Disclaimer: Still don't own it. But I'm workin' on changing' that. –Evil grin-

Day Two: Rumors galore

"He can't be trusted," Logan, a tough talking, and even tougher walking, mutant sat in front of Professor Xavier's desk. The Professor was smiling as Logan listed his uncertainties

The Professor wheeled out from behind his desk to the window and peered out into the grounds. He looked thoughtful and so brilliant.

"It's not our manner to turn fellow mutants away, Logan, you know that personally."

Logan growled under his breath; that was the professor's way of telling him if he doesn't like it, he's a hypocrite.

"Well…If he comes near me I'mma show him how it works 'round here." Logan and the Professor exchanged nods and Logan left without saying a word, but many, many thoughts that the Professor found objectionable, though mildly comical.

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"His name is Remy Lebeau?" Jean's voice was inquisitive, and quite amused.

Scott nodded swinging his arm around her graceful neck as they walked, "Yep, and he's going to be teaching some sub-level classes."

Jean's eyes narrow with thought, "I suppose the Professor arranged that…"

Scott nodded looking at her fondly from behind his Ruby shaded glasses, "Yeah, I think we can trust him, I mean the worst I heard about him was he tried to shake Rogue's hand."

Jean looked at Scott surprised, "He already met Rogue?"

The two rounded a corner, Scott took his arm from Jean and placed them on his muscular hips and sighed, "Yeah, Rogue was the first to meet him."

Jean smiled faintly as they continued onto their classes, "She's finally learning to meet new people?"

Scott scoffed, "Hardly, she thought he was an enemy and attacked him."

Jean gasped, "Oh no! Did she really attack him?"

Scott smiled and half shrugged, "That was the rumor I heard."

She slowed her walking pace to a stop and glared at Scott irritably, "You know better than anyone that rumors are just that. Rumors," She shook her head and stomped off to her separate class, finally glad that she was into home-economics and Scott wasn't.

Scott stood at the beginning of the hall speechless.

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"Kitty! Wait up!" Iceman, or Bobby to his friends, came trotting up with his bag in one hand to Shadowcat.

She sighed cheerfully and stopped, waiting for him to catch up.

He grinned stepping into pace with her, "Did you hear about that new teacher, Kitty?"

She nodded, she'd heard many things the past few days, "Yep, and that's he's really hot."

Laughing and joking about rumors as they went through the hall the two looked like a perfect couple. Friends before dating. But neither of them wanted that. They realized what a big mistake it was and both were so sorry for it.

Then the conversation got a little heavy when Bobby mentioned Rogue.

"Has she said anything about me?" He asked in al seriousness. He sounded depressed and deeply regretful.

Kitty wondered for a moment if she should lie, but decided the truth was painful, but better in the long run. "She won't even look at me…And if she does, it's like I'm getting stabbed with her eyes."

Bobby winced noticeably and nodded, " I know how that feels."

Kitty shrugged and adjusted the strap of her book bag, "If I see her, I'll tell her something alright?"

Bobby nodded thankfully and one-arm hugged Kitty, "Thanks Kat, I'll owe you one."

She smiled nodding with a chuckle, "You'll owe me a few."

The two agreed, exchanged goodbyes, and went to their classes.

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It was around noon when Rogue walked back out of the lunchroom. It was the same as the day before, the people were annoyingly chipper, the room was loud and the air obnoxious with rumors and dumb jokes.

"Maybe it is like yestuhday," she thought aloud. What she meant was that that handsome man, which she later found out he was telling the truth about his employment at the school, was actually telling the truth. All the night after all she could think about were his burning red and black eyes, his grin.

She was reminiscing over something she could never really recognize as a crush. She walked passed the tree he had come out from and smiled.

The confrontation was a short one, when he said that he might not be trustworthy she sprung on him; though with a feeling they were in the same boat.

She sat under the tree absently playing with a leaf. She was sure he was in class, or setting up for one, or maybe even talking with another girl. A twang of jealousy hit her suddenly and she thought of Kitty Pryde and Bobby kissing beneath the street lamp after that damn dance.

Rogue had decided it was a better idea not to go and Bobby had been so disappointed that he took Kitty instead. When Rogue watched the two leave she knew she had made a mistake and went a little later only to find the two under a street lamp locked within each other's arms…Kissing.

Rogue's fists clenched around a handful of maple leaves thinking about the terrible scene. Maple leaves that had fallen from the tree above. The tree in which He stood under.

She felt a heat begin in her cheeks. Her grip slowly left the leaves and her hands covered her pale cheeks in astonishment, "I-I'm blushing?!" She could hardly believe it. And it was just the distraction he needed to slip past her unnoticed.

"But it looks good on you, Chere."

Her eyes lifted from the ground and set once again on his blazing eyes. He was grinning arrogantly, he was carrying a bo-staff with him, but Rogue just thought it was a stick.

She couldn't speak, she choked out a word, but it was nonsense.

He laughed and brazenly plopped down next to her placing his staff over his lap. The tip touched her thigh and she squirmed a few inches away. She would have completely left, and she was wondering why she did not, but she stayed.

"You' pretty quiet, Chere, somthin' on yo' mind. You can tell Remy." His overconfidence and arrogance was shocking.

She relaxed a little, enough to tell him what was what, but she still could hardly say anything.

"I'm only quiet because I don't like you, Shug." She was lying, they both knew it. She didn't trust him, and she would rather eat a snake than tell him personal business, but she did.

He smirked and tapped her thigh with his staff, "I hear you come from Mississippi, Chere, we practically neighbors."

She looked at him then to the grassy ground below her, "Where'd ya hear that?"

He chuckled and lent back against the tree setting his staff down fully onto his lap to draw out a deck of playing cards. "You gonna get mad at Remy if I tell his Chere the truth?"

She watched as his hands cut the deck over and over again. She spotted the Queen of Hearts before she answered, "Depends on the answer."

He smiled, "Fair enough."

She nodded. An Ace of Spades.

"I asked the Professuh 'bout ya, Chere, and recommended ya for Remy's class." The honest truth.

She looked sick, she felt violated. She stood up quickly and stomped off confused and hurt, "If ya wanted to know 'bout me ya shoulda asked, Swamp Rat."