Cannot express enough how sorry I am for the length of time you had to wait for this chapter: I am ashamed of myself for my lack of trying. Forgive me!

Dedication goes to potentially the best review I have received: gambit-rogue, it made my day! Hope this chapter makes yours!

Key:

"…" Speech

'…' Thoughts

(…) Extra information

Songs are in bold

Words of other languages and whispers are in italic

If this – is put after words it means an interruption

Chapter 14

VvV What a Reputation is Worth VvV

Monday Evening, Maximoff Household, Betsy's room; 9:00pm

Lying on her stomach, Betsy Braddock propped the comic she was currently studying on her cushion – the second present from David – flipping the page over with a look that showed she was intrigued. It was an Xman comic book – that much, Pietro could decipher through the ajar door.

Only one person he knew collected comics and it was after recalling the interaction between Betsy and David that Pietro had seen earlier in the car park that made him push the door open fully. Scowling openly, Pietro nodded to the comic book when Betsy's eyes met his.

"Been to David's for tea?" And he didn't wait for a response. "Interactions like the one you and David have going will ruin Warren's reputation. Wouldn't want to do that so close to homecoming, would you now?" Disgusted was the only way to describe the look on the boy's face when his half-cousin shrugged, turning back to her comic. "You will ruin his reputation if you carry on Elizabeth," she peered up with a glare at the use of her full name, but Pietro simply smirked; "and his reputation is worth a damn lot more than your relationship."

"What a reputation is worth." Muttered the girl more to herself and, licking her finger, Betsy slid it under a page and flipped it over, replying to Pietro's earlier comments without looking at him; "our relationship is nothing more than friendly, luv. I'm simply helping him out with his own romantic pursuits. Besides, just because your reputation is on the line because you can't stay away from Lexa means you certainly can't comment on my boyfriend's reputation.

And with that comment, Betsy placed a bookmark at her page, carefully placing the comic on her bedside table, on top of the first of the series. "What did you want, anyways?"

"What?"

With a sigh, Betsy passed her interrogator and headed downstairs, being followed at a distance, "did you come all the way up to my room just to discuss David Haller-Xavier, or did you want something?"

"Where's my sister?"

"Which one?"

"Either."

Picking up her Labrador puppy to twirl it in the air, Betsy gave Pietro a superior look and led Polaris outside, "they've gone to the cinema." And she stepped into the cool night air.

Bayville cinema

At precisely that moment on the far side of town, Rogue herself stepped into the night and surveyed it with an air of belonging, Wanda and John following closely behind.

Her sharp eyes surveying the area, Rogue inhaled a deep breath of the warm air but almost choked on it when she spotted a couple heading straight in her direction.

Scott Summers and Jean Grey. On a date.

And without any consideration to the consequences of her actions (namely violence from Wanda), Rogue did a double take when John and Wanda were least expecting it and stepped inside a nearby shop. With her back to the sales people who were very obviously just closing the café, Rogue peered through the glass window and barely contained the bellow of laughter trying to escape her lips.

If anyone was approaching the cinema at that exact moment, they would see crowds of people leaving the exit, all heading for their cars. But the most noticeable people were two teenagers who stood out violently from the crowds due to their exceptional hair colour choice and clothing. To anybody heading towards them, the girl and boy looked so content chatting happily away with each other, that you could easily mistake them for a couple, going on a date to the movies.

That's exactly what the newest couple of Bayville High saw…and was exactly what their interpretation was.

Her sides aching from the laughter, Rogue deftly left the shop and watched John and Wanda heading back towards the car before glancing at the couple, who were now both watching the other 'couple's' backs, gossiping in shock as Rogue knew they would.

"Nice date Wanda?" Rogue muttered to herself, smirking maliciously whilst she headed after the pair.

VvVvVvV

Maximoff Household, Lorna's room; 10:40pm

Frowning cautiously as she peeked around her door, Lorna Dane eyed the faces of Rogue and Wanda as the two girls climbed the stairs; exhausted from the ten minutes of scolding they had both just received from their mother.

"AND ON A SCHOOL NIGHT! COMING HOME THIS LATE! IT'S OUTRAGEOUS! DON'T THINK I'LL FORGET THIS GIRLS! YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL I THINK OF YOUR PUNISHMENTS!" Finished Raven as Wanda and Rogue dragged themselves past Lorna's door, ignoring the amused expression on the half-sister's face.

"Hey Rogue," she called out before the girl managed to disappear into her room.

But the two scolded teenage girls were too busy having a heated argument they had obviously been unable to continue with Raven downstairs: "ah told ya, ah was rahght there!"

"You were not!" hissed Wanda offensively, "John and me walked back to the car, turned round and you'd gone! Where the fuck did you go!"

"Nowhere; ah just had ta put ma popcorn in tha bin, if y'all had waited maybe we wouldn't have argued!"

The two girls were oblivious to Lorna as she approached, too enraptured in keeping their argument as quiet as possible; "if you'd just said where you'd disappeared to we wouldn't have argued and would have been back before curfew!"

"Ah told ya-"

"Don't give me that shit; you left the cinema in front of John and me and then-"

"John and me this…John and me that: whah doncha just fuck him ahn get this shit ova with! Don't deny y'all ain't thought about it!" yelled Rogue, forgetting her decision of a whispered argument when Wanda stormed to her own room and slammed the door in her step-sister's face as soon as she was interrupted.

"ROGUE! YOUR LANGUAGE!" came the scream from her mother, but Rogue just muttered more foul words under her breath before turning to Lorna.

Narrowed in suspicion, Rogue looked at Lorna as though convinced the green haired girl was determined to get her in more trouble. "Yah?"

"Can you come in here a mo.?" beckoned the teen as Lorna backed into her own room, smiling when Rogue followed. "I think I've solved our issue of what to do instead of the homecoming dance: what about a party?"

"Ah'm listening…" replied Rogue as she shut Lorna's door behind herself.

VvVvVvV

Tuesday Morning, Breaktime; 10:25am

"So I discussed yesterday – hey luv," Betsy broke off mid sentence with Rogue to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek as they passed each other whilst she herself headed towards the Goth's hangout area. "Anyways, so David and me discussed yesterday what we could do instead of the Homecoming dance in Biology, and Dave came up with the great idea of you guys having your own dance!" the girl finished, exclaiming her idea so excitedly that she practically bubbled over.

Rogue backed off slightly at this slight overreaction, frowning in disappointment, "good ahdea ahn all, but firstly; y'all can't come."

Nodding in agreement, Betsy sighed – purposefully dramatising the act by gazing wistfully over at Warren, "yeh I know luv, already asked but he says we have to be there at the dance; him being one of the main players and me his date. But that doesn't matter, you guys will still have a bloody awesome time!" finished Betsy when she turned back.

"That's just the thing," Rogue continued, slightly edgy as she didn't want to spoil Betsy's fantastic mood, "we have nowhere to have this 'bloody awesome time'." The Goth imitated of her British friend, frowning when Betsy's smile never wavered.

"Yes you do, luv. I presume you know David," and Betsy moved slightly to reveal David, who waved cautiously at Rogue from where he had been hiding behind Elizabeth.

"My dad's ecstatic that I'm having a house party; he thinks it'll be a real lesson and a half in socialisation."

Elaborating due to Rogue's confused expression, Betsy giggled, "you'll be having it at the 'X-Mansion' as I've dubbed it; and it'll be fantastic!"

"Ahn yahre dad says that's cool?"

"Yup. He's going away for the entire weekend for a work conference anyway, so he thinks it'll be cool for me to have some company," finished the guy with a charmingly suave smile that showed Rogue his sincerity. Her scowl however didn't loosen and he ran a hand through his hair, "uh…well, I'll see you guys later: in tutor obviously, but me and Betsy will be making invites in social studies and handing them round during lunch."

With that little bit of enthusiasm from the guy, Rogue couldn't help but allow a small smile of gratitude at David who smiled broadly back and headed back to his own usual group of friends before he pushed his chances.

"See, all sorted luv. Aw, bollocks to this dance; I'm gonna be missing the real party…"

"Just leave early ya idiot," suggested Rogue and scowled when Betsy squealed excitedly, immediately warming to that idea. "Ah wish ah hadn' said anything…"

Geeks Area, Lunchtime

Smoothing a hand across the curve of her Mohican, Lorna took in a deep breath and gradually approached the table, at which sat the recipients of the invites she clutched in her hands. With both eyes focussed unintentionally one just one person; Lorna gulped before forcing a smile on her face. It came out more as a grimace than anything.

"Hi." Unable to raise her voice above a husky whisper, Lorna cleared her throat after several attempts to catch attention and quickly turned her eyes to everyone else on the table when Piotr himself looked directly at her. A blush crept up her pale cheeks, but the heavy makeup covered the scarlet colour and Lorna tried a smile again, "hi."

"Hey Lorna!" welcomed Amanda Sefton, glimpsing the bright invites Lorna held onto like a lifeline. "Watcha got there?"

Appearing from behind her, Jubilee came into sight, dragging her new boyfriend Ray behind her, "hiya guys. Ooh, invites! Who's having a party?" unable to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice, Jubilee looked to Lorna who frowned.

"Uh…" and Lorna shuffled the cards, glancing up only to drop a few when she caught Piotr smiling in her direction. "Aw, crap!" exclaimed the girl, pursing her lips when Jubilee giggled, joining David in picking the invitations up.

Deciding to let Lorna off, David smiled at his friends; "it's my party. You remember I told you my dad was going away for the weekend," the group nodded, "well Betsy and I had a fantastic idea for a party and he consented!" Reading the names on the invites that he held whilst the girls all squealed and the few boys shared interested looks, David began to pass them out. "Jubes, that's one for you with a plus 1 for Ray, and there's another for Rahne somewhere…"

"Here."

Lorna passed the invite to David who gave it to Jubilee, "I'm sure she'll want to invite Sam as her plus 1?"

"That's great Dave!" squealed Jubilee, comparing her invite with Kitty excitedly before looking gratefully up at the guy, "I'll let her know: Rahne will be so excited! We just went shopping the other day, didn't we Amanda? She got the cutest dress!"

"It was so adorable." Agreed Amanda, whilst Lorna approached Piotr.

"Here's yours Piotr…" nervously Lorna greeted him and shakily passed the invite on, clutching it a little too long as Piotr attempted to take it, "I designed yours myself." Smiling lightly, the shy Goth was unable to meet the guy's eyes as he thanked her before turning happily to Kitty.

Without looking up from her work, Kitty nodded when David deposited her own invite on a pile of work and only shifted it to reach a few sheets underneath. Her face was screwed up in concentration, attempting to ignore as Freddy and Todd made their invitations into paper aeroplanes and aimed for each other mouths from across the table. "I don't think that I'll be able to go. I mean, like how many people are going and stuff? Besides, Jean would totally want me to go to homecoming dance." And the entire table silenced.

Amanda and Jubilee looked up from the hairstyles that they were studying in a magazine; Kurt lowered a science fiction novel; David paused as he handed out the RSVP number. Lorna scowled when Piotr turned away form their chat to stare at his girlfriend and Todd almost choked on Freddy's aeroplane as it landed on target.

"Doncha think Piotr? Sweetie?" inquired the younger girl, still unable to look up from her work as the scribbling of her embellished ink pen broke the silence. "Piotr?" and finally Kitty looked up.

It was the expression in her face that made Piotr hesitate; her cold, uncaring gaze found his worried eyes without acknowledging it. "Vell…Tabitha; she is going to party at David's, ja?" and when David nodded enthusiastically, Piotr shrugged his shoulders, "I see not vhy you cannot party on too." Turning back to her work, Kitty pursed her lips, not bothering to look up when the big guy tried again, "you need relax time: this work gets you down, Katya. Please? Please come?" it was a last resort to his girlfriend, and Piotr sighed when the pleading led to nothing except a tear in paper when Kitty pressed down the nib too harshly.

"Oh for goodness sake!" she cried out loud before shrieking when Freddy's paper aeroplane landed in a pile of her papers. "Freddy, would you stop that! I mean, like that is totally annoying!"

Looking away from his other shocked friends, Kurt eyed up Kitty before raising both eyebrows to Amanda; "when does this inspection finish?" he whispered.

"FREDDY!" shrieked Kitty as another plane landed nearby; "QUIT IT!" She had obviously heard Kurt's comment.

But without any other word from another person around the table, Piotr stood up and caught his girlfriend's hand; "we go for valk."

"But…but I…Piotr!" and the two left the table as David sat down in the Russian guy's place.

"Uh…so everyone else is going?"

Muttered agreements came from around the table and Lorna, businesslike and a tad irritated, sorted the other invitations before heading back towards her group of friends. "Good. See you all Saturday evening then."

VvVvVvV

End of School; 3:05pm

Giggles erupted as Wanda strolled out into the parking lot and she sent glares at the group of lower year girls, who all looked away but began to laugh again as Wanda walked away. Fresh bursts of giggles broke out when John joined his best friend and he frowned slightly, nervously tussling his flame coloured hair, before stopping in his tracks.

Both Wanda and John faced off against the crowd of jocks and preps who had obviously been waiting for the two to pass their cars. It was Remy who spoke first, clasping his girlfriend round the waist as Belladonna giggled, eyeing Wanda up before turning to Taryn and sharing a knowing look.

"How was de cinema, Pyro?" and Remy raised both eyebrows, waiting for a reply whilst the gang around him catcalled and jeered. "Bon evening was it?" tested the guy when he was met with silence. Scott laughed at this and leant against his sportscar just to the left of Remy and flanked on the other side by Duncan.

The blonde snorted as John fidgeted slightly, "looks like it really was a night to remember," and the boy looked all around as his gang burst into laughter, joining Scott and several of the other guys in a rendition of the song. Sharing a superior look with Emma whilst she winked suggestively at him, obviously impressed, Duncan took advantage of his boost of ego. "Well; how was it?" and the boy eyed up Wanda's boots; covered in chains and buckles. "Looks to me like things got a bit kinky."

Howls of laughter resounded at this comment and Wanda glowered at the group, her eyes narrowing as they passed between certain members of the jocks and preps. "Jealous that some of us actually are that close to people?" She sent straight back at the guy, "cuz it looks to me like Scott and Jean are certainly closer after one day of being a couple than you and her ever were. After all, weren't you wondering who saw us coming out of the cinema when they went in?" Pausing for maximum effect as Duncan turned on Scott, Wanda let out a harsh bark of laughter, "did I mention they were on a date."

Strolling casually past the now tense group, Wanda scowled at John to get him to follow and the boy trotted after his friend, glancing back to watch as Remy held Duncan back from Scott who was being calmed down by a soothing Jean.

"Well that was fun."

"May have been Sheila," murmured John to himself, "but oy don't recall ya telling 'em that it wasn't a date…" but he didn't seem too disappointed with this and gladly slid into the passengers seat of Wanda's car.

The two drove out of the school gates, slowing to a halt when Wanda spotted Rahne and her boyfriend. Rolling down a window, much to the shy couple's surprise, Wanda leant out and nodded to the lower year girl and Sam. "You coming to the party on Saturday then? Good," she stated when Rahne nervously agreed, "see you there then."

"And don't forget the booze!" called out John with a cheerful wave as they drove away, leaving Rahne and Sam to share an excited look, both waiting as Jubilee dragged Ray over to them to say hi.

End of Chapter

Been ages I know, but it's finished now. How fab! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review: constructive criticism always welcome (as long as its encouraging too!) ta.