"Freak of nature."

"The nerve, he thinks he can come back and everything just be normal."

"He is burning stuff again. Too bad they wont expel him. He is just a nuisance."

Oh would they just grow up. Acting like ninnies over such small matters. It didn't annoy him that they were talking about him, if they wanted to think about him far be it for him to stop them from thinking of him, but the fact they had to do it right next to him? Within his earshot? That was just unnerving. He couldn't give a rat's tail what they thought of him, just don't sit near him and squawk about it.

"John!" Someone else's voice broke in. Desperate for an escape from their nagging voices, John's head snapped in the direction his name had been called.

"Why is Bobby's girlfriend talking to him?!"

"Maybe she is just giving him some more chores to do to keep him from burning down the school."

"What makes her think she has to lower herself to his level and talk to him though. Just write it on a piece of paper and throw it at him."

"Yeah, its not like he has any feelings, he traded those for freedom."

"Her in her condition she should just be worried about spending as much time together with Bobby as she has left."

There those comments were again. Talking about Rogue as if she were some fragile person who was destined to die within days.

"Hey, just wanted to remind you that its your turn to clean the rec room." Rogue chimed happily. After all, he hadn't ratted her out to Bobby for the lighter thing yet, and he was doing his best to be nice to her, for him it was a stretch. For the first time in a while someone didn't damn pity her.

John released a heavy sigh. He didn't want to be seen associating with Bobby's girlfriend. Why she wouldn't leave him alone was far beyond him. He was just pleasant with her, not kind, not caring, not comforting for whatever situation she was in. He was just him. Though he was grateful for her giving his Zippo, that he now had hidden away, back to him.

"I know." He growled out, deciding to focus on the branch he was burning instead of her.

"Hey," She lowered herself to sit next to him on the bench, "you know, you don't have to burn trees all the time. You could burn something that doesn't kill nature."

Once he felt her presence next to him he killed the flame that had been growing on the branch and quickly tossed the it aside. "I'll consider that next time, although, now I may be wrong seeing as everyone around here believes I am ALWAYS," he said it loud enough for all the nearby squawkers could hear, "wrong, but doesn't fire in general kill nature? Carbon dioxide ring a bell to you? Bad for trees and the Ozone."

Another trait about John she had missed. His willingness to have playful banter with her.

"Listen, Cure, I'm leaving so stay if you must." He stood from the bench and tossed a glare to all standing around.

"John," She looked up at him from the bench.

"What?" His tone was flat as he looked back down at her.

She smiled up at him and with a wink said, "Don't ever change."

Something stirred in John's stomach at that moment she said that. The wind swept through and tossed her loose dark curls around and the sun beamed straight down onto her smiling face. She suddenly looked cute in her cut-off blue jean shorts and band T-shirt, reclining back on the bench to look up at him.

The next thing John knew, his cheeks felt warm. It was a new warmth though, not like warmth he always felt from the fires he would create. A brand new warmth he didn't understand.

She was Rogue though, she wasn't cute to him. She was a weakling who got the cure and was with Bobby Drake.

Still, she was the first one to show any confidence in him since he had gotten here.

"John? You okay?" Her southern belle voice chimed.

"I'm fine. Just go to Bobby." He turned and began briskly walking away from her.

He could not have any of the slightest attraction to Rogue. She was his exact opposite. Everyone hated him and worshiped her. She hated her mutation, he adored his. She listened to country and pop music while he listened to rock and oldies. They have no grounds for even bothering to like each other. Plus add in the major fact that she was with Bobby. Just as much as it would please John to steal something as precious to Bobby as her away, he wouldn't.

Who was he trying to convince though? He had just argued out the reasons to himself in his head while storming away from her and into the school. Still, when he thought about what she said it to him, it made all the feelings come back. Everyone had told him too change since he had been forced back, then suddenly the one girl who should for every reason hate him just rattles out, 'don't ever change'. It was all just too confusing to think about right now.

****

Their conversation ended far too soon for Rogue. He was the only person she could honestly sit down and talk to, still yet, he constantly bolts from her. Her heart went out to him, as much joy as it brought her having him here, he hated it. To him everyone here was the enemy. That's why he left in the first place, he wanted something different. Something this place couldn't offer him. Then again, she left too. She came back willingly though, seeing as without this place he would have died.

She knew he thought the lowest of her. He had made sure she knew that whenever he first came back. Constantly throwing insults in her face and bashing her and Bobby down. She liked it, not in some weird kinky way either. Finally someone wasn't afraid to speak their mind to her and tell her exactly what she was.

"Rogue," One of the newest girl skipped over to her.

"Yeah?" She sat up and put her hands on her knees.

"You really don't have to lower yourself to talk to him. He already makes your life hard by just being present, you don't have to grace him with kindness." She must've been talking about John and what a horrid manor to do it in!

"I'll remember that, but you should know this, he was my friend long before you knew of him. He wont show it now, but he did once have a nice guy personality." Rogue's tone was slightly harsh at the girl.

It was just so rude that she would come up to Rogue like that and spit out such horrible things about John!

"You don't need to associate with a waste of space like him though. I'm sure Bobby doesn't like it either." The girl continued.

"Well," She got up from her seat, "I guess it's a good thing Bobby doesn't make my choices for me."

Right now, Rogue needed a walk. Someplace to escape the rest of the girls that would surely come and attack her with 'he's not worth it's' and so on.

She knew John hadn't exactly tried to make friends since he got back here, but that doesn't give everyone the right to judge him off what---Bobby says. Of course it traces back to the one person who she cant stand up to so she stand next to him. She owed Bobby a lot.

Her mind began to stack up all the things Bobby had done for her since the cure incident as she fought her way down a wooded path. He after all, babied her until she could do everything for herself again. He supported her when most men would have given up. Still, he was so darn mean to John it hurt her!

With a sigh she came to stop. Finally, she had made it to her clearing. She came here many times over the summer to just sit and bath in the warm sunlight while laying in the hammock [not to mention get somewhat of a tan back]. It was her place, where she was away from the rest of the world and didn't have to think about anything.

Exasperated, she sat down in the hammock and began rocking herself. For it being an October day it sure was warm out. She wasn't complaining, Bobby would force her to stay inside once it got cold. Fearing her body might not be able to take it.

John wouldn't force her to stay in though, in face he would probably drag her outside and make her have snowball fights with him, at least old John would. New John doesn't care what she does, so long as he isn't involved. That's the pitiful part. He is the one person she has an undying urge to be around, yet he wants nothing to do with her.

Rogue's eyes drifted to a close as she tried to chase the thoughts of John's coldness from her mind. She didn't want him to hate her, she wanted him to want to be around her, cause----why did she?

He was the one person who didn't know about her illness, so it was easy to talk to him without awkwardness. As hard as he tries to put up a mean front, she can see what is underneath, and it is so cute that he tried to hide it! Maybe it was his free spirit that drew her in, after all she lost hers. Nowadays she cant even run a mile without the fear of a heart failure or whatever might happen to her. He made her wanna be free though. Being around him intoxicated her mind and made her want to try dangerous things---like playing with fire.

At least some of the ice Bobby built up on John's shoulder had chipped off. She owed it to that Zippo too. Maybe one day he'll tell her why it means so much to him.

That thought brought a smile back to her face. John opening up to her would put them on a whole new level. One where they had established trust with each other.

He looked embarrassed early when she was talking to him though--he was cute though. Now that she thought about it, she thought lots of the things he did and does are cute. The way he pouts, acts, talks to her, and habits. His looks weren't too bad themselves either.

He wouldn't give her a second thought though. She was after all the wimp who got the cure and hides behind her pushy boyfriend.

She is gonna change that though. Just to make him notice her.

I WROTE! Hopefully people wont slam this as hard as they slammed my Midnight Wings chapter. Ha ha, Well, please feel free to tell me what you think!

RAWR