X-Men Evolution: Rogue Evolution

Secrets, Secrets 9.4

The cool air carried by the soft breeze through the open attic window was enough to numb Anna's face. In spite of the chill, however, the view from the mansion's highest vantage was unbeatable. Trees of yellows, reds, and evergreens waved as a single organism to her left, and to her right was the horizon above the endless ocean. She never sat in the attic window, but the big fat daybed Evan found under a tarp and a bunch of other dusty garbage made for a perfect perch.

Kitty sat next to her with an elbow propped up on the window seal. The ocean breeze would regularly messy her hair and she would just as regularly tidy it. At first, she would comb through her tangled hair with the tips of her fingers till she eventually settled on simply tucking it behind an ear to at least get it out of her face. Her free hand was occupied with an unlit cigarette which she would regularly twist between her pointer finger and thumb when it wasn't pinched between her lips. Anna allowed it as long as the thing was never actually lit. Kitty claimed it was 'just an oral-fixation' thing and she never 'actually' meant to smoke again. The stink Anna had smelt on Kitty's winter jacket claimed otherwise but she thought it better not to mention.

Anna never believed in comfortable silences until that moment. Before it usually meant she was in trouble with her folks or that some fridged bitch was giving her the cold shoulder at school. This time, however, just being in the company of a friend was plenty. Maybe Kitty felt the same way since it was one of the rare moments they were together and she wasn't firing off about one thing or another.

Anna half listened to the rustling of leaves outside and the boys inside the attic behind them getting up to one thing or another. Evan and Kurt were watching a movie for a while on Ev's laptop, and then they played some games together on the TV. Now they were just quiet and Anna was a little afraid to turn her head and look.

"I'm sorry, Kat."

Kitty held her cigarette between her teeth and made it bob up and down intermittently. "For what?"

"Dragging you into all this."

"You didn't drag me into anything."

"Sure, but," Anna rested her head against the wall next to the window. "I didn't give you much of a choice either."

"I always had a choice." Kitty pulled her little addiction out of her mouth and rested her head against the wall on the opposite side of the window to Anna. The light from the world outside highlighted the finer details of her dark brown eyes as she looked out into the overcast sky. "I always had a choice and I chose. Easy as that."

Anna felt the shape of a smile crinkle across her lip before it just as quickly faded away. "Did you know any of that about Jean?"

"No. I didn't know she was trans or grew up like that. I thought she grew up like me. With a mom and a dad always there. Family around. She just never seemed like the type who had to face that kinda stuff. I've only ever seen her so cool and collected, but back in Xavier's office... that was something different."

Anna tucked her knees to her chest. "Yeah."

Kitty looked at her and nodded. "Whatcha thinking?"

"I don't know." Anna rested her head on her knees. "Xavier's given us everything. This house, the clothes on our back, the food we eat, the opportunity to learn about how our abilities work." She sucked in the air till her lungs began to burn and let it back out in a steady stream. "Maybe I was wrong to be so nosy."

Kitty shrugged a shoulder. "I guess."

"You don't sound too convinced."

Kitty brought her cigarette to her lips and made to take a puff. When she then realized it wasn't lit her disappointment was apparent. "I don't think anyone is wrong. Like, Jeanie... I get it. Xavier was her savior. He's all of ours in a way. Still, it's just -" She took a long look out the window. "I've always been kinda nosy. I like knowing stuff and how people tick. I don't know why, I just gotta know. It's handy too sometimes to get the edge on someone." Kitty snorted, "Man that sounds F-ed up, but it's just how I feel. I think if everyone was a little more honest, they'd probably feel the same." She readjusted her head on the window. "And I think that's kinda how Xavier has been with us."