Title: Another Brick in the Wall

Author: Lea of Mirkwood

Disclaimer: If I made up The Faculty I would not be fiddling with my stereo to make it work; I would have a new one. Also, there would have been no Casey/Delilah kiss at the end. So no, I do not own the Faculty. Just Kit, and Greengrass, Wyoming, which by the way does not exist. I do not own Dirty Dancing.

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"The mountain lion crouched. It wiggled its hindquarters, narrowed its eyes to slits, fixing its predatory gaze on Thunder. And then...it pounced!"

The brush outside the hut thumped against the side of the wall and they all screamed.

"You guys, it's just a branch," said Kit exasperatedly. Nell shoved her.

"Well how were we supposed to know that?" she said nervously. Just then they heard an unearthly wail from right next to the hut, the wall Casey was leaning against. He yelped and launched himself towards the middle of the small circular space. Everyone looked at the door. It rattled. Rattled again. Rob crawled over and put his arms around Kit. Alec crept up behind Katie and reached around her and got a hand slapped for the effort. It rattled again.

"Boo!"

Everyone screamed and the hut came alive in a frenzied flurry of movement. As everyone was trying to get a spot farthest from the door or farthest under other people they all heard a deep masculine laugh. Kit peeked out from under Rob's arm and groaned.

"Da-ad..." she complained. Everyone started extricating themselves from where they had dived for cover. Hayden came out from behind the small folding chain, smoothing her strawberry-blond hair and glowering at her uncle.

"Uncle Benjamin," she said frostily. "That wasn't a bit funny."

Casey, who was trying to squirm his way out form under both Kit and Nell, was inclined to agree. Alec had made an attempt at chivalry and dove in front of Katie as the door opened. What had happened was, as Rob had tried to shield Kit, Kit had dived to the left to shove Nell and Casey to the ground, who were nearest. Rob had tried to continue to shield his girlfriend and had thrown himself on top, crushing Kit. Hayden (no one had leaped to shield her) had scurried behind the chair while Alec had skidded across the floor to throw himself in front of Katie, who had covered her head with a pillow. Casey had been sitting in front of Nell, and when Kit had launched herself over, he had quickly laid down to avoid being crushed. Unfortunately, this had also made it easier for Nell and Kit to fall on top of him. He now managed to get out. Everyone stared at Kit's father for a few minutes and then looked around at what they were doing and started to laugh. When they finally calmed down, Mr. O'Connell shook his head ruefully.

"Good thing I didn't wear my cougar mask."

"Daddy, was that you doing the scream?" asked Kit accusingly.

"Me? No," said Mr. O'Connell gravely. "It wasn't me. It might have been Goldie, the she-lion of these parts."

Casey paled.

"Or," added Mr. O'Connell, pulling something out of his bag. "It just might have been this," he said, holding out a small tape player. He grinned.

"Da-ad!" groaned Kit as the rest of the cabin went, "Mr. O'Con-nell!"

He laughed. "Don't mind me, guys. But here. Doritos, Coke, Cheetos and a couple movies. You've already got the," he paused, looking at the folding chair. "already got the TV, so I guess you're set! Good night everybody!"

"'Night, Daddy," said Kit, kissing him on the cheek. "Love you!"

"Love you too, sweetie. Now don't go outside without the Winchester."

"Won't. See you tomorrow!"

"See you. Good night girls...and guys!" he added hurriedly. "No funny business! Kit, don't forget the other use for the Winchester!"

And with that, he ducked out and shut the door behind him.

"Awww...did widdle Hayden get scared?" cooed Kit. "Was widdle Hayden terrified? I noticed no one leaped to save Hayden, did they?"

"Like you weren't scared," scoffed Hayden.

"Like you weren't scared," mimicked Katie and Nell together, rolling their eyes. Everyone settled back against the walls and Kit walked on her knees to the center of the circular hut.

"Okay, people! What do we want to do first?"

"Movies and cake! Movies and cake!" cheered Alec and Katie.

"Any other votes from the peanut galleria?" called Kit. Silence. "And movies and cake it is!" finished Kit, bowing to the rest of the hut. Rob reached out and caught her around the waist and pulled her over onto his lap. She giggled and called out her next vote from the safety of Rob's arms. "What movie?" (The Faculty, The Faculty! Wait, that wouldn't work!)

"Lethal Weapon!" yelled Nell. (*salutes Rene*)

"Terminator!" yelled Rob. Kit clapped her hands over her ears. ("Oh, I'm sorry, Kit. Are you okay?")

"Dirty Dancing!" yelled Katie.

"Dirty Dancing!" added Alec.

"The Shining!" voted Casey. Everyone shivered. (C'mon, The Shining, outside, in the dark, in mountain lion country. No way. That's like watching Signs in an outdoor theater in a cornfield.)

"Excalibur-"

Hayden barely got the word out when everyone but Casey yelled, "No!"

Kit sat up straight. "Okay, okay, okay! The only one with two votes wins! Dirty Dancing! Plus, I vote for it too."

As the previews were rolling, Kit stood up in the middle of the hut to announce the rules of viewing.

"Okay, here are the rules! You have to dance! ("Oh no" murmured Casey) Any time they get up to dance, we must dance too. That is in exception to the Shelldrake mambo number and the end dance. However, with the end dance, after their solo is done and Baby does the lift, then you may dance. Everyone must sing when they sing. And what do we all yell?" cried Kit, cupping her hand to her ear.

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner!" yelled everyone except Rob and Casey. Casey, because he hadn't seen Dirty Dancing before and Rob because he was sick of Dirty Dancing.

"Okay, everybody be quiet! It's starting!" announced Nell.

"That was the summer of 1963 when everybody called me Baby, and it didn't occur to me to mind. That was before president Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came, when I couldn't wait to join the Peace Corps, and I thought I'd never find a guy as great as my dad."

"Aw, how sweet. Katie, isn't there a name for that kind of thing? Like the opposite of an Oedipus syndrome?"

"I don't know, I haven't read about that yet."

"Oh, okay."

"Oh my god! Look at that mom, I should have brought those coral shoes, you said I was taking too much!"

"Well sweetheart you brought ten pairs!"

"But the Coral shoes match that dress!"

"Oh, the pain! The loss of coral shoes! I feel for you, really," mocked Kit.

Penny and Johnny are doing the mambo.

"God, I want to learn how to do that," sighed Kit and Nell together.

"Can you keep a secret? Your parents would kill you. Max would kill me!"

"Do you love me? (I can really move)

Do you love me? (I'm in the groove)

Ah do you love? (Do you love me)

Now that I can dance (dance)

Watch me now, oh!"

"Okay! Dancing!" yelled Katie.

"Oh, no. No, I think I'll just stay right here," said Casey, blushing crimson. Hayden stood up and looked at everyone else.

"Oh come on!" begged Kit. "There's a shortage of guys! Nell's already sitting it out, you can at least make an effort!"

Casey shook his head, mute. He hissed at Kit, "Kit. I hardly know these people."

Kit frowned. "Well, you know me." She politely excused herself from Rob and held out her hand to Casey. He took it, and she pulled him up.

"There you go!" she laughed easily. "Put your arm here. Okay, now like this... good! That's better."

Casey loosely wrapped his arms around Kit's waist and she put her arms around his neck. Neither of them noticed when Rob started dancing with Hayden.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Sometimes in this world you see things you don't want to see."

"Like you!"

"I've been meaning to tell you

I've got this feelin' that won't subside..."

"Oh god! Oh, I love this song!"

"I look at you and I fantasize

You're mine tonight

Now I've got you in my sights

With these hungry eyes."

Kit jumped up and grabbed Rob by the hand and pulled him up to her. Kit gazed into his eyes with an intense look that made everyone else in the room look away.

"Me! I'm scared of everything, I'm scared of what I saw, of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you!"

--- --- ---

"Okay, now that we've indulged in Kit's little obsession with Dirty Dancing-"

"Which is probably because that's all she and Rob do at school dances," interjected Alec. "Sorry, Katie. Do go on."

"Thank you. Anyway, I think we should indulge in a little healthy game of truth or dare."

Casey groaned, remembering the last time he'd played truth or dare with Kit, and the humiliating secrets he'd been coerced into revealing.

"Oh, I'll pass," he said uncomfortably. Kit laughed.

"Casey doesn't like truth or dare since I made him reveal his deepest, darkest secrets to me the night after he got drunk."

"Oh that sounds interesting," laughed Nell, reaching for some popcorn. They all laughed.

--- --- ---

It was late. Everyone was feeling a sort of languid exhaustion. Casey shifted against the pillows piled against the wall. His eyelids started getting heavy, but not with sleepiness. He felt so completely content and stuffed! He hadn't consumed so much junk food since middle school. He glanced over at Kit and Rob. Kit's head was resting on Rob's chest and Rob's hand was lightly resting on Kit's stomach. Nell was leaning against the same mountain of pillows, telling Casey in a completely animated way about last year's school polls.

"Kit and Rob won 'Most Likely to Have Ten Children.' I won 'Most Likely to Meet Stephen King On A Flight To Newark.' Alec was 'Most Likely to End Up in Jail,' I really don't know why! They obviously didn't know about the time Kit Silly Stringed the bronze cougar in the courtyard-"

Casey laughed, then shook his head. "Sorry. Go on."

"Yeah, retellings of that incident usually bring a pretty strong reaction! Anyway, Katie was 'Most Likely to Psycho-analyze Hannibal Lecter.'"

"What was Hayden?"

Nell leaned towards Casey conspiratorially. "'Most Likely to Eat Own Young.'"

Casey burst out laughing along with Nell.

--- --- ---

VOTING TIME!!!!

This is my reader input section. Angelina, don't even bother. ^^ send in a review for a response. Thanks! Love you all!

Vote: who should end up together at the end?

Vote: Should Kit go to the Winter Dance? Should Casey go to the winter dance? Should Zeke go to the Winter Dance? Should Stokely?

Kit should go. Casey should go. Kit and Casey should go. Stokely should go. Kit and Casey should stay home and watch movies. Zeke should go. Zeke and Kit should go together. (If anyone picks this I will tear my hair out and kill Zeke in the next chapter.)

Vote: Should there be one big fight scene in which Kit and Delilah try to kill each other? (oh, please? I really want to have Kit kick her boo-tay)

Vote: Should I write for the summer after senior year? (I'm already going to write college and adulthood, so don't worry, but I thought a summer would be fun.)