Chapter2
Question Everything

A tiny shock, more like static, passed between them. Then nothing. They stood that way for a while, and then Lance slowly reached out, and touched the side of Rogue's face. His mind was racing, Rogue was so beautiful, and her eyes were such a deep green. She was getting scared. She had seen a brief glimpse of Lance's feelings for her, nearly a mirror image of hers for him. She backed away hurriedly, then sprinted quickly out of the alley. Lance just stood there, uncertain about what had just happened. He lightly touched his face, and realized that if Rogue had hit him any harder; he'd have a busted jaw.

Later that day, as Rogue was writing her English essay in her and Kitty's room, Kitty phased through the wall.

"Holy Shit! Kitty don't do that!" Rogue jumped, almost dropping her notebook into the floor.

"Jeez, sorry Rogue. It's, like, my room too." Kitty phased through the divider of their room to grab a sweatshirt from her side.

"Yeah, well I still think the door should be on my side of the room. You never use it anyway! You always phase through into my side!" they fought like sisters, not that that was possible.

"So what?" Kitty said, putting her hand on her hip, ready to take on Rogue's bad attitude.

"Whatever. Hey, Kitty. Have noticed anythin' odd with Lance lately?" Rogue asked Kitty quietly.

"No, just that he's been, like, totally moping all the time. Why?"

"It's, just that, I saw him today, and he grabbed my arm. But nothin' happened."

"That's, like, totally weird. Maybe your powers advanced."

"Maybe. Let's try." Rogue and Kitty touched the palms of their hands together, and Rogue's powers went full on crazy.

"Oww!" they both jumped back, holding their hands close.

"Ok, like, maybe not. Oh great. I'm talkin' like you again."

"Sorry Rogue. What do you think triggered it to, like, go away?"

"I'm not sure. I just hope it's not temporary, sometimes this power is, like, more trouble than it's worth. Do you always hafta say 'like' in every sentence?"

Rogue felt an old lonesome ache inside again; as she remembered what it was like it was to not have someone drop after touching her.

That afternoon, Rogue went to see the professor. Her head was swimming with questions.

"Do you think it's even possible?" Rogue asked skeptically.

"Well, Rogue, it's obviously possible. But I'm not sure how, or even why, Lance would be the only one unaffected. Especially since you've used your power against him before this." Professor X look intrigued about her power's apparent growth. "I'll look into this immediately, and notify you soon if anything is discovered. But you must finish your essay first, Rogue. Your English grade is rather poor this semester, if your grade drops much further, you'll lose privileges."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Nothin' below 'C-'. I'm goin'. Thanks professor."

That night, Rogue's dreams were a tangled, confusing mess. She most often saw Lance in the alley, shivering and sleeping fitfully. Other times she was happy, wearing flip-flops, shorts and a tank top, her mesh over shirt no were to be seen. Lance was wearing a pair of cut-off jeans, holding her in his arms, and she had laid her head on his freckled shoulder. She was sayin' somethin', as he brought his head down to kiss her. But every now and then, she saw Lance on the ground, not moving, dead. She woke up with a start, very worried about Lance. This wasn't her normal behavior, and she knew it, but she blew it off as leftovers from Kitty.