CHAPTER 7

When Rogue arrived at school, she was incredibly nervous and afraid of how to approach Rose. She knew she was developing an attraction to the girl, and if Rose could actually touch her, well there was a reason she was nervous. But having not been in a relationship before, especially not with another girl, she was afraid to mess up.

The result was that she spent the morning avoiding Rose.

0000000000

Rose sighed as she sat down at a table alone for lunch, she had only seen Rogue a few times, but it seemed that whenever the other girl saw her, she hid.

She really had messed up when she kissed Rogue.

Looking down at her food, Rose realized that she wasn't really hungry, and began to slowly pick at her food with the plastic spork provided for meals. She didn't even notice when she was joined.

"What's got you in such a lousy mood?" Wanda asked, earning a jump from Rose.

Rose looked up at her new friend and sighed. "You remember the other day at the shop, I told you their was someone I was interested in?"

Wanda nodded as she lifted some spaghetti to her mouth. "Yeah," she said, before putting her food in her mouth.

"I kissed her yesterday, and today she's been avoiding me," she said morosely.

Wanda gave her friend a sympathetic look and placed her hand on Rose's in comfort. "I'm sorry," she said honestly, and much nicer than she normally was to others. She smiled sadly, "Maybe if you told me who it was I can go knock some sense into them," she joked.

Rose snorted. "Somehow I don't think that will endear Rogue to me any more."

Wanda, began coughing, as she spit out the spaghetti that had been in her mouth. Giving Rose a wide-eyed look she asked, "You kissed Rogue?"

Rose shrugged. "Yeah, what's the big deal."

"You mean you kissed Rogue and nothing happened?" the short-haired girl asked incredulously.

Rose sighed. "Yes," she said, beginning to get annoyed. "What's the big deal? It's not as though she's capable of knocking me out with a single touch"

Wanda's mouth opened and closed a couple times, before she said, "I'll be right back."

Rose watched as Wanda made her way outside to those tables there.

0000000000

The absence of Rose at their table was noticed, but no one really commented about it as they hadn't know the girl long.

But when Wanda approached the table, a scowl on her face, she was noticed. It wasn't often that the members of the Brotherhood approached the X-Men without intending to cause trouble.

But before the X-Men could question her, she yelled at Rogue, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Rogue didn't look at Wanda, but asked, "What are yah talking about?"

"Rose," she informed the other girl angrily.

That got Rogue to look at Wanda, while the other X-Men looked on wondering what the hell was going on.

"What about her?" Rogue asked angrily, not really appreciating the other mutant's attitude.

Not sure that Rose wanted the other X-Men to know what had happened, if they didn't know already, Wanda simply said, still angrily, but calmer than before, "You're avoiding her. And she's noticed."

Rogue tensed up. "That's none of yer business," she told the other girl.

Wanda slammed her hands into the table to glare at Rogue in the eye. "Maybe not. But when my friend, and Rose is a friend, is hurting, I make it my business."

Rogue looked away from Wanda. "You don't even know what happened?" Rogue said, unable to look Wanda in the eye. She had a pretty good idea that Wanda did know, and the Scarlet Witch's next words confirmed it.

"I know more than you think Rogue," she said icily. "And I can't believe that you would be this dense to not seize the opportunity in front of you." Before Rogue could respond, Wanda stood up and turned from the table, but before she walked away, she said, "Sort out your head and talk to the girl, before she decides she doesn't even want to be your friend anymore."

As Wanda walked away, Evan asked, "What was that about? I didn't even know Rose and Wanda were friends."

"Neither did Ah," Rogue said sadly. She looked over at the expectant faces of her friends. "Remember ah said Rose touched me?"

Everyone nodded, and Rogue continued. "Ah was so shocked that nothin' happened when she touched me, ah just stood there, unable to speak."

"But why would she be hurt by that?" Scott asked.

Rouge looked down and blushed, confusing all the guys. But when Jean asked, "She kissed you?" and Rogue nodded, things suddenly made sense to them.

The X-Men stared at Rogue silent for a moment, until Evan said, "That is hot!" Unfortunately for the native New Yorker, he was sitting between Jean and Kitty. They both slapped him in the back of the back of the head, and leveled glares that could melt adamantium at him.

Gulping he chuckled weakly. "Just kidding."

"How do you feel about Rose?" Jean asked softly, trying to help her friend.

Rogue's shoulders drooped. "Ah like her," she said softly. "Ah realized that before she kissed me. But I don't know what ta do now."

"Talk to her," Kurt said, smiling softly at his sister. "She probably thinks you don't want anything to do with her now."

0000000000

After school, Rogue wasn't able to catch Rose before she left. So she decided to stop at White Owl.

Stepping into the store, she was unsurprised to find Hedwig resting on her perch by the counter. But she was surprised by the glare the owl was giving her. She didn't even know owls could glare.

She waited patiently, looking around the store, until she heard the jangle of beads leading to the back of the store rattle and Rose say, "How can I..."

Rogue turned to see Rose staring at her, her sunglasses perched in her nose. She smiled nervously, "Hey."

"Hi," Rose greeted. She walked behind the counter and began tor rub her fingers along Hedwig's feathers. "I'm sorry if I was to forward yesterday."

Rogue shook her head. "No, it's alright. Yah just caught me off guard. And...ah may have enjoyed it more than ah thought ah would."

"Really?" Rose asked, looking up at Rouge.

Rogue nodded. "Ah'm sorry ah didn't say anythin', but when you kissed me and nothin' happened..."

"Wait," Rose interrupted, "I thought you just said you enjoyed it?"

Rogue was silent for a moment, and began to fidget. "Ah did, that wasn't what ah meant when ah said nothin' happened," she explained. "Ah'm not like other people," she began, only to stop speaking when the door to the shop opened.

"Hands in the air!" a male voice ordered.

The two girls turned to find a man, wearing a ski mask and holding a gun. "I said put ' up!" he ordered again.

The two girls slowly did as instructed.

"Open the register!" he ordered.

"Why don't you just calm down," Rose said, and Rogue began to feel a sense of calm envelop her. "And put the gun...

BANG!

Rogue screamed as Rose fell to the floor, her sunglasses falling to either side of her face. The sense of calm vanished.

The gunman turned the gun on Rogue. "Open the register!" he ordered.

Glaring at the robber, with tears in her eyes, and not close enough to subdue him without the risk of getting shot, Rogue kept her hands in the air as she made her way to the counter.

The old style register opened easily, and the gunman quickly emptied the drawer, after ordering Rogue to step back. After taking all the money, he turned the gun towards Rogue and smiled. "Sorry, can't leave any witnesses."

But before he could pull the trigger, a ball of flame appeared between him and Rogue, only to die down and reveal Rose.

Rogue watched from behind as Rose's hair stood on end.

0000000000

The last thought's that ran through the robbers head was that this was a demon.

The woman he had just shot's hair stood on end, like a demonic crown, while she snarled, revealing long canines reminding him of vampires. The snarl drove sheer terror and fear into his heart.

But the eyes, slitted, and yellow, and full of anger, were what truly frighted him.

He was frozen mid scream.

0000000000

Rose's hair returned down to it's normal state. And she turned to look at Rose.

The first thing Rogue noticed was that Rose's emerald eyes were slitted. Then she noticed the robber, frozen in place with a look of sheer terror on his face. Despite this the first words she spoke were, "How are you still alive?"

Rose smiled sadly, a worried look in her eyes. But before she could answer, the door to the store opened again, and Ororo Munroe stepped into the store, drawing the two girls attention.

With a quick, accessing glance, the white haired woman raised an eyebrow and asked calmly, "What happened here?"

0000000000

Please Review and Check Out the Challenges in My Forums.

And remember that Rose's hair is feather-like from her burning. And like a peacock does with it's tail, she can flare it to make her appear larger.