Chapter 28

"Yeah I know that part." Sean said rolling his eyes. "But what's your beef with Rogue?"

"Rogue gave birth t' Kale." I said, not really wanting to get into this but it didn't really look like I had a choice.

"She's your mom!" Sean exclaimed his jaw dropped open.

"Barely mon ami, she lef' when I was 6 an' den we came t' live heah so dat Papa could have some help raisin' me." I explained, not waiting to hear what he had to say, I continued. "Den on Kale's birthday she showed up 'gain like nothin' had happened. Dats when everytin' went down shit creek."

"I'm listening." Sean said motioning for me to continue.

"Rogue has de power t' absorb de minds o' people and dey powers. She wanted t' know what had happened since she been gone so she absorbed mah mem'ries, only didn' really work. 'Cause instead Kale got a dose of her mem'ries an' learned some t'ings dat she didn' know, an' learned de truth 'bout some other things. Dats when Kale ran."

"Ran where?" Sean asked, completely absorbed in the story.

"New York, ran into Nancy an' she tol' me where Ah could find somewhere safe t' stay. Turned out t' be Bobby. An' I stayed wit' him until we found out who each other were an' den came back. An' you've been heah for all dat."

"What memories? Like what did you absorb?" Sean asked leaning forward on his knees like this was story-time or something.

"Dey don' make sense mon amis. Leas' not t' me." I said with a shrug.

"So why don't you go talk to your dad and ask him about them?" Sean suggested.

"Not talking." I explained as the bell rang. Sean got up to go to class and was halfway down the hall before he realized I wasn't beside him. He walked back and gave me a weird look.. "Not goin'. Jus'......don' t'ink dat Ah can be 'round people now."

"Okay, I'll come check on you later." Sean said and walked from the room. I fell onto my back and rubbed my temples. I hated fighting with Papa. Absolutely hated it. If I wasn't so stubborn I'd apologize and make everything okay.

I was arguing with myself over whether or not to just give up the fight when the professor let himself into my room.

"Absence from classes is unacceptable Kale." He said. I propped myself up on my elbows and nodded.

"Not feelin' too well." I said.

"Perhaps it's your lack of sleep that's troubling you, or even the fact that you haven't eaten anything for quite some time now."

"Can't sleep." I said with a shrug. "Nightmares, dey keep me awake."

"That's fine. And what of not eating? A plausible excuse for that I presume?" The Professor said.

"Where would Kale eat monsieur?" I asked sitting up straight, a common reaction when the professor was in the room, a constant attempt to be impressive and respectful. "Not welcome wit de staff no mo'. An' never eaten wit de students. If ah eat wit' de students den ah let Papa win, if ah eat wit de staff den ah ruin ev'ryones meal."

"So your solution to the problem is not eating?" he responded. I nodded slowly, though it didn't sound so brilliant when it came from him.

"Jus' didn' know what t' do." I conceded finally.

"So why didn't you ask Kale?" he asked coming forward enough to take one of my hands.

I felt my eyes well up with tears, though I tried to stop them, it was something abut being with the professor, there were no secrets here. I wiped away a few tears that threatened to fall with the back of my hand and stared at the ground.

"Ev'ryone is mad." I said and bit my lip. I hated how childish I sounded, not to mention felt.

"What makes you think that?" he asked. He was psychic and he stilled wanted me to explain it outloud. I'd never understand that man.

"Dey all t'ink dat I be actin' like a chile. Dey all wan' an explanation dat I can't give." I stopped to take a deep breath to keep my voice from wavering. "Dey all on his side."

"And you know this because everyone lectures you about how they want you to apologize or talk to Remy? And because it seems like you're constantly being lectured?" he reiterated, I looked up at him to see a small smile playing across his face and nodded. "I believe I had this exact conversation with your father only moments earlier." He paused for effect before continuing. "I'm not here to lecture you on anything but attendance Kale. But I will offer one piece of advice, go see him and talk it out, whether or not you two work it out is for anyone to know, but try."

"There is no try. Only do." I quoted Yoda. I was about to say something else when Sean came bursting into the room. "You okay mon ami?"

"They...said.... here.... right away..." he attempted to explain between deep breaths.

"Sean I am putting Kale under your direct supervision. You make sure she eats, under no circumstances are you to let her miss a meal, do you understand?" the professor explain, turning to talk to Sean on his way out. Sean nodded and moved aside to let the professor pass. "And make sure she attends the rest of her classes."

The bell rang on cue and Sean offered me his arm. I stood and took it, letting him tell me about science and what I would have to catch up on as I said a silent prayer of a emotionless remainder of the day.

My prayer was ignored however as I sat down next to Luke in history and he turned to talk to me during our work time.

"I need to talk to you." He said through gritted teeth. Although I had a sudden urge to tell him exactly what I NEEDED to do in regards to him, I suppressed it and instead shook my head.

"Wish Ah could comply mon ami." I said and remained in a desperate attempt to focus. Dropping his pen he grabbed my wrist.

"Why are you being such a bitch?" he hissed. I looked down at my arm before wrenching my arm from his wrist.

"Look, hasn't been de best mornin', so ah'd appreciate it if Luke would BACK OFF." I said, glaring at him.

"Is there a problem here?" Ororo said, arms crossed, standing in front of our table.

"No Miss Monroe." Luke said picking up his pen again. I took a deep breath and turned back to my work pages.

"Good, then I will never see you lay a hand on another student in my class again. You know better Lucus." 'Ro said lowering her voice for the last part. He scowled but nodded all the same. A few minutes later he slid a note across the table, I let it sit beside my elbow the entire class, looking at it only when the bell rang. He looked from me to the note as he stood next to the table. I placed my hand on top of the paper as I stood up, leaving a pile of ash where it used to be, before giving him a look that suggested I was not in the mood.

I walked to the door where Sean was waiting and we continued on our way to the Professors office, despite the break.

"Kale." A giant voice boomed down the hallway. I stopped and turned, waiting for my godfather to catch up to me. He didn't say anything, he just wrapped me in a hug that I didn't know I needed until that exact moment.

"Thank you." I said before he pulled away. He just nodded and continued on his way. Sean put his hand on the small of my back, reminding me to move and not just stare as he walked away. "My godfather." I explained before Sean could ask. I sat in the chair I always sat in, with Sean not leaving my side.

"You could socialize." The professor said looking up from some papers.

"Don' play well wit' others." I said with a small grin, he had to agree to that. Soon the bell rang and we were in the midst of another lecture about Hamlet, which I ignored...again. I spent the class listing all the possible outcomes that I could come up with for the inevitable chat with Papa, none of them seemed to end well.

"You okay?" Sean asked waking me from my reverie. I looked up at him as he was standing in front of me, apparently class had ended. I nodded slowly. "Then let's go eat."

I stood and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me into the lunchroom.

"You sit, I'll get you food." Sean said.

"Don't bother." A gruff voice said from behind us as a plate of food was set in front of me. I looked back at Logan who just nodded. "Eat. I want that plate clean."

"Oui monsieur." I responded and began eating quietly as the table filled up.

"You know I think this may be the first time I've seen you in here." Austin said sitting down beside me. I grinned and nodded.

"Don' usually eat in here mon ami." I said with a small shrug.

"Well, you're gonna eat here now right? I mean, the rest of our little team eats at this table, we've just been waiting for you to join us." He said with a gleaming smile.

"And now we have a reason to make you eat with us." Sean said through a mouthful of food. I just played with the food on my plate.

"You know, I don't think that Sensei was kidding when he said he wanted that plate clean." Montaro said with a soft smile.

"Yeah that's one guy I'd never like to cross." Alexandria said. I just nodded and kept eating my food. "So how many years have you been coming here?"

"Lived here since Ah was six." I said with a small smile. This food was filling me up extremely fast, but like the rest of my team, I didn't feel like bringing down the wrath of Logan. Sean looked over at me before stealing some potatoes off my plate, as sneakily as he could manage. "Papa teaches."

"Yeah, Mr. LeBeau right?" Alexandria said. I nodded, as my mouth was full and 'Ro would shoot me if I talked with food in my mouth. "Rumor has it you guys are in the middle of a huge feud because the last time he left he didn't come back for months and months and you had to take care of yourself even though there were loan sharks out to get even with him so you spent the entire summer on the run from them and the cops."

"Dat what dey say?" I said trying not to laugh. Well it was a lot funnier than the real version I guess. Alexandria nodded.

"Can I talk to you now?" Luke asked walking over to our table.

"Non." I stated simply and continued eating.

"Stop being so goddamn difficult." He growled and stood his ground.

"Go 'way Luke, we were done a long time ago." I said looking at him wearily, this was way past done.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me." He said crossing his arms in front of his chest. I shook my head and went back to my food.

"If I'm not mistaken, the lady is done with this conversation." Austin said as Luke took a step towards me. "Now do us all a favor and be on your way."

"Mind your own business Tex." Luke growled taking another step.

"It's his business as her friend, just like it's all of ours." Montaro said with a glare. Luke stopped and looked at the table, before muttering some juvenile comment and walking away.

"Merci...." I said quietly, attempting to finish off the plate of food. We had better not be sparring after lunch today, I felt like I was going to explode.

"You can explain that to me later." Alexandria said with a grin. I just chuckled and nodded. Austin took the bun off of my plate and winked at me. I smiled at him, maybe eating in the cafeteria wouldn't be so bad.

"Next time no cheating." Logan said taking the plate away from me as he made his rounds. I just shrugged and smiled. We all scattered so we could change into something other than jeans and met up again in the foyer. We all walked outside to the clearing and waited in a circle for Logan to show up.

I noticed that our age group was definitely divided. Our team all sat close together and then there was practically a hallway before the next group of seven and then another hallway and another group of seven. Personally I thought it was kind of funny, like any of their teams had a chance against ours.

Luckily for me we were meditating again.

Halfway through the class most of the kids were concentrated and Logan was walking around, making sure everything was in order. My eyes were open as I rubbed my hand over my face for probably the hundredth time that class and I tried to stay concentrated on my breathing. My mind began to wander towards the inevitable argument that was looming over me with Papa and then I shook it out of my head and opened my eyes to see Logan standing in front of me with his arms crossed.

"Sorry." I mumbled and shut my eyes again. I could feel him watching me which kind of creeped me out but I tried to concentrate nonetheless.

"Relax." He half whispered/ half growled at me. I nodded slowly and took a deep breath. A cleansing breath as 'Ro would say. I heard him softly dismiss the rest of the students before I heard him sit down in front of me. I gave up trying to concentrate and opened my eyes again.

"Ah'm trying." I explained self-consciously. He nodded.

"Yeh've got too much on your mind." He said in the quietest voice I'd ever heard him use, of course I was used to him growling, but it was quiet all the same. "Care t'explain."

"Have to talk t' Papa." I said with a sigh. There I'd admitted it. The one thing that I didn't want to do the most in the world and I said it out loud, that at least deserves a cookie.

"Yeah and?" he prompted.

"It's not gonna be easy." I pouted, but retracted my bottom lip as I realized that I wouldn't get any sympathy from Logan.

"Nothin' worth it ever is." He said and stood, motioning for me to do the same. I did and followed him inside in silence. Who would've thought that Logan would be so smart? He walked me to my next class which had just started and then turned to me. "Yeh can be excused from trainin' t'day, he'll be in the garage." And with that he walked away.

I walked in and told Mr. Wagner that I was excused from the class. He just grinned his toothy grin and nodded. Sean shot me a questioning look which I waved off before walking out the door again and trudging down the hallway.

I passed most of the staff on the way to the garage, they were congregated in the library, they all gave me a sympathetic look, except then the bane of my existence, of course. I went out the back door and stood in front of the door to the garage for a good five minutes before reaching for the knob, the only thought that ran through my mind was, 'I am NOT looking forward to this.'

A/N: Well there, an update. Yay for me. BY the way dontcha just love cliffhangers? I sure as hell do. Well review and I might update sooner. Later Days.