In Between

Elane's recovery went well enough that she had been allowed to eat with the rest of the students, though Dr. McCoy had warned her against partaking of many of the students favorite drink; coffee. She needn't have been warned since the beverage had a mild laxative effect on her without her gallbladder problems. She smiled as she smelled the wonderful food, the dining room full of cheerful banter and conversation. She smiled as she saw that the teachers joined in on the meal as well though they ate apart from the students so as not to create a atmosphere of familiarity.

As she tried to find a seat she was given her second scare as Jubilee bounded up to her, her body literally bubbling with energy as she 'glomped' Elaine in a hug that felt more like a brief 'cop-a-feel'. "You must be Elane!" Jubilee did not leave enough time for Elaine to answer as the smaller Asian girl took her by the arm and pulled her to an empty chair between two female students and with her hands on Elane's shoulders, pushed her down into the chair with so much force Elaine wondered if Jubilee had glued her to it.

She looked around at all the students as they passed the food around while talking to each other. She was almost thankful that no one took notice that her stomach sounded like an angry Rottweiler. The young woman to Elane's left gave her an apologetic look. "Don't worry; she does that to every one at least once a day." Elaine smiled, "I'm Rogue, by the way." Elaine shook the girl's gloved hand, noticing that along with her mahogany hair she had a streak of pure white at her forehead. The girl on the other side was the same one who had startled her on the stairs the day before.

Kitty gave Elane a sheepish grin. "Sorry about - well, sorry I couldn't say hi without my head in a toilet."

Kitty barked a laugh as she passed Elaine the mashed potatoes. "Hey, there are worse places for you head to be, trust me." Elaine wondered how Kitty would know as she spooned herself a healthy helping of potatoes. Next came the broccoli with cheese and something that smelled wonderful but she was sure it was meat-loaf. Was there a way to make meat-loaf taste good?

"My mom's recipe," piped up a bright smiling blond across the table. "Good ole Suthern' soul food beats the crap they pass for food up here any day." Elaine laughed. "By the way, I'm Paige. Most just call me Husk."

"Or Hayseed," piped in an amused Jubilee with a mouth full of potatoes. This earned her a withering stare from Page before she shook it off with an exasperated sigh.

"Anyway," Paige continued rather loudly. "I'm Paige. This goof-ball here," Paige smacked a taller boy with dirty blond hair in the arm. "is Bobby. That loud-ass with the mouth full of meat is Jubilee." The Asian girl being introduced just grinned and waggled her eyebrows at Paige before attacking her broccoli. "You already know Rogue and Kitty. This big guy is Piotr. Don't let his size fool you," Paige winked. "He's a sweet heart." The young man in question just blushed a light crimson as he ate his dinner with his eyes down.

Elane had to admit that Piotr was a cute one though her attention was arrested as someone else came into the dining room. Paige followed her eyes and smiled. Elaine, having been caught staring at the man who just entered, blushed the same shade as Piotr had and turned her head only to blush deeper at having been caught by Paige as well. "While were on introductions," the blond grinned. "This, here is Kurt. He's just like Piotr, a sweet heart." Paige got an evil look in her eye when she reached behind Jubilee's chair as Kurt came froward to be introduced. She grabbed his three fingered hand and held it in both of her own tightly. "When he gets that puppy dog look in his eyes you just want to grab him, take him somewhere dark and cuddle the crap out of him."

"Mein Gott!" Kurt tried to drag his hand back from the blond, afraid that she would do just that. "I must remind you that I am a man of God, Paige." He struggled against her hold a few more seconds before she let him go with a chuckle. "I am a priest."

"Damn..."

Paige's mouth dropped open as she stared at Elane who had covered her face with a napkin to hide her embarrassment. Kurt had taken the opportunity to teleport out of the dining room. "We have another kinky one," Jubilee announced, giggling as Elane's ears turned a light pink.


Elane was thankful that no one teased her further during dinner. At least she had a full stomach and would be able to sleep better for it. Once in her room she started getting ready for bed. The sun was already low in the sky and Ororo had told her that she wanted to see Elaine bright and early at 8 am the next morning to schedule classes. She took off her earrings followed by her clothing. She quickly put on a night gown, grabbed a towel and her shampoo and went down the hall to the showers.

She had hoped to get to the showers before most of the other students did and she was rewarded with an empty tiled room. The sinks were just across from the doors with shower stalls lining the walls on either side with toilets on the opposite ends of the long room. Elane took care of her business before she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtian before stripping out of her gown and showering.

She finished quickly, dried herself and slipped the gown over her head just as Paige, Rogue and Jubilee came into the bathroom carrying their own toiletries. Elane mumbled a greeting to them as she slipped out of the bathroom. She was slightly relieved that she did not have to shower in front of her class mates. She walked quickly to her own room and closed the door behind her and started brushing and drying her hair. She smiled as she saw how fast it had grown now that she no longer kept it cut short.

Just as she put a fresh pair of panties on and a moisturizer on her face she heard something just over her room. She stopped what she was doing, listening carefully. The noise had almost sounded like foot steps. Elane quietly made her way to her large picture window and shoved it open. Now that she could hear what was going on outside, she could hear a faint mumbling over the wind. She sat still as she could at the window and listened to the mumbling. After a few moments she could tell it had a definite rhythm and after a few more moments recognized where she had heard it from.

Slowly she slid out of the window, not minding the three story drop to the ground. She reached over and with practiced ease crawled up the drain pipe to the roof of the western end of the building. She could just barely make out a dark figure crouched on the apex of the roof, rosary beads hanging from his hands as his lips uttered 'Hail Mary' over and over again. She recognized those hands as belonging to Kurt, the man she had managed to embarrass at dinner.

She cleared her throat when she could tell that the man had finished the end of one prayer, getting his attention. Elane almost wilted under his yellow eyed stare but she pulled herself up to the roof in one fluid movement, her long night gown molded against her body as she was exposed to the wind's full force. Kurt watched as she walked with a dancer's grace to crouch near him on the apex of the roof, her muscled arms clutched over her small chest. "I wanted to apologize."

Kurt tilted his head, slipping the beads into a pocket in his pants. "Vat ever for? If zis is about your small infraction at dinner, do not be worried," Kurt smiled at the young woman. "Believe it or not, I have become used to the stares of want from both ze men and ze women. It is preferable to stares of hatred."

Elane nodded, rubbing her exposed arms as she balanced herself on the balls her feet next to Kurt. "So, you teleport," Elane asked, kicking herself for sounding like an absolute idiot in her mind.

"Ja," Kurt nodded. "Among ozer things." He looked toward the short haired woman sitting quietly next to him. "And vat are your talents?"

Elane smiled at 'talent' though it was a bitter and short lived smile. "Strong, fast, agile." She smiled back at Kurt. "And nosy." Both shared a laugh. "Lots of people start asking questions when you win All-Region track and field with a 12ft. high jump." Kurt inclined his head, noticing the long and lean muscles of her arms and legs. He turned his head to stare at the western horizon as the last of the sun's rays faded into the inky black.

Elane watched as Kurt seemed to disappear as the sunset until all that was visible of him were his pants and eyes. She began to understand what those 'other things' were. Both sat quietly, watching the stars become visible over the school. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as she stood up, still balancing on the balls of her feet. "Good night, Kurt," she smiled as she slid down the roof and swung herself back into the window in one fluid motion.

Kurt stayed still for a while longer, taking his rosary beads back out and resuming his nightly supplication. He had noticed something peculiar about Elane that made him chuckle. If he actually saw what he thought he saw through the blue cotton night gown as it was pulled against her body by the wind, then he had to admit that God worked in mysterious ways indeed.