Playing With Fire (EDITING)

Minor Issues

The blaring of an old rock song startled me awake. I groaned and rolled over, yanking the pillow down over my ears as the guitar solo wailed on. When the song changed, I became more welcome to the sound, even if it was only 6:30am. By the time I'd swung my legs over the edge of the mattress and stood, I was singing right along to familiar chorus.

Kitty held in her giggles and changed the playlist to something I didn't recognize. After Megan showered, I claimed the bathroom and showered as well. When I had dried off, I pulled on the clothes found for me yesterday. The top was snug and comfortable without being showy or revealing and the shorts fit well enough. I left the bathroom and perched on Kitty's bed to watch the video from last night while drying my hair. Halfway through the video, the door flew open and Kitty jumped.

"Not. Funny." Kurt marched into the room with feathers fluttering every time he exhaled and honey dripping off his nose.

"I dunno, I'd say it is," I sassed back.

"Why I oughta..." he threatened, shaking a finger at me with a brown feather dangling from the tip.

I stood and crossed my arms. "You gonna finish that threat, Nightworm, or are you too...chicken?" I finished, plucking a feather off his head and holding it on my palm to blow it back in his face.

He swatted at it angrily; I could almost see the steam billowing from his ears. "Chill, Kurt, it was just a prank. Besides, you were asking for it." Kitty closed down the video and put away her laptop.

"I was asking for it? I'd say Butterfly here is the one asking for it," he retorted, stabbing a relatively clean finger in my shoulder.

I grabbed his finger in one fist and bent it backwards until he cringed and backed off. "Go shower. You look ridiculous," I told him.

He glared at me before stomping out and leaving a trail of honey and feathers behind him.

Megan stepped up to stand beside me with a look of surprise mingled with satisfaction. "You've got nerve."

"You haven't seen anything yet," I replied, sinking onto Kitty's bed again.

"Who are you?" she asked, sitting cross legged on her own bed and facing me.

I took a deep breath and held it before exhaling slowly. "That's complicated," I said eventually.

"We're all pretty complicated. Trust me, nothing surprises me anymore."

"I don't want to talk about it," I amended, seeing that my first answer wouldn't stop her.

"Sooner or later, someone's going to know," she told me.

"I figured." I shrugged, remembering the fuzzy sensation in my brain the previous day. "In fact, Prof already knows."

"He talked to you?" She cocked her head sideways, making her pink ponytail rest against her cheek.

"I wouldn't say 'talked' exactly," I said.

They both nodded in understanding and finished getting ready.

After we'd tromped downstairs and rummaged through the kitchen for breakfast, Megan slid off the counter where she'd been sitting and looked me over. "We haven't had a new recruit in so long I'd almost forgotten how fun it is. And today's the best."

"How's that?" I said, draining the last of my chocolate milk and sliding off the counter as well.

"Well if you're going to stay here then you can't keep borrowing everyone's clothes. So today..." She paused for dramatic effect.

"We go shopping!!" Kitty finished for her.

I hated shopping. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been shopping. Anytime I had needed something, I'd either sewn it myself from fabric my mom had had lying around or just patched up an old something of whatever I needed. All I remembered about shopping was that it was more trouble than it was worth.