"Scott, Jean, I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family." Professor Xavier gestured to the girl standing behind his wheelchair, her face hidden in shadow.

      "Hello, I'm Jean Grey, it's nice to meet you." Jean offered her hand.

      The girl stared at it for a moment, as if unsure of what to do, then she slowly extended her hand to shake Jean's.

      Scott and Jean peered into the rather gaunt face of a young girl who's age was difficult to place. She had large light grey eyes, long black hair, and skin that looked paper-thin. Something almost exoctic lurked about her face, but the eyes made it hard to tell.

      "Her name is Alanna Smythe. She is 16 years old and comes from Vermont. Alanna, Jean and Scott are Freshmen in college, but come here frequently to help out with new mutants such as yourself." Xavier smiled.

      "What did you call me?" Alanna asked, frowning

      "A mutant... We're all mutants here. My power is mind-reading and telekinetics." Jean said pleasently.

      "My power is located in my eyes. Without these sunglasses, if I looked at you, you'd be fried." Scott laughed.

      "That's... pleasent." Alanna raised an eyebrow.

      "Err, what's your power, Alanna?" Jean smiled nervously.

      "Power..." Alanna shook her head. "All I know is I fried some guy just by putting my hands up."

      "Well, Alanna, that's why you're here. We're going to help you learn to control that power inside you." Professor Xavier explained. "We've enrolled you in Bayville High. Opening term starts next week. For now you can spend your free time getting accustomed to this place. No doubt it's different from Vermont."

      "Very different..." Alanna nodded.

      "Well, since Kitty and Rogue have very irresponsibly missed this meeting, you will have to be assigned someone else to take care of you." Xavier rubbed his chin.

      "Well, Scott and I have orientation, so we're out, Kitty and Rogue are MIA, Evan is... troubled right now... Most of the kids have no clue what's going on here anyway... That leaves Kurt-"

      With a poof of smoke, a boy appeared in front of Jean, a doughnut hanging out of his mouth. "'Ou wang?" He muttered around his full mouth.

      "Kurt, we need you to show our new student around the mansion and around town." Scott told the boy.

      With a tremendous swallow, Kurt flipped long, dark bangs out of his eyes and saw Alanna for the first time.

      "Hello, I'm Kurt Vaughner. Vat's your name?" His thick German accent made Alanna's lip curl in the semblance of a smile.

      "Alanna Smythe." She said quietly.

      "You don't look like you're from around here. I'm from Germany myself." Kurt patted his pockets and removed another doughnut.

      "Err, I'm from Vermont. Near Lake Champlain. Nothing special here."

      "Doesn't matter... Come on, I'll show you the school." He took her hand, winked, and suddenly, Alanna found herself standing outside a large high school building. "Well, THAT sure beats walking..." She muttered.      She noticed something peculiar about Kurt's hand, but instead, focused her attention on the building. "Nice. Makes my old school like a tenement."

      "Vat?" Kurt looked really cute when he was puzzled!

      "It was just really crappy, that's all."

      "Oh, I see. Vat year are you in?"

      "Junior..." Alanna kicked a tiny pebble stared up at the intimidating windows.

      "At first, you should try to keep it quiet that you are a mutant... The people here don't take kindly to us.." Kurt jammed his hands into his pockets uncomfortably.

      "Why not?"

      "Cause they're afraid. Vy else?" He wiped his forehead, then observed Alanna's baggy black long sleeved shirt and jeans. "Aren't you hot?" He asked incredulously. He couldn't help but notice her clothes fit poorly.

      She turned away and discreetly wiped her face. "Err... No."

      "Oh vell. Hungry? I'm starving! I haven't eaten in--"

      "Five minutes?" Alanna asked.

      "Err, vell, four... But are you?" He noted Alanna's thin face and thought quietly to himself. He didn't imagine she had the opportunity to eat often.

      "Um, yeah." She said quietly as her stomach rumbled.

      "Are you normally so quiet or are you just shy?" Kurt asked, leaning against a lamppost.

      "Um, Idunno." She shrugged.

      "Ah, vell, it's OK. Let's get pizza!" He grabbed her hand and hauled her off down the street.

***

      "Rogue," Kitty whispered. "Do you have the feeling that we were supposed to be somewhere?"

      "Nah." Rogue hissed back. "Shut up and watch the movie."

***

      Lance hovered his slice of pizza over his mouth and let the cheese slide off. He swallowed it without chewing and crammed the rest in.

      Pietro rolled his eyes. "You're getting like Blob."

      "What's that mean?" Blob grunted as he devored an entire pizza.

      "Mean's you're a pig and so's Lance." Toad said, neglecting his slice and opting to rid the pizza parlor of flies.

      The door opened and the Brothers looked over to see Nightcrawler walk in with a strange-looking girl.

      "Hey, hey, hey! What's this! Has Fuzzball finally given up his pursuit of Pretty-Kitty for this... misfit?"

      "Who're they?" The girl sized Lance up disdainfully.

      "The Brothers... Ignore them." Kurt pulled her away.

      "Are they mutant-haters or something?" She asked.

      "No, they're mutants too... Just what you'd call our..."

      "Dark side?" Alanna glanced over at the rest of Lance's crowd.

      "Only if you want us to be, Missy." Lance put his hand on her arm.

      "Back off, Lance!"

      "Oh, and what're YOU gonna do about it, elfy? Shed on me?" Lance laughed.

      "Ooh, that hurt!" Kurt rolled his eyes. "Come on Alanna, let's sit over here."

      Alanna followed Kurt away from the sneering boys and frowned. Was this what she had to look forward to? No one had said anything about bad guys... What was she getting herself into?

******