This is an old piece done in 2006, slightly editted and modified.

 

Marie was at her school prom night, alone. Her friend had asked her to come, and said that she would be around to entertain each other. But now she was nowhere to be seen after a guy offered to dance with her.

 

'Why did I even consider coming here?' she asked herself foolishly. She didn't like the pink silk dress and bright makeup at all. They just didn't feel like her. SHe felt stupid standing at the corner with no one beside her. No one was even looking at her.

 

She felt as if she was a mutant, an alien that people didn't like to approach. No one really liked her--at least she thought so. She didn't know if anyone around here, besides her friend, even knew that she existed. She decide to grab some fruit punch to ease her feelings a little. But it wasn't helping at all. She sat the cup down, turned around and nearly bumped into someone standing so closely. She looked up.

It was Todd. He had blue eyes, brown eyes, and looked cute, especially in tonight's tuxedo, and he was taller than she thought. Suddenly she noticed she was looking deeply into his eyes, and he was doing the same. She shut her eyes and told herself to focus: it was reality, and in reality, people thought you were weird if you kept staring at them.

 

'Sorry... Didn't mean to knock into you,' she said. She looked away and began to walk off.

 

'It's okay, ' Todd replied with his gentle voice.

 

He held her arm. He was so gentle that it felt like there was a layer of tissue paper in between their skins. Well, that's just probably because he's wearing gloves, she thought. She turned to look at him, and spontaneously, her eyes found his. He grinned.

 

'Marie, right? Would you like to dance with me?' And he laid out his other hand.

 

For a moment, she was stunned. No one had even asked her for a dance at a prom night before, and she didn't know how to react. He asked so directly; and he was looking into her eyes with his mesmerizing blue eyes. He stepped towards her and made the distance between their eyes closer. Now that he was so near, he made her nervous. SHe finally twitched and said, 'Okay, yeah... Sure.'

 

The music switched from fast-beat to slow as she laid her hand on his, and he let go of her arm. Her heart sank a little because she actually liked the touch. She actually liked him, and she could feel that he liked her too. And they were still looking into each other's eyes.

 

He slipped his hand on her waist; she rested hre hand on his broad collar-bone area, not being able to reach his shoulder without straining. And they danced.

 

'I saw you standing alone there all night,' he said, now with a softer voice because the music wasn't deafeningly loud anymore.

 

'And you felt sorry for me so you just asked me to dance?' she shot.

 

'No, no. I just thought you should be enjoying yourself,' he replied smoothly. 'And I thought I might give you a start.'

 

She didn't say anything after that, partly speechless, mostly wowed. She had no idea he was such a gentleman.

 

'You look different tonight,' Todd said.

 

'And is that bad?' she shot again, spontaneously.

 

'Oh, no, ' he said hastily. 'It's just that this is my first time seeing you without the dark, heavy makeup,' he added. 'And i think you're pretty without it, even prettier in this dress.'

 

She wanted to shout out that silk and pink is not exactly her style, but thought twice and chose not to. You have to give a guy some space to breathe, she thought, especially one that treats you so well. And so she didn't say anything. The silence was awkward.

 

When Todd finally wanted to speak, the music turned to rock again, and this time, it was louder than ever. He knew Marie wouldn't be able to hear him, so he indicated her to go out. She didn't quite get what he was pointing at, so he held her hand and pulled her out of the crowd, and the prom.

 

Now that they were out, the sudden change from noisy to extremely quiet made the atmosphere of the silent night weird. He let go of her hand and they began walking together.

 

'Were you gonna tell me something?' Marie asked and broke the stillness.

 

'Huh? Oh. Er, no,' he said anxiously. He was surprised by the question. He then changed his mind and said, 'I mean, yeah.' And he didn't say anything else. He was obviously nervous.

 

'So?' she urged.

 

He took a deep breath and cut in front of her. She was a little startled.

 

'I wanted to tell you that I like you, and that everytime I see you alone, looking dull in front of your locker or anywhere else in school, it makes my heart sink. I always wanted to comfort you when you need it, but I never had the guts to do it.' There, he said it, all in one breath.

 

'Wow,' Marie said, looking astonished. She definitely melted, but she managed to hold herself together. 'And where did that guts come from?'

 

He was mouth-opened and didn't know how to answer. Marie just witnessed how a guy could change from cool and gentle to anxious and hesitative in such a short time. She couldn't help but laughed at the thought of it. Todd laughed too.

 

There was the uncomfortable quietness again when they finally stopped laughing. But this time, they caught each other's eyes. Marie bit her lips and saw Todd checking them out. Was he thinking what she was thinking?

 

The answer was clear when he lowered his head so that his lips were at the same level as hers. Marie's heart battered fast as she felt his breath and closed her eyes. She felt his lips pushed against hers.

 

It was so powerful. She didn't know a kiss could bring that much life. She held his face with her hands as the feeling grew stronger. Suddenly, she felt like she had known Todd for a very long time.

 

She saw him with his dog in her head... She saw him hanging out with his friends at the cinema... She saw him quarreling with his family... She saw the five-year-old him crying because someone destroyed his birthday cake... So many thoughts... So much memory... And it felt like the memory were hers... Was this the effect of the kiss?

 

Something wasn't right. Besides the memory, she felt so much differences--so much passion towards football and music... So much spirit, so much energy--so much vitality... Too much vitality!

 

She opened her eyes in shock and confusion to see Todd pushing her away from him. His hands were purple; his face was black! His eyes were full of veins, his neck bulging with them, and his lips were cold. He was dying!

 

She let go of her hands on his face and backed away. He collapsed on the floor immediately. Marie screamed but quickly held him in her arms and cried his name. She slapped him on his face. No reaction.

 

She herself was not doing so well either. As she shook him and tried to bring him back to life, faces kept striking in her mind. She didn't know who they were, but a part of her could recognize them. The faces somehow seemed familiar.

 

'I finally found someone that likes me. Why does this have to happen? Can't I just fall in love and kiss for once?' There were lots of questions in her head. And there were another side of her asking a whole different set of questions--questions that she wouldn't ask. 'Why can't Dad be more understanding? Why don't I get selected as the team captain? Why can't I get the Mozart piece right?'

 

Todd didn't budge however hard she called. His situation looked ugly. He was lifeless, almost as if someone drained his life out of him. Tears were building up in Marie's eyes. No, don't tell me I killed him.

 

She was having headache. She felt like she was having a whole new set of personality inside of her--like everything about Todd had gotten into her. Did I drain his life into myself? Marie asked herself in horror; so many images of unfamiliar events were passing her mind; so many voices, including Todd's, were ringing in her head. She couldn't think straight. The more she thought, the worse her head pounded.

 

She pressed her hands hard on her temples, trying desperately to numb the pain. She couldn't care about Todd anymore. She was having breathing difficulties. What's happening to me? She questioned herself. Her head hurt so much it felt like it would burst any moment. Tears rolled down her cheek and smudged her mascara. Pain pierced right into her brain. She was breathing fast, unevenly and heavily now.

 

She was going to crack. She stood up imbalancedly and started to run. She needed to go somewhere, but she didn't know where. She couldn't stand the pain anymore. She was going to get help. She saw someone in front of her, but she couldn't focus. Instead, the image was getting blur. And she fainted.

 

***

 

She woke up in a ward bed. It was her second day in the hospital. Her friend was beside her. She had finally come to visit. She smiled at Marie and wanted to hold her.

 

"Don't touch me!' Marie snapped and jerked her hand to her chest. She thought of Todd. He was lying somewhere in the hospital too, and he was alright. Conscious now, very weak, but he was alright.

 

It was me, she convinced herself. No one else could've done that. She still had the images from Todd, but it was fainter now. She touched her hand, and remembered the words of the bald stranger who came to visit yesterday, his words playing in her mind, 'You are a mutant with a great gift. But you must be careful, for your touch drains a person's energy, memory, and--if held too long--life.'

 

Her touch is deadly. She is meant to never be touched. She is Rogue.

 

[This is just a self-made, unofficial X-Men story; don't sue me for using the character Rogue.]