Key:
"…" Speech
'…' Thoughts
(…) Extra information
Songs are in bold
Emphasised words are in italic
If this – is put after words it means an interruption
Chapter 6VvV the Truth comes Out VvV
Thursday, end of School; 3:05pmEyeing up Rogue's back as the girl hurried past her, Lexa sighed before calling after – what she had spoken to Lorna about several days before had got to the 'preppy' girl. "Oi! Bitch!"
"What the…" turning on the spot in retaliation caused Rogue to come face to face with the person who had insulted her and Rogue couldn't help but smile involuntarily before the smirk was replaced with a frown again. "What are you after, Lexie?"
"Just wondering if the dog still answered her name."
"Whatever," and with that as a reply, Rogue turned back round and walked off, an amused shake of her head greeting Lorna who took it as not to ask questions. Instead she hopped into her adopted-half-sister's car and was driven home, gazing affectionately at Piotr's back as they passed him in the car park whilst he was entering his car. Lorna found herself blushing as her eyes fell to Piotr's rear and stayed there for a while. Jealousy coursed through her veins however when Kitty ran to say hi to the giant, but Lorna put it off and replaced the frown with a smile for Lance.
The boy watched with a sigh after Lorna and crossed the car park when Rogue's car had turned out of the park. "Alright McCoy?"
"Mr McCoy, Lance."
"Mr Alvers, sir."
Exasperatedly, Hank shook his head and gestured with his head to his car, "need a lift?"
"No thanks; I got it sorted. The jeep went for a check up…" after nodding goodbye, Lance turned from his teacher, but then the boy paused in his steps and turned back, "thanks for the loan…"
"It's alright."
Lance ran a hand through his hair and then faced Hank properly, "I promise I'll pay you back soon…I'm working hard and all…and the job's going well," he rushed on, speaking hurriedly in his excuses. "It just might take a while and all, you know? At least I don't have to pay rent…"
"Yes," curiously, Hank eyed the person he was just about to mention and then faced Lance again, "how's John's rent going? Is he really doing as well as he says?"
"He won't tell me…"
"No…no," frowning at the back of the boy, the teacher continued, "I didn't think so. Well anyway, I have to get back so I'll see you back at the-" stopping as Lance opened his mouth, Hank got the picture and the grown up sighed. "Sorry, sorry. Don't worry; no more words will slip from my mouth."
"Thanks teach…I'll see ya later."
Other side of the Car ParkLexa passed John and Wanda and smirked, watching the two for a while as neither spoke to each other and simply gave the other looks, but she didn't even turn when a voice spoke up.
"Looks like you found someone more your type huh?"
"What now Maximoff?"
Standing by Lexa's side, Pietro gazed down at her and smirked, "I was just admiring the way you were enjoying watching Pyro over there."
"Pyro?"
"Flame boy…the one obsessed with fire. You know?"
Smirking at this comment came as no surprise from Lexa and Pietro shrugged it off, "what's so funny?" At Lexa's response of the fact that John loved that name, Pietro laughed, causing Lexa to turn fully to him. "You'd know," was all he would say in response to Lexa asking 'what was so funny?'
"Jealous?"
"You wish."
At this Lexa could only smirk and she put on a mockingly fake, serious tone, "I know I do Pietro," she clasped her hands in front of her chest and gazed affectionately up at Pietro, "every day and every night." And with that the girl walked off to her black Lotus Elise.
Meanwhile Pietro looked in shock at Lexa's back…was it just him or had that 'fake seriousness' looked…actually serious? He would have stopped her…if Crystal hadn't turned up with a jealous look on her face.
Rolling his eyes, the boy turned from his girlfriend and walked away.
VvVvVvV
Maximoff's House, 5:20pmThe doorbell had rung again and no one was going to get it.
It sounded throughout the house again and Rogue sighed: that was the third time…so, slowly and with a lot of effort she hauled herself from the sofa, glaring at Wanda who ignored the Goth's movement. Before long Rogue had reached the door and her hand was pushing down the handle…growling as she heard the person on the other side of the door speaking no doubt into a mobile. Recognition caused Rogue's lip to turn up in a snarl.
Reluctantly, Rogue pulled open the front door and didn't even face the visitor until she realised they hadn't moved. "Do ya want meh ta say hah ohr something?"
"Ain' dat a bit o' a rude way t' greet people Cherie? Especially wid Remy being a guest et all."
"See if ah care. Besahdes, ah heard it was ya ohn yahre mobahle, so-"
"So y' came t' say bonjour t' Remy," not pausing for breath, Remy didn't let Rogue get a word in, "'ow (how) sweet Chere."
Grumpily, Rogue folded her arms and walked away from the Cajun, talking as she headed back for the living room. "Oh, whah don' ya jus' crawl inta another one of yahre garbage cans ahn fahnd anothah Belladonna? Ahn stop calling meh Chere." It was obvious Remy chose to ignore Rogue's last remark. He always did.
"If Remy didn' know better, he'd say y' sound j-e-a-l-o-u-s." Remy made the word last a while to emphasise his point and closed the front door behind himself, watching Rogue's tantalising hips whilst she strutted to the living room door, licking his lips behind the Goth's back.
Slowly pausing before entering the living room, without turning, Rogue called back a few final words, unable to help the playful smirk she had on her face; hidden from Remy. "That's whah ya know bettah." Teasingly tilting her head, Rogue's eyes made contact with Remy's and her emeralds flashed seductively.
As she disappeared Remy bit his lip and shook his head, mouthing the word "phwoar." 'Now dat is un HELL o' a fille!'
Living Room"Who?"
"Lebeau."
"The long-love Lebeau?"
"The asshole Lebeau…ahn anyway, ah didn' know ya felt that way 'bout him."
"You know what I mean."
"No ah don'."
Turning from her book to Rogue, Lorna shook her head, mouthing the word 'denial,' once she had turned back to the pages.
Pietro's room, five minutes later"So much fo' grounded, eh?"
Smirking, the boy faced Remy whilst chucking him a WKD from his mini-fridge – the one Pietro swore to his parents contained bottled water from when he was doing work and couldn't be bothered to walk downstairs. "Ya know Raven," he popped his bottle open before Pietro made to throw Remy the opener, until he realised the Cajun had one of his own on his key ring on his jeans. "She can't say no to a friend."
Laughing at this, Remy nodded appreciatively, "you have it easy huh?"
"Have you met my dad?"
"Non…et dis Cajun hope he never does!" Nodding in respect, the Cajun in question smiled politely, "at least not by de rumours Remy hears."
"True…" Pietro laughed before his expression turned curiously serious. "How come you never talk about your dad?"
"Don' feel like it," and that was the end of that topic; Remy's frown signalled it, not to mention the way he turned away from his mate to face out of the window. "So do y' ever call y' mere…well, mere?"
"No. And I don't call her mum either," the boys both laughed at that and Pietro took a swig from his bottle, "why?" At Remy's reasoning of the fact Lexa did that too to 'Mrs Monroe', Pietro's mind went distant and he took another swig with a thoughtful frown. "True…"
"Talking o' dat fille, what's goin' on der den? Remy saw dat look."
"What look?"
"Dat dreamy un."
"What, like the one you have on when you look at Rogue?" It was a statement and so Remy only replied with a swig of his own WKD, shaking his head amusedly although Pietro knew he meant yes. But the platinum haired boy only grimaced at the mention of his adopted-sister's sexy ass and hips replying, with a disgusted expression, "you know, for some reason I never look at that area of her."
"Y' should, y' know."
"What is this? Incest-fest!"
"De fille has a great derrière."
"You'd know."
Leaning back, Remy smirked at the thought of Rogue's 'derrière' earlier, "oui. Remy sho' (sure) would." He simply laughed when Pietro replied unenthusiastically, although the Cajun wasn't really listening, all he heard was a sarcastic 'oh great.' "So…anyways mon ami, what 'bout dis fille o' y's?" And when talk turned to Crystal, Remy stopped it with a gesture of his hand and a shake of his head, brushing back his hair as it fell into his dark chocolate eyes. "Wrong fille, Pietro. Remy meant Lexa."
"Lexa?"
"Non. Laura? O' Course Lexa."
"Laura's one of Lexa's middle names, you know. As well as Yuriko…"
"Y'd know."
Reminded of the last time Pietro heard that phrase (apart from when he used it himself), the boy raised his eyebrows – recollecting what had happened afterwards with Lexa's not-so-fake comment. And so Remy continued when he got no response. "So what's de girlfriend's middle nom, huh?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Y' be de un going out wid de fille."
"That doesn't mean I'd know."
"But y' knew Lexa's."
Outside Pietro's roomNosily pressing her ear against Pietro's door, Lorna frowned at this comment and nodded in agreement looking at Wanda with raised eyebrows for her view but the girl was too busy frowning in thought about something.
"Did you just hear what he said?"
"Huh?" in reply when Lorna repeated herself in a whispered hush, Wanda just frowned, "what?"
"Shh!" And then Lorna repeated herself again only to be replied with a 'no.' So with a shake of her head Lorna pressed her ear against Pietro's door again, whilst whispering to Wanda, "thinking about John?"
"Yeh. Oh wait…no! I meant no!"
Suddenly the two boys in Pietro's room silenced and Lorna's eyes widened at this. She just had time to pull Wanda into the scarlet-clad Goth's room and out of sight before Pietro's door shot open. "That was quick…" Wanda nodded in agreement and then went off into thought again. Sighing was all Lorna could think of to do before she spoke to herself, "I hate denial."
VvVvVvV
Betsy's and Lorna's shared room; 6:20pm
"Hello?" after curiously eyeing up the number on the screen of her phone, Betsy frowned. She was always suspicious now; somehow her number had got out to the preps and she was receiving calls left and right, mocking her British accent.
"Well, hello-o."
Growling to herself as a – slightly recognisable – voice broke through in an exaggerated, fake British accent, Betsy gazed at her phone and hung up.
Two minutes later"Hello?"
It was a different number…but it was the same voice that replied, although this time it was imitating a female and was twice as recognisable. "Why hello-o, Miss Bra-addock." The posh accent of the voice actually got Betsy to laugh and it was then that she recognised the voice.
"John…?"
"Shit…" and he hung up.
Two minutes laterThe phone was ringing. It was a third different number and Betsy eyed it before picking up, "look John. This is pissing me off now so just quit it: it's not funny anymore. Everyone keeps doing it and I-"
"I'd love to know what you think Betsy, but really, I think you should shut up and let me speak."
It was a different voice…it was…"Warren?"
"And you called me John?"
"I'm sorry; he was pranking me," smiling apologetically into the phone, Betsy then frowned to herself and mentally said duh, 'he can't see you Betsy, luv.' "Sorry about that luv…I've been receiving lots of pranks recently; from your gang too."
"Well this isn't a prank."
"Oh, na. Really?" sarcastically, Betsy frowned.
"Really."
"REA-"
"Really, Betsy." Warren sounded humorous and Betsy couldn't help but smile, although her real smile broke out at her 'friend's' next comment. "I was wondering what you were doing in half an hour?" Forget friends…the two had become closer, and Warren was just about to show how close when Betsy asked him why he wanted to know after saying she was free for the rest of the evening. "Wanna go to the cinema?"
"…"
"Just you and me?"
"…"
"On a date…?"
Biting her lip in excitement to prevent a squeal from breaking out, Betsy nodded and then shook her head realising again Warren couldn't see her by the way he was repeating her name, "yes…yes…yes." He still hadn't heard her. "Yes!" Warren was deaf to her repetition. "WARREN! I SAID YES! I'LL GO ON A DATE WITH YOU!"
Lorna, Rogue and Wanda all burst into the room, much to Betsy's surprise (not) and stared at her wide-eyed as the girl hung up the phone, Betsy's face cracking with her excited smile as she beamed at her eavesdroppers.
VvVvVvV
Maximoff House, Front Lawn; 9:10pmRogue lay on her back in the middle of the grass patch on her front lawn, staring up at the dark, night sky. Comfortably positioned, Rogue's arms were crossed behind her head and one leg was lying down on the grass in a straight line, whilst the bottom half of the other was stuck out at an angle.
Fanning around her head, Rogue's hair was splayed out decoratively, the white and auburn intermingling in a blend of colours. But as the Goth sighed, she moved her arms to push her hair from under her head, fanning it even more, before Rogue crossed her arms grumpily in front of her chest. "Boys suck."
"Mmm…" replying to her adopted-half-sister's comment, Lorna twirled a buttercup in her hand, lying beside Rogue on her front. Lorna's arms stretched out in front of herself, and her hair framed her face to the Goth's chin, seeming as it was almost bedtime and she had combed it down.
Both of Lorna's legs were down on the grass but the lower halves stuck up in the air, swaying back and forth. The Goth took her head off of the grass and propped it on a hand, propping her arm up on her elbow as she sighed, twirling the buttercup in the other hand again.
Getting fed up with the conversation already – as she was prone to do, spending so much time with Wanda and John – Rogue changed it when she turned to face her half-step-sister. "Do ya lahke butter?"
"Hmm?"
"Butter?" 'Conversationalist huh?' "Do ya lahke butter?" Smiling happily at the simplicity of the girls' night, Rogue sat up and took the buttercup from her 'sister' and stuck it under the girl's chin, waited and then proclaimed her judgement. "Na, ya don't."
"I do actually. That theory doesn't work," Picking another buttercup, Lorna gazed affectionately at it, explaining when Rogue watched her expectantly, "when you hold a buttercup under someone's chin and its sunny, the sun reflects off of the buttercup onto the chin, casting a yellow glow."
"Uh huh."
Able to tell that Rogue was lost, Lorna shook her head but continued anyway; trying to make it as short as possible "when there's no light, well…you don't get a reflection so no yellow glow." (A/N. I think that's the theory…I'm quite sure it is, at least it's mine) Lorna turned to Rogue. "Get it?"
"Ya huh…" confusedly, Rogue nodded to herself as she took in what Lorna had said and then lay back down, fanning her hair out again before starting another conversation. "Betsy getting back soon?"
"I think so. She should have been back earlier: I wouldn't have even thought she'd go on a date with him…I thought she hated Ken."
"Na, it was a mutual love-hate relationship form the start and they've only known each other for about…four days?" Shaking her head, Rogue started again when Lorna corrected the girl and replaced her last words with, "about six days." This time, when receiving no objection, Rogue smirked proudly at her answer and then turned to Lorna; "don't ya think?"
"I hate love…"
Smirking, Rogue turned back to the stars and admired Lorna's comment as she admired the picturesque view. 'What a way ta end a conversation…ah woulda been proud of that…'
"Sweet Dreams are made of these…who wouldn't mind to disagree?"
"Ah lahke that song."
"I'm singing the Marylin Manson one."
Glancing at her cousin, exasperatedly, Rogue sighed, "ah was talking about tha Marylin Manson one."
"Oh…I like the guitar riff at the start." Lorna raised her eyebrows and turned to Rogue as the Goth simply mumbled a 'ya' thoughtfully, and then Lorna turned back to the stars. Maybe Piotr was sitting there…in his bedroom; just staring at the stars.
Was he thinking about her?
That look he gave her yesterday in Homeroom – it was like he was gazing into her soul. So enraptured by Piotr's gaze, Lorna felt as though her soul had been set on fire. The Goth then turned back to her adopted-half-cousin and frowned.
Was she thinking about Remy? The chemistry between the two…they just had this spark – you could hardly miss it, and Lorna certainly hadn't. Although…the girl hadn't ever even witnessed such a look before, and Lorna knew a lot about love. Sitting and thinking always helped her notice things that others never even took the time to consider: the secretive smirks; nicknames, which were more than harmless insults; the curious glances; obvious gazes.
Lorna sighed, turning back to the midnight sky and she puffed her cheeks before releasing the air in another big sigh. "Lexa's hair is the colour of the sky…" there was no reason behind the remark; Lorna only said it to herself. But much to Lorna's surprise, Rogue sat up, propping herself on her elbows as she stared up.
"Ya…yahre rahght…blahmey, ah nevah noticed that ahn ah've known her fohr longah. Since we were kids actuallah."
"Really?" Imitating Rogue's position, Lorna stared up at the sky with her sister and smiled – she already knew they knew each other from a while back, but this was an opportunity to get the Goth talking for once.
Turning to Lorna, Rogue realised the girl wasn't going to look back so she looked at the sky again before giving an answer. "Ya. Ah guess ah nevah noticed cuz ah've nevah looked at tha sky lahke this. Ah used to do it." Rogue paused and let out a sigh. "Lexa ahn meh…we used ta come out here every evening; her dad lived ovah there when we were li'l (little)."
"Cool." Following Rogue's finger when the girl pointed – Lorna eyed a house that she remembered Lexa mentioning. Watching as a woman walked out of the door, both girls soon decided to turn back to the sky.
"But 'bout ten years ago…he moved. It was when Lex ahn meh were seven…ahn at that tahme, saying 'good-bah' was something tha gal always had a bad tahme with. Picking fahghts was her personal favourite…ah guess Lex found it easiah ta stay mad at someone, then ta have ta leave." Frowning, as she recollected a memory, Rogue paused and Lorna let her for a while before facing her to encourage Rogue to speak. She saw tears forming in the emerald eyes. But Rogue ignored them. "So we were sat out here lahke we usually were; just chatting…ahn then we couldn't think of anything to say, so there was just this big awkward silence ya know?"
"Yeh…"
"It was tha day befohr she moved so ah knew she was upset."
Biting her lip, Lorna decided to get the ball rolling, "what did she do?"
"Well…ah just mentioned one li'l thing, ah think ah asked her 'bout tha neighbourhood ahn if she knew any people in it or if she'd made any friends…she just blew up." Gesturing with her hands at this, Rogue decided it would be better to sit up to tell the story, so she did, staring up at the sky in anger.
"Ah swear, one minute she was silent as ah was talking, ahn then tha next she was all 'oh! So what ahre ya gonna do? Come visit meh in ma new neighbourhood? Cuz ah bet ya won't, y'all just fohrget 'bout meh! Y'all always do!'" As a star twinkled brightly, it received a glare form Rogue until she turned to Lorna. But her expression softened suddenly, as if in hurt. "We've nevah talked properly again. She started ta hang out with those preps, ya know, she'd just arrived ahn these gals just came over to welcome her, ahn Logan made Lex invite them in. Ah guess mainly cuz Jean was with them ahn Logan's obsessed with Ororo; Jean's mom."
"Nice tactic; win the kid over?"
Rogue laughed and then continued, "ah can bet Lexa was appalled, but she let them in ahn stuff. Tha onlah reason ah know all of this is cuz ah phoned Lexa ta ask how she was coping. So, just like old tahmes she started to whisper down tha phone all about the 'intrusion.'"
Pausing, Rogue laughed to herself and Lorna let out a chuckle, "I can imagine."
"Ya…it was funnah. But ah decahded ta be tha friend ah'd always been so ah offered that ah could come ovah ahn show them who's boss ahn she just…ah dunno." Dramatically, Rogue faced the grass, allowing her hair to cover her face.
"Ah guess she was still upset and so she just relied with, 'ah don't need yahre help anymore Rogue Ah can cope fahne without ya: y'all don' need meh anymore so ah need y'all eithah."
The Goth let out a sigh, "she was just trahing ta reassure herself – comfort herself – ta make it all easiah. Ah suppose tha otha gals overheard so they went all sympathetic ahn she took it," a scowl graced her face, but Rogue continued. "She took it all in ahn tha next day at school…she was a different person: she ignored meh ahn Wanda completely ahn started hanging around with them all tha tahme. We trahd ta go ahn see her but she just…wouldn't listen."
Just sitting there as Rogue stayed hidden beneath her curtain of hair, Lorna staring at he girl for a while before staring at the stars, as Rogue simply remembered it all; her pain showing in her hidden eyes.
VvV Flashback VvV
Rogue and Wanda stood outside the door and glanced at each other as no one answered… "Ya think they heard?"
"Bet she saw us through the window and took off."
"Aw Wanda, give tha gal a break: she was upset."
"She doesn't have to go and act like that to us. And stop with the grown-up act; Christ you can be hurt; we're only seven. And anyway, I can see the hurt in your eyes…"
They just stood in silence after that and waited, but after a while with still no response Rogue pushed the doorbell viciously and placed her hands on her sides; watching it. Unknown to both young girls, a window was opened upstairs. Voices were heard, causing both girls to realise they were being watched, but neither looked up.
It was their trait. And it was Lexa's too. But she'd changed.
VvV End of Flashback VvV
"Slowly…eventually tha door opened ahn there they all were. Shame cast ovah her face ahn ah'm not surprahsed whah. Lexa looked so disgusted with herself: make-up smeared all ovah tha girl – seven years old! Slutty clothes were clinging here and there ahn she looked awful."
Trying to lighten the scene, Lorna laughed and put in the fact Lexa always did look awful nowadays, but as Rogue peeked up at the girl emotionlessly through her hair, Lorna shut up.
"Logan went ta invite us in…he'd always lahked meh ahn Wanda: obviouslah bah his expression he'd rathah of preferred us ta those lot. But she just said 'they're about ta go.' It was onlah cuz Crystal told her ta make us leave cuz we were 'ruining tha fun.'" Frowning, Rogue stood up and made to go inside, but she let Lorna into one last bit of information before she left. "Logan didn't lahke that ahn told her not ta be so stupid…but Wanda just gave in, told him we were goin' ahn turned away. But ah couldn't leave…so ah stood there until she closed tha door in ma face. Oh sure, Lexa said sorrah ahn all, but ah nevah forgave her. She onlah said it when no one else could hear her. Ah guess it hurts ta much."
"I'm sorry for you."
But Lorna's comment only received a defeated shrug and Rogue slowly disappeared into the house, leaving Lorna to think this all over; staring at the sky with a frown.
End of ChapterSO NOW YOU KNOW! HAHA! What a bitch eh? And Crystal stuck up for Lexa, so why does she hate her? We'll see soon enough. I hope you liked this chapter! ROMY and XIETRO AND MAJOR ANLOCKE: A DATE! WOW! ALREADY? Goth/Prep clash…things shall start! FIVE REVIEWS OR NO UPDATE! .x.Thriller.x.