Chapter Three- New Changes


Rogue watched a football game silently from the stands. People were cheering the home team while they wrestled the other team in the field. Rogue looked bored, her face wore an annoyed look. She had had this dream before. It was Cody’’s, the first boy who she had touched when her powers manifested. The other team’’s quarterback backed up a few steps and threw the football into the air. Rogue watched the football’’s perfect spiral movement in the air when suddenly, it began to fade. The people, the players, the field, the sky……they were all fading away. Rogue’’s eyes widened. The whole image, the whole memory……it was being replaced by darkness. Rogue stood up. She was now alone in the dark. Rogue started to feel afraid, and started to panic. What’’s happening?? Let me out of here! I want to wake up! Kitty? Kitty, can you hear me?? Wake me up! Please, Kitty, wake me up now!!

A light appeared behind her. She spun around. There was a boy, a very young and timid boy, probably seven or eight years old. He looked afraid, and lost. Rogue looked closer…….he looked strangely familiar. Rogue took a step forward, towards him, but the boy was disappearing. The surroundings was changing, too. It was still dark, but she could see…… She was inside a room. Moonlight came in though the balcony doors. There were two beds, a dresser, a wooden chair, and.. and……this was their room! Rogue could see Kitty and herself sleeping. ..But how?, Rogue wondered. Okay, now this is really starting to get weird……I feel like a ghost!

All of a sudden, a strange dark silhouette appeared from the doorway. It was shaped like……a boy? No, more like a man……It walked slowly to Kitty’’s side, and seemed to be looking at her. Rogue followed the it. She looked at it. Who is this guy? What’’s he doing here? And why can’’t I see his face??

The silhouette then walked over to the sleeping Rogue’’s side. It stood over her, and though the real Rogue could not see its face, she somehow knew that it was staring at the other her.. But why?

A few moments later, it leaned towards her face……Rogue could not see very well, but as she started to walk towards them, it stood up again and just stood there in the middle of the room. After a while, it walked out the door and was gone, leaving the ghost Rogue behind, her mind overflowing with countless questions.

==

Jean stared at Scott. He was still sleeping. Jean was lying beside him on her bed. She glanced at the door, and saw that it was slightly open. She pushed it with a little telekinetic force, being cautious to not wake up Scott. If someone happened to pass by and took a look inside, boy, that person might get some very……..perverted ideas, Jean thought. The truth was, nothing had happened. At least, nothing sexually physical. The two teenagers just talked and talked. They confessed, opened up to each other, and one cried, while the other one comforted the other……Nothing serious happened. And when Scott was about to leave, Jean asked him to stay. He did.

The door closed with a soft thump. She quickly looked at Scott. He moaned a little, but he was still asleep. She sighed in relief. His face was relaxed and calm, compared to when he was awake. She raised her hand absently, and touched his face, tracing the outline of his lips, caressing his cheek. Then she turned her attention to his ruby quartz glasses. She could see her reflection, but that wasn’’t what she wanted to see. She wanted to his eyes -even if they were closed. Carefully, with both hands she started to take off his shades. Without a warning, Scott’’s hand gently grabbed her wrist.

““I don’’t think that’’s a very good idea,”” Scott whispered.

““You’’re awake.””

““Mm-hmm..”” Scott replied, still not letting go of her wrist.

““How long?”” Jean asked him. Scott smiled. ““Just now.”” Then he turned to look at the alarm clock. It was still early, but late enough to be late for school.

““Please tell me it’’s Saturday,”” Scott murmured.

““It’’s Saturday,”” Jean replied, smiling. Scott turned towards her. ““You’’re not just saying that, are you?””

““No, it really is Saturday,”” Jean assured him, and without even waiting for a moment, she kissed his lips.

When she pulled away, Scott grinned. ““What was that for?”” he asked softly.

She smiled. ““Hmm……I don’’t know……for taking the first step……for being you……do you really need a reason?””

““No, of course not,”” Scott answered, shaking his head gently, staring back at her pretty face. ““Jean, you’’re welcome to kiss me anytime you want. You will never, ever hear me complain. I promise.””

==

It was lunch. Almost everybody was at the dinner table, except Remy and Logan. Scott, who sat next to the professor, stared at Jean who was eating opposite him from the table. He smiled at her. She smiled back.

*Wanna go see a movie tonight?*

*Hmm……okay. What movie did you have in mind?*

*Why don’’t you choose? Besides, I don’’t think I’’ll be paying a lot of attention to the movie anyway.*

Jean‘‘s cheeks turned almost to the color of her hair. The professor was starting to blush, too.

*Scott, Jean, would you mind continuing this conversation after lunch? I just can’’t help but……hear it.*

This time, Scott and Jean both blushed. They looked at the professor. He was smiling.

==

Kitty grinned. Although she couldn’’t hear their telepathic conversations, she knew something was up. The blushing, the smiling, and the flirting between Scott and Jean……Nothing new, but something had changed……. None of it managed to escape Kitty’’s watchful eyes.

Nor did it escape Rogue’’s.

==

Gambit sat still on the bench as a cool breeze hit his face, soothing him. He was in the garden, alone. The sun was setting. Gambit shuffled the deck of cards he held his hands. He had managed to avoid Rogue the whole day, but he knew that he’’d have to face her sooner or later……hopefully later.

““Remy?””

Gambit turned around. He saw Rogue standing just a few feet from him. He swallowed. Damn, wishes never do come true……well, almost never. ““`ello, chèère. What can Gambit do for y’’ ?”” he asked, trying his best to focus on shuffling his cards. Rogue sat beside him on the bench. She looked worried and nervous. ““Remy, Ah know what you did last night...you don’’t have to pretend.”” Gambit stopped shuffling his cards, and faced her. His face looked genuinely sorry, and somewhat……afraid?

““Remy’’s sorry, chèère,”” he said quietly. Then his tone changed surprising Rogue. ““Gambit know what he did was wrong, and dat he had no right. He’’s sorry, chèère...Just……couldn’’t sleep, and ..couldn’’t get you off ……I’’ll understand if you’’ll never forgive Gambit, but……”” Rogue shook her head. ““Ah’’m not mad, Remy, not really. It’’s just……Ah don’’t know..”” Rogue looked up at him, ““It’’s just that……Ah mean, what you did really surprised me……It was really……unexpected. Ah don’’t know if Ah’’m sorry or glad that it happened. Ever since Ah absorbed Cody’’s memories, Ah thought Ah would never be able to kiss……to touch anyone. But when you kissed me, it gave me hope, y’’know?””

She paused. ““Ah’’m just so confused and…….Ah don’’t know what Ah’’m sayin’’ ,”” Rogue finished, suddenly feeling dumb for revealing her feelings and emotions. Remy’’s arm was suddenly around her shoulders, comforting her. ““`Tis okay, Rogue,”” he said, ““Gambit understands……even if it’’s just a `lil tiny bit.”” Rogue smiled a little. ““But it doesn’’t really matter, no?,”” Remy continued, ““To Gambit, all dat matters is that y’’ forgave him. And for dat, Gambit will do anything to make it up to you.””

““Anything?””

““Anythin’’. What y’’ want Gambit to do?”” he asked her.

““Hmm……”” Rogue murmured, ““Why don’’t we just take a walk……together?””

““There’’s nothin’’ in the world dat Gambit would rather do, chèère,”” Gambit said softly, as he stood up. He took her gloved hands in his, and kissed them. ““Tonight, is goin’’ t’’ be wonderful.””