Hello all. Sorry it took so long to update. Between work, getting ready for college, vacation, and pure lack of ambition, it took forever to get this chapter done.

Ha, ya know what I just realized? I have both Remy and Rogue living with their "aunts"! Yeah, so it's not a huge thing, but I found it pretty amusing. (me and my weird sense of humor . . .)

-Chapter Ten-

-Second Impressions Are Worse-

"Have ya looked at his eyes? They're like melted chocolate . . ."

"I could drown in those eyes. They're gorgeous."

"Who cares 'bout his face? Have ya not snuck a peek at his luscious ass?"

"I prefer his chest."

"What! When did ya see him shirtless?"

"He an' his aunt live a block down from me. My mom sent me over with a casserole las' night. He was outside doing yard work. I tell ya, those shirts he wears do him no justice."

"All I can say is when those lips start workin', ya forget everythin' else."

Even the bell ringing to signal the end of the period wasn't enough to drown out the shriek of giggles that followed the last statement. Rogue sighed; she was finally getting a short reprieve from the daily onslaught of giggling, gossiping girls.

Remy LeBeau had been in Caldacott for two weeks, but he was quickly climbing the social ladder and becoming the topic of gossip. He had already managed to go out with three of the most popular girls in school, with many more clamoring for their turn with the Cajun.

This wasn't anything new. Rogue had heard, hell, even participated in, gossip about almost every guy as school. So why was this one bothering her so much?

As much as she tried to deny it, she knew the answer to that question. She was embarrassed. He had caught her staring. Then he had the gall to track her down in the hallway. Th' look in his eyes . . . It was like he thought he knew me . . .It seemed so familiar . . . Then when she had seen him at Betty's house the other weekend . . . She got shudders all over again thinking about it.

Irene clutched onto Rogue's arm as they made their way to the house. "Now, I know you're not big on meeting new people, but Betty's friend has her nephew staying with her and it would mean the world to Betty and I if you could at least try to be nice to him."

"I know. Ya on'y told me ten times in the car." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why ya so disappointed that I'm reclusive anyways? Ya on'y been tellin' me since I was thirteen 'bout how dangerous skin-ta-skin contact could possibly be."

Irene sighed. "I told you that so you would be careful, not so you would isolate yourself!"

Rogue bit back a retort as the front door swung open. Standing up straighter, she forced a smile onto her face. Irene did likewise beside her.

The woman behind the door smiled back at them. Her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back and chocolate brown eyes seemed to dance merrily on her face. "Hello! 'M Mattie, an' y' mus' be Irene. Betty's told me so much 'bout ya!" The woman stepped forward and engulfed the blind woman in a hug before turning towards Rogue. "An dis mus' be Marie. I don' t'ink Betty's description did y' any justice chil'. Dose eyes . . . an' dat smile . . . y' mus' have t' beat de boys back wit' a stick!" She exclaimed with a conspiratorial wink.

Rogue tightened her smile. "Somethin' like that."

"Oh, where on earth are m' manners. C'mon in; Betty's waitin' in de livin' room." She ushered the two guests into the house, chattering away about how beautiful Caldacott was, how nice it was to spend time with Betty, and how she hoped living in a small town would help her nephew. " . . .He was jus' gettin' int' so much trouble back home. M' brother had t' go t' dat principal's office at least twice a week."

Irene nodded. "Yes, teenagers can be quite difficult sometimes," she said, giving Rogue's arm a meaningful squeeze.

Twenty minutes later, Rogue found herself sitting with three fifty-something women as they went on and on about anything and everything. She wished she had snuck in her CD player as her gaze wandered around the room. She had just begun to study a black and white snapshot of a much younger Irene and Betty, when the entire house shook.

A deafening explosion rattled the windows as the backyard was filled with smoke. Immediately, Mattie's face began to turn pink from embarrassment. She started to stutter out an apology. "I- I'm so sorry, Betty! I told him- . . . he does t'ings like dis- . . . we're tryin' so hard- . . . he's not a bad chil'-. . .de social worker said he might act out when he got older, but I nevea t'ought it'd be like dis. I'm so sorry!" It was obvious this was not the first time an event like this occurred.

Betty placed a fragile, but comforting, hand on her friend's. "Don' worry 'bout it. 'M sure it was an' accident. Remy's a fine boy."

Seconds later, a mop of unruly russet locks appeared in the doorway. " 'M sorry Tante Mattie, havin' some trouble wit' de lawn mower. Everyt'ing's under control." Rogue noticed how his eyes seemed to linger on her a moment. "Sorry Betty, I'll git it fixed up f'r ya." And with that, he was gone.

Betty gave Mattie a meaningful look. "See? Accident."

Rogue felt a sudden attack of claustrophobia since he had appeared. Breathing seemed much harder to accomplish and the room was steadily shrinking. Quickly she stood up. "Ya know what, Aunt Irene? I think I left our gift f'r Betty in th' car. I'm just gonna go git it, 'kay?"

Mattie glanced her way. "Are y' feelin' okay, petite? Y' look a lil' pale."

"I'm fine. Jus' need a lil' fresh air." With that, she hurried out of the house and out to the car. Once she got there, she placed a shaky hand on the roof of the vehicle. The voices raging in her head, Rogue reached for the car keys in her pocket. They weren't there.

She glanced at the ignition. There they hung, mocking her. Rogue began to pound on the window. "Damn keys. Damn stupid voices. Damn him! It's a fuckin' coincidence!"

"Problems, cherie?" Rogue spun around to stare into the face that she found so hauntingly familiar.

"I, uh- th' keys're locked in th' car."

"An' poundin' on de window helps how?"

A steely gaze settled on Rogue's face in retaliation to the smirk on his face. "Look, I don' know what ya problem is, but ya gotta stop lookin' at me like that!"

"How 'm lookin' at y'?"

Like ya know me o' somethin'. So I was starin' at ya; all th' girls in th' class were! Why don' ya jus' ignore me like ev'ryone else at school? "

"Ya wanna be ignored?" Asked Remy.

"By you? Yes."

"Fine, but I have one question. Dat day in class . . . Y' looked as if y' recognized me o' somet'in'." Remy said in what he hoped was a casual way.

Rogue snorted in disbelief, determined not to let him know he had caught her off guard. 'Oh, god. He noticed!' " Ya jus' looked like someone I used ta know; his name was Remy, too." She looked him up and down. "But he nevea woulda turned out like ya."

Hurt and anger flared in his eyes. "What's dat s'pposed t' mean? No, y'know what? Don' answer dat." He turned to stalked off, but at the last minute, he rushed back so the two off them were face to face.

Rogue felt her breathing hitch as reached behind her back. They stood like that for several minutes. Suddenly, Rogue heard a faint 'pop'. Remy gently pushed her aside and opened the car door.

Rogue tried to stammer out a thank you, but Remy was already halfway to the house. It was then that Rogue noticed the lawn mower. It sat in the driveway, no worse for the wear, and no sign that it had been in a mini explosion just twenty minutes prior. 'Strange . . .'

Heaving another sigh and clutching her books tighter, Rogue began to weave her way through the crowded hallway, making her way towards the last class of the day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Remy slouched down in his chair as the bell signaled the start of last period. A strawberry blonde girl slid into the seat next to him, continuing to babble in his ear. Alex, he thought her name was, or maybe Alice, or Anne. Does it even start wit' an 'A'? All he was sure of was that they had an okay time last night, and now she seemed to think they were a couple.

Couple. Remy hated that word. His parents were a couple in high school and that caused them -and him- a world of trouble.

Tuning out the girl and the teacher, Remy's gaze landed on someone a few seats ahead of him. An auburn-haired, green-eyed someone.

When had first seen Marie, no Rogue, as that's what she had everyone call her now, he had been overjoyed. Life had finally dealt him a good hand and was going to reunite him with best, and only, friend he had ever had. Her lack of interest and recognition said otherwise, though.

But when he accidentally blew up a lawn chair at Betty's house, she was the last person he expected to see as he fed the older women some cock-and-bull story about the lawn mower. Her words from their 'fight' still rang clear in his head. "His name was Remy, too. But he nevea woulda turned out like ya."

This infuriated Remy. She didn' live t'rough de hell dat I did. She prob'ly filled her head wit' dis make-believe Remy dat don' evea do anyt'ing wrong an' is a lil' Boy Scout o' somet'ing.

But, whispered another voice in his head, y' had de same expectations o' her. Y' nevea pictured Marie growin' up t' be de withdrawn outcast dat she is.

Remy was drawn out of his reverie as he heard the tail end of the teacher's speech. " . . . and each of you, with a partner, will be expected to present a report on your chosen author next week. I have picked the partners." A groan resounded from the class, but she continued. "You can thank me later. Alexandria, you will be with Michael. Cody, you're with Andrew. Lillian and Becky are together, Marie will work with Remy, Mandy, you're with . . ."

Remy felt frozen in his seat as Rogue turned around and her emerald eyes locked on his.

Argh! I wanted to get more romy interaction in this chapter, but it just wasn't happening. I'm frustrated right now with lots of stuff and, unfortunately, it's affecting my writing. My desire to write and inspiration are very low right now. Fear not! I'm not stopping this story, just taking it slow. I don't wanna force and give you guys crappy chapters (like I feel this one is.) Til next time.

Takimi

PS. Can someone tell me what Cody's last name is?