"Kitty. Kitty!" someone shook me ungraciously awake. I moaned, half- conscious. "C'mon," the person groaned, and pulled me out of bed. Suddenly, I was wide awake as I felt energy flow from me to the person. I started to gasp for air, and the person quickly let go.

I was able to breathe again, so I pulled air in quickly to my lungs and my eyes fluttered open. Rogue knelt over me in concern. "Kitty?" she asked. "Are you all right?"

"What happened?" I asked, sitting up slowly, taking care not to bump my head. "I touched you," Rogue said, and a cloud of puzzlement crossed her face. "I don't understand, though. I was wearing my gloves so I should not have affected you so quickly."

I looked at her hands, and held up her right one carefully. A tiny hole was located at the fingertip.

"Oh," Rogue said weakly. "I'm sorry, Kitty, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," I assured her. "You didn't hurt me." Then I saw the clock. "Oh, shitake!" I groaned. "We're gonna be late for breakfast!"

"I'm ready," Rogue said. "Just hurry and get ready, don't bother taking a shower-unless you put cleanliness before eating."

I threw on a pair of clothes that someone had laid on my bed, and found they fitted just right. "Ready?" Rogue asked. "Yeah," I said breathlessly. "Okay, we have two minutes before the dining room doors close. We're gonna have to run!"

We took off at a sprint, me breathing heavily, Rogue silent. "I'm guessing," I wheezed to her, "you've done this...several times."

"Actually," Rogue replied, "yes, that, and we have to run a mile every day in self-defense class." "Will I?" I asked her between breaths. "Depends on where you fit in with your skills," Rogue answered.

We burst through the dining room with five seconds to spare. Jean closed the door just after we entered. "Good morning, Rogue, Kitty," she smiled.

"Good morning, Jean," Rogue answered. I was too out of breath to say anything. "Try to be a bit more on time tomorrow, okay?" Jean patted my back. I nodded, clutching my stomach trying to ease the pain.

"You go sit down over there next to the window," Rogue pointed to a table where a boy was already sitting eating waffles. "Bobby?" I asked. "Yeah," Rogue smiled dreamily, and then jolted back to real life. "What do you want to eat? I'll get it for you."

"Uh..." I thought quickly. "Two waffles, no butter, and a blueberry muffin, I guess," I said, eyeing the delectable muffin on another girl's plate.

"Okay," Rogue said, and got into the line. I went over to sit down across the table from Bobby, leaving Rogue the seat between us.

"Hi," I smiled. "Um, hi," he said, a little surprised. "You new?" "Yeah," I answered. "Just arrived last night." "Oh, so that's why the chopper was out," he said in realization. "Um, I guess," I said. "I'm Kitty. Kitty Pryde. Nice to meet you."

He shook my hand and took another bite of waffle. "Nice to meet you, Kitty. I'm Bobby, Rogue's boyfriend."

"I know," I said. "You do?" he said. "Oh, telepathic, aren't you?" I laughed. "Everybody thinks so, but no. I-"

All of a sudden, of its own accord, my body suddenly fell through the seat and I landed on the floor.

Bobby laughed, but not unkindly. "Cool," he said. "Not really. I fall through everything, I can't control it," I said, trying not to laugh as well but failing.

"How do you know Rogue?" he asked me. "We're room-mates," I answered.

Just then, Rogue appeared. "Here you go," she said, handing me my plate. "Thanks," I said, and discovered that laughing had made me catch my breath again.

"Hey, Bobby," she said. "Hey, Rogue, whazzup?" he said with a smile. "You know Kitty?" she said. "Yeah," he answered. "What classes is she in with us?" "Not sure yet," I answered. "Storm hasn't told me yet."

Right on cue, Storm walked up to me. "Here's your schedule, Kitty," she said, handing me a paper. "Thanks," I said to her, and turned my attention to the paper.

"What's it say?" Rogue asked, craning her neck to look. "I have lit. first," I began. "Cool, that's with me," Bobby interrupted, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Awesome!" I exclaimed. "Biology second, geometry third-"

"You're in geometry?" Rogue asked. "You should be in algebra II." "I'm good at math," I shrugged. "What can I say?"

"History fourth-""Hey, you're with me there!" Rogue said. "Oh, coolie!" I exclaimed. "Then lunch-""Everybody has lunch together," Bobby explained. "Just in separate rooms." "Self-defense fifth-""You're with both of us," Rogue interrupted.

"Foreign language sixth-""What're you gonna take?" Bobby asked. "I'm thinking either French or Italian," I answered. "Ooh, please take French with me!" Rogue begged. "I hate everybody in that class!"

"I think you're right," I agreed. "French is much better than Italian." "Awesome!" Rogue said.

"Eighth...Indecisive?" I wrinkled my nose in confusion. "That's just in case it gets lost somewhere," Bobby explained. "Prof. Xavier doesn't want anybody knowing we're mutants-for our safety."

"So...what is Indecisive?" I asked. "They teach us to control our powers," Rogue explained.

"Ah." I tucked the paper away into my sweater, and started to eat. We continued to talk until the warning bell.

"Bye, Bobby," Rogue kissed him, briefly and quickly before her powers could begin to work on him. "See ya, Rogue," he waved. "Bye, Kitty!" Rogue called to me before beginning to run down to her algebra II class before she was late. "Bye!" I waved to her, and continued to walk with Bobby down the hall.

"So, what's your ability?" I asked him. "Oh, I never told you, did I?" he laughed. "I'll show you."

We stopped for a moment, paying no attention to the flow of students behind us. He breathed softly into my hand, and a frost grew over it.

"Whoa!" I shook the ice crystals from my hand. "That is totally cool! No pun intended." We laughed. "I think you're gonna be a good friend, Kitty," Bobby smiled at me. "I think so, too," I smiled.

That day passed in a blur. First period wasn't as tense as second and third because I actually knew someone there. Being in biology and geometry without having someone to whisper to or at least glance at for comfort was torture.

Professor Xavier was kind, however, but nevertheless treated me like I had been there all my life, asking me about my knowledge on a certain subject, and although normally I'm at ease talking in front of people, it just made me nervous talking before people I didn't even know.

I was so relieved when fourth period came, and I had history with Rogue. "Save me!" I whispered to her, huddling behind her as students came in. "What's wrong?" Rogue asked.

"There are so many people, and I have no idea about how to act!" I whispered. Rogue took hold of my shoulders and looked me square in the eye.

"Kitty, get a grip. Be yourself. They're just like you, and they're all friendly, nice, and totally annoying if they start gabbing at you about their powers. You'll be fine."

I realized Rogue was right, although this seemed to go against everything that she believed in. Nevertheless, I tried to take her advice, and it did seem to work.

Lunch that day was a relief. I couldn't wait to talk to Rogue and Bobby, until I realized that Bobby was in a different room than me and Rogue. Nonetheless, I enjoyed talking to Rogue even better than with Bobby.

Rogue was different, unusual, but a great friend. She and I had much in common, I realized. We both liked pepperoni pizza, which, to my mind, is a great issue that people must agree on; otherwise, a friendship is basically caput.

Anyway, we talked, and I came to know her very well, and saw that she loved Bobby so much it must hurt her at night. "How can you stand it?" I asked hesitantly. "Stand what?" she asked, sipping her Coke. "Not...not touching anyone," I said. "You don't mind me asking, do you?"

"No," Rogue answered, throwing her plate away. "I just pretend that I'll have to deal with it tomorrow, so I put it off until then, and I put it off until the next tomorrow, so it keeps going. I never have to deal with it. I will, eventually, I know, but at least not today."

"That makes sense," I agreed, getting up. "I am so not ready for fifth period," I groaned. "I hear ya," Rogue answered. "Isn't Jean the best teacher?" "Totally," I answered. "And Scott is like, so cute!"

"I know!" Rogue squealed. We jumped up and down together, and I know that Rogue instantly regretted it, as she doesn't like emotion all that much, but me? Well, it felt good to have a friend to jump and squeal with, even in private!

The rest of the day was a breeze, except for fifth period: self-defense. I was ranked very high in that level, with Rogue and Bobby, actually, which, I am told, is very high. Rogue was surprised to see me, she said she had had to work her way to up to that level, and I said I guessed I was strong. I could have eaten my words when we had to run the whole mile that day, and learn new kicks, blocks, blows, and other basic manuevers that no one had ever bothered to show me. But, since I had the class with Bobby and Rogue, I at least could glance over at them and smile or roll my eyes. It was fun having friends.

Eighth period was taught by Storm, and was by far the most interesting class. She went around and watched everyone do their stuff; Rogue mostly sat and watched as she could do nothing, but when Storm came around, she took off Rogue's glove and held her hand, which I thought was a daring maneuver.

Rogue bit her lip and fidgeted, I noticed, doing her best to keep control, but eventually lost it. She yanked away from Storm before any real damage was done.

"Good," Storm said. "You are increasing well." Then she turned to me.

"Well, Kitty, how are you holding up?" she asked me. "Um, I fell through my chair in biology and foreign language, which kinda upset Scott a little until he understood, and I've fallen through to the lower levels twice, which upset Professor Xavier, and that's upsetting to me, because I don't want anyone to be disappointed in me," I babbled.

Storm stared at me for a moment, and then said, "Okay then." And she proceeded to try and help me focus and concentrate to keep my ability at bay. It worked-for about five seconds. But I did try, and Storm looked at me oddly.

It was almost like she was-examining me, seeing if I was fit enough or something. Little did I know that she was.

A/N: Like it? Let me know!