Chap. two

"What's going on?" I asked who ever was shaking me. "I know it's a school day and all, but come on! It's four thirty!" I whined at Jean, who was fully dressed with a serious expression on her face.
"A new mutant has been found." was her response.
"And why do I have to go?" I whined, turning over, attempting to go back to sleep, well, that epicly failed when I felt myself being lifted up out of bed, still clinging to by pillow and cover, as I heard Jean going through my clothes, finally settling on a silver top with a black cat with red eyes in the centre of it and some washed out jeans, Jean then got some of my black mid-shin boots, some of my makeup, a brush and my ribbon that I never went anywhere without, before she left the room with me still floating behind her, still clinging to my pillow and cover.
Jean then went back to my dresser and grabbed my special necklace, handing it to me, "put it on," she calmly instructed, and I did so equally as calm, despite the fact that at this very moment I wanted nothing more than to throw my pillow at her, but I knew if I did that she'd just stop it, and I'd probably lose my pillow.
Once we got to the Black Bird and were firmly in the air, Jean set me on the ground, handing me my clothes and makeup and stuff, seeing as the Prof. was flying, she then instructed me to get dressed.
I glared at her slightly for waking me up at such a ridiculous hour and snatched my stuff from her and went to the large bathroom to get dressed.
Looking in the mirror I sighed, brushing out my long silver/white hair, being careful of the ears I knew were still there, despite the fact that you could no longer see them.
I then put on some dark makeup and red lipstick to make my pale skin look even paler, looking in my pile of stuff, I saw that Jean had also brought my dark green, almost blue looking blazer that I absolutely loved. I let my hair remain loose as I placed my ribbon so that the bow was on the top of the centre of my head and then placed my black arm warmers that were baggy, but not ridiculously so.

"Why just us?" I heard Jean ask the professor as I came out of the bathroom with the p.j's under one arm, and my blazer and shoes in the other, "why not all of us?" She was looking out of the window.
"Because, Lilith's the one whom can connect with this girl," Was the prof.'s response.
"I hope so." I replied, taking a seat next to Jean, sitting side ways to that my knees were on the arm rest.
"But what about the other kid, the one in the foster home?" Jean asked.
"Yes, Lance Alvers."
"What NOOO!" I replied dramatically."I was in the orphanage with him, he's mean!" I whined, making Jean look at me, "he always picked on me for my ears!" I felt them, knowing that you couldn't see them anymore, "not to mention my eyes!"
Disregarding what I said, the Professor continued, making me pout and Jean laugh at me slightly.
"While you and Lilith deal with Kitty, Lilith and I will deal with Lance, you're going to be full out here Lilith, you sure you can handle it?" He asked me, pushing some buttons that I didn't really care about on the plane.
"Seeing as I didn't want to come in the first place, and Lance-freaking-Alvers is involved? NO!" I replied, but was once again ignored.
"Great." The prof. continued to push buttons, making me sulk once again.
"Anyway, Jean, I'd like you to mostly keep your focus on Kitty's parent's, remember, you're a model of what we're offering them. No pressure." At this I silently laughed at Jean, karma, thy be a beautiful thing!
she laughed sarcastically, "and to think I passed up a nice relaxing mid-term for this."
"At least you had a choice." I told her.
"Oh, Bite me, Masquerade." let me explain, Scott, Jean and Kurt had taken to calling me Masquerade because of my abilities to use illusions, and well, I guess it had become my X name, because the next morning I had woken up to find a masquerade mask next to my bed:

and a note, simply saying:
Dear Masquerade,
Every Masquerade needs a mask, Although you wouldn't want one to cover your face.
-from One like you but also not, your secret admirer.
I smiled thinking of him, since then I had gotten a rose and a charm bracelet, the latter having a mask and a dove already attached, they all had a note with them, saying something sweet, with the same ending. I really wished I knew who it was.

"What are you talking about? How do you know Kitty?" Judging by the Prof.'s expression, he had heard those words before, well aside from the name in that sentence.
"Please, may we come in for a moment, we'll answer all your questions and anything you need-"
Jean was cut off by the father.
"Excuse me miss, but you can talk to us out here." Well that was kind of rude, I resisted the need to roll my eyes.
"Very well," the professor agreed, "I think you know Kitty is going through a very... unique transition, we simply want to help her through it. Why don't you tell us about... last night?" I'll tell ya, in another life, the professor would have made one hell of a politician, with the wording he uses.
They both suddenly got very worried and slightly scarred expressions on their faces, before turning angry, well the dad did.
"Last night is none of your business!"
'Ok, he's too close for comfort to the professor,' I thought, getting angry, using my ability to remove all gravity near him, making him float in the air.
"Lilith! That's enough!" The professor yelled at me, making me glare at the man once more, dropping him so that he landed on his fat ass.
"But professor! He was going to hurt you, couldn't you feel it?" I asked him.
"How could you?" The professor wondered, before I cut in.
"Don't really know, I could just feel it in his emotions?"
"Huh. Well, we'll have to look more into that later, but in the mean time, I apologise for Lilith's behaviour." He then turned to the parents saying.
"Lilith's her name huh? Suits her, it's the name of a demon!" I got really angry at this, and this time the prof. could tell.
"Jean, get her out of here!"
"Please just leave us alone!" Demanded Mr. Pride, turning around and slamming the door on us.

Going back to the jet Jean laughed bitterly, "next time let's just call to get hung up on, less hassle."
"You two are going to need to make contact with Kitty directly, I thought this might happen so I enrolled you in her school Lilith."
"Really, you thought I might lose it and make Kitty's dad go all Superman minus the control?"
Jean laughed at my choice in words, "no, but we'll have to take a look at your new ability when we get home."

And that's how I ended up in the principal's office, waiting for a freaking timetable, that I'd be using for about a day.
After I got that I headed to my locker and saw that my locker was right besides Kitty's, I'm gonna say Prof. X used his mind control mojo on the school.
"Hey, um, you're Kitty Pride, aren't you?" I asked her as I stacked my books into my new locker, damn my shyness around new people!
"Yeah, are you, like, new" She asked, to which I nodded nervously at, "are you, like, lost? 'Cause you look to be, like, 13, this is the year 10 locker area."
"Yeah, I'm 14, but I moved up, so I'm in year 10." I smiled at her, "could you maybe show me around?" I asked her, closing my locker, having gotten my P.E stuff.
"Like, that's cool, are you, like, really smart or something, oh and sure, I'll show you around!"
"Thanks!" I smiled at her, but we were both surprised when we felt a pressure on our backs, shoving us into her locker.
"World closing in on you Kitty, Kitty's new, one and only friend?" Some bitchy voice asked.
"Ahh!" Kitty's voice yelled, obviously annoyed, as she pounded on the locker door, "Hey! Let us out you jerks!" I was really glad I was small at this point. "Open this door! Somebody open this door! Ahh!"
"Sorry to, like, get you locked in here with me, I'm, like, not very popular." Kitty apologised.
"It's fine, not my first time in a locker," I sighed, thinking back to the life before my necklace.
Sudden whistling and a spray can lifted both of our spirits. "Huh? Hey. whose out there? Can you hear me?" She proceeded to pound on the door again. "Let me out! Ah" she then phased through the door, 'so that's her power.'
"Hey Kitty, not that I don't think that your locker's awesome and all, but can you let me out now?" I asked her, I then heard her scramble up and open her door, "thanks." I flashed her a smile.
"Wait, you're not, like, gonna run away screaming?" She asked.
"I won't if you won't." I replied, pushing down on the button on the necklace to show her my true self, before remembering the person behind me and quickly turned back, surprisingly she looked kind of happy to see someone else like her.
"Hey! Did you see what you two just did?" Some guy with red paint across his face exclaimed, I kind of ignored him and continued talking to Kitty.
"I'm also good with illusions and can control gravity." I grinned at her, making her smile slightly, through the shock, before turning to random guy with paint as I have dubbed him, whom had obviously heard what I had said.
"What I, like, just fell out!" She grabbed onto my hand, as if she were getting ready to run for it with me in toe.
"Yeah man, right through the door!" Give the man a prize, I thought hiding behind the slightly taller Kitty, "that is so cool!"
"You're crazy!" She said, backing up, pushing me back too. She then tried to run, surprising me and dragging me too, only for my other arm to get grabbed, stopping her as well.
"No, no! Wait a minute! I'm the one guy around her that gets the beauty of it! Cause you're both just like me!" Crap, it's Lance! I started pulling at my arm for him to let go, "what did you say you could do again?" He asked me, "control gravity and something about illusions?"
"Lance, let go!" I demanded.
"How do you know my name?" He asked, making me glare at him, before realising he probably didn't recognise me.
"Think, orphanage, you used to call me 'Red-Eye-Freak'?" I probed.
"OH, Lilith right? You've certainly changed, sorry for treating you like that, I was six, and you were kinda cute, you still are by the way." He winked, making me blush slightly and my eyes widen, and I began pulling harder, as did Kitty.
"But I really am just like you!" He saw the disbelief of Kitty's face so he let me go looking around to make sure no one was around "Alright then. Check this!"

He got this really concentrated look on his face as he clenched his fists in front of him, before opening them, lifting his arms up slightly, and as he did, the school started shaking, lockers started shaking, and the confidence I had had seconds ago disappeared, and was replaced with fear as I had behind Kitty, whom was also scared, but slightly put her hands out to protect me, even though she was shaking.
"Getting the picture?" He asked, obviously exhausted.
"No!" Kitty replied, "you're just like some freak!" Kitty turned around grabbing onto my arm again, and was once again stopped when Lance grabbed my arm.
"Leave us alone!" Kitty glared, pulling on my arm until Lance, whom was still smiling, man that boys got some problems, let go of my other arm.
She then, with me in toe, ran away from him.
We quickly ran to the change rooms and got dressed into the P.E gear.
A whistle from the teacher got our attention, "Pride, you're late and who are you?" She asked me, she seemed scary.
"I'm new and I was having a little trouble with my locker." I lied, stuttering slightly, pulling on the shorts that I thought I had to wear for P.E, until I noticed that Kitty was wearing a full on track suit, I hated stuff that showed off my skin, especially my legs, and let me tell you, these ended mid thigh, they were ridiculously short!
"Alright you four, to the long jump!" The coach instructed, talking to Kitty, myself, and the two girls whom had shoved us into her locker.
"Pride, you're tardy so your first, new girl-"
"Wagner, Lilith Wagner." I interrupted
"Wagner then, you're new so you have a warning, so you're second."
Kitty sighed, going over to the sandpit.

Kitty was about to jump, when she tripped and landed face first into the sand, hitting the ground when she stopped sliding. The blonde bitch made a cat noise before commenting, "Kitty Cat's got a temper." I glared at her before going over for my turn, waiting for Kitty to stand next to me.
"Don't worry, I'll show them what a real cat can do." I smiled, well smirked, at her, showing her my pearly white fangs.
Stretching for the run, I heard wolf whistles coming from on a roof, so looking up I saw three, wait two idiots on the roof, one idiot turned to be in my good books when he turned and hit the other two, wait no, three, the idiot in the middle's Lance, I realised when he saw me looking and waved at me, making sure no one was looking I flipped him off, and then saw the other two next to him roar in laughter, well at least they were until Lance hit them again, making me giggle slightly, before turning my focus back to the jump, quickly, but not too quickly, I ran towards the pit, a few steps before my feet would hit the sand, I jumped, and landed at 3 metres, 5 centre metres.
"That's, what a cat can do!" I giggled with Kitty at the two idiots shocked expression.
"Well, that's nothing compared with what I can do!" The Bimbo Brunette exclaimed, walking calmly towards the running way.
"This is how athletes do it." She stated, striking a stupid pose and getting ready.
When she reached about the halfway point I felt the earth beneath me tremor slightly, and looked up to Lance shaking my head, telling him not to do anything to big, if he hasn't changed since last time I saw him, telling him not to do something at all will only make him do something bigger, he nodded his head, telling me he understood, and just before she jumped, a small crack appeared in front of the stupid girl, making her trip and Kitty laugh, I looked up to Lance with a small smile on my face and seeing where I was looking, Kitty looked too, and then instantly became shocked, and grabbing my arm, ran away, bumping into Jean, whom had randomly appeared as she went.

Kitty dragged me into the drama room and once we got there, angrily kicked over a chair, and then lent back, sitting on the table which was unbalanced and threw up a bowl of fake fruit, which when she tried to catch it as I caught all the fake fruit, went right threw her hands.
Feeling the bowl to make sure she was solid again she sighed sadly. "Kitty-" I was cut off by Jeans voice.
"Kitty? Kitty are you alright?" I shook my head at her from behind Jean, telling her by pointing at myself to pretend not to know me.
"Is that Ra-ra- Reighly a friend of yours?" Kitty asked, signalling that Reighly was a cheerleader.
"'cause you know, like," she grabbed a drama mask from behind her, "I had nothing to do with what happened out there in the sandpit."
"I know and I'm not Reighly's friend." Was Jean's response.
"Well you look like you'd be her friend," replied Kitty, making me nod slightly in response when she looked at me, when she looked back at Jean she placed the mask in her hand in front of her face.
"Kitty look, there's no need for masks I know what's going on, with both of you." She pretended like she was recruiting me as well.
"You know what's going on! You, like, don't know anything!" Kitty yelled, "neither does that creepy guy out there!" I nodded once again.
"Who Lance, forget about him, this is about both of you, you two and your wonderful new gift." I could see Kitty getting both angry and annoyed as Jean spoke and I have to admit, if I were in her shoes, I would be too.
"We don't have any gifts." I'll admit, I kind of zoned out after that.

A grabbing of my arm zoned me back in as Kitty grabbed my arm again, running out through the drama door, I swear, by the end of the day I'm gonna have one hellofa bruise of my arm.

Going back to our lockers we got our books for our next class, I was feeling really confused, if Kitty didn't want to come with us, then why were we practically making her, I'm not so sure I wanna go with them anymore, Gahh, this was supposed to be easy, now I'm reconsidering going to the Institute. Gahh!
Until I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me drop the books I had collected and got into a, I'll admit it, kind of pathetic fighting stance. However a dropping of the books next to me made me look to Kitty who was next to me, she too had gone into a similar fighting stance.
"Easy! I won't shake things up, promise!" Lance's, wait, kind? voice promised as he bent down to pick up our books. "I'm, uh, m-my name's Lance." Wow, is he stuttering? Well at this stage I'm so confused, anything could happen. "We should really talk," he recommended, talking to the both of us as he handed me my books.
"Why can't everyone just, like, leave us alone!" Kitty growled as she snatched my books out of Lances arms, seeing as when Kitty saw me rubbing my arm she insisted on looking at it and saw the big bruise that had, for some reason, not healed yet, I'm assuming it has to do with this stupid hologram.
Kitty then turned around, slamming both of our lockers, making both Lance and myself flinch, "you feel sick inside every time you think about it don't you?" Lance asked both of us as we walked away, I'll admit, even after living with it all my life, I still do. "You want it to go away, but it won't," I turned to see him shaking his head, "you're afraid of what might happen, your parents are clueless, probably ashamed, and being alone don't help." I am seriously confused now, why is he seeming to be the good guy right now?
"What are you, like, reading my mind too? No you can't 'cause I'm not alone, I've got Lilith!" She stood in front of me again, shielding me from him sort of, why do people feel the need to do that? I know I'm small and young and all, but seriously, I'm a freaking mutant!

"No way!" Lance put his arms up in a peaceful gesture, "it's... just that I've been going through it myself." Lance began to walk towards us slightly, "you know trying to figure this out." Kitty and I began to walk away as Lance began to talk again, "but I've learned to control it, meet me outside the office in an hour. I'll show both of you how." He instructed, maybe he could help, I can barely control it sometimes, like sometimes I wake up, and stuff is floating around my room, or people start randomly screaming around me, 'cause I've accidently cast an illusion of some monster I've seen in a horror movie I had watched lately, and the professor hasn't been able to help so far, so maybe I might..

"H-h-how do you take control?" Kitty asked from in front of me as we came out of the forest.
"By admitting something no one wants to cope to, that we are outsiders." He stated simply as he walked up to us, I have to admit, deep down I have admitted this to myself, but a larger part of me always thought that personality counted for something.
Suddenly a flash of when Kurt tried to shake Scott's hand came to me, how Scott only showed surprise and slight fear, all of the looks we got on the train, all the teasing that pushed us to home school for the majority of our lives, my own, blood parents throwing me in an orphanage in a different city because I didn't look normal.
It was then I realised personality didn't matter, people would always judge me for my looks, and I just had to get used to that, slowly, I reached up to my necklace and took it off, making the illusion go with it.
Next to me I heard Kitty gasp as I opened my eyes, I could tell my ears were swivelling towards the noise, I quickly stuffed the necklace not so gently into my bag that was on my shoulder.
"This is the real me." I shrugged, grinning at her slightly, only to gasp myself when I felt two hands on my ears.
"That is, like, so cool!" She exclaimed, feeling my ears, "they're so soft! And is that a tail?" I nodded and laughed slightly with Lance at Kitty's reaction.
"Anyway, we have to admit there is something wrong with us." At this Kitty started crying slightly, making me grab her arm lightly trying to calm her down.
"Hey don't fret it, embrace it!" Lance grabbed lightly onto Kitty's chin, making her look up. "The way I see it," Lance started, letting go of Kitty's chin "fate dealt us winning cards. If we all play them together." At this he turned to face me.
"Nothing is making any sense." I muttered, utterly confused and I turned away, getting ready to leave, maybe go on my own or something.
"Well, that's why I'm here to light your path." Lance's voice stopped my as he laid a hand on my shoulder. "and the first step is right into that office." He turned both me and Kitty towards the door, a voice in the back of my head asked me why I was doing this, however with how crazed my emotions were at the moment, I didn't really care, so I pushed that voice to the back of my mind.

Grabbing onto my hand, Kitty phased through the wall, before I cast an illusion on the video camera, making it look like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Jumping, slightly giddy, as both of our tasks worked, we went over to the door where Lance said he would be waiting.
"Wow, did you see us, that was, like, totally unbelievable!" Kitty jumped around as I just stood to the side, only showing my excitement through a happy smile.
"You two are making it yours!" He exclaimed, returning the hug that Kitty gave him, while looking at me, telling me that he was talking to me as well. "once you own it, nothing can own you."

A few minutes later Lance was sitting in one of the office chairs, typing in the computer.
"Test answers, present and accounted for!" Lance chuckled evilly, suddenly all my doubts about Xavier's school were gone.
"That's what this is about?" I asked, the old Lance coming to memory.
"Cheating?" Wondered Kitty.
"Hey!" Lance turned to us glaring slightly pointing the floppy disk in his hand towards us, "this crummy school uses these kind of tests to keep us down! No more!" He stated, putting the disk into his jacket, "we take control!" He then turned back to face the computer, "now let's modify some grades." Looking towards Kitty I saw she had the same confused and slightly scared look I did, "Pride, P.R.I." He was interrupted as Kitty and I grabbed his hands away from the key board.
"No!" The girl next to me yelled.
"Look!" Lance almost growled, grabbing onto both of our wrists tightly before letting go, "there's no victim here, we're just evening the score!"
"This doesn't feel right!" I gasped and Kitty took over for me as I began to stutter and his behind her slightly, my shy nature coming through.
"I- we've changed our minds!" Kitty carried on.
"We want to go!" I butted in, for once grabbing Kitty's hand and dragging her away, only to be stopped by a tight grip on my shoulder, I turned to see Lance doing the same thing to Kitty's wrist.
"Woh, woh, woh! What do you think you're doing, come on girls!"
"Let go of the girls!" Kitty's dad's voice came through the doorway as he ran towards us.
"Far enough old man!" Warned Lance as he began to shake up the office, making a book shelf fall on Mr Pride.
"No!" Exclaimed Kitty.
"Stop!" I finished for her as Lance changed his grip on me to my wrist as well so that he could drag us easier.
"They're just going to confuse you two, we're out of here!" Lance then proceeded to make a new door in the wall where Kitty and I had just come through.
"Kitty please! We can work though this together!" Mrs Pride called, for some reason thinking that we had a choice in the matter. I then realised that at some point I had released my illusion on the tape, oh well, there it goes, smashed to pieces.
"Let go of us!" Demanded Kitty pulling at his grip, as I did the same, my mouth spilling multiple curses at the boy that was a head and a half taller than me, some of the curses I didn't even know I knew.
"We're in control now, we make our own way!" Lance declared, spinning us so that Kitty and my shoulders were touching, behind me I heard Jean picking up the bookcase that had fallen on Mr Pride.
"Yeah, well, my way is away from you!" I yelled still pulling at his grip, only to be denied freedom, behind me I heard Kitty's parents trying to persuade her to stay, silently I wondered when they were going to take the hint from our struggling and yelling that we didn't exactly want to go with him.
However something Mr Pride said made Kitty respond.
"Forget them, come on, I'm bringing this place down!" Lance glared, concentrating harder, making Jean use her powers to stop the rocks hitting them.
"You called your gift a curse, I can guarantee you it will be!" persuaded Jean.
"Oh, for the love of. Jean! We don't want to go with him, he's kind of FORCING US!"
"Wait, you know her?" Asked Kitty, crap!
"I'll explain later!" I complained.
"They're too late! You're both with me now!" Lance stated cockily.
"No! We're not!" Kitty then phased through Lances hand, using her power to let me do the same, and then ran through into the crumbling building.
"Grahhhh!" Lance growled at losing both of us. Angrily making some of the rubble accidently fall on us, or at least it would have, if Kitty hadn't seen it last minute and grabbed onto my hand again, making us both phase through it.
"Wow!" Kitty and I exclaimed after seeing we were both still alive.
After running up to her parents, both of them giving her a hug, while I ran to Jean, rapidly apologising, until she asked if we could do this later, "Ok, like everybody grab hold of me!" Instructed Kitty, "I'll get us out!"

In no time we were out of the destroyed building and on our way to the Institute, with Kitty sitting next to me as I explained everything to her.

Wow, a lot can happen in one day, but something tells me, there's still more to come, and something also tells me that when I get home... I'm going BACK TO SLEEP! And next time Jean wakes me up at four in the morning to go recruit someone? She better have a space suit, cause she's going to the moon!