Rehabilitation

Chapter 2: An Ordinary First Day

4/10: Monday

Morning

"To your left is Dr, Oobleck's history class. You know, he could be teaching at a university, but he has remained here at Beacon High due to his passion for young people like us! Such an admirable man!"

Penny Polendina wasn't sure what she was doing wrong. When Principal Ozpin had requested her to act as the guide for the new transfer student, she had eagerly agreed. She loved interacting with people, and was hopeful that she might be able to befriend this new girl before the usual rumors got around to her. After all, it would be nice to have another person at their lunch table. But the chances of the orange-haired girl succeeding in her goal seemed to be dwindling by the second…

It had started off all wrong: Penny had been planning to walk this "Ms. Neo" girl from her dorm to her class, and provide a quick tour of the route as well so that the stranger wouldn't be overwhelmed on her first day. Except just as Penny had reached the room to Neo's dorm, said girl had walked out and promptly collided with her would-be guide. Penny had only staggered, but Neo had fallen to the floor, obviously dazed. Admittedly, she could have acted sooner to amend the situation, but Penny had wasted a few seconds staring in surprise at the pig-tailed newcomer. She was… so small! Even Ruby Rose, the youngest girl in the school, was taller than Neopolitan. After shaking off her shock, though, Penny had been quick to help her to her feet and introduce herself. This led to an awkward silence where Neopolitan simply held Penny's hand still, and stared at her, her piercing green eyes making the girl quite uncomfortable. Penny managed to keep her cheery composure, and told Neo why she was there. Silently, Neo nodded, released Penny's hand, and walked off, forcing Penny to run after her so she could 'begin' the tour.

And since then, the atmosphere around Neo seemed to grow more uncomfortable the further they walked, especially when they reached the actual classroom buildings and the halls became crowded with students. These students seemed to feel the strange aura as well, as there somehow was a clear path for the two girls to walk through as they made their way to Neo's homeroom. Penny had been doing her best to lighten the mood, imparting as much information to Neo as she could, which she was honestly happy to do. But the silent girl just didn't seem to be listening to her, and even Penny was beginning to just want to get her to the classroom and be done with it.

Thankfully, she spotted a tall familiar figure waiting outside of the classroom as they rounded the last corner.

"Mr. Branwen!" She called, waving as she took Neo's hand and ran forward, eager to pass off her charge to the actual teacher. Surprisingly, Neo didn't resist, matching Penny's pace as they cleared the length of the last hall. The black-and-grey haired teacher turned to face the approaching girl, his usual cocky smile on his face. Qrow Branwen might have been getting on in years, but he still carried himself as if he were a young man, which made him a very popular teacher among the student body.

He wasn't very popular among the faculty at Beacon, but that was for a different reason. After all, the white button-up shirt and black pants he always wore were the closest any of them could get him to following a dress code.

"Penny. Good to see you again." He leaned against the wall, his harsh voice revealing the unhealthy habits he had picked up in his early years. "And who's your friend?"

Penny stepped to one side, allowing Neopolitan and Qrow to properly introduce themselves. This, of course, led to another awkward silence, as the two varying heights maintained eye-contact. Penny looked between the two, unsure if she should say something as the weird staring contest continued, before noticing a strange look in Neo's eyes. It made her feel just as uncomfortable as the one she had received in the dorms, but for… quite a different reason. Then, Qrow grinned, and straightened up.

"Ms. Neopolitan, right? Ozpin said you'd be in my class starting today."

To Penny's surprise, Neo curtsied at her new teacher, with flawless form. This earned a chuckle from the older man, who stretched in response.

"I'm Qrow Branwen, your new homeroom teacher. It's my job to keep you in line, understood? Don't cause any trouble, and I'm sure you can make it through the year with no problems." Neo nodded at that, and Qrow directed his attention to the increasingly confused Penny. "Thanks for bringing her, Penny. Now, you'd better hurry off to class."

All the poor carrot-top girl could do was nod, and turn to walk away, before suddenly feeling a tug on her arm. She turned back around, only for Neo to suddenly clasp her hand, and give a quick bow. Then, without any words, Neo turned back to Qrow, and the two entered the classroom.

Penny just stared after them, blinking slowly.

"Um… You're welcome?"

4/10: Monday

Lunchtime

He couldn't leave her alone for one minute, could he?

The tall, dark haired boy skillfully dodged through the crowded cafeteria, carefully balancing the tray full of food in his hands as he made his way towards the entrance. Specifically, to the two girls who had almost collided with each other a few feet past the doors.

"Nora!" His reprimanding yet gentle tone caught the attention of one of the girls: the one with short, pink hair. She turned in her wheelchair, and smiled as she saw him quickly walking over… though her pleasure at seeing him was likely due to the food he carried. The other girl was a stranger to him, and she still seemed to have her gaze fixed on Nora.

"Ren!" The handicapped girl called, waving excitedly as he walked up, and then quickly snatching the tray out of his hands in the same motion. Lie Ren gave out a sigh of annoyance as his friend began to inhale the food he had stood in line to get her, reaching up to run a hand through his back-length long hair.

"Nora, what did I tell you about speeding around in the school?" When her only response was something murmured through mouthfuls of food, Ren directed his attention to the girl Nora almost bowled over as she was walking in. He hadn't seen her before, though she looked to be his age even with the childish pigtails in her hair. She was pale, and carried herself with confidence, and even though she was wearing the school uniform, she still seemed to stand-out somewhat, which was impressive considering she was quite possibly the shortest high schooler Ren had ever met. Still, the only thing he found to be unusual were her eyes. There was just something unnatural about how sharp and defined their green color was. Maybe she was wearing colored contacts… But Ren smiled just the same, and gave a traditional bow to the newcomer. He wouldn't allow Nora and him both to come off as rude.

"I'm very sorry about this. Are you alright?" As he raised back up, he met her eyes staring into his, as if she was trying to look through him. Then, she returned his smile, and nodded, and the uncomfortable feeling that had been growing in his chest vanished. No longer having to force his smile, Ren took hold of the two handles on the back of Nora's chair, his hands relaxing in the familiar grip. "I am Lie Ren, and this is Nora Valkyrie. I really am sorry…"

"Me too!" Nora finally swallowed to speak, half the tray almost empty already. "I got tired of waiting on Ren. I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"That much is obvious…" Ren huffed, earning a quick glare from his charge, while the short girl just waved them off, the smile still on her face. It began to dawn on Ren that this stranger hadn't spoken yet.

"Hey, you're new, right?" Nora continued immediately after, drawing the green eyes back down to her seat. "I thought so! I'd never seen you around before! You're a transfer student, huh?"

The girl just continued to stare down at Nora, who seemed unbothered by the lack of an answer. Ren finally coughed, and began to push Nora back to their table.

"Well, I am terribly sorry we almost injured you, but it was a pleasure to meet you." The girl responded to him with another nod and smile, before walking off as well towards the lunch line.

"Bye, new girl!" Nora called after her, earning another sigh from Ren. He cared for Nora very much, more than he did for anyone else, but she could be quite the pain at times. Though he could honestly say he wouldn't change that about her if he could…

"Thanks for the food, Ren!"

He looked down. Nora had cleared the tray before they had even gotten back to their table. His smile widened.

"You're welcome, Nora."

"Oh my gosh! Penny! Penny!"

Blinking rapidly, Penny shook herself out of her deep thought, refocusing her attention onto her lunch partner.

Ruby Rose, age fifteen: lover of sweets and the only girl in the entirety of Beacon High that Penny could consider to truly be her friend. While the two of them had met under more awkward circumstances than would have been preferable, they had quickly moved past that, for which Penny was eternally grateful. Most people had assumed Ruby to be some sort of goth, what with her short black hair with red tips, fishnet stockings that she always wore for some reason, and eyes that even Penny could only describe as silver. Yet Ruby was truly nothing like the stereotype: she was constantly excited, always happy, and carried within herself a desire to help others. For these reasons and more, Penny had come to adore her younger friend, and felt a bit of guilt at having been ignoring whatever Ruby was trying to tell her about.

"Yes, Ruby? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was distracted for a moment." Penny blushed, bowing her head down at the lunch table.

"Still thinking about the new girl?" Ruby giggled, causing Penny to smile bashfully. She loved Ruby's laugh, even if it could be a little mocking at times.

"Yes. I just do not understand what I did to make her feel so awkward around me." Penny clasped her hands together, staring down at the plate of food that she had barely touched. She had truly tried her best with Neo, yet the girl hadn't even spoken a word to her. "I just hope she's been doing well. First days can be really hard…"

"No kidding." Ruby sighed, clearly recalling her own first day at Beacon, when she and Penny had met. "But I'm sure she just had a lot on her mind. You said she was a transfer student, she must have had to leave all her friends back at her old school."

Penny… hadn't thought about that. A new type of guilt came upon her, as she recalled the strange aura that had surrounded Neo. Perhaps it was there because the girl was in pain… pain at suddenly finding herself all alone in a new school, with nothing familiar to latch onto. To be separated from everything she had known, and thrust into an unfamiliar situation…

"Goodness!" Penny stood up suddenly, startling the other students who ate a little further down the table. There was clearly space between them at the two girls, but they were both used to that treatment. "Ruby, you are correct! She must be very lonely. Lonely and afraid! And there I was, trying to force her to understand everything about the school on her first day!"

As quickly as she had stood, Penny fell back onto the bench, which shook the whole table, and buried her head into her hands. How could she have failed so utterly at making a new friend? She was supposed to be the smart girl who could get along with anyone!

"Uh… Penny?" Ruby spoke up after a moment of silence. Penny quickly looked back up, only to find that her friend wasn't looking at her, but rather at something behind her. The orange-haired girl turned to look, and gasped in surprise.

"Neo!"

A tray of food… well, of yogurt and a single banana, was in her hands, and her pale face conveyed both confusion and amusement at the sight before her. Penny could only dread at the thought of how much of her outburst the small girl had seen. There was a moment of silence, as the two sitting girls stared at the standing one, before Penny quickly came to her senses, and scooted over.

"Please, sit with us!"

There was moments pause, and then Neo nodded, and silently slid into place next to Penny. Despite giving her enough space, the small girl was somehow practically sitting on top of Penny. She and Ruby exchanged an awkward glance as Neo promptly began to peel the banana. Her movements were deliberate and smooth, as if she were performing art. Despite the silence, Penny couldn't help but be amused at the sight.

"Um… Oh! Ruby, this is Neopolitan, the new transfer student I was telling you about!"

Ruby smiled nervously, and gave a wave. Neo looked at her for a second, and nodded in response, before returning to her now-peeled banana. Opening up the serving of yogurt she had been given, Neo dipped the fruit into the creamy substance and…

As admittedly naïve as she tended to be, even Penny felt a slight blush come to her cheeks as Neo promptly began to lick the yogurt off the banana. She had the sneaking suspicion that Neo was purposefully trying to make them uncomfortable.

Unsurprisingly, the effect was completely lost on Ruby.

"So, um, how's your first day been?"

Neo turned her eyes on Ruby, as she took her first actual bite of the banana. Undeterred by a lack of response, Ruby continued.

"Mine was pretty rough. I got moved ahead in middle school, so obviously, I'm the youngest girl here. I kinda made a fool of myself in front of everyone, then I ran off crying… and that's how I met Penny!"

Penny couldn't help but giggle at the very condensended version of Ruby's infamous first day at Beacon. Yet Neo actually seemed to be listening intently to what the younger girl was saying.

"I… know it can be hard to leave everything you know and come to some place knew, and Vale isn't the most exciting place in the world, but… I think you can still have a lot of fun here!"

Ruby smiled brightly as she finished her proclamation, and surprisingly, Neo returned the smile, and nodded. This brought a smile to Penny as well, who thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Ms. Neo… if you'd like, feel free to sit with Ruby and I from now on. I mean, at least until you make some more friends…" Penny trailed off as Neo suddenly took her hand again before nodding happily. The look in her green eyes was different now. She looked almost… hopeful?

That realization brought a warm, fuzzy feeling to Penny, who suddenly felt very proud of herself.

She and Ruby continued to 'talk' with Neo until the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Neo didn't finish her banana or the yogurt.

4/10: Monday

After School

The glass had been cleaned up.

Neo stood up from the floor, a frown on her face as she quickly moved into the bathroom. Another glass sat on the counter, in the exact same spot as the one she had shattered. Something about that irritated her more than she wanted to admit.

Her uniform from the day before had been cleaned and hung back up in the closet, perfectly in line with the rest of the identical garments hanging on the rack. Her frown deepened. She assumed the school had a cleaning staff of some sort, but doing her laundry for her? Was that… normal?

No, this was likely just another way for the faculty to bring her in debt to them. She had admittedly forgotten about that during her first day, mostly thanks to the unending barrage of information that was carrot-top, but she needed to be more careful from now on.

Discarding her bag back under the writing desk, Neo began to prepare for her shower, still reminiscing over the day's events. A realization had struck her during her last class, which had only served to prove her suspicions about the Headmaster's plan to manipulate her. Mr. Branwen, carrot-top, the pretty boy, and the goth… Those were the four main people she had come into contact with on her first day… and every single one of them had a card inside of them.

No way that was accidental. She knew the police had record of her powers, even if they didn't fully understand how they worked. But ever since being arrested, Neo had felt like a part of herself was missing, and here were adequate replacements, just waiting to be accepted into her life.

… Admittedly, Mr, Branwen would be quite fun to make a connection with, but that was beside the point.

Neo was frankly out of her league. All her life, she had simply done as she was told, and now she was going to have to find a way to resist falling back into a chain of command, unless she wanted to yet again be used as a weapon until those in charge no longer had a reason to keep her around. She would not go through that again.

But, until she thought of something, it would be best to simply play along. She just had to ensure that she didn't get too close to any of 'them' or she would risk falling into that damned Headmaster's trap.

As the water began to fall over her, a new question popped into Neo's mind.

… Why would a school teacher need her powers in the first place? The police chief made sense, but he had already gone back to the 'big city.' And besides, he had actually been against allowing her freedom at all.

So then… what did Ozpin need her for?

…. She had some studying to do.