"Rogue, John, Kitty, and I are going to eat at the mall tonight. Do you want to come with us?"
Bobby looked at the pretty girl in front of him, his expression full of anticipation.
"But..." Rogue sounded hesitant, perhaps because she was shy. "Will the Professor let us go out?"
"Mutant students usually have to be accompanied by a teacher when they go out, in case people or organizations that target Mutants try to cause trouble for us."
At Rogue's words, Bobby's expression brightened. This might work. He explained, "But Scott and Ororo have already agreed to our request, so the Professor approved it too."
"Really?"
Rogue's spirits lifted at once. Although she'd run away from home because of her powers, and the Mutant school had spared her from a life on the streets, after spending so long there, she wanted to get out and clear her head.
"Look, it's her."
"She almost killed Logan."
A few hushed comments reached Rogue's ears. She turned and saw several young men and women whispering about her in the distance. When they noticed her looking their way, they hurried off as if they'd seen some terrifying monster.
Rogue's expression darkened. Bobby quickly tried to reassure her. "Don't worry about them. They just haven't come to terms with it yet. They'll get over it after a while."
Just a few days earlier, Rogue had been at the school for only a short time and didn't have many friends. Bored one evening, she'd gotten up to look for Logan and have a chat. But when she entered his room, Logan was having a nightmare because of lingering memories. In a moment of confusion, he'd lashed out with his claws and badly wounded Rogue.
When Logan woke up and realized he'd nearly killed the girl,