-1Author's Note: Hello again. This is the sequel to Some Secrets Are Worth Keeping. This story will probably make more sense if you read that one first.

Ages:

Etienne LeBeau, Nathan Summers-17

Alana LeBeau, Daniel Alvers-16

Rachel Summers, Callie Alvers, Jenna Tolansky-15

Jayme Maximoff, Anya Rasputin, Jessie Allerdyce-14

Hannah Drake, Shane Allerdyce, Mya Alvers-13

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution.

The next two months passed in a blur for the students at the Xavier Institute. Etienne studied hard to bring his grades up, knowing that his parents had been serious about skipping the trip. He was hoping that his grades were back from the brink of failure.

Etienne opened his locker and threw his first period books in with a low growl. He hated having English first thing in the morning. Luckily, his next class was French, the one class he had been acing due to his life in Louisiana and his father's teaching.

"Hey, Et." Nathan leaned on the locker next to him.

"Hey." Etienne grabbed his book and looked over at his best friend. His welcoming smile turned to a slight frown when he saw Nathan's arm around his younger sister. "Hey, Lana."

"Hey, big brother. Ready for French?" Alana had ended up in Advanced French with him after mouthing off to the teacher in French 1. The teacher couldn't keep up with Alana and had decided that the girl was obviously too advanced to be in her class.

"It's the easiest class of the day." Etienne shut his locker and started down the hall. "See ya later," he called back to Nathan.

"You said it. See ya later, Nate." Alana kissed her boyfriend on the cheek before catching up to her brother. "So, um, have Mom and Dad said anything else about going home for Spring Break?"

He glanced at the black haired girl by his side. "Not yet, but report cards come out today, so we should know when we get home."

"God, I hope we can go. I wanna see Colette again. It's been a long time since we were there." She glanced up at the tall boy. "You'll turn eighteen down there, won't you?"

"I guess I will. I didn't really think about that."

"Have you decided which girl you're takin to the dance?"

"No. Why?" He gave her a curious glance.

"No reason." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled at a boy that passed them. The boy was so busy watching her that he nearly ran into a doorway.

"Sure. I know you're lyin. Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious because you seem to like Callie, but I've seen you flirting with Rachel."

"Since when has flirting meant anything?"

"Oh, I forgot that this was you we're talking bout."

"Very funny."

"What? It's true. You've got a different girl every time I turn around."

Etienne shrugged. "I like keeping my options open."

"You sound like Dad apparently did when he was younger."

"I know."

"Really? How?"

"Dad told me."

"Oh."

"I'm guessing that you're goin with Nate?"

"Duh. Kinda makes sense since I'm dating him." Etienne stepped back to let her go through the doorway first. He followed her down the aisle and took his normal seat next to her. It made it easier when they got paired up if he was with Alana, since he already knew how much French she knew.

The teacher took her place at the front of the room. Etienne ignored her and pulled out a piece of paper.

Who do you think I should ask? He discreetly handed the note to his sister.

Whoever you want. She tossed the note back on his desk when the teacher turned her back.

You're a lot of help.

Sorry, but I don't know what to tell you. You can get just about anyone to go with you.

Maybe you should ask Nate.

Yeah right. His sister is one of the girls I'm thinking about askin.

So? He's going with me.

Yeah, but it's different.

How?

You're dating. I'm just looking for a date for that night.

Ah, I see. So ask Callie.

I just might.

"Mr. LeBeau. Are you paying attention?"

"Oui, Mademoiselle." the teacher turned her attention back to the board. Etienne looked at Alana to see her choking back a laugh. He frowned and picked his pen up as Alana tossed the note back to him.

Do it then.

Fine. I'll ask her at lunch.

Fine. The bell rang and Alana put the note in her pocket to throw away later.

"Don't forget that your presentations are due on Friday." Etienne and Alana grabbed their bags and hurried out of the class. Etienne waved as Alana headed off to her math class. He threw his bag in his locker and went to change before his next class, shop.

Etienne came in just before the bell rang, now clad in a pair of ripped jeans and a black tee. He casually leaned against a table as he waited for the teacher to show up. His eyes roamed the twenty something other people in the class. Some of them knew their way around cars, like him, and others took the class for a fairly easy credit.

The rest of Etienne's morning classes flew by. Soon he was walking toward the quad for lunch. It was usually less crowded than the cafeteria and the mutants preferred to be outside when possible. He took his usual seat next and waited for everyone else to show up. Alana and Daniel were two of the first to come over, since they shared the period before lunch. Slowly the group around the table grew as everyone else got out of class.

Etienne was the first finished, due to his earlier start. As he waited for everyone else to finish eating, he watched Callie. Her layered brown hair, left down that day, came to her-mid back. She had Kitty's small build and pretty features. And her eyes. God, how he loved those deep blue eyes.

Callie smiled at Etienne when she caught him watching her. He gave her a smirk that strongly resembled Remy's.

"So, Et, you have a date for the dance yet?" Rachel's voice caused him to turn his head away from Callie.

"I'm working on it."

"Really? Who?"

He gave a careless shrug. "You'll find out later."

"Come on. Tell me."

"Nope." He stood up to throw away his trash and motioned to hers. She handed it to him and he turned toward the trash can. "Hey, Callie. Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure." She stood up and gathered her trash. "What do you want to talk about?"

Etienne tilted his head to the side so that he could see the brunette by his side. "Are ya going to the dance?"

"Yeah. I already bought a dress."

"Who ya going with?" He tossed the garbage into the trash can.

"Why?" Callie followed suit.

"Just curious."

Callie put her ands on her hips and looked up at him. "Etienne LeBeau, are you, the great ladies man of Bayville, actually digging for information?"

"It seemed like a better idea than looking like a jackass when you turned me down because you already had a date."

"Well, I don't. Why? Are you asking me?"

"Yeah, I guess I m then. Would you like to go o the dance with me?"

"I'll have to think about it." Callie watched Etienne's face fall somewhat and burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding, Et. Of course I'll go with you."

His frown turned to a smile instantly. "Okay then. One more question."

"Sure."

"What are you so mean to me?"

"Because no other girl will be."

Etienne cocked his head to look at her. "You realize that's some screwy reasoning?"

Callie tucked some hair behind her ear and shook her head. "No, it's not. It actually makes sense if you think about it."

"How?"

"You're used to getting whatever girl you want, right?"

"Well,"

"Don't lie. You're like your Dad. Anyway, what's the challenge in having something that was easy to get? You see my point?"

Etienne nodded. "That actually makes sense, somehow." He put an arm around her shoulders. "You're smarter than ya look, Cal."

"Thanks. I think." They neared the table, Etienne's arm still around Callie's shoulders. Nobody paid any attention to the gesture since they were used to Etienne having him arm around some girl. Alana looked at him questioningly and he smiled in response, sitting down in his previous seat. Neither of them noticed the jealousy on Rachel's face.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Everyone gathered their stuff to hurry off to their next class. Etienne slung his bag over his shoulder and waved to the group. His next class was on the other side of the school and the teacher gave detention to anyone who dared set foot in her classroom after the bell rang.

Etienne slid into his seat just as the bell went off. Nathan wasn't so lucky.

"Mr. Summers, detention after school." She handed him a detention slip and pointed to an empty seat next to Etienne.

"God, I hate trig," Nathan mumbled as he sat down.

"I hear ya."

"Mr. LeBeau, would you like to join Mr. Summers in detention?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then please refrain from talking in my class."

"Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again." Etienne slid lower in his seat, praying that the class would pass quickly. Of course, the rest of the class drug on. After what seemed like hours, the bell finally rang and Etienne jumped out of his seat.

The rest of the afternoon passed fairly quick. Soon Etienne was walking out of the school with lots of homework and a hopefully improved report card. He had thought about opening it, but decided to just give it to his parents and then find out. He found Daniel, Alana, Callie, and Rachel waiting for a ride by his black '78 Trans Am.

"Ya'll need a ride?" He opened his door and unlocked the passenger door.

"Yeah, since my brother decided that he wanted detention today." Rachel climbed into the backseat first. She was followed by Daniel and Callie. Alana claimed her usual spot in the front and twisted in her seat to talk to her friends.

"So, Et, have ya looked at it?"

Etienne took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at his sister. "What?"

She motioned to the report card lying on the console. "Have ya looked at it?"

"Nope. How was yours?"

"Same as usual."

"A's and B's again."

She shrugged and pushed her hair out of her face. "Maybe. Callie?"

"A little better than last time. I still got a C in computers, but it's not my fault that the teacher doesn't know what she's talking about. How about you, Rach?"

"All A's. Dad would freak if I got anything else. Danny, you're the only one left."

"Let's just say that Dad won't complain, but Mom will." All the other members of the car groaned. They had heard several of Kitty's lectures echoing through the mansion from Daniel's room.

"Well, one upside." Alana pushed her sunglasses up and turned to look at everyone. "There is that party tonight."

"I totally forgot about it until you said something." Callie caught Etienne's eye in the rearview mirror. "What do you say? We going or not?"

"Hell yeah." He gave her a wink before turning his attention back to the road once again. He stopped outside the Institute gates and pressed the intercom.

"Welcome to the Xavier Institute for…"

"It's Etienne. Can ya let us in?"

"Where's your gate opener?"

"Um, I lost it."

Sigh. "Fine. Hang on a second, kid."

"Thanks, Uncle Scott." The gates slowly crept open.

"No problem."

Etienne parked his car in it's place in the garage before grabbing his bag and jumping out. Everyone else scrambled out of the car, glad to be done with another week of school. They walked in the front doors and stopped when they saw most of the adults standing there.

"Remy, for the last tahme, no."

"Come on, chére."

"What's going on?"

Rogue turned her head and smiled at the kids. "Nothin, sugah." She noticed that Etienne looked slightly nervous. "What's wrong with…Wait a minute. Report cards came out today right?" Etienne nodded. "Well?" He handed her the unopened envelope.

Rogue opened the envelope and scanned the piece of paper in front of her. She handed it to Remy and gave him a questioning glance. He studied it and shrugged before raising an eyebrow. Rogue tok it back and handed it to Etienne.

"Looks lahke we're goin to Louisiana after all. Ah'm proud of ya, sugah." Etienne looked down at the paper in disbelief. He had actually managed to pull his grades up to B's and C's from the D's that they had been.

"Not to interrupt, but where's Nate?"

"Oh, he's in detention."

"What?"

"He was a few seconds late to trig and the teacher gave him detention."

"Damn. Hate to be in that femme's class."

"No kiddin. Don't worry, he only had to stay for an hour after school today."

Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been preoccupied. Anyway, I'm thinking that this story is only going to cover up to Etienne and Nathan's graduation. So it'll only be thrre more chapters or so. I've got some ideas for other stories, but I'm trying to finish my unfinished sstories before I start anything new. You know the dril R&R. Thanks Reviewers!