Chapter 6. Forgive & Forget.
Kitty grinned widely as she ran up to Rogue. School was finally over, now she could tell her what was happening.
"Hey Rogue."
Rogue looked at Kitty, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yer one happy person," she commented.
"Lance is taking me out for dinner on Friday."
"Lance? Ah dont believe this. Yah do remember he stood yah up yesterday?"
"That wasnt his fault, it was Pietro and the others again."
Before Rogue could respond, Jean walked up.
"Kitty when are you going to learn that hanging around with those hoods isnt going to do anything good for you?" she said, having seen the elated expression Kittys face and guessed she had forgiven Lance.
"Youre one to say, hanging around with Duncan," Kitty retorted, her expression changing. With that, she turned and walked off, leaving a stupefied Jean and slightly chuckling Rogue.
"Shes got yah there," Rogue shurgged as she headed home.
Lance shoved his books in his locker and glared when he felt an all too familiar swish of air and Pietros presence behind him.
"Pietro, Im not in the mood," he snarled, turning. He saw Todd, Fred, and Tabitha walking up behind them. He had ignored them all throughout detention, nothing had been able to make him look at them for more than a second, and that was to glare. They had given up after the first hour and had whispered to each other for the remaining hour of detention.
"Leave me alone."
"Lance, just listen to what we have to say," Pietro started, but Lance cut him off by shoving him out of the way and striding off.
"Lance-were-sorry!" Pietro shouted, a hint of desperation in his voice. Lance paused. He stood still for a moment, then sighed and turned.
A relieved look passed the faces of the four teenagers looking at him.
"Forgive and forget?" Todd approached him, a little timidly.
Lance sighed again. "Look, I know you guys are just trying to look out for me, but Kitty isnt bad. Cant you get that through your heads?" he said, dejected.
"We know shes not bad. Not as bad as the rest of those X-Geeks anyhow," Fred nodded.
"Shes just not right for you," Tabitha put in.
"I know, Im not..."
"...shes not good enough for you," Tabitha continued.
Lance stared at the only girl in the Brotherhood. He shook his head. "More like Im not good enough for her."
"Thats exactly what were talking about!" Pietro poked Lance in the chest with a finger, staring at him in the eyes. "Shes not good enough for you if she makes you feel that way. Get it, slowpoke?"
Lance was stunned. He hadnt realized exactly what the rest of the Brotherhood had felt on the subject of Kitty and himself. He had always assumed their dislike sprouted from Mystique and Magnetos reactions; he had never thought they had different reasons.
"Were not blind you know," Fred pulled him out of his thoughts. "We can see the way you look at her. We just dont want you getting hurt."
"Yeah, or getting all sappy over a girl," Todd added.
Lance smiled. "All right all right, I forgive you. Just dont do this kind of stuff. Now you losers get home, I gotta go to work and Im already late so I cant drop you off."
"Thats the Lance we know," Tabitha grinned. "And dont worry, well stay out of trouble tomorrow. For the most part anyhow."
"Yeah yeah, dont get caught."
"Oh so as long as we dont get caught we can cause trouble?" Pietro joked.
Lance grinned. "Nothing can keep you out of trouble. So just be careful."
