After my defense team had been steered away from the room, I'd asked Professor Xavier if I could still go to school. There had been another ten minutes of hasty disputes, but he had finally given in, but insisted that I got a lift with Scott and Jean, because I was in no state to drive.
I quickly changed out of my New Recruits uniform and placed my X-Men uniform in the closet, running my fingers over the smooth fabric. Scott had brought up my clothes and backpack from the training room lockers.
"Just cause you're part of the X-Men, doesn't mean you get out of school." Scott smiled, he'd waited outside my bedroom so that he could show me to the garage.
"If you could, I would have found a way to avoid it by now," Evan said as he ran past us. The walked out of the main building and Scott lead me round the side to a garage full of cars.
"The Professor wanted me to take you into school today, Lula. I hope that's okay?"
"Umm… I'd sorta promised to drive Rogue."
"Are you sure you're up for it?"
Kurt was stood next to one of the civilian cars. "Don't worry, I can take you." He waggled his eyebrows and Scott rolled his eyes.
"I thought the Professor said you weren't allowed to drive after to almost totaled Wolverine's favourite?"
Kurt laughed nervously. "Well-"
"I'll be fine," I insisted.
"Is Lula going to be diriving us?" Kitty clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh my gosh that would be so cool. There is no way I am, like, ever getting in a car with Kurt again."
"Let me guess you were the passenger on his off-road trip?"
"Two weeks of washing the X-Mobile." She shrugged.
"Well I hope it was worth it!" Scott calls. "Does any one want a ride in?"
"Oh, Mr. Popular is feeling generous today?" Rogue appeared at my side. I couldn't quite gauge her feelings for Scott, sometimes she seemed hostile and other times she was ready to bite into him with whatever chance she got.
"I'm with Lula," she announced, and pulled me over to her car of choice. It was a small black convertible with purple lining.
"Isn't this a bit glamorous for going to school?"
"Yeah, that's our Sirens car!" Kitty phased herself into the shotgun seat.
I laughed. "Sirens?"
Rogue gave me a knowing smile. "Hey, maybe the Sirens will make a come back, now that Boom Boom's out of here we could do with a new member."
Scott walked over to the car. "Yeah, but you also got put on probation for that stunt."
"What is it with y'all and listenin' in?" Rogue shot Scott a scathing look, before turning back to the car. "You better get to school, Scott. Wouldn't want to ruin your perfect attendance." She shot over her shoulder. "Kitty, I'm in front."
"Whatever," Kitty grumbled, and I had a feeling she was often kicked out of her choice seat.
"Hey, hey! You ladies have a spare seat?" Kurt bounded over. "There's always room for the K-Man."
"Uh, get away, Kurt! This is the girl's car."
"Come on, dude," Evan patted Kurt's shoulder. "You don't want to be seen in such a girly car anyway."
Kurt looked over to Scott's car, where Amara, Rahne and Bobby had already taken the back seats.
Rogue smiled devilishly. "You know what that means, boys?"
Mr. Logan sauntered into the garage. "Alright, laze-abouts, who's riding in the X-Mobile. You're in luck, I'm driving."
Kurt and Evan groaned, and I revved the engine.
"See you at school!" Rogue laughed as we pulled out and made our way to Bayville High.
The closer we got the more nervous I felt, and by the time we'd made it to the school parking lot I was just about ready to turn back and drive straight home to Toby and the swim team. I thought training for the Galas was hard until I was introduced to the X-Men, and suddenly things got a lot harder.
I was still caught up on by inability to properly help my friends, but on the way over Rogue and Kitty kept reassuring me that they'd help me out after school. "If we don't get a load of homework that is." Kitty sighed dramatically.
Bayville High was ever larger than my old school, and I had absolutely no idea how they expected me to navigated myself to the bathrooms, let alone class.
"Don't worry," Kitty had said, when I'd voiced my concerns. "I'm sure the Professor's sorted everything out so you're in classes with one of us."
"Kitty, I thought you were only a sophomore, and Jean and Scott are seniors…which leaves Evan and Kurt. Yeah, I'm sure they'll be in a good mood after Mr. Logan's driving."
"They'll help you," Kitty said determinedly. "We're X-Men, that's what we do."
Rogue and I waved goodbye to Kitty and we headed to the Principal's office.
"Be warned, the Principal's actually Mystique."
"Mystique?"
"Nemesis. She's got her cronies, the Brotherhood, enrolled here to watch over us. She wants to keep an eye on the Professor really."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"Don't worry so much. When she's in her disguise she can't let on she knows who we really are, but don't be fooled. She definitely knows you're one of us now."
"Great."
I collected my timetable from the receptionist outside of the Principal's office, and was told to wait on one of the hard plastic seats. Rogue tried to wait with me, but was told, rather sharply, by the receptionist who, despite her old lady looks, was anything but nice.
"I'll see you later." Rogue gave me a small wave as she was shuffled out of the office.
"Next!" Principal Darkholme shouts from her office. I gingerly turn the handle of the door and walk in. "Ah, Tallulah Avery." She gestured to the seat in front of her desk. "What a surprise, and I see that you're living in Xavier's Institute?" She had a devilish smile plastered over her face.
"That's right," I whisper.
"Well then, I assume that you will get along just fine at Bayville." Darkholme smirked, and a shiver ran down my spine. "I'd like to introduce you to Lance Alvers, Pietro Maximoff and Todd Tolansky." Three boys strode into the room and assembled themselves behind the Principal. The boy who was reminiscent of a toad flicked his tongue at me, the other two looked disinterested. "I suggest that if you would like to really excel at Bayville then you would take the advice of these boys. They can really help you settle in."
"The Institute has helped me settle in just fine, Principal Darkholme."
A muscle jumped in her jaw, and I saw the boy who Darkholme had introduced as Lance give me a curious look. The boy in the middle – Pietro - hadn't given me a second glance.
"Hmm. Why don't I let the three of you get acquainted? You don't want to be late for class."
I looked at Todd and flinched when he moved closer. I'd rather drown than have him within three inches of my body. He absolutely reeked.
Lance opened the door for me, and before I knew it I was walking to class, flanked by three of the strangest boys I'd ever met. I assumed that because Mystique herself had introduced me to them, they must also had particular powers.
"So," the voice belonged to Lance. "You're Xavier's new pet."
"Uh-"
He laughed.
"So what can you do?" I looked around nervously, but before I could answer, Todd interrupted.
"Yeah, like, this little thing can do something cool."
"Right, Toad. Because being a slime ball is really cool." A girl with spiky blond hair ran up behind him and smacked him on the shoulder.
"Boom Boom!" He shouted.
"Hey, hey, you don't want the losers to come out and find us do you?" She looked over at me. "Cutting class on your first day? Why are you hanging out with this riff raff?" She laughed manically at her own joke.
I recognized the name, and suddenly remembered that Rogue had mentioned a Boom Boom when talking about the Sirens. Did that mean she was one of the X-Men? Could I trust her?
The boy with the white hair still hadn't said a word, and didn't seem at all fazed by Boom Boom's interruption.
"Leave us alone, Tabitha. Fishtail was just about to tell us her power."
I played with my fishtail braid defensively. "Actually, I wasn't going to tell you anything."
"Still wanna play for the good side?" Launce teased. "You'll change your mind eventually every one does."
"Like you changed your mind at one point, Lance? Just for Kitty?" Pietro finally spoke up. He ran in circles around our group at an abnormally fast pace.
"Kitty?" I asked, and Lance blushed. I stopped in my tracks when I realized that they were about to lead me outside. "I have to get to class," I said.
"What have you got?" Tabitha asked.
"Physics." Oh great, I thought as I read my timetable, not wanting to remember my last Physics lesson.
"Me too!" Toad said.
Eugh.
"I'll just be going now." I gave a quick wave and scuttled back down the corridor.
"Hey wait!" Lance called after me. "Don't you need someone to show you the way?"
Pietro was beside me in a flash. "I can handle that. No one is as fast as me." He took hold of my wrist and ran so fast that I almost tripped. Toad jumped from wall to wall to follow us. I spotted a water fountain just down the hall, and just as I thought about it water erupted from the spout and soaked Toad and Pietro as they went past. I stayed completely dry. I spotted Rogue in the classroom next to the fountain, and she'd saved me a space. "Nice to meet you boys, I'll make sure to tell Principal Darkholme about how great the tour was." And with that I walked into the class and shut the door in their faces.
A hint of a smile played at Rogue's lips and she asked, "You okay?" when I sat down. I gave her a nod, and indicated to a soaking wet Pietro and Road as they walked in to take their seats.
"I think they know what my power is now." I laughed with Rogue, until the teacher told us to quiet down.
My phone buzzed in my bag, and I knew that it was probably Toby asking me how everything was going. Swimmingly, I thought, and had to bite back a laugh.