The next morning, Julie showered-in a horrifying state of a bathroom-and dressed for school. She settled for a pair of skinny jeans, black flats, a white long sleeve shirt with a scoop neck and a large, short sleeved tan knit sweater. She put her hair up in a high ponytail, also pinning back her bangs. She didn't want to over do it on her first day so she settled with the basics for make-up, foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and some nude eye shadow. While putting on her mascara, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something crawling across the counter top. She waited a second before slamming her hand down on the creature. Looking at her hand, she wanted to vomit when she saw the squished cockroach on her hand.
"Oh my God. I can't live like this. I'm going to have to do some serious renovating if I'm supposed to stay here." Julie washed her hands of the remains of the insect.
Downstairs, Pietro and Wanda sat at the table, along with a tall boy with brown hair styled in a shag. He wore a pair of grungy jeans, an old black shirt and a brown vest. He wore a seemingly permanent scowl. Julie sat beside him, but he didn't seem to notice her presence.
"Good morning," Julie said. No one responded. She focused on the guy she was sitting next to. "Um, I'm Julie, and you are?"
"This is Lance," Pietro said. "He's not a morning person."
"Oh, ok. Well, what time do you guys leave for school? I don't have a car yet and I would appreciate a lift."
The boy named Lance scoffed at the statement. "We don't go to school. We were kicked out by that prick Kelley."
"I guess I'll walk then...um, where is the school?"
"I'll take you," Lance said. "I need a reason to get out of this dump."
"And see Kitty," Pietro chirped in.
"Shut up, Pietro," Lance growled. His fists were clenched tightly and Julie felt the earth begin to shake. It stopped a moment later.
"Whoa," Julie said. "Was that you?"
"He's known as Avalanche, if that gives you any indication," Pietro said.
That might explain some of the wreckage around here.
"So, what's your mutation?" Pietro asked Julie.
Julie didn't know how to answer that. If she were ever to come against them in costume, and they knew about her many mutations, they would know it was her. She couldn't give too much away. "Well, I don't have one mutation. I won't go through them now, but sometime I can show you. Now, I'm starving. What do you have to eat?"
"Cereal." All three, even Wanda, said.
"But no milk, so it's going to be dry," Wanda said. It was the first thing she ever said solitarily to me.
Julie moved to the cupboards-some were missing the doors-and pulled out the one box of cereal. It was already open and slightly torn at the corners...almost like some little creature was nibbling at it. She put it back. "I'll wait..."
"We don't really take time to go grocery shopping," Pietro said. "I guess we should probably go soon."
"Come on, new girl," Lance said, getting up from the table.
Julie followed Lance outside to a topless green Jeep. She hopped in beside him. He pulled out and sped down the residential street.