Katie was positively tired when Friday came around. Pietro had been endlessly trying to get her to trade in her suit for something more fashionable while Lance and Blob were trying to use the money she got from her mom to do stupid pranks. Toad was trying to use it for more pizza, and Mystique was trying to use it for the bills. So she had to constantly hide it from them. She and Rogue were getting along, and today was the day that Katie was supposed to sit at their table during lunch.
"Morning, Katie," Blob said as he came up the stairs. Katie mumbled a brief hello before going into the bathroom and changing into her blue shirt and jeans.
She brushed her teeth before deciding that she didn't know what to do with her hair. Lance knocked on the door before coming in. He was surprised to see her hair down. "Whoa.. Didn't know your hair was so long. It's usually in that high ponytail or braid of yours."
Katie sighed. "I know. I just don't know what I want to do with it today, y'know? I'm getting real tired of pulling it into a ponytail, but my arms hurt enough that I don't want to braid it after that wrestling match with Pietro last night." She looked into the mirror. "Maybe I should just pull it in a ponytail anyway."
Lance looked at her in the mirror before turning her around. He pulled at the shorter tendrils. "I didn't know you had bangs!"
"I usually pin them back," Katie said with a shrug. "And watch the hands. I don't have sleeves." She brushed his hand off carefully. "I do not feel like being responsible for your stupidness of touching my skin." Lance shrugged before brushing his teeth quickly. He went into a drawer and pulled out a curling wand.
"I think this should come in handy. I'm leaving for school in an hour. Mystique set the time to get us up and at school early," he said, leaving the bathroom. Katie looked at the wand before looking at her raven hair that fell to right above her waist.
"Jesus," she mumbled before setting to work.
Lance grinned at Katie as she took shotgun in his jeep. It was agreed that Katie either got to drive or had the passenger side. Sitting in the back always led to someone getting hurt. "Happy?"
"Whoa! Since when was Katie hot?!" Pietro yelled, causing Katie to turn back and glare at him. She held up her hand, slipping the glove off. "I mean, you've done something different- I mean, you look amazing- I mean- Lance, help me!"
"Even I gotta admit you lookin' pretty good," Toad said with a grin. Katie slapped him with the glove before covering her hand again. She crossed her arms and sat back in the chair. Lance laughed at her, even going as far as pulling a bouncy string. Katie glared at him out the corner of her eye as Blob woke up again.
"Huh?" Katie shook her head, feeling a headache coming on. She turned up the radio.
"You guys are idiots."
"So, I was thinkin' that we should hang out today- whoa, what's up with the hair?" Rogue asked as she closed her locker and saw Katie. "I mean, it looks great, but you don't really wake up early enough for this type of thing."
"Well, Mystique set it up in the hopes that the boys would actually make it to first period on time, failure by the way, and when I asked Lance what he thought I should do with my hair, he pulled out a curling wand and handed it to me." Katie paused in her actions. "Wait, why do we even have a curling wand?"
"Why do you have three bedrooms with no beds?"
"Point taken," Katie said with no hesitance. "And it's actually two. Lance, Pietro, and I have taken up the beds in one of the rooms." Rogue laughed. "What?"
"So you sleep in the same room as your crush?"
"Don't even go there," Katie said with a mock glare. "We are not going there today or tomorrow. Or do I have to remind you that you sleep in the same hallway as your crush and his girlfriend?"
"It's not the same as sleeping in the same room as my crush," Rogue said before Katie shrieked. Rogue jumped, spilling her books from her hands. She glared at Lance. "Thanks a lot!"
"No problem," he said in a haughty voice. Katie turned around and pushed him slightly with a frown. "So, who're you crushing on?"
Katie turned beet red and Rogue began laughing. "N-no one!" She bent down to pick up her things, standing back up too quickly and nearly falling into Lance, making Rogue laugh harder and Katie turn even more red. Lance smirked at her.
"Crushin' on Pietro, huh? I always knew you had a thing for him." At this, Rogue almost died laughing. She fell on the ground and people began staring. Katie bent down and picked up Rogue's books before grabbing Rogue by the shoulder and dragging her a bit before Rogue stood on her own and ran after Katie for her books. Lance stared after them with a smirk, though Kitty could see something resembling jealousy in his eyes, causing her to slam her locker door.
Katie slapped Rogue's arm. "What the crap?"
"That was hilarious and you know it." Rogue made a signal, and Katie got it immediately. "I mean, you? Like Pietro?"
"That's what I'm saying!" Katie agreed. "I mean, I fall asleep in seventh period all of the time. I can't believe you were making fun of me for falling asleep the same day he did." She bumped shoulders with Rogue.
"Still," Rogue started, "he shouldn't assume he's even in the Brotherhood." She smirked, and Katie knew that he went away.
"Think he bought it?"
"I know he did." She closed her locker door. "You're welcome. See you later."
"See ya."
Katie was innocently texting her mother when Pietro came into the Brotherhood living room and said, "Suit up. We have high orders."
"Mystique is not taking my Friday away from me. I'm supposed to hang with Rogue before we go watch the movie!" Katie complained. "Does she know how hard it is to find a convenient time when you have best friends who highly dislike each other?"
"It's mandatory," Pietro said simply as Katie's phone started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Yo, last minute Danger Room session. Hang tomorrow?"
"Of course," Katie answered before hanging up. "My afternoon is now free." She had her suit thrown at her. Grumbling, she went into the bedroom and started changing, in the process of putting her shirt on when Lance walked in. "Occupado!"
"Sorry!" The door closed with Lance waiting. Katie exited seconds later, pulling her hair into a ponytail with the curls bouncing around her as she skipped. Lance stared after her for a few seconds before deciding that he really did not want to know.
Katie was so surprised to see Mystique dressed in a cloak that hid her away entirely, calling Kurt Wagner her "son" that she didn't realize when the signal had been given to intervene. She joined the circle around Kurt, knowing she would not give her all against him. Kurt had become decreasingly annoying over the last few days since they fought together, and even had her cell number for any situation where she was required.
"Get out of here! All of you!" Mystique ordered them. Katie looked away from her and at Kurt, mouthing for him to run and get away. She noticed Lance's disapproving glance.
"No can do, boss lady. We have orders from higher up." Pietro snapped his fingers and Toad's tongue went to attack Kurt. Katie stepped in front of him, catching his tongue with her bare hand. Had Toad been able to speak correctly, Katie had no doubt numerous curses would be spilling out of his mouth and toward her.
"Katie, what are you doing?!" Lance yelled, grabbing her wrist. Katie reached out and grabbed hold of his own wrist rendering his hand useless for a few hours. "Katie!"
"I am not going to take orders from someone who isn't even around, and who I haven't even met!" Katie growled. She looked at Kurt. "Go!"
A blast forced Katie away from Kurt and to knock into Lance. She yelled in surprise and pain, mostly pain, and glared behind herself at Cyclops. "I was actually trying to help Nightcrawler, you-" Lance pinched her sides to shut her up before she something that would increasingly violent as she spoke. She instead glared at him.
"Don't give me that look," he growled at her. "You just helped the enemy and went against Magneto's orders. Are you crazy?" Katie grinned.
"It is quite possible." She stood up, and turned around. She saw Toad being flung into a pile of rubble and poor Blob being spun around in some type of device. Lance put his hands out as he saw Kitty and Jean near an unconscious Kurt. The ground shook, and Katie fell again. "Why am I always falling?!"
"No idea," Rogue mumbled. "Hope you don't mind that I absorbed your boyfriend." She helped Katie up, two sets of grey eyes meeting.
"Honestly, I don't have enough room to think, forget a boyfriend, Ro," Katie groaned. "And right now, you may have done me a favor."
Rogue nodded, running back into the fight. Katie sighed, unsure of where she really belonged. She had no interest in hurting them, either side... Well, maybe Cyclops, but that was relatively understandable.
In the end, Katie dragged Lance to the sideline while the X-Men drove away. Pietro, Toad, and Blob all glared at Katie, not even bothering to help her cat Lance. Honestly, Katie was getting sick of it.
Why would she take orders from this Magneto jerk when he never have them in person? She would obey any order as long as she saw the face of the person giving them. That was why she listened to Mystique. She gave orders to your face, not through some member on the team without good reason.
Katie could tell when Lance woke up. Her should was aching though, and she had sympathy for his hurting head. "I didn't fight them."
"I know."
"I'm not going to keep a mother from her child. Magneto can face me himself to give those orders." She adjusted Lance so he wasn't falling. Lance said nothing in return, and Katie could feel some tension. "So, I guess we aren't going to the movies?"
Lance chuckled. "Maybe tomorrow."
"Can't. I'm going to hang with Rogue." Lance glared at the ground. "I'm sorry."
He pushed himself off of Katie, making her trip over her feet. "You need to figure out where you belong. You call yourself a Brotherhood mutant, but you act like an X-Man. Either fight or go home to those geeks."
Katie looked at the ground. "Whatever." She pushed past Lance and began a long jog home with the other members of the Brotherhood ignoring her like professionals.