Bonding
Chapter Three: Bonding
Rogue didn’t sleep for the rest of that night, because she was too afraid to close her eyes, feeling that those images would come back into her head. At around six in the morning she left the mansion even though she had an early training session that she decided she couldn’t handle that day. Logan was going to be pissed, but she needed some time alone to think.
She walked down the long street with her bag over one shoulder and her purse with a short strap swinging in her opposite hand. She spotted the Café Kit which was a local dive made to look like an art deco place that was a throwback from the 1920s. Their food wasn’t five star, but it would be enough to hold her until lunch. She walked in with one thing on her mind, breakfast. Her stomach was grumbling, since she hadn’t eaten much the day before.
She sat at a booth in the back corner trying not to be noticed and waited for the waitress to come and take her order.
“Hi,” the girl said and Rogue looked up, recognizing her from school. It was Taryn, the girl that Scott went to the dance with last year, the same girl who dumped him after learning he was a mutant. “What can I get you?” Taryn sounded professional, but there was something in her voice that told Rogue she wasn’t happy to see her here. They had never been friends, but Taryn and her friends would always distance themselves at school from anyone who was a known mutant.
“Give me a double helping of French toast with fresh fruit and strawberry syrup, a side of hash browns, and two sunny side up eggs,” Rogue said and Taryn looked disgusted.
“Someone joining you?” Taryn asked, but Rogue just shook her head. “No, and add a tall glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee.”
“Sure thing,” Taryn said, writing down the rest of the order and walking as quickly as possible away from her.
Never had Rogue eaten so much this early in the morning. Mostly because she was usually training by this time, and she could just hear Logan now when he realized she had ditched training for the second time this week.
Some part of her didn’t care. She felt a disconnect from the rest of the team ever since the night of the concert, the night she lost control. She never wanted the rest of the team to see her like that, so vulnerable, but the way she was feeling now was more than her showing her weaknesses. In her mind it cemented how dangerous she really was.
She sat there for the longest time consumed by her own thoughts, until Taryn’s return broke her out of her trance. The girl repeated back the order, not that Rogue was paying any attention. She sat there eating her food, with every bite burying these feelings of loathing for herself. It took her a good half hour, but she finished every bite. She decided she was going to get a few muffins for the road and walked up to the counter to pay her bill.
“Can you add two chocolate chip muffins to the bill, please?” she asked.
“Of course,” the cashier said, who seemed more hospitable than her waitress. “That will be $12.42.”
“No, problem,” she said and handed the girl a three five dollar bills. “Keep the change.” Taryn would probably receive at least part of the tip, but no one would accuse her of being stingy.
The girl handed her the bag with the muffins, and she quickly walked out of the café still hearing some faint whispers from the other patrons. If she were paranoid she might have thought that they were talking about her, but she learned long ago to ignore other people.
Rogue decided she was going to hang out in the park for the rest of the morning, before going home to face Logan’s wrath. Perhaps she would tell him what was bothering her, and maybe he would take it easy on her. The problem was how could she tell him when she wasn’t for sure what it really was?
She reached into her bag and pulled out one of her books and started reading. It was the same book she was reading at school when Gambit rudely interrupted her. He had a habit of annoying her for no reason but still wondered why he would waste any time with her. Still, he was sweet to be so concerned. Maybe she was reading too much into it, but it seemed he would pop up just when she needed someone to talk to, even if she acted as if she didn’t.
She reached the end of her chapter when she heard her phone beep. Picking it up she looked to see a text come in.
Hey, chere, what are you doing?
She looked to see who the text was from. The name was just saved as G. Why had she saved it, when in the beginning she just wanted to delete it? She only used the letter G just in case anyone looked into her phone.
She put the phone down not wanting to answer him. Why was he texting her? She was about to put the phone back into her bag when the ringer went off. She looked at the ID but didn’t recognize the number.
She picked it up reluctantly. “Hello?”
“Hi, Rogue, it’s Amanda.” Rogue was surprised to get a call from her. “I thought we could hang out this afternoon.”
“Well, I guess so,” Rogue said, not realizing her voice was hesitant.
“If you don’t want to, I’ll understand,” Amanda said and sounded disappointed.
“Oh, no, it’ll be fine,” Rogue said not wanting to hurt her feelings. “I was just hanging out in the park.”
“Great, my house is just a five minute walk from there,” she said sounding excited. “I can meet you.”
“Okay,” Rogue said, even though she didn’t really want to hang out with anyone today, but she wanted to be nice to her seeing that she was Kurt’s girlfriend. Amanda sounded so excited over the phone, but Rogue couldn’t figure out why she wanted to hang out with her.
She stayed on her bench realizing she didn’t tell Amanda where to find her. It didn’t matter because a few minutes later she heard her voice from a distance calling out her name. She wondered how the girl managed to find her. As far as she knew the girl wasn’t a mutant.
“Hi, Rogue, I knew you’d be here,” Amanda said as she approached the bench that Rogue was sitting on.
“How did you know where ah was?” Rogue asked as she stood up and put her bag over her shoulder.
“You always come to this bench when you’re in the park,” Amanda said sweetly. “You know, you’re very predictable.”
“Ah’ll have to work on that,” she said as Amanda laughed. “So, where did you want to go?”
“Well, my grandmother’s birthday is next weekend and I have to pick out a present, then I thought we could see a movie. Kitty told me you like slashers.”
“Okay, that would be fine,” Rogue said and walked off out of the park.
Going to the mall wasn’t what Rogue had in mind today, so many people especially on a weekend, but at least she was mostly covered.
Hanging out with Amanda wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. In fact, the girl was rather nice, and even if she weren’t dating her brother she wouldn’t have minded being friends with her. To her friends Rogue was hard as nails but deep down she had a soft heart. It was just that she didn’t get a lot of opportunity to show it.
“I hope you don’t mind shopping, Rogue,” Amanda said and thought for a moment. “Is that your real name?”
“It’s the only name ah go by,” she said and Amanda smiled.
“Kurt said you weren’t like anyone else,” Amanda said as they entered the escalator.
“So is he,” Rogue added and Amanda gave a big smile.
“That’s why I like him so much,” Amanda said, looking around like she had lost something. “My grandmother’s favorite store is just over there.” Amanda pointed to an antique shop. Rogue had gone in there a few times but never bought anything.
Once they reached the bottom of the escalator Amanda grabbed Rogue’s gloved hand and excitedly pulled her towards the antique store. Amanda was almost as bad as Kitty when it came to shopping, but Rogue did her best to humor her.
She didn’t mind this store very much. They had some nice things that coincided with her taste. “So what do you think your grandmother would like?” Rogue asked as Amanda continued to browse through the store. “Well, she loves angels,” Amanda said as they reached an isle with some pretty mini statues.
“Look at these roses, Rogue,” Amanda said and picked up one of the glass blown red trinkets. “It’s so beautiful.” Amanda handed it to her and Rogue inspected it. It looked more like painted crystal which seemed to sparkle under the lights of the shop. She looked on the back to see the $150 price tag and immediately put it back.
“Too expensive for my taste,” she said and returned it to the glass vase it laid in. “Here’s some angel statues.”
“Wow! These are nice,” Amanda said and picked up an angel statue in a light blue garment and white and gold wings. It’s only $50. I think I’ll get this one. What do you think?”
“It kind of looks like Warren,” Rogue said without thinking.
“Who?” Amanda asked.
“Oh, just a guy ah know,” Rogue said as Amanda perked up.
“A boyfriend?” she asked, but Rogue just rolled her eyes
“Dat’s what I like to know.”
Rogue gasped hearing that familiar voice. She turned around to see the figure of a certain Cajun she knew. “What are ya doin’ here?”
“What? De mall is off limits?” he asked, and she just looked annoyed.
“No, but it ain’t nice to eavesdrop,” she said scolding him.
“I think I’ll go pay for this,” Amanda said and walked past Gambit.
Once Amanda was gone, Gambit walked up closer to Rogue. She found herself suddenly nervous, and she was afraid she would turn into a klutz around all this glass.
“So who’s dis Warren?” he asked while holding one of his cards. It was a joker card and he made a point of letting Rogue see it.
“Are you jealous or somethin’?” she asked but he didn’t say anything. “He’s just some guy ah met last year…” He was about to open his mouth to say something, but Rogue shushed him. “No, ah never went out with him. In fact, he saved my life. That’s all, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Dat’s good to know,” he said and put the card back in his pocket. “Den Gambit won’t have to go fightin’ any duels over you.”
“Ya are somethin’ else,” Rogue said and looked over at the red rose. Somehow it reminded her of him. “Ah don’t even know why I bother talkin’ to ya?”
“Gambit knows,” he said as she pushed past him trying desperately to get away from him. “Come on, Rogue, where you goin’?”
He chased after her and caught up with her right outside of the store. “What do ya want from me?”
“Just t’ask you somethin’, since you won’t answer my text,” he said and suddenly a look a guilt entered Rogue’s face. “Why are you avoidin’ me?”
“Ah’m not,” she said but even she didn’t believe that lie. “Ah mean Amanda called right when you sent it and wanting me to come and help her pick out a birthday gift for her gran.”
“Okay,” he said and gave her a smirk.
“That’s the truth,” she said and tried to walk away. Gambit grabbed her hand and gently pulled her back. “I still have somethin’ to ask you.”
“What?” she asked but part of her didn’t want to know.
“After your shoppin’, meet me in the park,” he said still holding onto her hand.
“Ah can’t, Amanda asked me to a movie an’ ah’m in for it as it is when ah get home.” He looked at her intrigued. Something told Rogue she said too much and thought she better tell him before he got anymore fantasies in his head. “Ah kinda ditched trainin’.”
Gambit’s eyes perked up and he smiled. “Knew I had me a bad girl.”
She jerked her hand back and gave him a scowl. “Ah ain’t your girl.”
“Not yet,” he said and tried to take her hand again, and she folded both hands to her chest. “Now, why did you ditch trainin’?”
“Jus’ couldn’t handle it t’day is all,” she said and smoothed back a loose hair.
“Still can’t sleep at night?” he asked and she wanted to slap him. “I can tell jus by lookin’ at you. You don’t look well, chere.” She just turned away feeling embarrassed that he knew. “Dose bad dreams will go away if you jus’ talk about it.”
“Ah can handle it, thank you very much,” she said looking back at him. She glanced over at the corner of the antique store and noticed that Amanda was almost done paying for her item.
“Obviously not, chere,” he said and touched her arm. Even though she was covered it caught her off guard. “Meet me t’night, in the park at ten.”
“Ah can’t,” she said demandingly.
“Yeah, you can,” he said giving her an intense stare. “Jus’ want to talk to you alone. I’d come by the mansion, but I don’t think I’d be very welcome, especially by Claws.”
“His name is Logan, and I have a curfew,” she said, trying to say anything to get out of this, even though part of her didn’t want to.
“I know, midnight,” he said matter-a-factly which gave Rogue a confused look on her face.
“How do ya know that?” she asked demandingly.
“Gambit got his ways,” he said and she figured with all his other skills he may have been eavesdropping on all the X-kids and may even have broken into the mansion undetected. “The way I see it, dat gives us two hours,” he said as Amanda approached them.
“So, you two make up?” Amanda asked, not knowing they were having a heated conversation.
“He was jus’ leavin’,” Rogue said, eying Gambit.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Remember 10 o’ clock, don’ show an I’ll just have to come and find you.”
Something inside her told her he would. Gambit walked off towards the restroom, while Rogue and Amanda made their way to the movie theater but Gambit reappeared at the antique shop. Before he had made his presence known he watched her as she held that painted crystal rose. He walked down the aisle where she had picked it up and brought it to the register. He could have easily lifted it, but his Rogue was too good to receive stolen goods. He put it down on the counter and pulled out some cash to pay for it. The girl at the register smiled at him while placing the trinket in a gift box. He would give it to her, someday, when the time was right.
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Rogue and Amanda walked together down to the lower levels to where the movie theater in the mall was located. “So what’s with you and that gorgeous guy?” Amanda asked.
“Who? Gambit?” Rogue asked.
“Yeah, he’s cute, and he seems to like you,” Amanda said with a dreamy look in her eye. “And the way he looks at you…”
“Ah ain’t interested in him, besides he’s full of himself,” Rogue said as they stood in line to get their tickets.
“It just seems like he’s got it bad for you,” Amanda said, but Rogue just shook her head.
“Can we just stop talkin’ ‘bout this and go see a movie?” Rogue asked not wanting to continue with this conversation.
“Okay,” Amanda said in a low voice. It seemed that she picked up on the fact that Rogue didn’t want to talk about this and dropped the subject.
They both bought their tickets and acquired some snacks before going into see their movie. A blood and guts film was just what she needed. Just as they sat down in their seats Rogue heard her phone go off. It was the ding sound that told her she had a text and assumed it was Gambit again, but when she checked the text it was one she dreaded more. It was Logan.
Stripes, where are you? was all the text said.
Rogue was feeling guilty about missing training, but not enough to leave for home at that very moment. She would deal with it later.
The time that the movie was playing went by fast, and before long it was late afternoon and she had no choice then to go home and face the music. When the lights came on in the theater, Amanda shot up from her seat.
“That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she said as she picked up her half-drunk soda container. “It was just a little more graphic than I’m used to.”
“That one wasn’t so bad,” Rogue said as they left the theater. The only real gory part was the decapitation scene. All the other kills were pretty tame.”
“That was tame?” Amanda asked a little surprised and slightly unnerved. “Well, anyway, this was fun. I hope we can do it again sometime.”
“Sure, why not?” Rogue said and genuinely meant it.
“You know, at first I only asked you for a girls’ day because of Kurt. You see, I really like him and he talks about you all the time, so I thought it was only right to get to know you. I have to say I really had fun, and I hope we can be real friends.”
“Ah think we already are,” Rogue said and took Amanda’s hand. Hers was gloved, but Amanda took it without question.
“I was meaning to ask you,” Amanda asked as they walked out of the mall. Rogue let go of her hand to check her phone again. There were no more texts, which was a relief. “Why do you wear gloves all the time,” Amanda continued. “Kurt wore them on our first date because he didn’t want me to feel his fur or his three fingers, but he didn’t know at the time but I already knew.”
“Yeah, he told me ya didn’t seem to care about him bein’ a mutant, and his teleportation thing comes in handy sometimes.”
“I know, it was exhilarating the first time he took me on one of his trips,” Amanda said with her eyes sparkling. “But what about yours?” Rogue looked surprised that she was asking. “I’m sorry, if I sound nosy, but about the gloves thing, I just guessed it was because of your mutation or something.”
“Actually, it is,” Rogue said quietly. “Ah’m kind of an energy absorber, and I wear the gloves to avoid accidents.” Amanda looked confused. Rogue wasn’t sure how she was going to take this, but since she said this much she might as well confess everything. There was a little hesitation in her voice. “Ah can’t control it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” she said in a sympathetic voice. “Doesn’t that mean you can’t touch anyone?”
“Not without hurtin’ them,” Rogue said with a sad look on her face. “Ah hate it.” Amanda seemed to have an understanding look on her face. “It gets in the way sometimes… with guys and datin’.”
“I’m sorry, Rogue,” Amanda said with a smile. “I’d still like to be your friend, even after knowing.
“Thanks, Amanda,” she said and gave her a quick hug. She was careful not to touch her skin. “Ah gotta go, so ah’ll see you later.”
“Bye,” Amanda said and walked the opposite way towards her home.