Denial
Kitty awoke to the sound of birds chirping. She squinted her eyes against the bright morning sun and glanced around. Wait a second, this wasn't her room. She looked down and saw grass. And that definitely wasn't her bed. Had she phased outside in her sleep or something? Her elbow bumped into something hard and cold. She turned around and came face to face with Lance's headstone. Not a sight she wanted to see first thing in the morning. 'Did I stay here all night?' she wondered. Pushing down the grief that threatened to overcome her yet again, she tried to remember what had happened. 'Lance's funeral, Pietro, not being able to sleep...Oh yeah,' she remembered.
Suddenly she remembered something else. Today was Monday. She was supposed to be at school. "Shit," she muttered. Kitty groaned inwardly as she stood up. Her pajamas and sweatshirt were dirty and wrinkled. Her hair felt like it had been electrocuted and there were bits of grass in it.
As she began the 30-minute walk back to the Institute to change her clothes, Kitty realized something. She hadn't done any of her homework that was due today. 'Damn it, damn it to hell. Ugh, I can't deal with all this crap right now.'
When she got home, she tried to sneak upstairs and back down without being noticed. But she was caught by the Professor on her way back down.
"Ah Kitty, I see you're finally back."
"Yeah," said Kitty impatiently. She really wanted to get out of here. "Sorry I didn't come home, I just couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk and....."
"It's quite alright. I realize that you are going through a difficult time right now. I've written you a note to take to school explaining your late arrival."
"Thanks," Kitty mumbled. She felt like crying. Everyone being extra nice to her and giving her pitying looks was unbearable. It made her feel even worse. "I'll s-see you after school Professor." She ran out the door.
*****************************School***********************************
She arrived at school around lunchtime. Before she could make her way over to the X-Men table, she was intercepted by Pietro. The absolute last person in the world she wanted to see right now. She shook her hair around her face, hoping he wouldn't notice how uncomfortable she looked.
"Kitty, I was worried when you didn't show up this morning. Are you okay? You look tired.."
This was way weird. Pietro was acting all concerned about her and completely not like himself. It was almost as if he cared about her..no. She couldn't allow herself to think that. It would never be true anyway.
"Kitty? Did you hear me?"
Kitty snapped her head up. She had been so busy thinking that she completely forgot to answer Pietro. Great, he'd been standing there watching her stare out the window for five minutes. On top of everything else, he probably thought she was insane too.
"Uh, yeah, uh, I'm fine. I just overslept is all," she mumbled.
"Oh," he said. "Well, okay then. Um, how are you dealing with, um, you know, everything?"
Kitty looked panicked. Pietro was the last person she could talk to about Lance. She'd probably burst into tears if she tried. "Um."
Luckily, Rogue had realized what was going on, and was walking across the cafeteria to where Kitty and Pietro were standing. "Kitty! Hi, we were all worried about you this morning. You okay?"
Kitty smiled gratefully at Rogue. "Yeah, fine. Um, I'll talk to you later Pietro. I need to go and help Rogue with something, right Rogue?"
"Right," Rogue replied. The two girls walked off together.
"Thanks Rogue. I really couldn't deal with Pietro. You totally saved me."
"No problem," said Rogue. "Ah could sense your discomfort across the cafeteria, so Ah figured Ah'd intervene."
"Ugh," groaned Kitty. "He's acting really strange. He's being all nice to me. He never has before, I don't know how to respond to that."
Rogue glanced back at Pietro. He looked lost and forlorn. Interesting. "Ah think maybe he likes ya Kit. Ah mean, he's been acting odd for a while now. Especially around you."
Kitty snorted. But on the inside, she couldn't help but hope that Rogue was right. "I'm sure he doesn't. He just feels bad because he blamed me for Lance's death at first."
Rogue smiled at the look of hope that flickered across Kitty's face for the tiniest second. "Yeah, Ah suppose you're right. Still, H can't help but think that something's changed between the two of ya."
**************************After School****************************
Pietro frowned to himself as he leaned against his locker. Kitty was definitely avoiding him. The few times that he actually saw her in the hallway, she had turned around and ran off in the other direction. He couldn't understand it. The way he saw it, they could help each other deal with Lance's death. He had been looking forward to getting to know her better. But now it was like she hated him or something. He had wanted to be the one to free her from pain, but it looked like she wasn't eve going to let him try.
At that moment, his bimbo 'girlfriend' Gwen came running up to him. "Pietro! Oh my Gawd, I haven't seen you in forever! Why didn't you call me?" she demanded, her hands on her hips and her overly made up lips pouting.
Pietro rolled his eyes. "I didn't call you because my friend died this weekend," he snapped disgustedly.
Gwen's eyes grew large with indignation. "Well don't blame me! I didn't kill the guy! Geeze, you think a guy could find time for the hottest girl in school but no. You've changed Pietro. And I don't like it."
Pietro's eyes narrowed to slits. "You're right, I have changed. And you know what? I really don't give a fuck whether you like it or not. I cannot believe I was ever desperate enough to date you. We're through." He stalked off down the hallway, amazed at her insensitivity. 'Kitty would never behave like that,' he thought to himself. His heart lurched at the thought of Kitty being his girlfriend.
Gwen stared after him, shocked. "Well fine you loser! Fine, I was only using you anyway!"
Pietro chuckled at her pathetic attempt to make him feel bad. What a sad human being she was.
************************Kitty and Rogue's Room*************************
Once they were home from school, Kitty and Rogue had a little heart to heart. Kitty had needed to get a lot of stuff off of her chest, and Rogue was happy to listen. In the end, both were in tears. Rogue because she couldn't believe how much Kitty was going through, and Kitty because she had finally told someone everything. The whole truth, even the stuff about Pietro. Rogue of course had said that Kitty should tell him, because he obviously liked her back. Kitty had been firm in saying that it was wrong and that the feelings would pass with time. Rogue didn't believe her for a second. It seemed to her that Kitty was going to put herself through even more pain. But it was Kitty's decision, and there was nothing Rogue could do but hope that it all worked out for the best.
*******************************************************************
And there you have it folks, chapter 8. Kinda boring I know, but I had to tie up some loose ends before the next chapter.
Thanks again to my reviewers. I will definitely continue this fic. That thing I said about stopping was dumb. I was in a weird mood, but that's all over now. Yay!
GcArchangel4qs- lol. I update so much because I am a total procrastinator when it comes to homework. When I get inspired, I just have to write. Oh and the fic will sort of get happier now. It will definitely be happy in the end. I'm workin on it.
Kitty awoke to the sound of birds chirping. She squinted her eyes against the bright morning sun and glanced around. Wait a second, this wasn't her room. She looked down and saw grass. And that definitely wasn't her bed. Had she phased outside in her sleep or something? Her elbow bumped into something hard and cold. She turned around and came face to face with Lance's headstone. Not a sight she wanted to see first thing in the morning. 'Did I stay here all night?' she wondered. Pushing down the grief that threatened to overcome her yet again, she tried to remember what had happened. 'Lance's funeral, Pietro, not being able to sleep...Oh yeah,' she remembered.
Suddenly she remembered something else. Today was Monday. She was supposed to be at school. "Shit," she muttered. Kitty groaned inwardly as she stood up. Her pajamas and sweatshirt were dirty and wrinkled. Her hair felt like it had been electrocuted and there were bits of grass in it.
As she began the 30-minute walk back to the Institute to change her clothes, Kitty realized something. She hadn't done any of her homework that was due today. 'Damn it, damn it to hell. Ugh, I can't deal with all this crap right now.'
When she got home, she tried to sneak upstairs and back down without being noticed. But she was caught by the Professor on her way back down.
"Ah Kitty, I see you're finally back."
"Yeah," said Kitty impatiently. She really wanted to get out of here. "Sorry I didn't come home, I just couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk and....."
"It's quite alright. I realize that you are going through a difficult time right now. I've written you a note to take to school explaining your late arrival."
"Thanks," Kitty mumbled. She felt like crying. Everyone being extra nice to her and giving her pitying looks was unbearable. It made her feel even worse. "I'll s-see you after school Professor." She ran out the door.
*****************************School***********************************
She arrived at school around lunchtime. Before she could make her way over to the X-Men table, she was intercepted by Pietro. The absolute last person in the world she wanted to see right now. She shook her hair around her face, hoping he wouldn't notice how uncomfortable she looked.
"Kitty, I was worried when you didn't show up this morning. Are you okay? You look tired.."
This was way weird. Pietro was acting all concerned about her and completely not like himself. It was almost as if he cared about her..no. She couldn't allow herself to think that. It would never be true anyway.
"Kitty? Did you hear me?"
Kitty snapped her head up. She had been so busy thinking that she completely forgot to answer Pietro. Great, he'd been standing there watching her stare out the window for five minutes. On top of everything else, he probably thought she was insane too.
"Uh, yeah, uh, I'm fine. I just overslept is all," she mumbled.
"Oh," he said. "Well, okay then. Um, how are you dealing with, um, you know, everything?"
Kitty looked panicked. Pietro was the last person she could talk to about Lance. She'd probably burst into tears if she tried. "Um."
Luckily, Rogue had realized what was going on, and was walking across the cafeteria to where Kitty and Pietro were standing. "Kitty! Hi, we were all worried about you this morning. You okay?"
Kitty smiled gratefully at Rogue. "Yeah, fine. Um, I'll talk to you later Pietro. I need to go and help Rogue with something, right Rogue?"
"Right," Rogue replied. The two girls walked off together.
"Thanks Rogue. I really couldn't deal with Pietro. You totally saved me."
"No problem," said Rogue. "Ah could sense your discomfort across the cafeteria, so Ah figured Ah'd intervene."
"Ugh," groaned Kitty. "He's acting really strange. He's being all nice to me. He never has before, I don't know how to respond to that."
Rogue glanced back at Pietro. He looked lost and forlorn. Interesting. "Ah think maybe he likes ya Kit. Ah mean, he's been acting odd for a while now. Especially around you."
Kitty snorted. But on the inside, she couldn't help but hope that Rogue was right. "I'm sure he doesn't. He just feels bad because he blamed me for Lance's death at first."
Rogue smiled at the look of hope that flickered across Kitty's face for the tiniest second. "Yeah, Ah suppose you're right. Still, H can't help but think that something's changed between the two of ya."
**************************After School****************************
Pietro frowned to himself as he leaned against his locker. Kitty was definitely avoiding him. The few times that he actually saw her in the hallway, she had turned around and ran off in the other direction. He couldn't understand it. The way he saw it, they could help each other deal with Lance's death. He had been looking forward to getting to know her better. But now it was like she hated him or something. He had wanted to be the one to free her from pain, but it looked like she wasn't eve going to let him try.
At that moment, his bimbo 'girlfriend' Gwen came running up to him. "Pietro! Oh my Gawd, I haven't seen you in forever! Why didn't you call me?" she demanded, her hands on her hips and her overly made up lips pouting.
Pietro rolled his eyes. "I didn't call you because my friend died this weekend," he snapped disgustedly.
Gwen's eyes grew large with indignation. "Well don't blame me! I didn't kill the guy! Geeze, you think a guy could find time for the hottest girl in school but no. You've changed Pietro. And I don't like it."
Pietro's eyes narrowed to slits. "You're right, I have changed. And you know what? I really don't give a fuck whether you like it or not. I cannot believe I was ever desperate enough to date you. We're through." He stalked off down the hallway, amazed at her insensitivity. 'Kitty would never behave like that,' he thought to himself. His heart lurched at the thought of Kitty being his girlfriend.
Gwen stared after him, shocked. "Well fine you loser! Fine, I was only using you anyway!"
Pietro chuckled at her pathetic attempt to make him feel bad. What a sad human being she was.
************************Kitty and Rogue's Room*************************
Once they were home from school, Kitty and Rogue had a little heart to heart. Kitty had needed to get a lot of stuff off of her chest, and Rogue was happy to listen. In the end, both were in tears. Rogue because she couldn't believe how much Kitty was going through, and Kitty because she had finally told someone everything. The whole truth, even the stuff about Pietro. Rogue of course had said that Kitty should tell him, because he obviously liked her back. Kitty had been firm in saying that it was wrong and that the feelings would pass with time. Rogue didn't believe her for a second. It seemed to her that Kitty was going to put herself through even more pain. But it was Kitty's decision, and there was nothing Rogue could do but hope that it all worked out for the best.
*******************************************************************
And there you have it folks, chapter 8. Kinda boring I know, but I had to tie up some loose ends before the next chapter.
Thanks again to my reviewers. I will definitely continue this fic. That thing I said about stopping was dumb. I was in a weird mood, but that's all over now. Yay!
GcArchangel4qs- lol. I update so much because I am a total procrastinator when it comes to homework. When I get inspired, I just have to write. Oh and the fic will sort of get happier now. It will definitely be happy in the end. I'm workin on it.