're even of no use to us!" The woman said angrily. "You ungrateful girl!"
"We don't need you anymore!" Irene said as she too stood up and faced the little girl. "Get out!" The blue woman added. "You're worthless to us now.""Nooo!"
Kitty woke up to her roommate's trashing and moaning. "Rogue?" She asked sleepily. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She turned to look to at Rogue, in time to see her roommate start to phase through her bed. "Rogue!"
"Nooo!" Rogue jerked awake, her eyes wide, and froze. The problem was, she was in mid-phase.
"Rogue!" Kitty cried out as she jumped up and tackled Rogue to help her phase the rest of the way. She hoped that she wouldn't touch any of the Goth's deadly skin.
Soon Rogue and Kitty found themselves sprawled in the rec room floor.
Rogue groaned.
"Are you, like, OK?" Kitty asked in worry.
Rouge sat up and nodded.
Suddenly the lights in the rec room switched on.
"Stripes, Half-pint, what are you doing up on this time of night?"
~tbc
ps.
The song used above, Real, is by Plumb.
And I would really appreciate a review. ^^