Chapter One: Memories - Missing
Dedication: to Kurt
They were gathered at one of the lunch tables outside. People used to their usual loud and offending behavior were a bit surprised.
In fact, the members of the Brotherhood were surprised themselves too.
Pietro has confessed, that he missed Rogue.
The rest also missed her badly, but they wouldn't admit it, of course.
"I thought it was clear enough." Lance said to the table. He was too insecure of his own feelings, to face Pietro.
"She betrayed us" Todd added angrily, trying to put a bit of pathos into that phrase. He wasn't sure, which feeling he was supposed to show at the moment, but he decided that it would be safe enough to show anger. Lance seemed angry, so he was angry too. Everything, just not to get into Lance's way again.
Pietro, on the other hand, was unsure of his feelings, too, though it might seem different. It had been gathering inside him for some time, but he told himself, it will pass. It didn't. And today, when he saw her sitting alone on the opposite side of the pitch… She has no friends there. She suffers alone. She no longer is the our Brotherhood girl, the girl she wants to be. She needs us, but she can't admit that. He just couldn't take it anymore. He said this, and now he regretted it. He wasn't tough enough. He wasn't supposed to loose his blasé, easy-going attitude just because he missed her!
"I admit, that she was a great mate, when she was one of us. But she had made her choice herself. Nobody insisted on her. She had consciously chosen them instead of us." Lance spoke up, this time cool enough, to look at Pietro.
"We don't know" disagreed Pietro, trying to keep the eye-contact with the leader. "We don't know what happened. We don't know why she made her choice the way she did. We never asked." he said, lowering his voice to whisper at the end.
Lance stood up, and bent over Pietro. "Are you suggesting, that we were supposed to ask why the hell she decided to leave us? Don't be ridiculous, Pietro."
Pietro turned his head in opposite direction. He said nothing. Lance won once again.
xxx (day later)
"Hurry up, Ro, were gonna get late again, and Kelly-Poo is gonna get nuts!" announced Evan from the back seat of Scott's holly car. The rest of the group was already in.
"Yeah, I do care very much indeed" Rogue replied, walking down the mansion's stairs slowly. She always demonstrated her anger and annoyance by doing things ostentatiously. She wandered about shooting them a death glare from under her hair, that would express her irritation.
It was aimed at Evan and Scott mainly, but it hit Kitty. The girl shivered and looked down. Kurt, who saw it, poked his forehead looking at Rogue, then tried to comfort Kitty.
"Rogue, stop demonstrating your antipathy towards us, and honor us with your presence in the car, will you?" Scott shouted at her.
"Scott, the fact that you do like big words makes it impossible to believe, that they were intended to be sarcastic." she assured him, and battled her gaze with his. Scott was the first to look another way. Rogue smiled triumphantly. Her eyes swept over the whole group.
They all had their own little problems, not connected with her in any way. Not that her problems were connected with them, really. I don't match here.
"Go ahead, you don't want to get a detention, do you?" she told them, and laughed surprised by the effect this word had on them.
"Man, hurry up!" Kurt shook Scott's arm hysterically.
"You will not…" Scott started, but Rogue cut him.
"Don't bother yourself." she said, turning back. She heard the sound of a starting engine, but nobody said anything else to her. They drove away.
Now, as I got rid of them, I should start thinking of a way to get to this damn school on my own.
xxx
"Logan?" he heard her voice just above his ear. He almost dropped the paper he tried to read. Control yourself.
"What do you want?" he asked, turning back to her.
"I was wondering…" Rogue started, but then she just bit her lip.
"Yeah?" He tried to guess, what she meant, but it was senseless. Just say it, whatever it is.
"May I borrow your bike?"
"My… Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Just bring it back undamaged." He nodded his head, and took the keys out of his pocket. Did you supposed it to be anything special? Be reasonable. She reached her hand for them. Come on, it's not a movie. There's no slow motion when the hands of the heroes touch. Logan thought, and just gave the keys to her.
"Thanks." she said, and smiled slightly.
"Every time."
She walked away, and Logan sat there alone, with a strange feeling, that he didn't even know what was going on inside him.
xxx
Rogue speed through the streets, enjoying the cold, refreshing breeze. Strands of her hair, blown by the wind, were flying around her face. She felt free.
Nobody was watching her, so she could smile, shout, and behave the way she wanted to. Unlike in the Institute. Really, it never feels so good there. I haven't been myself since… since I left the Brotherhood. Her good mood vanished at once. She couldn't even think about them, without getting seriously depressed. Why does it have to be so? I wish I could take back time. I want so badly to be with them again. I could have even stand the fact that Mystique… No. I couldn't.
"I can't stand that!" she yelled, and sped up, changing the lane. A car from behind stopped right before her. The driver started yelling something, but she wouldn't hear that.
She had no idea how was it possible that she avoided a serious accident, during her latter way to school. She was too busy with her thoughts to concentrate on the road.
She stopped at the parking with the squeal of tires. She shut down the engine, remembering to take the keys with her. She kicked the pavement furiously. Calm down. she told herself. It helped.
She made sure her face show no emotion, and made her way to the school. Now, take the books. She walked towards the lockers, searching for the keys.
"Stupid locker." she hissed, failing to open it third time in a row.
"You know, I would try opening your own." she heard a voiceover her head. She looked left, and saw Pietro, leaning against the lockers, and pointing the one next to the one she was trying to open.
I would like to know your opinion on this chapter.