~~I drink alone
Yeah, with nobody else
I drink alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know when I drink alone
I prefer to be by myself~~


Ah not sure when ah first realized it. Musta been ‘bout a year before tha geeks took me in. Ya see, ah hada whole lota noise goin’ off in mah head; people screamin’ n’ hollern’ at me and what not. Twenty four god damn seven hours a-day ‘bout fifty people giv’n me their two cents and a quarter’s worth. Some of ‘em friends, some of them some real twisted up fuckers, othas jus’ innocent bystanders ah’ve accidently grazed. The only thing that really tied ‘em togetha is they’s all got opinions. All ‘em voices ‘bout drove me crazy. Hell, maybe ah am crazy, but that doesn’t matta. All’s that matta’s is I got ‘em to shut up. Ah don’t know what it is ‘bot booz’n but it makes ‘em real quiet like. Maybe it clears mah head or jus’ drowns ‘em. Personally ah hope it drowns the ‘noyin’ lil prats. All ah know is the drinkn’ lets me finally be by myself.



~~Now every morning just before breakfast
I don’t want no coffee or tea
Just me and my good buddy Weiser
That’s all I ever need
‘Cuz I drink alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know when I drink alone
I prefer to be by myself~~


“Morning Rogue!” Damn, that Kitty is jus’ too frickn’ chipper. What is it like seven, eight in the mornin’? Ah really should get mah room moved so ah ain’t across the hall from her anymore. Ah guess ah don’t mind walkn’ with her that much. At least ah won’t be she’d eva stop ta take ah breath.

“So what do you think? Should we do ‘Under the Sea’ or ‘The Wild, Wild West’ for the theme of the dance?”

She has got ta be kiddin’ me. She’s askin’ me ‘bout dance themes? “Ah think they both stink.” Yeah, me an’ ‘bout forty-eight otha folks rollerin’ around in mah head. ‘Cept Kitty n’ Kurt. Ain’t it jus’ wrong ah gotta deal with her both outside n’ inside mah head? At tha same time?

“Well I think they’re adorable. I’m going to say you voted for ‘Under the Sea. That okay?”

Like ah give a shit. Guess ah’ll jus’ nod n’ maybe she’ll go away. Or keep on walkin’ with me. Whatever. She even skips down tha damn stairs. She is aware that ain’t normal, right?

“Rogue, where are you going? The cafeteria is this way.”

“Duh, ah know that. Ahm just gonna grab somethin outta tha kitchen.”

Oh praise mah Lord n’heaven, she’s leavin’. It ain’t that ah don’t like tha girl, ‘cuz really ah do. She’s probably mah best friend here, which is sad as hell now that ah think ‘bout it.

Good there ain’t no one in tha kitchen. There ain’t usually this time a mornin’, anyone who’s up is in tha dinnin’ hall. But ya never know, some crazy shits been known ta happen ‘round here.

Alright, buddy-boy, where are ya? Damn take-out, who tha hell is fillin’ tha fridge with Chinese food? Ah know you’re in here some where, stop hiddin’ from me! Bingo!

Ahh... Nothin’ like ah cold Bud first thing n’ tha mornin’. Time for ya’ll ta say night-night, boys n’ girls. One or two is usually ‘bout all it takes. Jus’ ah nice even buzz ta keep tha masses silent. E’ll last me least till lunch, maybe late aftanoon. Itsa good thing no one misses me at breakfast. Ah’ve come ta depend on this few minutes a silence ta even function at all. Suppose its like Storm n’ her tea, or Jean n’ her coffee. Ya do not want to run inta Jean on ah day she ain’t had her coffee. Same goes for good ol’ Rogue if she ain’t had her good ol’ buddy Weiser.

Luckily for all them that ain’t happened for a while. Funny thing is no one eva touches mah supply. Coarse tha’s ‘cuz they all think its Logan’s. Which jus’ goes ta show ya- ain’t none of ‘em know Logan very well. He once told me that he might drink stuff that tastes like piss, but he don’t actually drink piss. An’ it might very well be piss, but its piss that buys me a good six hours a’ silence in mah head. An’ every drop tha goes down mah throat is one less voice keeping me from bein’ by mahself in mah own head.



~~Yeah, the other night I lay sleeping
And I woke from a terrible dream
So I called up my pal Jack Daniels
And his partner Jimmy Beam
And we drank alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know when I drink alone
I prefer to be by myself~~



Holy shit! Breathe, Rogue, come on. It wasn’t real, it wasn’t real...

Damn nightmares! Damn voices! Shutupshutupshutup! Jus’ fucking be quiet! Ah know puttin’ mah hand ova mah ears ain’t gonna help, but ah gotta try. Ah gotta stop tha noise.

All that yelln’! All of ‘em tellin’ me that they’re scared. Well no shit dumbass, ahm a lil’ jumpy mahself!

Ah hate tha nightmares, they’re tha worst. There’s no controln’ ‘em then. Its complete havoc in there, like they’re all runnin’ ‘round yellin’ tryin’ ta get out or something. Tryin’ to run away from the nightmare. Yeah, well, me too. And if ah can’t escape ‘em, ya’ll can’t either!

It’d be one thing if it were mah own nightmares. But they neva are. Not like ah’d know mine when ah see ‘em anymore anyway. Then they all wanna bitch ‘bout bein’ in tha fucked up place that is mah head. And they’re tha one’s that fucked it up! Ironic, ain’t it?

Oh well, ya know what they say. A friend n’ need is a friend n’deed. An’ mah two best friends always spend the night with me. Jus’ pull out this here bottom drawer an’ remove this here false back-

Well, whada ya know. It’s mah pal Jack Daniels and his partner Jimmy Beam. Garanteed to shut tha voices up well inta the night. Nope, no need for a glass here tonight, boys, we’re goin’ full speed ahead! Tonight it was ah Creed one, and that’s one twisted mother-fucker. Yeah, ya heard me. Your ‘bout as fucked up as they come. But ah got your cure right here. Jack, Jimmy, show Mr. Creed an’ tha othas to their rooms.

Itsa ‘bout time ta replace mah pleasant dreams’ drawers. We’re gettin’ a lil’ low. Lance once told me he thought Southern girls were suppose ta have voices like honey, and mine was all gravel n’ molasses. Heh, well sugah, tha quart a’ whiskey ah down every night might have somethin’ ta do with it. But it’s all worth it. Ain’t nothin’ quiets the voices faster. An’ afta a nightmare like that, I prefer to be by mahself.



~~Yeah, the other day I got invited to a party
But I stayed home instead
Just me and my pal Johnny Walker
And his brothers Blackie and Red
And we drank alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know when I drink alone
I prefer to be by myself~~



Ahm not really sure why Scott was so surprised ah ain’t goin’ ta that stupid dance. Ah think ah’ve made mah anti-social tendacies pretty obvious. ‘Sides he’s goin’ with Jean, he won’t even miss me.

No, ah learned mah lesson tha last time. Go ta one concert an’ got five new people takin’ up space upstairs. People ah don’t even know! An’ all of a sudden their tryin’ to impact everythin’ ah do. An’ let me tell ya, they don’t know shit. None of ‘em do! They’re all completely useless!

Well what do we have here? Ah lil’ family reunion! Blackie, nice of ya to bring your lil’ brotha Red to tha party. Oh, an’ if it ain’t tha orignial, Mr. Walker himself, how do ya do, sir?

Ah don’t know who left these here in tha kitchen but ah ain’t complainin’. Tonight’s under tha sea night? Sounds good tha me. Under tha sea, under tha whiskSEA. Get it, scotch whisky—whiskSEA? Heh. Ya’ll shut up, ah thought it was funny. Ya’lls just mad cuz you know this is tha end for ya tonight. ‘Cuz I don’t see how either me or ‘em are gonna leave with much brain function.

That’s ‘nuff outta ya’ll. Yeah, miss-prissy-perfect Jean, ahm anti-social. An’ so fuckin’ what? She’s gets her alone time, can sit n’ enjoy silence. Ah wanna see how many dances she goes ta if she had ‘em happening in that pretty lil’ noggin’ all tha time.

Seriously, ya’ll, it’s time for ya ta go, ‘cuz these three bottle n’ me got a date. And ah prefer ta drink alone.



~~Yeah, my whole family done give up on me
And it makes me feel oh so bad
The only one that will hand out with me
Is my dear old grand dad
And we drink alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know when I drink alone
I prefer to be by myself~~


Okay, so they know. Ah should ah figured ah couldn’t hide nothin’ from tha professor, but did he have ta tell everyone? Intervention, ah’ll give ‘em an intervention. Las’ thing ah need is for Scott ta pity me more, but there was was, justa given me that sad lil’ look. Like ah disappointed him or somethin’. Ahm disappointed he has ta wear those glasses all tha time but ah don’t go forcin’ him not ta wear ‘em.

Fuck! They even cleaned out mah bottom drawer stash, damn physics! Shutup, shutup, shutup!! Damn, they’re like celebratin’ up there or somethin’. You jus’ wait. Ah’ll show ya’ll!

Please, please, be quiet! It’s too much, all ‘em at once jus’ ta yelln’! How is this betta for me than bein’ buzzed, huh Xavier? Answer that Mr. ‘Ahm jus’ concerned for ya health’. Biggest load a bull ah’ve eva heard. If he was jus’ concerned for mah health he’d buy me anotha bottle of all mah boys, stead ah lettin’ these manics eat me inside out.

“Hey, darlin’”

Don’t people in this place eva knock? “Ah ain’t in the mood right now, Logan.”

Ah already knew that wouldn’t stop him. Sure, sugah, just make ya self comfortable. Can ah get ya a pillow or anythin’?

“I brought you something.”

“Logan, ah’ve got a fuckin’ convention stompin’ around in mah head. So unless ya got a bottle of Jack Daniels, ah ain’t interested.” Ah know he means well, but ah gotta figure out how ta deal with this headache.

Ah didn’t see pull it outta his jacket. It was jus’ in his hand, like he made it magically appear or somethin’.

“It ain’t Jack, but I can say from experience that Jimmy chases them demons pretty good too, darlin’.”

Oh, bless him. Bless him, bless him, bless him. He’s probably terrified me huggin’ him like this, but ah can’t help it. Mah savior has arrived. One swing, sugah, tha’s all ah get?? Oh, we’re sharein’. Tha’s more’n fine with me.

“Thanks,” that don’t seem to even cover it. Ah’d kiss him right now put that’d be a piss-poor way ta show graditude. “Ain’t you afraid of gettin’ in trouble, with the Professor n’ all?”

Why haven’t ah eva noticed that smirk of his before?

“I’m not worried about wheels. I know what it’s like, kid, needing to clear your head out when it gets to be too much. And Xavier means well and all, but truth of it is he hasn’t found anything better. And neither have I, so I ain’t about to sit around and let you suffer. But the minute I find something better, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Thanks, sugah.” Hmmm... A quiet head, a strong shoulder to rest it on, and a damn fine drinking buddy. This might turn out to be all right. Maybe there’s something to not drinking alone.









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I Drink Alone is by George Thorogood.