Authors note = I hope to finish this fic at some point in my life…. But of course, just writing: "They had the play. The End" doesn't seem like a crowd pleaser… -_-;;
Alex: Why can't I finish!? WHY?!!? *starts to bang head against a table*
Lance: Umm…. I dunno!… Stop doing that!
Todd: She's gonna knock herself out yo!
Pietro: *is eating pop corn*
*Lance and Todd stare at him*
Pietro: …… WHAT?!
Alex: I just keep writing and one thing turns into another and then …. I'll forever be writing! O_O
Lance: v_v;; Well, I hope not… I want to have a girlfriend in this fic.
Todd: She's MINE!
Lance: …….
Pietro: ^_^;; *happly eating pop corn*
Alex: Ok…. Here we go! =^_^=
A Lovers Feud
By: Alex Destine
Chapter 19
She ran her delicate fingers along his fine hair as their lips met continuously. His left arm held her small waist as his right hand kept gently playing with loose strands of her brown hair.
A few moments later their lips parted and they stood panting staring into each other's eyes. The reddish light of the photography darkroom created eerie shadows across their faces. Pietro gently placed his hand over Kitty's cheek and felt, rather then saw, her blushing.
"You, my dear, have interesting make-out spots." Said Pietro as he kept holding unto his girlfriend.
"Well, like… I knew no one would be here now. So why let it go to waste, right?" she kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I mean, it's no boy bathroom, but it'll do, right?"
"God, you're never going to forgive me for that, are you?" he smiled devilishly as he remembered the look on her face.
"Of course not, Mr. 'Never-say-I-don't-take-you-places'." She smiled again and began to kiss his lips.
Soon they were once more completely absorbed into each other. So much so, that neither of them noticed when the door opened and when two new figures entered the room… until one of them screamed.
"AAAHHH!!!" screamed the new voice.
"AAAHHH!!!" screamed Kitty.
"AAAHHH!!!" screamed Pietro.
"AAAHHH!!!" screamed Freddy.
"…. Freddy?" his friend's huge figure was unmistakable anywhere. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the two of you that same question!" came the voice of a very stressed out Jean Grey.
"Like, Jean… like, what are you like, doing here?" Kitty began to play with the end of her ponytail.
"I came to return a camera … now what do you two think you're doing?" Jean had her hands on her hips and was sternly looking at her younger teammate.
"Look, Jean… if you wish to make out with Freddy that's fine. But you MUST find another darkroom, this one is being used at the moment." Said Pietro matter-of-factly.
Jean began to blush and so did Freddy.
"That is not funny! I am not laughing Maximoff!…. Stop giggling Kitty!"
"Like, sorry…" the young freshman simply turned away since she couldn't stop herself.
"Now…" continued Jean when she felt more like herself. "We must get out of here… and really Kitty! You're too young to be making out like that!"
"What?!" complained both Kitty and Pietro.
"Like, I am not a kid! And I can make out with whoever I choose!" she crossed her arms trying to sound very angry.
"Namely me!" corrected Pietro.
"Oh, yeah, namely you…" Kitty gave him a small kiss.
"Whatever Kitty, but think you two can hold it until you go to the movies like normal teenagers?" Jean placed the camera on one of the long tables and quickly started walking outside.
"I believe we need a second opinion… Freddy, do you think Kitty can make-out, namely with me, where ever she wants?" asked Pietro as they all made their way out and into the hallway.
"Um…doesn't bother me…" answered the large mutant.
"Thank you!" Pietro smiled as Jean simply gave him 'the look'.
~~Good thing only Kitty has any effect with that… ~~ thought the white haired boy as the four of them were now walking toward their different lockers… lunch period would soon be over.
Unfortunately they were soon spotted and chased down by none other then the Mighty Duncan.
"Jean! Hey, JEAN! Wait up!" yelled the football player as he made his way toward his redheaded love interest.
"Oh great… I mean, HI Duncan! How are you?" Jean was trying to sound happy.
"Great, now that I've seen you." Replied Duncan while he gave her one of his 'smiles'
Pietro and Kitty rolled their eyes over such a lame line. Freddy was trying hard not to listen, in fear he would gag.
"Listen Jean, I waited after school for you yesterday…. But you never showed up. I hope you're ok." Duncan tried to give his complete attention to her, but his eyes still wandered over to Freddy as he asked himself what was the beautiful Jean Grey doing with this guy?
"Yesterday, we weren't supposed to meet yesterday Duncan." Jean would've remembered something like that.
"I knew it! That Wagner lied to me!… wait till I get him!" mental pictures of kicking Kurt's head like a football came to his mind.
"Oh… OH! Yes, I DID tell Kurt to tell you that! I'm sorry, it must've slipped my mind." Jean smiled as she tried to calm the aggressive jock.
"Bet you ten buck she'll kick Blue boy back at the Institute for this." Whispered Pietro into Kitty's ear.
"Like, no way I'm betting against that." She giggled a bit.
"Well, anyway Jean… this Friday I have to come for that little play the cheerleaders are making. I was wondering if you'd be my date for it?" All Duncan wanted was a little quality time.
"Um… well…. Sure, why not. I was planning on going anyway."
"You were?!" Kitty asked as she stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What kind of moral support is it to show up?! I don't need to know you guys are going to like, be there!"
"Well, you can't expect us not to go Kitty. We wish to be there for you. And besides, what's the big deal? We already know you and Maximoff are together." Jean had never thought Kitty wouldn't want them to go.
"Oh fine! Like whatever… do what you like." She stayed behind with her arms crossed.
Pietro sighed and walked over to her. He didn't mind if the others came or not, it was Mystique he was worried about. But surely he had to make Kitty see that.
"Well, if you don't want to act in front of your friends then maybe you should've left Mallory take the female lead." Duncan, along with the redheaded cheerleader, couldn't believe Claudia had chosen the bouncy freshman to stay.
"Like, what did you say?… I've been like, practicing for this for a very long time, you know." Kitty knew Mallory had an eye out for more then the play, so she quickly took hold of Pietro's arm as she spoke.
"You keep that crazy pom-pom girl away from me!" shouted Pietro as he didn't exactly mind Kitty's firm hold of his arm… or the lack of blood running through it because of it.
"Honestly Duncan, your stupidity amazes me." Came another voice from the end of the hall. "What do you think you're doing upsetting my male and female lead?"
Claudia walked between her favorite actors and threw her arms over Kitty's and Pietro's shoulders.
"How are my babies doing?" she smiled…. This scared them.
"Hi…. Claudia…. Are you like, you know, alright?" Kitty wished to get away.
"Stress didn't make you drink something, did it?" Pietro didn't move, it might anger the girl.
"I am fine!… but how are you two? Any problems?" As both Kitty and Pietro shook their heads Claudia was relived to know the pictures that Scott apparently possessed hadn't found their way toward Kitty yet.
"You know perfectly well Mallory deserved that role Claudia." Continued Duncan as if someone had been paying attention to him at all.
"You're annoying my actors! And anything that annoys my actors, annoys ME! So go away!" Claudia was very protective of her projects.
"She's very scary…" whispered Kitty into Pietro's ear.
"Let us hope that after Friday we have nothing more to do with her…" replied the white haired sophomore.
"You can't tell me what to do, I'm here with Jean!" he possessively placed his arm over her shoulder.
"Um, Duncan… no you're not. We'll talk later, alright." Jean moved aside.
"So we're set for Friday then! Too bad the play is gonna be bad, but as long as I'm with you…" Duncan kept making gogglie eyes at the telepath as she tried hard not to scream.
"Ok…. That's it! No one insults my play and gets away with it!…. DUKES!" Claudia pointed toward Duncan and Freddy knew exactly what to do.
"Hey!… HEY! Get your hands off me you big freak!" Duncan was suddenly thrown out an open window.
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Scott Summers was in a very bad mood. He had everything planed, everything organized… but yet again Lance Alvers decided to butt in where no one called him and ruin everything.
Evan wasn't in a very nice mood himself… the very thought of anything getting in the way of their anti-Pietro campaign was enough to drive him nuts.
Now all they needed was to find the annoying dark haired senior and take those new pictures of Freddy kissing Mallory away. Then their plan could continue as before.
"Where is he?! We've been looking a long time now, where is he hiding?!" Evan would've taken out some of his spikes out of pure anger if they weren't in the middle of the school.
"He has to be in the cafeteria…. Either that or the yard. Now remember Evan, I talk. Not you." Scott glanced around the different tables, most of them were already empty since lunch period was basically over. So they walked out of the main building and into the student mayhem that was the schoolyard.
Everyone was gathered there… either doing last minute homework or laughing at practically anything. Such was the power felt on those last few minutes before the bell rang.
"Think he's in here?" asked Evan as he looked around, but without much success.
"Well, I don't think he left to go to his classroom early… so he must be hiding from us!" Scott quickly made his way toward one of the tables and stood on it getting a better view of the place.
"You see anything?" Evan was getting anxious.
"Evan! I haven't even looked at the whole place yet…. Oh, wait… I think I see Kurt…" Scott placed hand over his glasses to block out the sun and looked harder. "Yeah, it's Kurt… but he's not alone… he's with….." Scott immediately came down from the table and started walking to the back.
"Hey… what you saw Scott? Where's Kurt? He ok?" Evan didn't like this silent treatment.
"Kurt better be fine… but there's someone else who's not going to be." Said the senior X-men as he continued.
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"I can't believe he did it! I only thought he was going to talk to her… maybe flirt a while… wait till I tell Pietro!!" Kurt was having fun.
"This is not my life, this is not my life…" Lance didn't dare look back up.
This was the girl Todd was so exited about? The one he took such pains to clean up his act for? The reason why he used most of his only cologne?!
What was he going to do? Todd knew about his feelings for Rogue… the young boy had apparently taken them personally. Did Rogue care for Todd the same way she had led him to believe that she cared for him? He didn't think that… but at his wise age of 17 he knew better then to assume anything with the female gender.
Rogue's feelings for Todd were probably like his own… Todd was the youngest, the one who had to be cared for and looked after. Sure, the boy would argue that point… Pietro was usually the one that needed more supervision, and Todd was very responsible and smart… but he still looked young and small and within Lance's mind that would always make him the little brother he never had.
How can he now, with a clear concise, seriously be thinking of being with Rogue knowing Todd has a crush on her?
"This is not my life, this is not my life…" he kept on babbling.
Kurt took a moment to look at the older boy and his eyes soften as he realized his troubles. "So… you like Rogue too?"
"Yeah… that's basically the drama here…" Lance kept looking at the grass. "Kurt, what am I going to do? What am I going to say to Todd?… or to Rogue?"
"Well…" the blue mutant thought for a moment. "Maybe you first need to tell Todd how you feel… and accept to do whatever Rogue decides?"
"Yeah, only she wont want to hurt his feelings…. I'm dead no matter which way I see it…"
"I'm glad you agree with me Alvers!" came the voice of Scott Summers.
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"Wow!… Todd…. Um… I don't know what to say…." Rogue couldn't swallow any more of her Chinese take-out.
For his part Todd was now very embarrassed over what he had just done.
~~ So this is how I want to declare my undying love?… Over a cup of Chinese take-out? I'm such an idiot! ~~ Todd wished he could be anywhere but there right now.
"Look, I'm sorry I said that… I just wanted you to know… but it's not important… so… just, you know… keep eating before it gets cold… um… bye." He ran away from the table before Rogue could stop him.
Now all alone, with her take-out food, she thought over what she should do.
"This is not my life…" she said as she looked over the place where Todd had stood only a few moments ago.
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"Now is not really the time Summers…" Lance still sat there looking directly at the red shades of his 'favorite person'.
"Kurt, are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?" asked Scott as he pulled the blue mutant away from the dark haired boy on the floor.
"Scott, what are you talking about? Of course I'm fine…" Kurt looked behind the older boy and saw Evan approaching. "Hi Evan…"
"So there you are! Give back those pictures!" Evan had completely forgotten about Kurt.
Lance could see that Scott was right now angry with Evan and that Evan was now angry with him (take a number…) and that Kurt simply wanted to leave. Still, he remained glued to the floor, not really caring… Pietro couldn't be hurt any more by those pictures… unless these two wanted Mallory on their backs… he had bigger problems now.
"I thought I told you not to talk!" said Scott as he turned to look directly at his younger housemate.
"Sorry, but lunch time is almost over and we need those pictures now!" Evan saw for the first time that they had company. "Hi Kurt…"
"Yeah, hello to you too." Answered the annoyed blue mutant. "What are you talking about? There're more pictures?"
Lance looked at Scott for a while.
"Kurt knows about the pictures?… damn way to keep a secret Summers!" The whole idea behind keeping those pictures was the threat of showing them… so much for that if Scott already went around showing them to his friends.
"We didn't show them… the others stole them and looked for themselves!" It wasn't Evan's fault if he had noisy housemates.
"Come on Alvers… hand over those pictures you took." Scott had no time to play games.
"And what on God's green Earth are you gonna do to make me?!" Lance stood up and was eye to eye with the other senior.
"You guys aren't going to fight now?… are you?" Kurt definitely didn't wish to be here.
"Of course not!" came the southern voice from behind the tree.
Immediately both boys moved away from each other, giving back their personal space. Lance turned to look at the brown haired girl while Scott tried not to get angry.
The bell rang at that moment signaling the end of what looked like a very long lunch period.
"We'll talk tomorrow Alvers." Came Scott's angry voice as he headed back toward the school with Evan and Kurt close behind.
After a few minutes Lance and Rogue were completely alone, just as they had been that very same morning. Rogue didn't know what to say… had Lance heard? Did he know what happened with Todd?
"So… did you… fix the problem you had with those pictures?" she asked, trying to force her mind off the younger boy.
"Um….. yeah… I, I did something…" Lance didn't know what to say either. "Listen Rogue…"
"Not now Lance." She stopped him. "Not now… let's… let's just focus on helping those two first. They're happy…… they deserve to be happy…." She said this last part in a whisper.
"Right… they, they do…" Lance turned around now, heading toward the school.
Suddenly he stopped and looked at her again. "But after that… after we make sure they're happy… we can… talk, right?" he sounded so hopeful.
"Yes Lance… after they're happy…" she began to walk away now, leaving a very thoughtful Lance behind.
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The stars in the sky were hiding behind a thick blanket of dark clouds. The promise of rain filled the night air as the cold wind blew through the window and into the dimly lighted bedroom. The entire atmosphere demanded nothing but peace and quiet, yet one excited youth thought otherwise.
"I can't believe she helped you!" said the blue-eyed boy as he continued to jump on the small bed, his white hair moving up and down his face.
"Yeah… I never thought such a good little girl like Jean would do something like that… Pietro, would you stop jumping on my bed?" Lance was sitting on his small wooden desk and wanted nothing more then to rest.
However, the minute the young sophomore came home from his last day at rehearsals he demanded to know what had been done about the current picture problem.
"We should go out and celebrate!" cried the boy as he kept jumping.
"I'm kind of tired Pietro… maybe you could celebrate by jumping on the couch!" anything to get him gone.
"You are so not fun… besides we have more then one reason to celebrate… or haven't you heard?" Pietro stopped jumping and quickly landed like a cat next to Lance's dresser where he began to look at his hair.
"Oh?… and what's the other reason?" the dark haired boy was almost nodding off to sleep right there on the uncomfortable chair.
"Todd finally talked to the current 'love of his life!'" Pietro grabbed the closest pillow and began to hug it intensely. "Oh, I love you! I love you!" he began to passionately kiss the pillow.
"Wow Pietro… I thought you got enough of that from Kitty, but if you need to get some loving else where…" Lance ducked just in time to avoid being hit by the loving pillow.
"I'll have you know that Kitty is a wonderful kisser and I do not need to look anywhere else for any 'loving'." Once again Pietro headed toward the bed but this time sat down on it like a normal person would. "I'm just glad he finally got the nerve to talk to her… well, in all truth he had to be dragged there… but I'm glad anyway."
"Yeah… I'm glad too…" Lance got up and walked to the window. He enjoyed the cool breeze for a few minutes before turning back to his friend. "Have you talked to Todd tonight?"
"Um?…. well, not yet. Came up to see you first… but don't worry, I'll ask every tiny detail and then I'll inform you. If you pay me ten bucks." His blue eyes were filled with mischief.
"That's ok Pietro, I'll live without the details…" Lance didn't wish to think about that problem yet.
"Aw! You're not fun… fine, five bucks, but that's my final offer!" Pietro was almost pouting on the bed.
Lance simply gave him a sideways glance… then returned to look out the window.
"Fine!… I'll tell you for free! But only cause I need someone to tell!…. think I can charge Freddy?" the white haired boy began to bounce on the bed.
"Um… Pietro, why are you so active today?… you're not usually this bad…" the older boy's dark eyes kept vigil over the abuse the springs on his bed were being given.
"Well…. Claudia kinda had this small 'Give-it-your-best-on-Friday' party…" Pietro moved his hand toward his mouth at his next words since he knew he had done something naughty. "… and I ate some cookies!"
Lance held his face in his hands as the small pains of a headache began to appear. Pietro for his part was laughing maniacally.
*******************************************************
Todd allowed the wind to move his unruly hair as he sat on his bed thinking over his day's events. He never thought he'd be telling Rogue about his feelings today… or any other day for that matter. But between Pietro's excited encouragement and the threat of Lance winning her before he did, he basically had no choice.
~~ Stupid Lance… ~~ he thought as he hugged his knees tighter.
~~ How could he do this to me?… ~~
Even though he had expressed how he felt he knew Rogue already loved Lance more. Still… it was worth a shot…
~~ Yeah right… what kind of a no-brainer situation am I throwing at her? 'Gee Rogue, you could have a big, muscular, dark haired senior or the love of your life in the shape and size of a small, skinny freshman!… The choice is yours.' ~~
Todd's night wasn't getting any better.
Suddenly he heard a knock on his door. Too calm to be Pietro and too gentle to be Lance…
"Come in Freddy." Todd immediately moved to a corner of his bed.
"Hey Todd…" the huge mutant came in and comfortably sat next to his smaller friend. "Heard you had a good day today?"
"Yeah?… it's a good thing you told me Freddy, I might've never found out otherwise." The young mutant grabbed his pillow and began to hug it instead of his knees.
"Pietro came through the house a few minutes ago singing 'Todd has a girlfriend'. I didn't know if to believe him or not…" Freddy could see the look of hurt on the boy's face. "I mean, you know how Pietro is…"
"I'm perfectly capable of getting myself a girlfriend!… of course it doesn't help if other people are trying to steal them away from me." Todd had took it personally.
"I didn't mean you couldn't get a girlfriend… I just meant that Pietro isn't always a reliable source… he looked like he had some sugar…" Freddy didn't wish to upset his friend.
"Fine, whatever… just… just let me sleep now, ok Freddy?" he turned around, not wanting to face anything right now other then his bed.
"Ok Todd… just thought you'd like to talk about it… but I'll go now if you…"
"You know, it's just not fair. Here I've always liked Rogue since the first day she came and now suddenly Mr. Great Lance Alvers is the man of her dreams. I mean, I'm not even sure he really likes her… what if he's using her or something?! I mean, I know I would be way better for her… I'd really take care of her and I would take her out and we would have fun… but she's not going to want me while bad-boy Lance is waiting for her."
Todd finished talking now and stood starring into Freddy's eyes. He needed to take that out of his chest and into someone who would listen and give him some good advice.
"He does care for her…" was all Freddy said.
"What?"
"Lance… he cares for her. He's not using her. So you don't have to worry about that." Freddy stood up once more and headed toward the door. "Well… goodnight."
"Hey! Wait up a sec… What do you mean 'good night'? You can't just leave me like this! Is that your great help?!… What am I supposed to do now?"
Fred stopped and turned to look at the young boy… he wished he could do or say something that would fix things for him, but the truth was he knew Rogue's affection for him were merely those of a concerned older sister.
"Maybe you could do Lance a favor…" Freddy hoped Todd was mature enough to allow the feelings of others to rise above his own.
"WHAT?!… I'd rather lock myself up with a sugar crazed Pietro before I simply give him Rogue!"
~~ It was worth a shot… ~~ thought Freddy as he opened the door and stepped outside into the empty hallway.
Now, if only he could reach his room without getting involved in the crazy fight that was taking place down at the kitchen…
"Damn it Pietro! Stand still!" that was Lance's voice.
"No! You're not gonna catch me!" that was Pietro.
Suddenly a strong gust of wind filled the hallway and Freddy found himself being hit by something… he looked down only to see Pietro spread out on the floor while holding his head.
"Ouch! Freddy!… you're blocking my escape route!" shouted the 'too active' boy.
"Sorry about that…."
"FREDDY! Don't let him get away!" shouted Lance from the other end of the hallway.
Just as Pietro got up and tried to escape into a nearby room he felt Freddy's strong hands holding his arms.
"HEY! Not fair! Let me go! Let me go!!!" the white haired boy kept kicking and screaming like a three year old who didn't wish to drink his medicine.
"Now Pietro… listen to me…. You need to drink this… it'll calm you down…." Lance was trying to remain calm himself.
"You're trying to poison me!" shouted Pietro.
"The thought did cross my mind…" Lance decided to think out-loud right now…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" shouted Pietro.
"Damn it! It's just warm milk!… take it so we may all sleep at least two hours tonight!" the dark haired boy had this look of 'why me?' all over his face.
"I'M NOT DRINKING IT! YOU WANT TO KILL ME! I'M …. Uufffff!"
The plastic cup was forcefully placed between Pietro's lips.
"Now… don't spill it…. It's just warm milk…. It's nummy!" said Lance as would any other good mother.
Both Freddy and Pietro raised an eyebrow at the mention of the word 'nummy'.
"What?!… some people say words like that when dealing with children!" Lance was giving Pietro the evil eye.
"Healthy people don't use the word 'nummy'." Corrected Freddy.
"Aff noff aff chiff!!!" Pietro was trying to talk, but unfortunately only the bubbles coming from the milk could be heard.
"What?" Lance took the cup away for a few seconds.
"I'M NOT A CHILD!" repeated the white haired boy as the plastic cup was once again placed over his mouth.
"Then drink this and get it over with!" Lance waited for a while.
Pietro knew that neither Freddy nor Lance would leave until he drank at least some of it. So slowly… very slowly… he began to drink.
He felt a soothing sensation as the warm liquid made its way down his throat and too soon he found himself being released and the plastic cup being pulled away.
"Hey! I wasn't finished!" cried Pietro as he felt the absence of his drink.
"Pietro, you drank it all… if you want some more I could make it for you…" Lance could already see the blue-eyed boy slowly down his gestures.
"Nah… that's ok… you can make me some more in the morning…along with bacon and eggs." Pietro stretched and yawned as he turned toward his bedroom.
Soon all that was heard was the gently 'click' of his door closing and a relieved sigh from Lance's lips.
"For a minute there I thought I had to tie him up again… thanks Freddy…" suddenly Lance noticed a light coming from an open door but just as he was turning Todd's door closed and they could hear the young boy locking it behind him to avoid any visitors.
Sooner or later he had to talk to him... but obviously not tonight.
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=^_^= Hope you all like. I have a couple of chapters written already, so I can at least update soon. (That's a miracle where I'm concerned, isn't it? *^_^*)
Soooooo…. Anyway. I'll update soon!
*cheers and applause are heard from the audience*
Alex: Thank you! Thank you!
Pietro: …about time…
Lance: yeah, really.
Todd: I've been waiting for ages!
Alex: Did you boys say something?
Lance & Todd: Nothing!! *sweet smiles*
Pietro: Well, I said….
Lance: NOTHING!
Todd: Shut up yo!! … or she'll make Kitty dump you.
Pietro: O_O
Alex: ^_^;