A Rogue's Tale

The Missing Part: Part 2

"Good afternoon, Class," Mister Patterson, the art teacher, said. He stood in front of the class wearing his usual artist's cape. He took his subject very seriously even if no one else did. "Today we are going to be continuing our nature study. You should all pick an animal and do a sketch. You have until the end of class."

Rogue took out her new sketch book that she had bought the day before, since she needed to replace her old one that she lost. She hated the fact that she lost that book, because it had most of the drawing she had done since she was a kid. She figured everything had to be retired, and fate decided that she no longer needed that book.

She hadn't used this one yet and decided that she would draw her favorite form of wildlife, the butterfly.

She seemed to be in a trance as she sketched the picture. She could see it in her mind's eye, down to the last detail. All the other students were using an art book or pictures they had brought in, but she knew this butterfly. Somehow it was a part of her.

It was near the end of class when she finished and signed her name to it. Fred turned to her after he had looked at the clock. "So how is your picture coming?"

"It's done," she said and Fred looked over at it.

"Hey, that's beautiful," he said as he admired it. "I always liked butterflies, and it's a lot better than mine."

"Let's see," she said and he passed it to her.

"It's supposed to be a bull," he said with a disappointed look on his face.

"Ah can see it, Freddie, just add the tail, and ya got it."

"Okay," he said and picked up his pencil.

He had just finished when the bell rang. Rogue tore out her masterpiece from her sketch book and handed it to Mister Patterson.

"Very good," he said and placed it on his desk. "You're one if the new students, right? Rogue...why isn't your last name on here?"

"It's just Rogue," she said and walked out of the classroom.

She had two more classes to go until the end of the day, and she hoped she didn't run into that guy again. Her next class was French, and as she walked in the room, she felt relieved not to see him. Just as the bell rang, her hopes were dashed as she saw him saunter into the classroom and made a beeline right in the seat next to hers. She tried to ignore him, but she knew he was staring at her.

No one else in class really noticed since they were too involved with themselves. She hadn't taken French before and only knew a few words and by his accent she knew he must have been raised to speak it, so she wondered why he was taking this class.

So, this meant she would have to see him for at least one class every day. She could deal with that, and at a closer inspection he was rather handsome. What she didn't understand was why he insisted that he knew her. He didn't seem like the kind of guy a girl could forget. She stayed quiet during the class, but Remy was called on several times and said the phrases perfectly. She wasn't sure what he was saying, but it sounded like poetry.

Still she was impressed with his knowledge, but when she was called on, she did miserably. The teacher didn't look pleased, but Remy said something in French and for some reason the teacher looked a little intimidated and backed off of her. As the bell rang, she was getting up to leave, but before she could take a step Remy stood in front of her.

"Rogue, if you need help with your French we could get together," he said, and she was a little wary of the offer.

"Why would ya wanna help me?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, but she didn't have an answer for that. "How 'bout tomorrow after school?"

"Ah'll think about it," she said and quickly left the classroom, for some reason being around that guy made her nervous. She ran off to her next class if for no other reason to get away from him.

She hated that English was her last class of the day. The last thing she wanted to do at the end of school was diagram a sentence. The whole process seemed ridiculous to her, and she wanted no part of it. She could see herself ten years from now being called into her boss's office and being asked to diagram a sentence. That was never going to happen. Then she thought with her powers being what they were there was no way she would ever get a regular job, so this whole school thing was just a waste of time.

She basically sleepwalked through the class, and even though she always did well in English, she was itching for the school day to be over. She looked at the clock and it seemed to just stand still at two minutes to go. She convinced herself she was being paranoid, and it took all her willpower not to look at the clock. Instead, she thought about what Remy said about helping her with her French. She was a practical girl and decided that it was best to take him up on that offer. Last thing she wanted was for the boys to think she was a dummy. It was bad enough they teased her for the mere fact she was a girl, and she didn't need them ragging on her for failing a course. Finally, the bell rang and she could leave this place, so she raced to her locker and collected the books she would need to study that night and headed out of the building. That's when she saw Remy, and he was talking to someone she recognized.

A flash came to her mind, and she remembered being attacked by that boy. He had brown hair and a visor on his face, but it was the same boy. The X-Men don't leave lose ends. Those words rang over and over in her mind.

She approached them, and she had an angry look in her eye. "Remy, isn't it?" she asked, and he looked over at her. He was confused by her sudden attitude.

"What's wrong?" was all he could ask.

"Are ya with him?" she asked and gave the boy a scowl.

"Rogue, wait," the boy said and held up his hands.

"No, you wait," she said and pointed a finger at him. "You keep your weirdo friends away from me and as for you..." She looked over at Remy. "Ah can get another French tutor."

She walked off leaving both boys stunned. "What was dat about?" Remy asked.

"I'll tell you on the way home," he said, and they walked off to the van.

To Be Continued...