* ~ *
The alarm clock woke Rogue with a start. The caterwauling of
some rock star was cut short when her fist met the snooze button. The
Southerner beat the clock into a silent oblivion before rolling over and
burying her face in a pillow. "Ten more minutes," she mumbled.
"Come on, Rogue, get up!" Kitty sang rather
cheerfully for a Monday morning. Then again, the pony-tail loving brunette was
always cheerful.
"Go away," she moaned in reply.
Kitty wasn't about to give up. She tore off Rogue's blankets
with a smile. "I won't let you, like, sleep in again. Gambit might be at
school today, you know. You don't want to, like, look like Medusa in front of
him, do you?"
Rogue forced herself up, but tried to remain cool and composed.
She refused to let her roommate know how much she really did care for Remy.
"Ah see don't see y'r point. Ten minutes won't hurt."
"Oh please, I've lived with you for, like, more than a
year. Ten minutes would totally turn into ten hours! I know sleeping habits too
well. Besides, you only have, like, forty-five minutes to get ready
anyway."
She panicked. "No way forty-five minutes is enough f'r me
t' get ready. Ah mean, ah need a shower an it takes me forevah t' put on all
mah make-up, an..."
"Then hurry it up girl!" Kitty said with a giggle.
Rogue nodded, practically sprinting through the hallway. There
was quite a line to the bathroom, but most of the new recruits moved out of the
way upon her arrival. Only Berzerker was foolish enough to remain in his spot
by the bathroom door. He had saw her rushing down the stairs, yet he stood in
place.
"Move! Ah need t' use th' bathroom." she snapped at
Ray. She folded her arms across her chest to add effect.
"Well, so do I, sister," he replied with a raised
eyebrow and challenging eyes. "But there's a line and I was here
first."
She dangled a bare hand to his bare face. "Oh
really?" she inquired. Her emerald eyes simply narrowed into slits. Ray
and all the others knew that look all too well. It was the look that clearly
read: "You'll let me get my way or I'll flat line you in seconds."
She gave the boy a disturbing smile, which just added to the dangerous
expression etched on her fair features. "We'll just see about that,
sugah."
He gulped, backing away. "Uh, uh, well- um... be my guest.
You know, ladies first. Gotta be a gentleman, right?"
Rogue's unnatural smile grew. "Why, how considerate of
you. Remind me not to hate you for at least ten minutes."
"She's really not a morning person, is she?" Amara
whispered to Rahne, who only shook her head meekly.
Pale fists pounded on the wooden door. "Whoevah's in here,
ya got ten seconds t' get out b'fore ah bust in!"
"Take a chill pill, Rogue," Bobby said. "I have
to take a shower to make myself look even more hot than I usually am. Wait, is
that impossible?"
She smirked. "Yeah, y'r made o' ice, Bobby," she
snapped sarcastically. "Now let me in. No amount o' water, soap, hair gel,
or cologne is gonna make ya decent. Y'r wastin' time."
"Patience is a virtue," came his reply.
Rogue growled in anger and frustration. She thought of just
kicking the door down until Kitty walked by. She smiled and grabbed Kitty's
wrist. "Sorry, Pryde. Desperate times call f'r desperate measures."
The girl didn't even get to respond before she collapsed on the
floor. "Yet another one ah owe ya," the goth said with the best
apologetic face she could muster.
"Okay, Drake," Rogue said, turning to the door.
"Ah warned ya. Ah'm comin' in."
"How are you gonna do that, Roguey?" he asked smugly.
"The door's kinda locked."
Losing her patience, she phased right through the wooden door.
There was a crash, a scream, and a half-iced boy who came bounding through the
bathroom door, shrieking bloody murder. The students in the line all laughed at
Iceman as he raced down the hall and into his room. Amara and Jubilee even gave
the class clown a few cat calls to add to his mortification.
After turning the lock on the door, Rogue sighed in content as
she stripped down and climbed into the shower that Bobby had left running in
his race out of the room. A sigh escaped from her lips and the warm water
danced across her skin. Finally some peace an quiet in this hell hole.
*BAMF*
"Zorry, but I forgot my toothbrush!"
Guess ah spoke too soon, Rogue thought.
"NIGHTCRAWLER!" she bellowed with a mix of anger and surprise.
"How many times do we have t' tell ya t' knock b'fore ya 'port?!"
"Vell, ze average person needs to have somefink repeat
five times before zey memorize it. Kitty must have told me about a zillion
times..."
Rogue growled. "Well... Knock b'fore ya 'port, knock
b'fore ya 'port, knock b'fore ya 'port!" she exclaimed.
"However, ze average mutant probably needs tvice ze
repetition!"
"Or th' average idiot..." she muttered.
"Vhat vas zat you said, Schwester <sister>?"
"Get the hell outta th' bathroom is what ah said!"
she snapped, throwing a bar of soap from behind the curtain.
*BAMF*
The fuzzy elf teleported before the soap could reach him.
Instead, Rogue heard a crash as it collided with the various bottles of hair
products sitting on the bathroom sink.
"Why can't ah evah get t' take a shower in some damn
peace?" she mumbled to herself. "If everythin' keeps up like this
ah'll never get t' school..."
* ~ *
"So what new with you an' that sheila, Rogue?" Pyro
inquired as he, Colossus, and Gambit sat picking at their mystery meat in the
school cafteteria.
"Haven't seen her all day t'day," he replied with a
worried glance. "Remy knows she got lunch dis period, but she seems t' be
avoidin' me. Saw her in th' hall, but she high-tailed it outta dere."
"Smart girl," Piotr muttered.
"Ah, ya wound me, Tin Man," Remy said. "But 'm
sure Roguey, she got some explanation foh her behavior. Mebbe she went home
sick or somet'in'."
"Or somethin'," John said with a laugh. "Don't
know what the bloody hell she sees in ya, mate. But I definitely see what ya
see in her. That sheila got some mad curves. Wish I could get my hands on
her..."
"But you can't," Piotr retorted before Gambit could
fit in a word, flipping a page of the novel he was reading. "Because
you're already set on setting your hands on that bony, fire-work starting
Asian."
"At least I don't like that Valley Girl!" he shot
back.
"Garcons <boys>, calm down. Jus' cause mon fille is
better den yohs ain't give you any right t' fight wit eachother. We won' do
Maggie no good when we all dechire aux brins <ripped to shreds>, will
we?"
"Don't big note yourself," the orange-haired Aussie
snorted. "Like to rip that idiot apart, though. Always treatin' us like
we're a bunch anklebiters <kids>. Or worse, his bloody personal
slaves!"
"Like t' hear you say dat t' his face," Remy
challenged.
The boy shrank back instinctively. "Do I look like I wanna
come a gutzer <get hurt>?"
"If you keep talking like that, you will," Piotr
muttered under his breath.
"What'd you say, Petey?" John inquired while
examining his fries. "Hey, what do they put in these things anyway? They
look bloody plastic."
The Russian ignored the boy and continued what he did best,
which was staying silent and out of the conversation. Colossus was obviously
not a very social person, and wished Pyro would just shut up already.
John discarded the fries and focused his attention on something
more interesting. "Hey, mate, ain't that her over there sittin'
alone?" he asked Remy.
Gambit's eyes roamed over the crowd to see the back of Rogue's
head. She was reading a book as usual. Probably something by Anne Rice.
"Oui, dat would be her. Wonder why she's been avoidin' me."
"Well, aren't ya gonna talk to her, mate?"
He nodded and rose from his chair, excusing himself. The Cajun
then sauntered over to Rogue, tapping her on her clothed shoulder.
"Chere?"
Rogue almost jumped five feet in the air. Her book
automatically shut, and the mutant lost the page she was reading.
"Don'tcha have enough decency t' at least give me fair warnin' before ya
go an scare th' shit outta me?"
Remy shrugged. "Gambit a t'ief. He got it in his instinct
t' be sneaky." The cover of Rogue's novel caught his attention and he
picked it up. "Cerulean Sins, eh? Sounds a bit racy..."
She hated herself for blushing in front of him as she quickly
snatched the paperback from his hands. "What ah read is really none o' ya
business, Swamp Rat."
" 'Suppose dat's meant t' be an insult, non? Guess it
might hurt if it wasn't comin' from a Mississippi River Rat," he teased.
"Is that an insult, Cajun?" she snapped, but couldn't
fight the smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "O' course it's not
like ah care. Remember th' last time ya pissed me off?"
"You kissed me!" he exclaimed, clutching his chest
in mock pain. "It was horrible, chere! Please... do it again."
She giggled and rolled her eyes at the same time as a few
people turned to stare at the couple in the lunch room. "Y'r embarrassin'
me. Sit down. Now."
"Very commandin', beb," he replied as he took a seat.
He winked. "Remy likes a fille in charge, dough."
"What are ya doin' over here anyway?"
Remy studied her pretty face more closely. There was something
different about her that day. Mebbe she really is ill, he thought. Her normally
deathly pale face as glowing healthily. Her usually dark violet lips were now a
natural, sensuous pink, and her emerald eyes were sparkling more clearly
without the constant competition for attention with her dark purple eyeshadow.
Did she do somet'in' different wit her make-up t' day? Then it hit him. She's
not wearin' any make-up at all.
"Chere, you feeling sick?" he asked gravely.
Instinctively, the goth felt her forehead. It was cool.
"What are ya talkin' about?"
"You didn't wear any face paint today."
She narrowed her eyes. "Is there a problem with that? Ah
didn't have time t' put it on this mornin'. Ya don't have t' act like it was a
fuckin' crime!"
He grinned, reaching out to brush a stray hair from her eyes.
"Did I ever tell ya how mignon <cute> ya look when ya mad? 'Sides,
ya look too pretty t' be coverin' yo' self up wit dat crap."
"Ya never give up, do ya?" she asked in half
annoyance. "Why are you even here?"
"Ain't it obvious?" Remy inquired with a hurt
expression. "Gambit jus' want t' have yoh company."
When she didn't reply, he continued. "Which reminds me,
Remy would like yo' company on Valentine's day. Dat is o' course, if ya don'
already have a date."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you know me, Rem. Ah'm so
irresistible."
"Well I coulda told ya dat, chere."
Rogue focused on the cover illustration of her book, avoiding
eye contact with him. "Ah guess. But we bettah be doin' somethin'
good."
"Harsh, chere, real harsh. But trust me, it'll be de best
Valentine's day yet."
She smiled wryly. "If you say so..."
The lunch bell rang, and students groaned as they gathered up
their things to return to class. Remy turned to Rogue and smiled. "Carry
yo' books, chere?"
She sighed. "Remy, really... that's so stupid an ol'
fashioned an-"
He already had them in his arms. "You get t' pick de place
dis time," he informed her.
Rogue followed Gambit as he walked her to her French class.
"Ah'm sure whatevah you pick will be fine. Besides, ah want ya t' surprise
me."
"Well den you gonna have de biggest surprise in yo'
life," he said. Remy turned and grinned at her. "Cause Remy- he de
best."
"So cocky..." she mused. "What am ah gonna do
with ya, Cajun?"
"Remy got a list at home," he replied with a wink.
"But I left it my other pants."
Rogue groaned. "That has t' be the worst line ah've heard
in mah life!"
"What do ya want
fo' a gift?" he asked. "You don' look like a rose type of
fille."
"Not really," she replied. Rogue glared when Gambit
began to grin like a fool. "Ya bettah not give me lingerie!"
"Wouldn't dream o' it, p'tite..." he answered with a
mock-innocent face. "But since you gave me de idea..."
"Don'tcha dare!" she fumed. "It bettah be
appropriate!"
He chuckled. "You'll jus' have t' wait an' see, chere.
It's a surprise, after all."
"You-!" she exclaimed. Rogue yanked her books from
his arms and stomped down the hallway. Remy leaned by a locker and laughed.
"Dat fille sure full o' spirit," he murmured to himself.
A locker beside him slammed. "And you have a lot of
guts," a voice snapped.
Gambit turned to face an extremely pissed Cyclops. "Uh-
thanks?"
"No, thank you," he snarled sarcastically.
"Thanks to you, my car has to go through its third major repair."
"I'm guessin' sorry ain't gonna help de situation, is
it?" Remy retorted.
"Not really," he said. "I'll send you the
bill."
Scott walked away, and Gambit considered blowing up his locker
too. Don' t'ink Rogue would be too happy 'bout dat, dough. An my objective is
t' get on her good side.
As if on cue, Cyclops turned. "Oh, and stay away from
Rogue- if you know what's good for you."
* ~ *
Dinner that night at the institute was uneventful. The
students, of course, had been talking non-stop about Valentine's day and their
dates. When Jean and Scott weren't making goo-goo eyes at eachother, Kurt was
asking Roberto for gift ideas. He wanted the best present for his girlfriend,
Amanda.
Kitty was unusually silent through the whole conversation, and
only Rogue really knew why. She was upset about not having a date ever since
she and Lance split. Rogue had to give the girl props, though, she was doing a
pretty good job at hiding her feelings.
"I hope I get a Valentine from somebody," Boom Boom
whined. "I mean, come on, guys, who wouldn't want to be my valentine?"
"Anybody sane..." Bobby mummbled.
"I heard that!"
*POP*
Bobby's mashed potatoes exploded right in his face.
"Hey!"
Tabitha picked up her milk with a smirk. She tipped it, but
nothing would come out. "You froze my milk, you little creep!"
Of course, a major food fight ensued between Tabby and Bobby.
Eventually, all the new mutants joined in until Logan, Hank, and Storm broke
them apart and sentenced them to a week of dishes.
Rogue smiled to herself, and turned to comment to Kitty about
the whole fiasco, but the girl had quietly slipped out of the dining room.
The Southerner stood up and excused herself, walking to her
room. Upon opening the door, she heard soft sobs muffled by a pillow. Kitty lay
on the bed, crying.
She sat on the edge of the bed by her roommate and sighed.
"Kitty, what's wrong? Is this about Lance?"
The brunette looked up with tear-soaked eyes. "No! It's
just that- well, I don't have a valentine," she sobbed.
"Do you realize how silly y'r soundin' right now,
sugah?"
Kitty wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "It
may sound, like, stupid, but you wouldn't understand. I mean, you have
Gambit."
Rogue nodded. "Yeah ah do have Gambit, but we both know it
won't ever be as normal as what you could have. Ah would be sympathizin' with
ya, but just because no one's asked ya yet don't mean they're not gonna ask.
Maybe they're just shy."
"Or maybe they don't like me," she retorted with a
sniff.
"Okay, how about this: if nobody gives you a valentine on
Friday, ya can dress me up all funny an ah'll wear the get-up all day."
"Anything?" Kitty asked, a trace of a smile forming
on her face.
"Anythin'."
She giggled. "Even, like, Jean's cheerleading
uniform?"
Rogue stiffened. "Okay, now that's just too far!"
Kitty grinned. "You promised!"
"Ah did, didn't ah?" she said with a smile.
"Thanks, Rogue," Kitty said softly.
Rogue reached for a box of tissues on her nightstand. She
offered it to the girl. "No problem. That's what friends are for."
Shadowcat blew her nose loudly. "Okay, like, then I get to
do something nice for you."
"Like what?" she asked warily.
"I get you dress you up for your date on Friday."
She frowned. "An how is that nice, Kitty?"
She giggled. "Oh, don't be such a spoilsport. I already
have a few ideas. How about, like, a pink minidress? You'd look totally
adorable!"
Rogue's eyes widened in fear. "Um, how about no?"