Chapter 10

Rose was sitting alone at lunch. It had been a couple days since her visit to the Institute, and while she liked the place, she enjoyed living in her own home.

Even if said home was an apartment trunk stuck in the back of her shop.

It wasn't that she couldn't afford an actual home, as during her world travels she had made a small fortune, on top of what she had inherited from her parents. But she didn't see the point. She lived alone, never had visitors, and until recently moved frequently.

What did she need a house for? Especially when she was more than comfortable in her trunk.

Not to mention she wasn't to keen on putting herself under another man's thumb. Even if Xavier was a large step up from Dumbledore, there were enough similarities in the fact they both ran secret organizations and 'taught' students to make her wary.. So she had politely visited yesterday and informed the Professor that she had to politely refuse his offer, though she appreciated it.

"I here you turned down a place at the institute?" Wanda said as she sat down across from her.

Rose looked up at the woman that had quickly become her friend. She shrugged, "I'm comfortable where I am," she said. "May I ask where you heard that?"

Wanda smirked as she took a drink of her juice. "Kitty's a bit...vocal about her not understanding why you don't want to join Xavier and his little team."

Rose raised an eyebrow as she gave Wanda a surprised look. "You know about them?"

Wanda smiled and looked around the cafeteria. Seeing her brother hitting on one of their classmates she said, "Watch my brother."

Rose did, though she noticed Wanda's hands take on a red light momentarily, and shot, almost to fast for her to see, at her brothers feet. Before her eyes, Pietro's shoe laces untied, and retied themselves together

Moments later the white-haired boy fell on his face, earning a grin from the two girls.

"I can control the probability of things happening," Wanda explained. "If I get angry, my powers tend to act out, and the worst probabilities come true. You?" she asked, looking at Rose expectantly. Rose snorted, "Why not? I already told Xavier and them. My powers aren't a mutation though," she explained, "but in short, I can control emotions with my voice, petrify with a glance, inject potent venom if I were to bite someone, and my tears have healing properties. There are others, but they mostly only effect me."

"Neat. So why'd you refuse the offer?" Wanda asked. "Don't believe in Xavier's dream of Mutant/Human co-existence?"

"Actually, I just don't like having someone else in charge of my home," Rose explained. "Or my life."

Wanda sighed. "Good. That means you won't be joining my father anytime soon."

Rose paused in her eating to look at Wanda confused. "Okay, now I'm confused. What does your father have to do with anything?"

"He and Xavier use to be old buddies," Wanda explained, a sour twinge to her voice. "But they disagreed on mutant/human relations. Xavier wants to live in peace, while my father, Magneto, wants to rule humans." She took a deep breath. "He also locked me up in an asylum when my powers first developed and I had zero control over them."

Rose gave her friend a sympathetic look and put her hand on hers. "I'm sorry. I can't say my family was much better."

Wanda smiled and pulled her hand away. "Okay, enough of the sappy stuff. How are things with you and Rogue?"

Rose grimaced. "I may have been...avoiding her. I'm afraid she'll take the fact that I don't wish to move into the Institute as a slight."

"Rose," Wanda groaned. "I fought against the X-Men and live with their enemies, yet I'm dating Kurt. Not to mention Kitty and Lance. I doubt you not moving in to live with her will make much difference if any."

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After school, Rose approached Rogue's locker.

"So how you doing?" Rose asked, drawing the mutants attention.

Rogue turned to look and glared at her. "Great, considerin' the girl that kissed me has been avoidin' me." She slammed her locker closed.

Rose winced. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "I wasn't sure you'd want to see me, especially after I turned down Xavier's offer."

"Why would that matter?"

Rose shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'm not real good at the whole relationship thing."

Rogue snorted, but a smile crossed her face. "That makes two of us. Ah haven't been able tah date anyone before yah. Not that ah'm interested just because you're the only person ah can touch safely, but it certainly helps."

"So we're good?" Rose asked.

Rogue smiled. "We're good. In fact. How'd yah like ta go see a movie Friday? Mah treat."

"Sure."

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The rest of the week passed quickly, and soon Rose was looking in the mirror judging her outfit.

Black skinny jeans, with a silken emerald green shirt, covered by a black corset. Emerald earrings rested in her ears, and light makeup had been carefully applied to her face. "What do you think Hedwig?"

Her owl ignored her, probably due to the fact she had clearly expressed her opinion on fashion not even two weeks ago.

Sighing, Rose climbed out of her trunk and, after double checking that the store was locked up, flamed herself to the Institute.

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Next chapter is Date. I know it's short, but the next chapter a lot happens so yeah.

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