A/N.: Edit: 10/07/2014, i just noticed that i'm putting the dates as we do in my country... i forget that in english you do it differently.
enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 1 – The new kitty in the basket.
McKinley was weird and the people there even more. Two seconds after the three girls went away Rachel noticed a little rat with an afro hair staring at her with an old-looking camera clutched between his hands. He stared at her in such way, that she came to consider Noah a very polite boy. She looked away from him and was quickly on her way to her first class.
The three girls were sitting in their places soon enough, all of them sharing the same first period.
"Britt, you can't go around inviting anyone in…" a gorgon said with her snakes hissing at someone and scaring them away.
"But, San… she is cute, and you liked her too! You know, 'cause she isn't scared of you." The nymph kind of whined with a pout.
The other girl just blushed at it, looking away wishing to stand her ground.
"She's appealing." The lion girl said graciously.
"Are you in fucking heat!? She is the new girl!" Santana protested, still not looking at Brittany, her snakes hissing in agreement.
It was interesting how Santana's hair kept up with her emotions and with her way of showing it.
"Exactly, which means she doesn't have a reputation that could bring ours down. By this time next week she will be dressing decently and if we go with her we can make sure of that." Quinn confronted.
"I think she was talking about you wanting to make kitties with her." Brittany said with a smile making Santana laugh loudly.
"I just said she is hot." Quinn shrugged.
"You were eye fucking her, you took your time to come after us and you are justifying why we should let her in." the gorgon said in a very bitchy way
Quinn just rolled her eyes and stayed quiet not wanting to feed Santana's imagination. The girl just smiled victoriously when she saw that Quinn wasn't going retort.
Some classrooms away Rachel was sat by herself going through her book trying to guess what they already have learned. That's when someone sat in the chair next to her. He was tall and awkward, his skin looked like bark. She had a hard time trying to look at all of him at once. Of course he was an Ent. She felt her claws twitching desiring to scratch his arms to sharpen them.
'Damn instincts…' She thought still staring at his skin, her claws completely out by now.
The boy however seemed to misunderstand her behavior and soon was smiling at her.
"Hi. You're new right?" he said thinking he had her attention
The girl's tail swung from side to side catching the boy's eyes. He openly stared at the girl's behind and tail, snapping out of it just after hearing a scratching sound.
"Uh, you said?" the boy asked trying to look innocent when he notices the kitty's claws at the end of a deep and scary scratch that the table didn't have a few seconds ago.
"What?" Rachel asked trying to recompose herself, also having snapped out of her daze when her claws had dug in the desk before her. She looked at it guiltily, only looking up when the ent spoke again.
"You're new. I'm Finn. I'm the football team's quarterback." He said as if it was the most impressive thing ever and showing off his letterman jacket.
"I am Rachel Berry…" she answered eying the hand he had offered.
She made sure her claws were retracted before taking it with a firm shake. He, however, kept holding her hand, which disappeared between the larges braches he called fingers.
"Hum… you can let go now." She said awkwardly and seriously thinking about changing seats.
"Oh sorry…" he finally let her hand go
He was about to say something more when the bell ringed again signaling that the class was about to start. Rachel ignored the boy as much as she could after that. She was starting to regret not choosing AP Spanish too. She wondered if it would be the same teacher.
William Schuester was his name. He made her go before the whole class to introduce herself to them. Which she did. With her ears pulled back and tail rolled around her left leg, like usual when she was uncomfortable or intimidated. She also tried to look everywhere but the ent boy, who waved to her every five seconds. As if she could miss him.
Mr. Schuester was a ghost and she spent most of the time observing him than paying attention to class. She always though Ghosts to be an interesting creature. They could be 'born' in many different ways. By the death of someone or by the accumulated feelings of regret, passion or pain. It was even known of ghosts being born from living creatures.
They could never be truly happy or satisfied. They were angst filled beings and often very selfish.
Their appearance would shift with their emotions. Not exactly their physiognomy, but their colors and physical state. They could go from solid to thin air. They could glow or have their color fading away. They could disappear from a place to another and make themselves almost unnoticeable. This ghost, however, seemed as chirpy as the nymph she met minutes before. She was wondering how he came to exist when the bell ringed signaling the end of the class.
Kids ran out of the classroom before he could even dismiss the class. She went right after them partly trying to run away from Finn.
"I really should have chosen AP Spanish." Rachel mumbled to herself putting her book away in her locker.
"It's not really that different. It's even the same teacher." A voice said beside her making her jump startled.
"Dear, Patti! You scared me." She said looking very flushed at the girl beside her.
"Sorry, I guess." Quinn said with predatory grin.
'She guesses!?' she thought disbelieving "It's fine… hum, what are you doing here, nevertheless?" she said starting to fidget under the lioness' intense gaze.
"Putting my books away, like you." Quinn answered with a sweet simile that didn't match with the hungry look in her eyes "This…" she pointed at a locker three lockers away from Rachel's "…is my locker."
"A… a… I see… hum" Rachel tried to speak felling nervous again.
"What is your next class?" Quinn asked a little amused by the girl's nervousness.
You see, Quinn was really interested… I mean curious about this new girl. Sure she was extremely cute and it was, of course, a really big bonus.
"Double English… AP English. With Miss Vander." Rachel squeaked in answer.
"Same as me." Quinn licked her bottom lip without losing the smile "Wonderful." She added almost purring.
On the girl's defense, it can be said that she wasn't really aware of her extremely predatory behavior. Her plan was just to be sweet and friendly, wanting to make the new girl feel at ease around her and her two friends.
Obviously, it backfired.
"Er… Sure." Rachel tried to sound normal, feeling overwhelmed and backing away from the other girl.
"We can go together then." Quinn said letting aside her overwhelming attitude and sounding way more chirpy and girly.
It was kind of cute, Rachel guessed. Still reluctant, however, she nodded in agreement. The smile on Quinn's face as she reached for Rachel's hand was bright and extremely gorgeous. Wide enough to somewhat see her white and beautiful teeth.
Rachel could just think about how it should be a crime for someone be this beautiful. The girl seemed to not have a single physical flaw. How was that fair or even possible?
The same could be said about the blonde's two friends. At least that was what she thought.
Miss Vander was a really curious creature. Rachel didn't know the name of it, but it was sure not the first time she had seen them.
She was small… about at her hips height, and so thin that she looked like a bad case of malnourishment. Long arms and short legs, biig head and equally big ears, large eyes and small and pointy nose. Her mouth was also very wide with thin lips and her teeth were very human like.
She was very sweet however. Like her species usually are. They're caring and friendly. Very attentive and patient.
Miss Vander, like Schuester, asked Rachel to introduce herself to the class. And unlike last time, in which she couldn't keep her eyes still, she couldn't move her gaze away from Quinn, who was looking very interested in what she was saying. Even though everything she said was her name and where she came from.
The teacher instructed her to find a partner for her future group assignments and sit beside them.
Most of the class was already paired out, however, since the school year had starter two weeks prior.
Rachel was about to pass by Quinn's desk when the blonde grabbed her hand making her stop. Quinn just pointed to the desk next to her. Her features were charming and almost smug, but her eyes where simply hopeful. Without thinking twice Rachel just, almost spontaneously, sat there.
For the first time she noticed how much attention Quinn got from the others kids. Her peers seemed to be fascinated by her and by this little action. Some stared at them with wide eyes and others were with her phone out under their desks probably texting their friends about what just happened.
Quinn, however, just sat there pleased with herself and unfazed by the others.
The rest of the class went smoothly. Miss Vander was very funny and explained her subject truly well. She gave her class standing in her table and with no shoes on.
The lion girl finally seemed to be paying attention to something other than her.
When the class finished they had a bunch of homework, but every student said goodbye to the teacher with some kind of smile. If they had a mouth to actually smile…
When she got out of her class she saw Quinn waiting for her and getting stares from every student that passed by. Rachel looked her from head to toe and then all the way back.
She wore a cheerleading uniform and unlike the other cheerleaders she had noticed she had her hair loose. She was also the only cheerleader with short hair she had seen until now. Her ear came out from between her hair. They were so cute, Rachel found herself thinking. Their fur was almost the same color of her hair.
Her top seemed to take some of her curves away, but still fit her beautifully. Her tail was long and its fluffy end reached the floor. She was swaying it very gently, only at the tip. The only sign of her anxiety.
For some reason Rachel looked at her own tail before meeting with Quinn. Her tail was shorter than Quinn's, but was much fluffier, since she was a cat with semi-long fur. Every morning she combed it like she combed her hair. She was quite proud of her fur.
Quinn had the fur of a typical lioness. In length and color. Her fur also matched with her hair color. Unlike Rachel. Rachel had dark brown hair and her fur was gray… a smoky gray. When she transformed, however you would see she had actually two colors. White and gray. Her fathers thought she was truly beautiful and she agreed with them. She was more proud of her animal form than her usual one.
"What is your next class?" Quinn asked in a more laid back way than before.
"Let me see." She said looking at her printed schedule. "Ew… AP Math."
Quinn chuckled at her reaction. "Did you just go to all the AP classes?"
"Mostly. They look better in a college application." Rachel answered seriously, making Quinn chuckle again.
"Your next class is this way." She pointed at the end of the hallway. "I will take you there." The blonde offered.
"No need, Quinn, I'm thankful, though. I should go now." She said starting to move away when Quinn reached for her.
"You're lunching with me and the girls right?" Her look was the same she had when she 'asked' Rachel to be her partner.
She looked almost pleadingly without really doing it.
"We sit pretty much away from the others and it will do good for your rep. They usually slushy new kids and losers around here. If you're with us nobody is going to do that." Quinn tried to convince her.
"Why?" Rachel asked taking her by surprise. "I am just the new kid after all."
"Well… Brittany likes you. You're not disgusted or scared of Santana… and sometimes I need time away from their make out cessions. Seriously it's like I'm not even there! You also caught my attention and I'm just trying to make friends." Quinn said looking at her with ears pulled back and with a little thoughtful frown. Like she was not only explaining to Rachel, but also herself.
"Okay… hm, I guess I can lunch with you." Rachel accepted hoping she wouldn't regret.
But before it she had to survive Math class. And she hopped she did… Because, even though she wouldn't admit, she was pretty anxious, and curious, about this lunch period, but mostly by the girls which who she would spend the time with.
Plus, she would be able to speak with the gorgon again and make more questions… Like: 'If she ever came to want to cut her hair how she would do that!?' This always intrigued her. She sure had something to look forward to now.