Emili was smiling as she left English. She was glad that she didn't have to find another friend in that class, since Kurt was in the class with her. In fact, as they were comparing their schedules, the two found out that they were each other's classes for the rest of the day. That made Emili feel all warm inside, but she didn't know why. Emili just assumed that she was glad that she wouldn't be by herself for the remainder of the school day. Emili was also smiling because it was time for lunch, and that means she would finally be able to see Mike again.

Emili and Kurt got their lunches and Kurt lead the way to the table outside where the other kids at the Institute were already seated. "Mike!" Emili yelled and ran over to the table. Mike stood up at the table and gave her a hug. "How was it?" she asked.

"It was... good, very good," Mike said, thinking and nodding at the same time.

Emili gave him a look. "What's her name?"

"Ashley. She's so nice and cute and smart, but she has this huge boyfriend," Mike told her, frowning.

Emili gave him a questioning look. "How huge is huge? You're pretty large yourself."

"I look like a four -year-old next to him, Em."

"Oh crap," Emili told him.

The others were giving them a weird look. "So Emili," Scott said. "How's your first day going? I hear that you were by yourself first period."

"That was pretty bad, yeah," Emili told the group, "but it got better. I actually made a friend. Oh, there he is." Emili waved across the courtyard to Lance. He gave her a sup nod in response.

Evan choked on his water. "Your 'new friend' is Lance Alvers?"

Mike and Emili shared puzzled looks. "Is there a problem with him?" Mike asked.

"Problem?" Scott asked. "Problem? That kid is a walking problem. The first day we met he tried to use Kitty to steal test answers. Lance is a no-good punk, a juvenile delinquent. He steals things!"

"Oh boo hoo," Emili said. Everyone stared at her. "We've all stolen things. Lord knows Mike and I have stolen more than you could believe. Ow!" Emili responded to Mike elbowing her in the side.

"Yeah, cause you had to steal things to like, live and stuff," Kitty told her.

"Listen Emili, its great that you always try to see the good-side in people, but trust me, you have to leave Lance alone," Jean said with Kitty nodding in encouragement.

"Ja," Kurt said. A protective gleam shown in his eyes as he looked at Emili. "Ve just don't vant you to get in trouble for something you didn't do because of him."

"Emili," Scott said. "Please don't continue your friendship with Lance or anyone from the Brotherhood for that matter. After lunch, break it off, please?"

"God, you'd think I'm dating Jack the Ripper," Emili huffed. Everyone but Mike looked at her pleadingly. "Fine,whatever."

Everyone at the table exhaled a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the courtyard, Lance and the rest of the Brotherhood were busy eating and trying to look like hoodlums. There were four others in the Brotherhood besides Lance: Toad, a slightly green, dirty boy with green tinged skin who had toad-like abilities; Blob, a huge, stupid boy with blonde hair and the power of strength; Pietro, or Quicksilver, who had a silver-y gleam to him and had super speed; and Rouge, a goth girl from Mississippi who had the ability to steal other mutant's powers and human's energy from a single touch. He ate some of his sandwich when Toad hopped over to him.

"Hey, um, Lance," Toad said, using his long, toad-like tongue to grab his own sandwich. "Who was that chick you nodded to?"

"Her name's Emili," Lance said, not looking at him. "She's new."

"Yeah but uh, Lance," Toad continued. "She's an X-men."

"You're point being..." Lance asked.

"Our point being," Pietro said, walking smugly towards him, "that she is the enemy. Since when are we friends with the enemy?"

Lance snarled his lip. He hated Pietro. He was smug, stuck up, and arrogant, and he acted as though he was better then all of them. "Trust me man," Lance said defensively. "She ain't like them. She's cool. You should have seen her in Study Hall."

"I think you like her!" Blob dumbly announced.

"I do not like her you idiot," Lance answered shortly. "I've got my eye on someone else." Lance looked at Kitty across the courtyard and his heartbeat went a little faster. Emili looked up at him from her conversation and followed his glance back towards Kitty. She quickly gave him a puzzling look and her friend, a tall strong guy looked up at him with the same expression.

"I think its a good idea for Lance and Emili to be friends," Rouge spoke up, her southern accent as strong as ever. "I mean, it would help, like, avoid fights and stuff."

"Rouge we have to fight them," Quicksilver replied. "We have to show them that we are better. Lance, you cannot be friends with this chick."

All at once, all the guys were telling Lance to break his friendship with Emili. "Ugh fine! Whatever!" Lance yelled, causing some people to look at him. "I'll tell her after lunch."

"Yeah, Lance! Good choice!" Blob cheered merrily, slapping Lance on the shoulder. Lance fell out of his chair. Blob was as strong as he was fat.

"Yeah whatever," Lance said, finishing his sandwich.

Lunch soon ended with everyone off to their next class. Emili and Lance walked up to each other in the middle of the courtyard. Mike was by Emili's side, since they had computer class together this period. "Hey," Emili said to Lance as he walked up. He repeated the greeting. "This is my foster brother/ best friend Michael."

The two boys shook hands. "So Emili, I was talking with the Brotherhood during lunch, and I got something to tell you."

Emili nodded. "Me too," she said.

"Well," Lance said. "They don't think we should be friends."

"Yeah, the X-men want the same thing," Emili said, shaking her head.

"So what should we do?" Lance asked.

Emili and Michael looked at each other. "Me and Mike were discussing it, and we feel we came up with a suitable plan."

"And what is that?"

"I was planning on being friends in the privacy of first period and let them think that we aren't friends. I would just completely ignore them, but I don't think I could stand another stupid lecture," Emili concluded.

Lance stood there and smiled. He turned to Mike. "And you approve of this?"

Mike smiled back. "Emili was telling me about you. You remind me of some of my street friends- no offense."

Lance smiled, and the two boys fist bumped. "None taken, man."

"Now," Emili said, interrupting their bro-manse, "on to more pressing issues." She turned to Lance. "You like Kitty?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Shut up."