A/N: Sad elf alert! My poor fuzzy is not having a good weekend. Okay, so this whole story is just not going his way. I do like him! He's just so easy to torment...
**********
Ding dong!
Evan slid down the banister and nearly crashed into the front door before opening it.
Apparently, whoever was on kitchen duty didn't feel like cooking tonight and had decided to order Chinese food. The someone in question now owed Evan some money.
He dropped the plastic bag on the kitchen counter and walked back to the front hall.
"Guys!" he shouted up the stairs. "Chow!"
Kitty was the first to show up, phasing in from who-knows-where. She heard an unmistakable *bamf* in the kitchen, followed by an enthusiastic whoop. Then came the sound of ripping paper, and a pause.
"Huh?" Kurt's voice floated to her ears. "Vas ist das?"
Kitty peeked around the doorframe. "They're chopsticks, Kurt," she explained. "Chinese people eat with them."
Kurt held one in each hand and made stabbing motions.
"No, silly," Kitty giggled, tearing open another red package. "Let me show you. You hold one between your thumb and first finger, like a pencil." She demonstrated, and Kurt imitated her. "Your second finger goes here. Then you pick up the other one and put your third finger under-"
"Kitty..."
"What?" she looked up. "Oh..."
Kurt put down his chopsticks and turned away. "It's okay," he said dejectedly. "I'll get some bratwurst from the refrigerator later. German boys don't need Chinese food."
Kitty stared at his back as he walked away.
Why did she have to be so *stupid* all the time?
**********
As soon as she finished off the vegetarian dish someone had thoughtfully ordered for her, Kitty went upstairs and knocked on Kurt's door.
"Ja?" came the muffled answer.
"Can I come in?" Kitty called. "I need to talk to you."
"Door's open. Not that it matters."
Kitty phased in and sat next to Kurt on the bed. "Um..." she started awkwardly.
"I know," Kurt said into his pillow. "You are sorry, you are very sorry, I don't mind."
"Oh, Kurt!" Kitty burst into tears. "Why do you have to forgive me all the time?"
Kurt sat up. "Why should't I?" he asked in confusion.
"Because I'm such a horrible person!" she wailed. "You should teleport me to some wasteland and leave me there!"
"But-"
"I deserve it, Kurt! The chopsticks, and the picture, and remember how horrible I was to you when I first got here?"
Kurt put his arms around her. "Kitty..." She sniffled and looked up at him. "I don't believe in holding grudges," he said softly. "If I remembered every bad thing anyone had ever done to me, then I wouldn't have had any room left to learn your name.
"Also," he leaned over and reached into his backpack. "I wouldn't remember to give this back to you." He pulled out the photograph.
"I'm going to go burn it," Kitty said, reaching for the picture.
Kurt held it away. "I'm not going to give it to you if you talk like that," he said seriously.
"But-"
"No buts, Katzchen," he insisted. "Go frame it, and make a note so you don't forget to take another one next year."
"Oh, you!" Kitty pushed him away, snatched the picture from his hand, and phased out of the room.
**********
You have received a message from PopularGal. Do you want to accept it? Yes/No
Kitty hit the Enter key, and a new window popped up on her computer screen.
PopularGal: Hey Kitty
Kitty bent her fingers over the keyboard.
Sprite: What do you want?
PopularGal: I've been looking at that picture
Sprite: I have the picture!
PopularGal: I made a copy
Sprite: You WHAT???
PopularGal: several
PopularGal: y are u and ur friends wearing those crazy clothes?
Kitty needed a good lie. Quickly.
Sprite: It's a Halloween picture. We all wore matching costumes.
PopularGal: y is Lander there?
Sprite: He heard us talking about the picture in school and wanted to be in it.
PopularGal: Didn't u notice he was blue?
Sprite: He told us it was his costume.
PopularGal: OK
A pause.
PopularGal: Where's my friend Kurt? Doesn't he hang out w/ u guys?
*Whose* friend? Kitty had visions of socking Amy in the face and then killing her by phasing through some vital organs.
Sprite: Yeah. He was off visiting his parents.
There was a long pause. Kitty wondered if Amy's computer had crashed.
PopularGal: I don't believe u. Something weird is going on. I'm going 2 find out what it is.
PopularGal has signed off.
Kitty threw herself onto the bed. Why was she cursed with this habit of messing things up? She closed her eyes and hugged her stuffed dragon tightly.
**********
Ding dong!
Evan slid down the banister and nearly crashed into the front door before opening it.
Apparently, whoever was on kitchen duty didn't feel like cooking tonight and had decided to order Chinese food. The someone in question now owed Evan some money.
He dropped the plastic bag on the kitchen counter and walked back to the front hall.
"Guys!" he shouted up the stairs. "Chow!"
Kitty was the first to show up, phasing in from who-knows-where. She heard an unmistakable *bamf* in the kitchen, followed by an enthusiastic whoop. Then came the sound of ripping paper, and a pause.
"Huh?" Kurt's voice floated to her ears. "Vas ist das?"
Kitty peeked around the doorframe. "They're chopsticks, Kurt," she explained. "Chinese people eat with them."
Kurt held one in each hand and made stabbing motions.
"No, silly," Kitty giggled, tearing open another red package. "Let me show you. You hold one between your thumb and first finger, like a pencil." She demonstrated, and Kurt imitated her. "Your second finger goes here. Then you pick up the other one and put your third finger under-"
"Kitty..."
"What?" she looked up. "Oh..."
Kurt put down his chopsticks and turned away. "It's okay," he said dejectedly. "I'll get some bratwurst from the refrigerator later. German boys don't need Chinese food."
Kitty stared at his back as he walked away.
Why did she have to be so *stupid* all the time?
**********
As soon as she finished off the vegetarian dish someone had thoughtfully ordered for her, Kitty went upstairs and knocked on Kurt's door.
"Ja?" came the muffled answer.
"Can I come in?" Kitty called. "I need to talk to you."
"Door's open. Not that it matters."
Kitty phased in and sat next to Kurt on the bed. "Um..." she started awkwardly.
"I know," Kurt said into his pillow. "You are sorry, you are very sorry, I don't mind."
"Oh, Kurt!" Kitty burst into tears. "Why do you have to forgive me all the time?"
Kurt sat up. "Why should't I?" he asked in confusion.
"Because I'm such a horrible person!" she wailed. "You should teleport me to some wasteland and leave me there!"
"But-"
"I deserve it, Kurt! The chopsticks, and the picture, and remember how horrible I was to you when I first got here?"
Kurt put his arms around her. "Kitty..." She sniffled and looked up at him. "I don't believe in holding grudges," he said softly. "If I remembered every bad thing anyone had ever done to me, then I wouldn't have had any room left to learn your name.
"Also," he leaned over and reached into his backpack. "I wouldn't remember to give this back to you." He pulled out the photograph.
"I'm going to go burn it," Kitty said, reaching for the picture.
Kurt held it away. "I'm not going to give it to you if you talk like that," he said seriously.
"But-"
"No buts, Katzchen," he insisted. "Go frame it, and make a note so you don't forget to take another one next year."
"Oh, you!" Kitty pushed him away, snatched the picture from his hand, and phased out of the room.
**********
You have received a message from PopularGal. Do you want to accept it? Yes/No
Kitty hit the Enter key, and a new window popped up on her computer screen.
PopularGal: Hey Kitty
Kitty bent her fingers over the keyboard.
Sprite: What do you want?
PopularGal: I've been looking at that picture
Sprite: I have the picture!
PopularGal: I made a copy
Sprite: You WHAT???
PopularGal: several
PopularGal: y are u and ur friends wearing those crazy clothes?
Kitty needed a good lie. Quickly.
Sprite: It's a Halloween picture. We all wore matching costumes.
PopularGal: y is Lander there?
Sprite: He heard us talking about the picture in school and wanted to be in it.
PopularGal: Didn't u notice he was blue?
Sprite: He told us it was his costume.
PopularGal: OK
A pause.
PopularGal: Where's my friend Kurt? Doesn't he hang out w/ u guys?
*Whose* friend? Kitty had visions of socking Amy in the face and then killing her by phasing through some vital organs.
Sprite: Yeah. He was off visiting his parents.
There was a long pause. Kitty wondered if Amy's computer had crashed.
PopularGal: I don't believe u. Something weird is going on. I'm going 2 find out what it is.
PopularGal has signed off.
Kitty threw herself onto the bed. Why was she cursed with this habit of messing things up? She closed her eyes and hugged her stuffed dragon tightly.