28"Goodmornin gorgeous."
"Don't you have anyone else to harass this mornin Cajun?"
"You call it harassment, others call it charm."
"Well, go charm the pants off someone else then."
"No one was talkin about takin any pants off, but if you're offerin..."
"Oh mah gawd."
"Someone is a lil fiesty dis mornin non?"
"Ah just didn't get alot of sleep last night."
"Yeah, I coulda guessed. You barely put on the black goth makeup today. I don't even get why you wear dat stuff, but you're beautiful whatever you wear."
I blushed, "Oh hush. Stop teasin meh."
"I ain't teasin you cherie."
I'm used to Remy being this ridiculous flirt and I usually just ignore it but it didn't mean my knees stayed solid when he spoke. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Like away from me?"
"Can't I say hi to my best friend? Jeez... So what you readin?"
I was in my favorite spot, quietly reading my latest book before class started but Remy was kind of a welcome inturruption. "Just somethang for English class."
"Suprised its ain't Sylvia Plath or somet'in."
"You don't even like to read so you're opinion doesn't matter." I stuck my tongue out at him in a childish manner.
"I do too like to read. I just don't read morbid stuff like you do to make a point."
"Stephen King isn't morbid and Ah like him. What are you talkin about 'make a point'?"
"You read stuff like dat and wear black makeup because you're afraid of people. But trust me, if dey got to know you dey still probably wouldn't like you anyway," he joked.
"Hilarious."
"Speakin of English..."
"No, I am not helpin you with your report."
"Please?"
"You just insulted me and now you want meh to help you on a three page report that is due tomorrow and that you haven't even started?"
"I just need an idea."
"Oh my gosh. You're silly."
"And speaking' of silly..."
"What am I? Your jumpin off point? Without me you'd have nothin else to say?"
"Now who is teasin? Okay but seriously... wanna know a rumor I heard?"
"Not really." Like I care to know about the complexities of New Orleans gossip rings.
"You know Belladonna Bourdreaux?"
"Peppy cheerleader?"
"Yeah, I heard dat she likes me."
"You?"
"Yes, why is dat hard to believe?"
"Nothing, just that she is a preppy blonde cheerleader and you're... you." Remy wasn't a loner like me but he wasn't exactly the high school stud either. Everyone liked him and wanted to be with him whether it was out on a date or invited to the party of the year but Remy was a mystery that only I seemed to understand and everyone else jsut wished they did."
"Well, I was plannin on asking her to the dance thats in a few weeks."
"Good for you."
"You don't care?"
"Why would Ah care? Ah mean you like her right?"
"I don't know. Maybe. She's hot."
"As if thats the only thing that matters..."
"I just wanted your opinion on de whole t'ing."
"Ah think its great Remy. I hope you guys have fun. Ya'll seem like a cute couple." I was bein honest. Bella and him would make a pretty couple, that annoyingly perfect couple that everyone gagged at. Do I think they would have anythang, anythang at all to talk about, no. But hey what do I know? All I do know is that I'm secretly in love with Remy. Okay maybe not in looooove but I have had a crush on him since I met him in seventh grade when I moved to Louisiana, but because of my "condition" I gave up on the white picket fence dream. I'm brutally honest even with myself. I know that me and Remy can't happen. He is this flirty, suave cool kid and I'm the weird goth girl. I don't even think the universe planned for us to meet. Remy could have been the star quarter back and I would have just been a distant, nameless figure in his life. But instead he is my best friend and I wouldn't give that up for the world but I keep my distance.
"Are you going to de dance?"
"Why are you even askin such a dumb question?"
"You could go. It'd be fun. We could go," he offered.
"Ah don't want to wear a fancy dress and bump someone on the dance floor into a coma." Remy knew about my skin. An evil curse that will never reliquish its hold on me. Remy had a few secrets of his own too
"You're a drama queen."
"No, Ah'm not. Its the truth! You know it is!"
"I just t'ink it'd be good for you to get out of your shell every once in a while."
"You might not even go to the dance, you haven't even asked the girl yet!"
"Oh she'll say yes."
"Really? You're sooo sure?"
"I'm Remy Lebeau mi cherie." He winked and went about his mission.
xxxx
What is it about a friend with a boyfriend or girlfriend that makes them completely disappear? I thought it was just a dance but Remy and Belladonna have been going out on dates for the past week. They have only been going out a week, ONE WEEK, and they are already a 'we'! Its like, calm the freak down. Its not that I'm jealous of Remy having a girlfriend cuz I'm not. I'm happy for him, but the point is that its annoying. They are conjoined at the hip! I barely even see him anymore. Today he has decided to grace me with his presence.
"Hey," he simple says.
"Ah'm sorry, who are you?"
"Hah, very funny."
"Seriously, where you been boy?"
"I'm really hittin it off with Bella and her friends. Dey are actually really cool, you'd like 'em." I could see Remy beaming, he was in his element. Its where he belonged.
"Yeah lahke you want that to happen..."
"What do you mean?"
"You never hang out with me 'round lunch or after school... nothin. Which is fine. I don't care if you're busy but its the fact that you're like: 'Oh yeah I'm hangin wit Belladonna today at lunch.' As if you don't want me around." I don't get why this relationship is hurtin me. Usually our romantic lives are seperate than our friendship for some reason. Mostly his relationships but still, we just weren't those kind of friends to gush. Now Remy is gushing.
"I didn't mean to keep t'ings seperate. I just figured you wouldn't want to get to know her... I don't know..."
"As if I hate every cheerleader on the planet?"
"Kinda."
"You're an idiot."
"Well, jeez I'm sorry! I'd actually like you and Bella to be cool."
"Don't... don't just do this cuz you think you hurt mah feelins or somethin."
"I'm not. You know I don't care about your feelings."
"Do you have to joke about everything?"
"Its the only way to lighten your mood."
"Its not a 'mood'. You know what Remy? Just forget it okay? Go back to your pretty lil girlfriend and leave me alone since that seems so easy for you."
The next day after school I gathered my books from my locker in some lame belief that I would actually do my homework tonight. I was tired and a hopeless procrastinator, not as bad as Remy mind you. I slammed the locker door when Belladonna's face was suprising me. I have never seen her up close before. She was really... beautiful. Her straight blonde hair was cut at her shoulders in a perfect bob which was taboo for a southern belle. She should have her hair big. The bigger the hair the closer to heaven, is a common sayin 'round here. She smiled with flawless teeth and pink glossy lips. I remember in seventh grade when she had braces. She obviously left her awkward days behind her.
"Hey, Anna right?"
"...yeah." You know who Ah am.
"I just wanted to say hi."
"Hi."
"I'm Belladonna. You're Remy's friend or somet'in right?"
"Or somethang."
"I mean, I know ya'll are friends... I don't- Okay dis is startin out all wrong. I'm just kinda nervous comin up to you."
"Okay..." Yeah, I'm the scary goth girl. You're the one that came up to me sugah.
"I have seen you two around. You seem really close."
"We are." This was so... weird. Can this just stop already? "He's my best friend," I stated.
"Well, you know Remy an' I have been going out for the past week an' I just... I really like Remy an' I just want you to know dat. I have known him forever and our dads kinda hate each other but I've always thought he was cute yah know?" Her Cajun accent was thick, mirroring Remy's own tongue as she continued, "I wanted to make sure not'in was going on between you two. I don't want to step on anyone's toes."
"No, me and Remy? Hah, uh yeah no of course not. We aren't lahke that... We're just real good friends."
"Dats good, dats good. I'm glad cuz like I said I really like him and I'd like to get to know you, bein his best friend an' all."
"Did Remy put you up to this?"
"Well, he just said dat you two have been driftin lately and wanted to make t'ings right. So I wanted to put in the effort to be friends with you." Crap. She is nice. Like really nice. I wanted to hate her and her stupid pom poms but damn she is nice. Can I hate her for being nice?
"We don't have to be friends," I say 'cause I have to shut the door with everyone. Remy was the only one to sneak his way past my defenses.
"I want us to be friends. Come on give me a chance, cuz I know I'm never gon get anywhere wit Remy without you on my side."
Is this was this was about? Getting on Remy's good side? "He'll be fine without my blessin."
"But I won't. Come on! The dance is this Saturday and I still need to pick out a dress. A bunch of my friends already went shoppin and I missed out on going but I'd like to go wit you cuz I t'ink you'd be brutally honest with me."
"I don't think so..." I don't think you could handle me bein honest.
"I know you ain't going to the dance but maybe if you find the right dress-"
"Ah'm not going to the dance."
"Well, then... I just thought it'd be a fun t'ing to do..."
Damn it. "You know what? Sure, that sounds good. Dresses and stuff."
"Really? This isn't some pity gesture you know."
"Remy likes you so I'm sure I will too. But what I think doesn't matter. You shouldn't worry 'bout that."
"It is important. I want to be a part of Remy's life and you're a huge part of that."
"Yeah, well..."
"How 'bout right now?"
"Right now?"
"Yeah! We can go to dat mall just outside of town... the really nice one. The dance is on Saturday and its already Wednesday!" Ugh, she was excited...
"Okay, yeah sure... lets go." What is wrong with me? I like Remy... more than a friend... and here I am taking his girlfriend dress shopping for their amazing night together. I'm such an idiot.
...
We go to the 'really nice' mall out of town and it is really nice. Did I mention that Belladonna is like royalty around here? And so is Remy. That's why their fathers don't take kindly to one another. They are still feudin over somethin that happened centuries ago, so long ago that it doesn't even matter what it was but they can still hold a grudge.
Besides their ridiculous feud, they are disgustingly rich. Which is why Bella can afford to go to the outskirts of town to the fancy mall because she can actually afford things here. Oh and we drove here in her pink volkswagon bug. Pink. Okay, Ah'm gonna stop bein so judgemental. Remy likes her and Remy has good sense of character. Well... not his own character but he knows when someone is bullshitin him.
"What do you think about dis one?"
"Honestly?"
"Yes, be honest Anna."
"The ruching makes you look fat. Its not just you though, it'd probably make anyone look fat when they ain't really."
"Probably wouldn't make you fat. You're so tiny!"
"I'm not that skinny..." Sure I'm a size three, size two on a good day, but if I'm so skinny why do I have this ass that refuses to listen to me?
"You should try some on. You might find one you like."
"Ah don't really have the money to spend on a brand new dress for a dance Ah ain't going to."
"Oh just pretend for me?"
"That lil smile might work for Remy but it won't work on me hun."
"Sure it will... OH PLEASEEEEEEE..." She started singing, "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEEEEASE!" Did I mention she was tone deaf? She may be a pretty thang to look at but not to listen to thats for sure.
Everyone in the store was staring at us so I finally caved, "OKAY! Okay... just shut up." I grabbed a random dress from the leftover rack that the store clerks hadn't put away yet. I went in the dressing room and stripped down. I put the dress on and gasped in the mirror when I saw myself. The dress fit like a glove, a silky black gown with a sweet heart neckline. My bare shoulders... I was so pale, after years of hiding in sweaters even when it was ninety degrees out... and now I am in this sexy dress... I could just die.
"Well, how does yours look? I t'ink I like dis red one, come out and see."
"Okay..."
"OH MY GAWD! You look A-mazing! Seriously! You HAVE to buy dat dress."
"I just put it on for fun."
"Oh hey, you got a lil-"
I freaked as she got closer, "Get away from me! What are you doing?"
"Woah, calm down! There was just a little lint on your dress, I was gonna pick it off. Whats the matter with you?"
I could feel myself getting beet red, so I quickly changed into my normal (less revealing) clothes. I exited out of the dressing room where Bella was standing in complete confusion. "I..." I tried to explain, "I'm sorry. I got scared for a sec."
"Scared? Of what! I was just gonna-"
"I know, I just... I have this skin condition. Its not contagious or anythang but if you touch mah skin bad things will happen."
"I thought you said it wasn't contagious."
"Its not! You will just feel weird after. I don't know... its hard to explain."
"I wasn't gonna touch your skin."
"I know."
"Does Remy know?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, I'm the weirdo."
"You're not dat weird. Actually, scratch dat... you're a freak for looking so damn good in dat dress. Ah'm gonna buy it for you."
"No, really... don't do that. Ah'm not gonna wear it."
"Well, maybe de occasion will arise in the future. Its not that big of a deal." One hundred and something dollars too much of a big deal.
"Belladonna, seriously-"
"Seriously, I had fun today hangin out wit you and I want to buy my new friend a dress so get over it."
"This is too much."
"You just have to buy me a pretzel, de gooey cinnamon ones when we leave here and head to de food court. I can eat that now that I have tried on dresses... I love my red one, do you agree?"
"It looks gorgeous."
Her eyes narrowed, "Honest?"
"Yeah, honest."
It was fun. The goth girl and and the cheerleader...
Mysteryrogue:
1. So Rogue is very anti human but I love to see her grow but she is making new friends in a Belladonna. Haha no curve balls yet, they are genuine.
2. This is just a lil story I had in mind when I got inspired by a scene from a tv show that is going to come into play not the nxt chap but the one after. I have also been inspired by Kate Voegele's music and Christina Perri. The songs about heart break... if you want me to tell you which songs inspire which chapters I will :) this one was Distance by Christina Perri. Her voice is so haunting.
3. Try to update as much as I can, so stick with me! :)
4. My last story was mostly about Romy but I missed playing with the other X-men relationships so I couldn't keep from writing! The other X-men will come later, all the faves. But as always, a Romy true and true.
5. To all my faithful fans, thanks for reading. To those newbies, enjoy! Review, review, review! Please! I love the feedback! :D