Chapter 7
Drowning Sorrows
Rogue drove around town for a while, contemplating where to go. There were too many bouncers hanging around the doors checking ID's at Tipsy, and 12 Shots was still closed since it got raided. Mixer was open and crowded, but not packed. Perfect. She pulled into an open parking place, and shut her car off. After locking the doors, Rogue walked in.
"Hey, Rogue." The bouncer greeted her. She'd known him for a while, ever since she'd got to town. "Haven't seen ya in a while. Where ya been keeping yourself?"
"Places."
"I'll bet. Hey be careful tonight. Jerry's on, and he'll kill me for letting ya in if ya get caught."
"Thanks Tom. I'll see you later, then." Rogue put her ID back in her pocket, and headed for the bar. She ordered a kiwi margarita, and looked around. No one interesting was around yet, but it was still early. She sat a while longer, ordering another when she'd finished her first drink.
Lance lay on his bed, his mind racing. He knew Rogue had left, but he didn't know where too. And he definitely didn't want to include the professor or Jean into all this. Rogue was pissed enough at him for never being able to say the right thing, and she didn't need another reason to beat the living shit out of him. He hit his stereo on, and pushed play. His CKY CD began playing the song 'Close Yet Far'.
Who said that I wasn't right?
I've lived for years without a life
Don't have a soul on my side
Still ridiculed despite how hard that I have tried
Don't take me under your wing
I don't need a hand, don't need anything
I've got a roof over my head
As if I'd rather be alone with me instead
Close yet far
Drop me a line and tell me how the hell you are
And I'll tip my hat to those who can't believe it's me
Though I never never never ever wanted this to be
I can hear the sounds of the city
Sunrise and set are the same to me
A hesitating pulse is good company
And my reflection offers no apology
But who said that I wasn't right?
And I've lived for years without a life
Don't have a soul on my side
Still ridiculed despite how hard that I have tried
Close yet far
Drop me a line and tell me how the hell you are
And I'll tip my hat to those who can't believe it's me
Though I never never never ever wanted this to be
Close yet far
Drop me a line and tell me how the hell you are
And I'll think of the days when there was something to believe
And I never never never ever wanted this to be
Lance stared at the ceiling, letting the words sink in.
Four hours and a few shots of tequila, a wine cooler, and two more margaritas later, Rogue was still at the bar, feeling better with each sip. The alcohol numbed her shattered heart from the twinges of pain that echoed through her thin body. All she wanted was for it to go away. Lance had hurt her bad. Worse than any other boy had before. So she drank more. Suddenly, she felt as if she might barf. She got off the barstool, and headed towards the bathroom. Stumbling through the door, she barely made it to the sink as the world began to tilt. After the feeling passed, and she threw up into the sink, she returned to her stool. She was just finishing her fourth margarita when Tom came up to her.
"Hey, Rogue. Ya might wanna leave. Jerry is getting anxious to bust someone, and it's time for me to leave." "Thanks Tom. I'll be gone in a minute." Rogue responded, somehow managing to sound not quiet as drunk as she was. "Be careful, Rogue." Tom waved goodbye, and left. Rogue managed to walk out of the building and to her car without getting seen by Jerry. She started her car, and headed back to the mansion.
Lance was sitting in a chair in the foyer, waiting for Rogue. Curfew was eleven o clock, and it was pushing one-thirty. He was starting to get worried. Rogue broke curfew relatively frequently, but this late was outrageous. The latest she'd ever been was forty-five minutes, not two and one-half hours. As hard as Lance tried to stay awake, he fell asleep any ways.
Rogue was driving down the damp streets, singing to her self at the tops of her lungs and laughing. "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dee-illy dee-illy! There they are a standing in a row, oh Oh oh! Big ones, small ones, some as big as a head!" She laughed, and subconsciously pushed her foot down harder on the accelerator. She was going close to sixty five miles per hour down the wrong side of the road. Just as a banked curve came up a head, Rogue's vision blurred and doubled. She squinted, and tried to follow the road. She hit the up curve on the guard rail, launching her car in to the air. The car hit the sloped shoulder fender first, and the windshield shattered as Rogue was shot from the car. It continued rolling down hill, finally stopping against a large oak tree.