PART TWO: FITTING IN

Chapter One: School

Mistoffelees regarded the tall building with wariness. Although he knew it couldn't, he felt as though it was staring right back at him, daring him to come closer. He could feel that now familiar ball of lead form in his stomach. It took great concentration for him not to turn and run. After all, there were countless humans inside there. No Jellicle in their right mind would want to be closed up with so many humans. At least, none that he knew.

"Go on," he whispered to himself. "One paw in front of the other."

Immediately, he shook his head. No, he thought. Think feet. You don't have paws anymore. You're… a human.

The last thought came with more than a little disgust. He couldn't help it. Even though they'd been humans for nearly a week now, he still hated the whole idea. Human bodies just weren't graceful enough. And who would ever want to walk around on two feet? That struck him as incredibly stupid.

A loud, clanging noise stirred him out of his thoughts. Mistoffelees watched as the humans gathered around the doors quickly filtered in. Deciding that the noise must mean something, he followed.

When he entered, he found himself alone in an empty hallway. Curious where the humans had gone, he tilted his head and looked about. This was impressive. Hundreds of humans disappearing with one bell-like noise. He made a mental note to learn this magic.

"Where are you supposed to be?"

Mistoffelees spun around to find himself face to face with a much bigger man. He swallowed roughly and thrust a piece of paper out in front of him. Demeter had given it to him after she and Munkustrap had "visited" the school. He had no idea what it meant.

"I-I don't know," he replied. The man took the paper from him and looked at it. "You're new?" he asked without looking up.

"Yes."

"OK. You're in room 119 right now. Mr. Gleamson's first period Chemistry."

"OK." Mistoffelees brushed his hair out of his eyes and sighed. That made sense, he thought sarcastically. The man handed the paper back to him.

"Follow me."

Folding the paper into a small square, Mistoffelees had to walk fast to keep pace with the older man. He looked, with growing interest, at the numerous rooms they passed. Numbers, he recognized these, labeled them. 123. 121. 119.

The man stopped suddenly, almost making Mistoffelees crash into him. He reached out and turned the doorknob. It swung open to reveal a room full of humans about Mistoffelees' age. They turned their heads to watch them enter the room. An older man at the front of the room closed a thick book in his hands and looked up.

"Mr. Smith?" The man Mistoffelees had followed nodded towards him.

"You have a new student, Mr. Gleamson." The older man nodded.

"Oh. Thank you, sir." He turned to Mistoffelees. "Wait here a second."

The two men walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Mistoffelees was left alone with the other humans. He gazed helplessly at the door for a moment, then slowly turned to face them.

"Who're you?" one boy called. Mistoffelees tugged on the hem on his shirt.

"Mis- Michael." The boy laughed.

"Miss Michael? Got your sex a little confused?" Mistoffelees wasn't too sure what that meant, but had an idea it wasn't good to agree with that.

"N-no. I'm just Michael." He could feel his face growing hotter.

"Leave 'im alone, Josh."

Mistoffelees looked gratefully at his defender. She was a small girl with long, strawberry blonde hair and startling blue eyes. They were narrowed in a playfully challenging way. Josh, the boy that had spoken, rolled his eyes.

"Aw, shut up, Meg." She stuck out her tongue.

"Try and make me." Josh stood.

"Yeah? Why don-"

"Enough already. Jeez, you can cut the tension in here with a knife."

They turned to Mr. Gleamson with sheepish looks. Mistoffelees could tell that they were embarrassed to have been scolded in front of the rest of the class. Mr. Gleamson pointed at the empty desk next to the dark haired girl.

"Michael, why don't you be lab partners with Megan?" he instructed rather than asked.

Mistoffelees nodded and, with head bent, he walked to the back of the room. He glanced at a smiling Megan then slid into the seat. It felt funny to sit like that and he supposed Megan saw the distasteful look he made.

"OK, class. Now get to work. Lab's due end of this period," Mr. Gleamson said.

Mistoffelees watched in amusement as the students bustled around, slipping funny things over their eyes. They reminded him of what Bustopher Jones always had over his eyes. Only they went over both eyes and had a band that went around the back of the students' heads.

"So, where're you from?" Megan asked, sliding the goggles over her eyes. She thrust another pair at him.

"London." She blinked.

"Really? Wow. That's pretty far away. You don't even have an accent." Mistoffelees reluctantly slid the goggles over his head.

"I don't?" She shook her head.

"Nope. Don't know how you managed that." He smiled.

"After so many years around 'Jerrie, you kind of learn not to talk like that. Besides, Jenny'd kill me if I did."

"Jerry? Jenny? Who're they?" Mistoffelees flushed.

"Uh, friends of my parents. Mine, too, but they've known my parents longer." He stopped, feeling that he was starting to babble. Megan seemed satisfied with that answer.

"Cool. You have any brothers or sisters?" Mistoffelees hesitated.

Having been abandoned almost immediately after being able to survive without his mother's milk, he'd never known blood family of any kind. He guessed they could be out there, somewhere, but he'd given up on hoping they'd come back for him. He had a family. Jennyanydots had taken him in the minute she'd seen him and raised him like her own.

"No. It's just me and my parents," he said, smiling at the thought of Munkustrap being his father. Megan smiled thoughtfully.

"You're lucky. I wish I were an only child."

"I don't." That horrible feeling of homesickness came over him again as he thought of the junkyard. He could almost see Pouncival and Electra fighting over a ball of yarn or Victoria and Jemima trying to figure out just what made Etcetera go nuts over Tugger.

"I guess not. But you didn't grow up with an all-too-perfect sister and an obnoxious little brother," Megan said after a moment. Mistoffelees shook off his self pity and grinned at her.

"Trust me, I know what you're talking about. I've lived around annoying... kids for as long as I can remember." Megan blinked, confused.

"I thought you said you were an only child." Mistoffelees shrugged.

"I am. They're... cousins, I guess." He didn't know how else to classify the kittens. "Very distant. Our family's real close."

"Our's isn't," she said, not elaborating further. She set a flask on the tabletop they had moved to and looked around.

"Have you seen the beaker I had a minute ago?" Mistoffelees gazed at her blankly. "I guess not."

She spun around to check the table behind her. Her sleeve caught the edge of the flask and set it off the table. Mistoffelees, not thinking, only reacting, leaped forwards and caught it. He skidded on a small puddle of water and crashed into the next table.

"Michael!" Megan yelped. She hurried over and knelt beside him.

Mistoffelees sat back and blinked, dazed. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. His hand drifted up to his forehead where a long, yet shallow cut had been opened. He looked at the blood on his fingertips, then back up at Megan.

"Oww. My head..." he drifted off, suddenly engrossed in the blood. Megan clasped her hand over the cut and looked up at Mr. Gleamson.

"Go to the nurse's," the teacher instructed.

Megan helped Mistoffelees to his feet and led him out of the room.