Fake Smiles and Not!Party Girls

    She hadn't really wanted to go to the party. Especially after the adventure they'd already had, getting Kurt and Forge out of that middle-dimension whatever, but it was the principle of the thing. Kurt and Scott had mended their broken bromance, and Kitty was taking one for the team. Because going to Duncan Matthews' party in lieu of studying for the pre-final exam in Hawkins' Geometry class wasn't something she really wanted to do. Especially if freshmen weren't invited anyway.
    Evan didn't seem to mind, but he wasn't nearly as cognizant of rules or social graces as she was. He'd probably crashed these sorts of parties tons of times.  Kitty wondered briefly how Kurt would even be able to explain his appearance, since his holowatch was broken, but Jean was talking to him even now, working out some plan or other…
    It wasn't really the party. She loved parties. That she was invited to. That she wanted to go to. That she was prepared for. She just didn't like the potential awkwardness of inviting yourself over and then not being able to eat the chicken casserole, not just because she was a vegetarian, mind you, but because it wasn't kosher, and she hated explaining the dairy-touching-meat thing because people tended to look at her really funny, and she hated that.
    It's the principle of the thing.  I'm taking one for the team. She didn't have to dwell on the pages of Astrophysics she still had to read, or the Biology project that was due in a few weeks. Aw, damn, Scott couldn't even help her with Geometry, she realized, because he had a field trip with the Geology club coming up. And he couldn't miss that, oh no no. Jean was going, and she'd signed them up to do it ages ago, and it just wouldn't work out, blah blah blah.
    "Man, look who else decided to come to the party?" Evan said then, drawing everyone's attention to a familiar jeep parked in the sprawling group of fancy cars parked by Duncan Matthews' house.
    Kitty rolled her eyes. Lance was here. Of course he was here. Why wouldn't he be here? The constant reminder of her old life, her old school, and how low she'd almost sunk to try and feel normal for once in her life…It was all she'd once cared about, and now her world seemed so much bigger…
    Had it really only been a few months? Finals were just around the corner, and there were already flyers up advertising try-outs for the Spring Musical, which always marked the almost-end of the school year. The only major events left were the field trip, for Scott and Jean, then Ororo's piano recital in about a month…and then it would be summer.
    Kitty wondered idly if she'd have to go home for the break. Back to her parents who loved her, but didn't understand her, and a friendless, bored existence as she tried to find something to do in a town she didn't consider her home anymore. Perhaps she could stay on at the mansion. Scott did, didn't he? He had to, so far as she knew. He had no family to return home to, and besides, he'd regaled them with tales of building the swimming pool last summer with Jean and his friend Paul, and if that weren't torture enough, Mr. Logan would probably think of something even more horrible, but it wouldn't be as horrible as going to Northbrook, because that would be a fate worse than death –
    "Kitty? Were you coming?"
    She looked up, trying to stop the ceaseless whining in her head. She used to whine out loud, but had been quickly told how unattractive that was, but it didn't seem to help her to just whine in her head, because all it did was make her stare into space while people looked at her weird, which she hated more than when they looked at her in exasperation when she whined at them.
    Kurt had waited as the others had gotten out of the car, and she pasted on a smile for him. Kurt hated sarcasm and glaring, and she tried to put off her grumbling – if she spent long enough talking to Kurt, she was sure to get in a better mood. It was just a gift he had. "Sure, Kurt." She stepped effortlessly through the door, taking the proffered arm he held out to her.
    "Just wait. It's ingenious, what Jean told me to do," Kurt grinned, and Kitty, sure enough, felt her smile turn more real in response. She loved when he smiled in his natural form, because she could see his fangs, and somehow it was kind of adorable.
    "We ousting mutants? Just going with the truth?" Kitty said, smiling through the faux-serious question so Kurt would know she was teasing. Sometimes he didn't immediately get dry humor. Funny, considering he used it himself. Maybe she was just too good at it.
    "Ja. We decided it was pointless anyway." Kurt's expression turned devious, and Kitty felt a familiar swooping sensation in her stomach as Kurt teleported them ahead of the group, up next to the door, so they wouldn't have to walk.
    Kitty wasn't having any more thoughts of the homework she should be doing instead. She did love that about Kurt. He made you…not want to care as much. Smile more. She let out a sigh, and Kurt poked her in the small of her back with the blunted tip of his tail.
    "Take your breath away? Kätzchen?" Kurt grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her as they approached the door to Duncan's large house.
    "Scott's going to wet himself," Kitty choked in response, turning to see their leader's face in battle with itself, not knowing how to react to Kurt's blatant flaunting of his mutant ability.
    "That's the best part, though."
    Kitty looked over at Kurt, whose eyes were glowing faintly, and they shared a grin. "I'll do you one better," she muttered, as they reached the door. She gripped his arm tightly, concentrating, and pulling him through the door with her. They busted up laughing as they heard Scott's sputtering protests, and Kitty promptly felt dizzy, pitching suddenly to the side.
    Kurt took it in stride, slipping a hand around her waist, steadying her even as she partially collapsed into him. "You okay?"
    He was all concern and…gentlemanly. Kitty tried not to blush. She grinned sheepishly, instead. "I'm not used to so much phasing. In one day, I mean. I guess I'm wiped out."
    "To wipe out…is to fall? Right?" He was helping her up the stairs, now, and she felt his tail at her back, and twitched in anticipation of it trying to tickle her again.
    "No, not in this case. It's…to feel tired," she explained patiently. Stranger euphemisms escaped his attention sometimes, especially if they had multiple meanings.
    They arrived on the second floor, where a few guests gasped at Kurt's appearance. Being in close proximity, Kitty felt him tense for a moment. He hated that he scared people, she knew. He was so kind, and funny, and good…How could anyone think him some kind of devil? When his heart was made of gold?
    He rose to the challenge, though, putting on his best grin. "Aww, man! Kätzchen, you told me this was a costume party!"
    His obliging audience laughed, and Kurt released her, meeting her eyes with a silent question, asking if she was all right to stand alone.
    She nodded, and felt her smile become more forced as he left her presence.
    She turned, looking for someone she knew to chat with, and saw Lance by the pizza, trying to catch her attention.
    She shrugged, trotting over to speak with him. Though by all rights she shouldn't. He'd been quite rude today. Made her phase through a very thick wall. Twice. In a basement, no less, into dirt.
    She hated phasing into dirt. She felt like it was an introductory course in being buried alive.
    It's the principle of the thing. I'm taking one for the team. It's the principle of the thing. I'm taking one for the team.
    "Hey, Kitty Cat. Surprised you have energy to party. After rumbling this afternoon."
    Screw the team. I'm going home.