The next morning went well for only so long before a slight disruption in Lenard's history class.

"I'm not going to do it," Rorek said defiantly. Behind him Raven silently watched the entire ordeal; in front of Rorek stood Lenard, trying to get him to accept a geography worksheet.

"It's required, Mr. Conte," Lenard hissed. "You either do your work or you don't get a grade."

"This is all about geography, not history," Rorek pointed out. "You said we were covering the reformation. Why sidetrack us to an entirely different topic if we aren't going to be tested on it?"

"When I give you work I expect it to get done, no matter what it is," Lenard snapped furiously. She set the paper on Rorek's desk and slapped it down with her palm for good measure. "At the beginning of the year we need to review things so we don't forget. It's part of the curriculum, so take it or leave it."

"Leave it."

"Today I will not allow that to be an option." The bad-tempered teacher began to walk back to her desk at the front of the room. "And you can come in for after-school detention if you choose to continue with this attitude of yours."

While the students worked Lenard consulted her computer for more information on a certain arrogant white-haired kid. She sighed with exasperation; he had many blemishes on his record and had a history of being mind-blowingly horrible at, well, history. He seemed to fail at doing his work due to a lack of motivation.

This kid needs some help…

She closed Rorek Conte's file and scrolled down through the list of other students. I can't do this alone… Lenard randomly chose a file and opened it to check on the student's success.

It was a pretty good choice. Within the file was listed the successes of this particular student:

- straight As throughout both semesters
- arrived on first day already with a good knowledge of world history
- excellent study skills

Lenard smiled to herself. This might work out after all.

She broke the silence in the classroom by calling out, "Miss Roth…could I see you at my desk, please?"

XXXXX

"You have to do some of the work," one of Garfield's male teammates snapped angrily. The students were to make lasagna, and while the rest of the group were layering the large noodles with a beef and vegetable concoction Garfield refused to participate. "It's not fair of you to stop working just because you have something against the teacher."

"It's not just that!" Garfield retorted. "Cooking meat is going completely against my beliefs. If he makes me make a meal of this mashed-up dead body then I'm going to report him to the school office."

"Yeah. You go ahead and do that," the other boy said sarcastically, drawing cackles from his friends. Garfield shot him a glare and sank down into his chair. He wasn't going to give up just because of peer pressure. He fought for a perfectly legitimate cause.

It's not fair…I loved that horse…

"Mr. Logan!"

Garfield wheeled around in his seat to face a rather irritable Mr. Closki. "Yes sir?" he responded, voice dripping with distaste.

"I don't appreciate your lack of participation," Mr. Closki said. "If you refuse to be taught, then there will be consequences."

Garfield hesitated, before standing up and looking at his teacher sternly in the eye. "I don't eat murdered animals," he began slowly. "And I don't support them getting killed either. So, I'm sorry Mr. Closki, but I can't cook a dish with meat in it, no matter what the curriculum is."

Geez. If looks could kill… Garfield was staring into the face of a quite miffed cooking teacher at this moment. All eyes were on the two of them now; they were the eyes of students eager to see the said consequences of Garfield's rebellion.

"All right, Mr. Logan," Mr. Closki seethed. "If you do not wish to learn in this classroom then you can take your studies elsewhere. Detention tomorrow at break, perhaps?"

Before Garfield knew it he was being handed a pink detention slip.

XXXXX

"I hate teachers."

At third period the foursome met in the French room. Raven viciously tore into her notebook as she searched for a clean piece of paper while she made her complaints. "Lenard is making me tutor that Rorek kid. And Mrs. Dilettante made my first poem due next week, which I have NO inspiration for whatsoever…"

"At least you didn't get detention," Garfield growled. "I have to stay in the detention hall tomorrow just because I wouldn't roast a dead animal." By now Raven had come to tolerate Garfield's presence, and she often contributed to the conversations that he had started…to poke at his intelligence and otherwise.

Nearby Richard and Kori were discussing their latest French lesson. "I am not doing as well as I would have hoped," Kori said worriedly. "My accent is quite hard to understand, and I am ever horrible when it comes to verbs…"

"You'll get the hang of it," Richard said, trying to soothe her of her worries. "It's only the beginning of the year."

At that moment Madame Aberdene entered the room. "Bonjour classe! Est-ce que chacun s'est rappelé de faire leur travail la nuit passée?" she asked cheerfully.

Kori prat-fell into her desk.

XXXXX

During the passing period between sixth and seventh Raven and Kori walked to their Music Theory class. On their way they stopped by at Kori's locker, so that the redhead could retrieve her books. "I'll meet you there," Raven had muttered as she kept walking to get to her own locker.

Kori leaned into her locker as she dug under a pile of textbooks and sweaters to find her MT textbook. As soon as she recovered it she closed her locker and turned around…to see a familiar looking junior boy standing before her. "Hey, aren't you that chick who talks weird?" the boy asked. He was considerably taller than her, Kori noticed. Behind him were two other boys who were about the same height.

"I've never responded to such a term," she snapped. "Though I do remember that you have terrorized a friend of mine. And, if you had any ounce of maturity at all, you would know when to stop."

All three of the boys chuckled nastily. "You're so gay," the one in front sneered.

"I get this coming from a teenager who insists on talking like a child in the sixth grade?" Kori shot back. Suddenly the boy lashed out and struck her on the shoulder, slamming her into the locker.

"If you're trying to insult me," the offending boy hissed, "it's not working. You'd best watch your back, idiot, because we're bigger and stronger than you. Consider that." He and his friends swaggered off, leaving Kori standing alone in the hallway with a flame of righteous fury burning inside her.

XXXXX

A/N: Victor will make an appearance in this story. Just not yet. :0P Oh, and for that sentence in French up there, it probably looks a bit screwy because I have never taken a French class in my life. And also because Babel Fish hasn't been known to my sister and I as completely reliable. Seriously, we tried to translate something out of Les Miserables and it came out something like "Must there be a kidney that is not whole…"

Oh, and I'd like to point out that I positively LOATHE the phrase "that's so gay". It's only in this story because it's how the character talks. I've never used that phrase to describe something in my life and never will.