Author's Note: Here's a short update. I'm going on a trip soon, so I don't know how much updating I'll be doing before/after.
It had now been three days since I had slept well, and it was starting to take its toll. I woke to the alarm and fiddled around like a zombie, trying to find the shared girls' bathroom in the hallway and then trying to find my own room again once I had cleaned up. When I was finally dressed and ready, I raced down to the kitchen, which I luckily was able to find just in time to grab a power bar as Jean shoved me out the door. The boys were waiting in the car, Scott was tapping impatiently on the steering wheel while Kurt's tail punched at the radio, searching through several stations until finally stopping at one that claimed to play all the latest hits. When we showed up, Scott ordered Kurt into the back, and opened up the passenger door for Jean. He explained it was a seniority thing that he got to drive and she got the front, but I rolled my eyes at him to let him know I knew what was up. Whether he got the message or just thought I was being a snobby kid, I'm not sure, but he was quiet for the entire ride to school. I was stuck in the back with Kurt who talked my ear off. He kept trying to tell jokes and lighten the mood, but I'm not exactly a morning person, and I was in a generally foul mood because of all the changes I'd recently been through. I did notice that he wasn't blue and furry all over, except for the tail he was busy trying to tuck in his pants. When I mentioned this, Kurt proudly showed me what looked like a watch and explained that it made him appear to look like any of us, but if anyone touched him, they would be able to tell he was furry.
"See?" He held his arm out to me as Scott parked the car. "I'm still a lovable fur ball."
"Um, Jean? Where do I go to get my class schedule?" I slid as far as I could to my side of the backseat and tapped her on the shoulder. I felt kind of guilty for blowing off the poor kid, but he still really freaked me out. I had never met anyone that was a different color, let alone as hairy as a pet. I was going to need time.
"The Professor went ahead and took care of everything. Here's your locker information, your schedule, and a map of the school. I'd take you around, but I've got a soccer team meeting. Scott can help you and Kurt, though," Jean smiled as she handed me the paperwork. Then she was gone, racing for what I supposed was the soccer fields.
"Alright," Scott shouldered his backpack and locked up the car once we had all scrambled out. "So you two are both new, so do you want a full tour of the school or should I just get you to your lockers and your first class?"
"Vatever sounds gut. Vat do you vant to do, Keety?" Kurt shrugged. I barely noticed what the boys were talking about though as I saw a tall figure with a familiar mop of brown hair slip into the school.
"Uh, I think this map will do. I'll catch up with you guys later," I spat out before running to catch up. I'm sure if I had looked back I would have found Scott scratching his head trying to understand girls and Kurt looking disappointed, but I was too focused to even think about it. Once in the school, I caught a glimpse of him rounding a corner and had to shove my way through the crowd of students to try to catch up. After following him through a maze for quite a while, I finally turned a corner to find him leaning against a locker, his eyes trained on the floor.
"Lance?" I tried to breathe in calmly and keep my pace casual.
"That'd be my name. What's it to you?" I saw his eyes shift to me for a split second before returning to the ground. He shifted his body, as if he wanted to push away from the lockers and move towards me, but wouldn't allow himself to.
"Um, it's me?" I reached out and brushed my fingers down his arm. "Kitty?"
"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" he grumbled.
"Are you serious?" I huffed. "Kitty? From Northbrook? We survived an earthquake together?"
"I tend to rock a lot of girls' worlds," he smirked. "But I'm sure it was real special, Kitten."
"KITTY!" I screeched.
"Yeah, whatever," he slouched against the locker and crossed his arms. I studied his face for a split second and saw that while his jaw was firmly set, his eyes gave off a hint of something. Guilt?
"What are you even doing here? I thought you wouldn't go to the Institute?" I shoved my finger at his chest, but he didn't move. What was going on with him?
"Still won't," he sighed and raked a hand through his hair.
"Then why are you here?" I bit my bottom lip and pushed back the tears that were starting to form.
"Got to shake things up," he chuckled just before the bell rang. With that, he pushed off from the lockers and started down the hallway. I scowled at him before looking to my paperwork. I needed to find my locker and my first class really fast now. I found my locker number in the packet Jean had handed to me and decided to look at the lockers I was now standing in front of to figure out where I was. When I looked up, I realized that the locker Lance had been leaning against was mine all along.
