DISCLAIMER: Rogue, the FOH, Cody, and her father belong to Marvel. Rogue's mother belongs to me, cause Marvel never mentioned her. Unfortunately, I'm not getting paid for writing this story.
Feedback is muy appreciated. And if you want to archive it, go for it, just send me the URL where it will be archived =)

by Jeri

"But Mama! Ah don' wanna go ta school today ... Ah don' ever wanna go ta school again afta yesterday!" Rogue screamed, as her mother drug her out to the car.

"If you don' hush chile, Ah'll have yo' father take care of ya. Then Ah'll see if ya wanna go ta school." her mom said, pulling at her hand.

Rogue's face suddenly grew extremely serious and solemnly got into the car and shut the door.

Her mother sighed. She knew that Rogue's father wasn't the most..loving man in the world, but she knew that he never meant to hurt either one of them. He loved them...he just didn't know how to show it.

"Rogue, Ah'm sorry, shugah ... Ah jus' wan' ya ta learn so ya can get out of here, and be somethin' betta than me." her mom said, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Ah wanna be like ya, mama! You're so pretty, an ya always know what you're talking about."

"Nonsense. Now, le's get ya ta school, befo' you're late again." she said, starting up the car and slowly pulling out of the driveway.

It's kind of funny, Rogue thought.

Here she was. A freshman in high school, 14 years old ... and she still fought with her mama over going to school.

I really should grow up.

She thought of what her mama would've been like when she was a teenager. She probably never skipped school, got straight As, did what her parents said ... She was perfect. Rogue never thought she could be anything like that.

"Rogue?" Mrs.Harper spoke softly from the front of the room, trying to gain Rogue's attention.

Of course, it was useless to even try to gain Rogue's attention. Besides the fact that this was the last class of the day,she was dreaming of being a doctor. Rogue always had a great imagination for some reason, even as a teenager, she had the thoughts and ideas of a child's simple mind. That was one thing that she'd always treasure. A simple mind ... a simple life.

"Rogue!" Mrs. Harper cried again, this time in a more demanding voice.

"Hmm?" Rogue replied distantly.

"What is the capital of New Mexico?"

"Ummmm ... the Atlantic Ocean." she said smiling like she knew everything in the world.

The other students burst out laughing at her answer, like it was the most hilarious thing in the world. Rogue just scowled.

"Shut up!" the teacher yelled out, seconds later the class was silent. "I'm sorry, Rogue. That is in correct. Maybe you should spend more time studying and paying attention in class instead of daydreaming."

"Yes'm." she said looking down to her upopened geography book. The rest of the class went by slowly as Rogue tried her best to pay attention, but miserably failed. She sighed and prayed the class would be over soon.

"The homework assignment for today is..."

BRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNG!!!!!!!

The bell had interruppted her statement, and Rogue was joyous. Everyone rushed out of the class and out the doors to the freedom of the weekend.  "Rogue! Rogue!" a voice called after her, as she was rushing down the sidewalk to her house.

She spun around on her heel to see Cody chasing after her. She rolled her eyes and turned back around, and started walking agin. He'd recently made her mad, so he was about the last person in the world that she wanted to talk to right now.

He'd finally caught up with her, after running a short distance. "Look, Ah'm sorry foah sayin' wha' Ah did!" he said, running a hand through his blonde hair.

Rogue shrugged and started walking faster, but he grabbed her wrist, forcing her to turn around and face him. He lowered his face inches from hers and smiled.

"Ya know ya gotta forgive me. Ah'm yoah best friend."

"Cody ... ya blame fool. Your always pickin' on me like tha'. Ah'm not a boy."

"Well, ya sure act like one."

"Tha's cause Ah don' wanna wear little frilly skirts an' dresses."

"Bu' tha's wha' girls are supposed ta wear, silly." he said, ruffling up her long auburn hair.

"An' what're you supposed ta wear? A bowtie?!" she said, punching him in the arm.

"Naw, we c'n wear jeans!" he said punching her back. "Speakin' o' frilly skirts..." Cody smiled. "Are ya goin' ta th' church picnic?"

"'Course Ah am. Ah jus' don' wanna dress up." she said, pushing her unruly hair back into what little place it was in.

He smiled, "Ah bet ya look awful cute in a little frilly dress..."

She sighed, "Cody, you're insane, shugah."

"Am no'. Anyways Ah gotta run..gotta get ready foah the picnic." he said, kissing her on the cheek and running the other way.

Rogue blushed, he was her best friend, but she had to admit it to herself ... he was the cutest boy on the face of the planet. She really liked him, but she'd never tell him.

When Rogue finally arrived home, she ran into the kitchen to grab an apple to find her mom at the table crying.

"Mama ... wha's wrong?" she said, going over to hug her.

"Nothin' shugah, Ah jus' fell an' hurt mahself."

"Daddy hit ya again, didn't he?"

"No. He didn't. Now, go get dressed foah the picnic."

Rouge nodded solemnley and ran upstairs to her room to face the enemy.

The enemy was a lavender dress. It wasn't really ugly, but she just didn't like dresses. She pulled it on over her head and looked in the mirror. It hung to just above her knee, with little alce frills around the bottom of the dress and the sleeves were puffy and hung off her shoulder. She absolutely hated it.

She brushed her hair and let it fall down to just below her shoulders, the white stripe, hanging over her eyes slightly. She sighed and looked down at the little box of makeup that her mother had given her for Christmas..

"If you're gonna go ... go all out." she mumbled to herself, opening the box and sitting down in front of her mirror.

She applied some light green eyeshadow to the lids of her eyes, making the emerald color of her eyes shine even more brilliant then they normally did. She carefully put on some red lipstick, and the tiniest bit of blush. She had to admit, she didn't look to bad with makeup, but she still didn't feel natural. She pulled on a pair of of short white gloves and ran down to recieve her mama's approval.

The picnic was filled with all of the town's bible beaters and their children. The children played at the park next to the river, and the adults sat by the food, bickering about beliefs.

Rogue sat on a swing and looked at her gloved hands. She'd always loved wearing gloves when she had to dress up. They made her feel a little sophisticated in a way, she never knew why though.

"Well, well well, loookie what we got here!" she heard Cody tease.

"Cody, if ya value your life, you'll shush up." she said, looking up from her hands and out at the river.

He chuckled and came around to face her. The look of awe in his face was one that she'd always remember. She knew that he'd never looked at her like that before in her entire life, and would probably never look at her like that again.

"Rogue..ya..ya look gorgeous, shugah." he said smiling, taking her hand.

"Now, c'mon! Ah just gotta show ya this cool rope ... by the river. It's great foah swingin' on!"

"Cool!" Rogue said jumping up from the swing and racing after Cody. When she got there he was already swinging on it, laughing histerically. "This is so cool!"

"Okay, okay...why dontcha let me try it now?" she said, putting her hands on her hips impatiently.

"Ya cain't swing on this when yoah wearin' tha'!!" he said, jumping down.

"Can too." she said, taking ahold of the rope, and swing out over the river.

"WHOO!" she yelled, "This is great!"

Cody stopped the rope and smiled at her again, with another look of awe in his face, "Okay, Rogue..you proved yoah point."

She smiled back at him triumphantly."So...wha's my reward then?"

"A kiss." he said, his face inches from hers.

"Cody are ya outta your mi.mm..." she started, but was interrupted when his lips pressed against hers.

After just a few seconds she started feeling strange, almost dizzy in a way, when she tried to pull away, she started getting strange thoughts in her head..

*So beautiful*

*Well, ya act like a boy!*

*So beautiful ... I like her...*

She fell to the ground next to Cody's unconsious body screaming, "Get outta mah head! Get out! Out! Out! Out!"

She finally fell unconcious to the thoughts, next to Cody.

"Ah cain't believe yoah a mutant! Ya nasty piece of trash..." her dad slurred drunkenly, forcing her into a corner.

"Daddy ... it's not mah fault!" she said, fighting back.

His hand landed on her face, hard, slapping her to the ground. She noticed he'd put on gloves. He'd intended on beating her.

"Daddy, no!" she cried before another blow landed on her face.

"Shutup, mutie. Yoah not even mah daughter..yoah a freak. Ya always have been!" he said, throwing his beer bottle at her.

"Daddy..."

"Ah'm not yoah father, trash! Ah don' know ya!" he said, hitting her again.   She cried out in pain as he striked her over and over again, tearing her out heart out even more each time he did so.

"CHARLES! STOP THAT!" Her mom yelled from the doorway. "She's yoah daughter! No' some dog tha' ya can treat like crap!"

"Ya shutup woman. She's a piece o' mutie trash.."

"She is not!"

He walked over to her and pushed her into a wall, "Ah'm sick of ya woman...Ah don' like yoah mouth."

Her mother remained silent as his fists pounded against her skin like rain, in a storm of fury. Finally, he tired and left the two in the basement, crying.

"Momma ... momma ... we gotta get outta here." Rogue said pulling on her. "I know ... Rogue. I know. We haveta ... but le's wait until yoah father is asleep."

Rogue smiled at her mama as the two ate their breakfast at the roadside restaurant in Jackson. Her mama smiled back at her, but she could tell that she was tired. She'd been driving all night long and here it was 10 o'clock the next morning.

"Mama, why don' we stop somewhere an' get some sleep."

"Nah..we gotta keep going."

Rogue studied her mother's face as a look of horror fell upon it.

"What's wrong mama?" she said, concerned.

"Don't turn around ... jus' eat yoah breakfast. Whatevah ya do, don' turn around."

Rogue nodded and began devouring her pancakes, piece by piece. A man dressed in a white t-shirt with the letters FOH, came to the table. "Can you ladies come with me please?"

"Ah'm afraid not sir. We're eating breakfast." her mother said, not looking up.

"Oh, but I think you need to come with me." He said, pulling on her arm. "And make your mutie-freak daughter come too."

"Rogue ... c'mon, shugah."

"But ... mama..." she started to plead.

"Now!"

The man escorted them to a pickup truck located in an alley near the restaurant and shoved them against the truck. He looked at her mama in disgust.

"So, you're the disgusting woman who gave birth to this freak of nature?"

"She's not a freak of nature! She's a teenager."

"Wrong!" he said, smacking her. "She's a mutant!"

The men began beating her mother viciously, and she started to chase after them when a man grabbed her bare arm. She automatically drained his psyche into hers, but wasn't as affected as she was the last time it happened. The men beating her mother stopped for a moment, and looked at her.

"FREAK! You killed him!" they screamed at her.

Rogue started backing away as she saw one of the men pull out a knife and the other pull out a gun.

"NO! YOAH NOT GONNA HURT MAH DAUGHTER!" her mother screamed diving at the
armed men.

The man with the knife stabbed her in the arm, and she screamed out in pain. One of the unarmed men was advancing towards Rogue slowly when she heard her mama scream out.

"Run Rogue! Get outta here!"

"But mama ... Ah can't ... Ah can't! What about ya?!"

"Shut up freak!" the man said with the knife, pulling it out, and stabbing her again in the shoulder.

Her mother screamed once again in pain, but then stopped screaming..."Rogue...just get out of here ... Run ... and whatever you do ... don't stop ... and don't look back!"

Rogue nodded, tears filling her eyes, pain stabbing her heart. "Mama..Ah love ya ... mama..."

She began running away from the truck, as fast as possible. She heard another scream of pain, followed by more, and finally a gunshot. Then there was nothing. She ran faster, the pain starting to circulate through all of her body, the tears flowing harder and faster. It was even hard to breath now, but she couldn't stop ... and she couldn't look back.

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