CHAPTER 5:
And the Truth Will Set You Free
When Rogue moved in, Wanda begged if she could keep the room with the balcony. It's not like there's an outstanding view. More like her quiet spot. Her place to decompress before the day begins. Sometimes, Rogue comes over and talks with her or sits in silence. Agatha Harkness, Wanda's trainer, explained taking time for oneself allows anger and anxiety to leave the body. At first, she thought the woman was delusional, but she tried it, and her world was all the better.
She turned toward her bedroom, watching John step into his shorts from last night. A smile on his face. If only he would stay sober, they could conquer the world together. Nothing would get in their way, but papa always said, 3 is a crowd. She's tired reader. She is tired of him bringing his addiction with him wherever they go. Unsure if she can continue with his lies, gaslighting, near-death experiences, and overall pain of watching him kill himself, slowly.
"Oye, yo' gonna stand out all day or come back in?" He said from the warmth of her bedroom.
Might as well face the music, she said to herself.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the room, shutting the double doors behind her. Next to the balcony doors, she sat on her ruffled sheets, watching him search everywhere for the shirt she's wearing.
"The paramedics give you anything for your concussion?" Women tend to know the answer when they ask a leading question.
He stood straight. His smile was gone. "Why?"
Wanda snorted, "You know why."
He ran his hands through his wild bedhead, "Oi' come over here to spend time with my girl and yo' accusin' me of usin?"
It never fails, him turning the narrative. Make it look like she doesn't know what she's talking about. Constantly delusional. His mind games are exhausting.
"You tell me," She said, calm.
His eye narrowed, testing her bluff, "no, oi' didn't."
Wanda reached under his pillow, grabbing the baggy full of oxy.
"Oye, come on, Wands! Yo' know Oi' have a concussion!"
"You're a recovering addict, John! You know you can't have this shit!"
He slumped on the bed beside her, shaking his head. Caught.
"I'm flushing these."
Before she could escape to the bathroom, he took hold of her wrist, squeezing. "Don' yo' fuckin' dare."
Her eyes hardened, "If you do not let go, you will see a side of me that not many see."
He did as she asked.
Feeling bold and on a roll, she growled, "pack your things and find somewhere else to stay for the duration of your stay."
"Wanda—" He choked.
"I'm done with you, John."
She crossed the bedroom to the restroom, slamming the door behind her. He's never grabbed her like that. Pyro isn't violent toward her, even when he's high or drunk. What changed? What does Magneto have him doing or The Guilds?
She let all her emotions hit her, folding on the ground.
He does this every time. In her mind, she continues to make excuses for him. He blames outside sources for his terrible decisions when it's on him.
Wanda took out her phone, scrolled through her messages, and found Rouge. She knows how this will go, but she does it anyway.
[Are you home?]
Rogue responded right away, [At the X-Mansion.]
Wanda took a deep breath, [I left him.]
Rogue took a few moments to respond, then said, [you always say that.]
[I'm for real this time.]
[you always say that too. Come on, Shuga, be more original.]
[I'm being serious.]
[Do you want me to continue responding to you? You have repeatedly said this to me, and I watched you crawl back to him. I'll believe you when I see it happen.]
Wanda can't stand when Rogue gets the receipts. She needs comfort, not all the times she took John back. Is she wrong? No. she loves John to the point Wanda becomes a broken record. Do the same thing over and over, expecting a different result each time? Isn't that the definition of insanity?
If only her father could see her now. She's sure he'd call her weak.
Not in the mood for Rogue and her hurtful words, she went further down in her contacts, sighing.
[Where are you?]
[some of us wanted higher education, Wanda.]
[*Rolls eyes emoji*. Can you meet me at our spot.]
[…if you're upset, why not talk to Anna-Marie?]
Wanda didn't respond.
[you went to Rogue already, and she isn't a supportive sister, so you chose the other one? Wanda…what makes you think I can make you feel better?]
One thing is for sure, Lyla isn't the definition of kind or understanding. Though, she won't make her feel worse than she already does. Rogue is the first to say, 'Ah told yah so shugah.' But never there to help pick up the pieces. Who is she kidding, reader? Lyla isn't better. But she won't tell Rogue her secrets, and maybe that's what she needs.
[Why not Pie?]
Wanda rolled her eyes, [Because he's too buddy-buddy with Dad.]
[1. Don't call Magneto my dad again. 2. You're right. He is a snitch. Fine…give me a few hours. This is my last class for the day.]
[see ya.]
She decided to stay in the bathroom and hide from John if he didn't respect her wishes.
Rogue glared at her phone.
Of course, John went back to his old ways. He never changes. On top of his addictive habits, he holds onto Wanda like a parasite, afraid to let her go.
Wanda needs to move on. Her depression is too severe for her to rely on John or him to rely on her. It's time.
Selfish prick.
"Rogue?" Xavier's kind voice returned her to reality, "you still with us?"
Her head snapped up from her phone, glancing around the room—all eyes on her.
The conference room, located at the X-Mansion, was built and used for the X-team to discuss plans for ongoing investigations. At the same time, their war room was used to discuss a plan to attack their enemies and protect the human-mutant population. Why do they need two spaces for the same thing? Rogue has no clue, reader.
"Where were we?" She, Rogue, asked.
Jean smiled politely, "you were telling us about what you learned about last night's bombing."
Right.
"Right, thank yah." Rogue pocketed her phone. "A group known as the FOH is behind the bombings. What do the rec center, the club, and the party in Miami all have in common?"
"They accept mutants."
Sarcastically, Rogue clapped, "destroy mutants right by destroying buildings. The humans will become afraid."
"They hope to destroy human and mutant relations by making humans afraid to open their business to them."
Rogue nodded.
"Humans will become afraid of their place of business being destroyed?"
"Golly, y'all, yah ain' as dumb as Ah thought."
Logan snorted.
She sat back in her chair, removing her smug smirk. Insulting them isn't going to keep them on her side. One, she needs the good guys in her corner make her connect with the press. Two, they are planning something, what? Who knows but keep your enemies closer.
"You think you're better than us?" Scott snapped.
Rogue crossed her arms, "ah, know darlin'."
Spyke jumped from his seat, laughing, "Am I sensing a challenge here?"
Rogue tilts her head to the side. The smile returned to the corners of her lips, "Are you challenging the Brotherhood One-eye?"
Scott's mouth curved into an amused smile.
"And what if I am?"
"What do yah propose?"
He put up the number three, "3 different challenges. Baseball, a rescue mission, and tag."
Rogue is many things; stupid isn't one of them. He has something up his sleeve, but they'll prepare and win against the X-Men and put all this to bed.
"Yah, got a deal, buddy. See yah tomorrow and prepare to lose." She smiled at everyone around the room, then made her leave.
The Brotherhood will win, no doubt.
Wanda received a text, from Rogue, about the tournament starting tomorrow. After the weeks they've had, some fun won't hurt anyone physically. Some ego will bruise and crush, but Cyclops will get over it. The only reason she doesn't want to go is John. Rogue hates him for Wanda, but he's excellent with teams and team building. Somehow, he boosts morale.
She set her phone face down on the bar top while running a finger around the rim of her glass. Off for her to try a fruity mixed drink; however, she's trying something new. It's some sort of mixed drink with cranberry juice, malibu rum, and pineapple juice. The best plan for herself is to break out of the monotonous box she continues to put herself in.
"That looks fruity," Lyla threw her varsity jacket on the back of her stool. She shined her pearly whites at the new bartender, asking for a beer.
The girl blushed and set a blue beer in front of Lyla.
"Are you even 21?" Wanda asked.
Lyla shrugged, "Since when do yah care?"
Reader, one thing you must know about Lyla, she does whatever she wants. No filter. No care in the world. She does what's best for Lyla and Lyla alone.
"Yah called me. Yah, never call me." Lyla propped herself on the stool beside Wanda.
Instead of responding, Wanda sipped her fruity. Her face puckered at the sourness of the malibu rum.
"I explained why."
Lyla didn't buy it, "Tell me again."
"Rogue told me everything I needed to hear and what I already know." She finished her drink, "I need ya to tell me what I don't."
Wanda wasn't sure if she made sense. It's an odd request to have Lyla come all this way to talk about John, but that all their relationship is intel. More she can say for Rogue and her. That's territory Wanda refuses to mitigate ever again.
The point, reader, is that John works differently with the guys and Lyla. He can't hide his true nature from them. Gambit is too much of a brother for him to lie. Colossus observes everything, and Lyla is a perfectionist. Anything that can destroy the mission, she will root out harshly.
"This gonna help yah, move on?"
Wanda wasn't sure.
"Ah, don't know when he used last, but it's some pretty hard shit."
Now was the time for shots. The sweet and easily guidable bartender set a tray in front of them.
"What is it?"
Lyla shrugged, taking a shot, "Ah, honestly have no idea. Ah haven't had the time, with everythin' else goin' to shit, to test it."
"What does it do?"
"Enhance mutant powers; for him, it allows him to create fire instead of just manipulatin' it."
No wonder he's an addict. He thought himself a loser because he must carry lighters to manipulate fire instead of creating it.
"You use it? Supply it?"
Back in the day, Lyla used to supply students with Adderall in high school. Help them study for tests and exams. Or she'd sell steroids to the athletes. Whatever she could to earn a buck. It was their secret since Rogue was too oblivious and self-centered to care.
Plus, the leading question will get Lyla to admit the truth. She refuses to lie since it causes her family too much strife and pain. The thought of lying to anyone causes Lyla to get sick.
"Ah don't deal anymore."
"when's the last time you two got high?"
Lyla smirked, taking another shot, "cute."
She sighed and nodded, "what do I do to get him away from the drugs?"
Lyla stood from her stool, throwing on her jacket, "Get him out the life."
John refuses to leave Gambit and Magneto. He thinks he owes them something. The one thing he will never do. Her father will use him until the day he dies. There's no escaping. Lyla knows, as does Wanda.
"And, for yah information, Ah don't do drugs anymore."
Wanda snorted, "You're a liar."
"Am Ah?"
As she watched Lyla take her leave, Wanda sighed. She must leave John for her mental stability, but she can't. If her father is going to drain him, she will do her best to feed him.
Who on earth is she lying to?
He will never get better and drag her down with him. Isn't he reader?