Re-Evolution: Episode 2: In the Blood

Todd was waiting outside the lunchroom for Morgan, checking his phone, in case she'd texted him. The phone was an older model from a couple of years prior, and not even a major brand.

No messages.

"Aw man, Toad, she's totally gonna ditch you, yo," he mumbled to himself, slouching a little more down against the doorframe as other students came in past him, a few of them giving him dirty looks.

One broad, brown haired boy in a letterman jacket shoved him as he passed, a grin on his face 

"Hey, frogface, quit stinking up the doorway huh? Some of us are trying to have an appetite."

Todd shrunk back, but sneered at him. 

"Hey its a free country, yo!" he snapped back. He dropped his voice to mumble, "meathead."

The jock turned, and grabbed Todd by the scruff of his shirt, slamming him into the doorjam with a snarl. 

"What was that, you little pest?" 

"Hey!" Came a sharp and recently familiar voice. "Put him down, jackass."

The voice short-circuited Todd's fight or flight instinct for a moment, as he looked over to find the source of it. The most dangerous of all emotions welled in him. Hope. 

"Morgan?"

His hope bore surprising fruit-- as he did indeed see Morgan standing there, her hand on her hip and a scowl on her face as she glared up at the jock. 

"Seriously. Put him down." 

The jock glared at her for a moment. His fingers tightened on Todd's shirt before he let go and dropped him. 

"yes *sir*" he sneered at Morgan. "Whatever you say *sir*" 

Morgan's jaw set, and her eyes narrowed on the jock. For a moment, she looked like she might actually rush the guy, something Todd was a bit tempted to do as well, but instead she grabbed Todd's hand and stormed into the lunchroom.

He was practically dragged into the lunchroom, a little too flabbergasted by the situation to any more than stumble along with her until they were a ways away. Finally his brain slammed back into gear.  

"H-hey! hol' up yo! He can't talk that way to you!"

Morgan turned, looking down at Todd with a tired smile. 

"...no, he can't. But he's not worth the fight." Todd couldn’t help but notice how exhausted and pale she looked.

"I could kick his teeth in for ya!" he blustered, with more bravado than sense. It was probably true honestly, but the question was what would happen after that.

Morgan squeezed his wrist gently. 

"Why don't we plan to give him the *special treatment* some other time. Just like with you know who yesterday....and we can enjoy our lunch. Sorry I ran a little late."

"You got it, dollface, he better consider himself on notice, yo. And like, no worry about it, it's chill." He smoothed his hair back, trying to give the impression that he *hadn't* been nervous she wouldn't show up.

She finally let go of his arm, and despite the stare that some people were giving them, she leaned a little closer to him to his surprise. 

"I'm a little surprised you waited for me." she purred.

"Eh I figured you were just busy or somethin'," he lied, waving a hand nonchalantly. Though he tried to play it cool, the awkward chuckle probably gave away his nerves. He leaned in a little closer to her.

She grinned a little wider, briefly flashing her fangs. 

"I just had to make a quick... deteor." Morgan’s slight pause, and her tired frown seemed to indicate there might be more behind that detour, but Todd didn’t get a chance to ask. She leaned in a little closer...and poked his nose. "Let's buy a soda or something and chat, huh?"

Todd blinked, and grinned, delighted at the gesture, and the rare physical contact. From a girl, no less.

"Yo, anything you say, babe. I know a few places we could slip off a little quieter than the lunch room too if ya want."

"Why don't you lead the way, leapfrog." She straightened up with an amused smirk. "You're the expert here. I'm just the new kid."

He straightened up a bit in response too, and offered her his arm. Like a gentleman.

"You got it, doll!"

Morgan glanced at his arm with a soft 'hmmm'...before she took it with a wink. 

"Well aren't you welcoming."

Todd had felt his resolve waver in her moment of hesitation, but his grin renewed all the brighter when she actually took his arm. 

"Hey *some* of us around here know how to treat a lady, yo."

He led her through the lunch room toward the vending machines in the far hall, near the disused senior lockers. He wasn't sure if he was pleased or annoyed by the fact that they were getting noticed by a few people, but either way it made something tighten in his stomach.

Morgan hugged his arm, putting her card in the machine.  

"want something, Leapfrog?" she asked with a half smile "I'll buy." 

Todd noticed as she glanced over her shoulder, her cheeks darkening as she also likely realized just how many eyes were on them. He was glad that they'd gotten at least a little past the watchful eyes of their peers, and could have a little privacy.

"Yo, I won't say no if ya sure," he agreed. "But I got ya next time. I'll have what you're havin."

She bought them each a cola, and handed him the bottle with a wink. "how about we find that privacy, huh?"

"Follow me, babe, the Toad knows all the secrets around here, yo." 

He grinned, leading her a little ways down the senior hall, and into a disused alcove, where there was a set of back-stairs. Alongside the concrete stairway was a dim space, half-hidden by a large shelf, that seemed to have at one point been used for storage.

Morgan followed him, twisting the cap off her soda as she went. 

000

Morgan frowned briefly as she played with the cap of her soda. She still wasn't feeling all that up to eating, not with the queasy feeling in her stomach. Maybe the carbonation would help her feel a little better. She glanced into the alcove, cocking her head. 

"Huh, you weren't lying, leapfrog. You do know all the nooks and crannies."

"Toldja, yo," he nodded, pleased, and hopped up to sit on top of a disused desk that was sitting in the little area. There were a couple of these, and a couple of chairs besides. "I'm a handy guy to have around."

Morgan slipped into one of the chairs nearby and took a sip of her soda. 

"I'm starting to notice that, Todd." She leaned against the back of the chair with a smirk. Let’s see if I can get a rise out of him... "Even if you're a little **handsy** too."

Todd, who had just taken a sip of his soda, made a slightly choked noise and laughed awkwardly. 

"Guess they have a life of their own sometimes, yo."

Morgan pulled one of the spare desks over for her to lean on. 

"Is that so? Part of your mutation or just a personal quirk? the sentient wandering hands I mean."

Todd's brain seemed to be warring violently over smooth quips versus the general awkwardness of actually having a girl talk to him who wasn't looking for another guy to literally throw him in an actual trash can. She watched his face journey from embarrassed, to hopeful, and back again.

"I mean, uh, who can say, really, yo. Mystery of life."

She snickered into her soda. Despite his awkwardness, she was enjoying herself. 

‘He's kind of cute’, she mused to herself. ‘In that dorky 'thinks he's funny' kind of way. Guess he's got me laughing, at least.’ 

"May be worth some study sometime," she purred, glancing at him through lidded eyes.

"Well uh, normally I ain't much of a studyin' guy but I'd make an exception for you, vampirella." He fidgeted awkwardly on the desk, the backs of his heels bumping the legs of it repeatedly as he grinned. "S-so, hey uh, last night huh? That was a blast, yo."

"Literally, in some ways.I can't believe we pulled it off,"  she said with a growing grin. She brushed her hand through her hai.r "Those bastards got what was coming to them, if you ask me. Maybe now they'll think twice before bullying someone for being different."

"Yeah maybe we knocked some fuckin sense into 'em yo! Oh oh oh! did ya see it was on the news? Like, they didn't mention us obviously or nothin' yo."

"I *didn't*" Morgan  leaned towards him with a grin. "We got a late start, so we kind of rushed out this morning. It was on the *news*?? what'd they say?"

Morgan could see a creeping flush blooming on Todd’s face as she leaned in closer to him. 

"Yo they was all like 'three girls rushed to the hospital after night club incident' and somethin about how they thought it was like, uh, structural damage or somethin'. Oh an; they totally got busted for bein' drunk."

"Structural damage.Certainly after Dorian and Lance were done with it, at least." Her leg swayed, her spiked heel scuffing the ground as she smiled. ‘I didn't want to hurt them, just scare them a little. but it sounds like they're more or less okay. And they **were** horrible’. "Busted for being drunk too, huh? "I bet they sounded wasted with all their whining about 'haunted alleys' and 'ghosts'."

"Yeah, right, yo? Bet they figured they were looney tunes, like pink elephants and shit." Todd snickered. "Oh, hey hey hey, you get on the cheer team yo?"

In fact, Morgan hadn't been able to check yet, because there'd been a delay in the list being posted. It was supposed to be up by the end of the day from what she'd heard.

"I'm not quite sure yet." Morgan mused "I went to check the list and there's some delay, I guess. They said it'll be up later. I hope I got on, though."

"Yo got my fingers crossed for ya!" he grinned, demonstrating the gesture with his large hands.  "But like, an' don't take this the wrong way, but I’m kinda surprised ya into cheerleadin' with your style an' all."

Morgan crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair. She felt like Todd had had more to say, but whatever the comment was, he had bitten it back.

"Surprised a goth's trying out for cheer squad? What can I say. I'm a complicated girl." She considered leaving it at that for a moment, but continued. "I was on the cheer team before I got the courage to start dressing this way...I'd joined partially because I wanted a sport to keep me in shape and partially as a bit of a 'fuck you' to people who didn't want me there. And somewhere along the line I realized I actually enjoyed it."

She brushed her hair over her ear with a smile, hoping she didn’t seem too awkward.

"Hey, yo, that's great, ya know?" Todd nodded. "Just a shame ya gotta deal with some of the other cheerleaders, yo."

"A damned shame. The ones back home..hm...some of them weren't great. But I bore the trial with grace."  She winked at him. “I'm hoping both Darcy and I get on the team here, because then there'll be at least two cool cheerleaders around."

"Darcy Lewis huh? Yeah she's alright. Calls me a 'goblin rogue' sometimes but like, whatever, yo."

"I see her point." Morgan said with a teasing grin, baring her fangs at him in amusement.  "We vibe pretty well so far though. She seems cool, and definitely way better company than the Wicked Bitches of GC High."

"Yeah, yeah she's just afraid of my sneak attack damage, yo. And you ain't wrong about that. Good luck with that shit both of ya."

"Sneak attack damage, hm? I'll have to up my passive perception then." She gave him a lazy salute and turned the conversation away from the dangerous levels of nerdom that it had entered.  "Thanks, hopefully we both get a spot. ...Maybe you can come watch us sometime. You know, out on the field. And we can hang out after practice."

She sipped her soda thoughtfully, and looked at his reaction over the top of the bottle as he sat up at attention with surprise. 

"Shit, yo, for real? I am all about that!" He grinned broadly. "Hey, we could hang after school today too if ya wanted."

Morgan rubbed her neck, frustrated that she had to disappoint him for the day.

"Oof, sorry Toddy. No can do tonight. I've got a *prior engagement*. We got an invitation to tour that Institute nearby and Greg's accepted for us for tonight."

"Aw, that's too bad, but I guess--" he paused. "Wait, the Xavier Institute or whatever, yo?"

"Yeah, ingot an invite yesterday from Piotr" she leaned back in her chair, skirt riding a little up her thigh. "My brother got one from the student council president, too."

He folded his arms, looking a bit thoughtful, though she noticed his eyes wandering to her legs. "Damn, they invited me a while back but I was kinda like, nah...."

"They did, huh?" Morgan perked up, fixing her skirt after a moment. "Too bad, it sounded kinda neat. Would be nice to have a place to like..be ourselves."

Todd scratched his chin for a moment, biting his lip. He seemed to be considering something.

"Yeah, I like, never liked the vibe they were puttin down, yo, but if you're gonna check it out, might be worth a look."

Morgan's eyes lit up as a somewhat mischievous thought occurred to her.

"Maybe we can take the tour together! It'll be better than it just being me and Greg, that way."

"Yo you think? I would be wicked into that, yo." Todd brightened up as well. 

"It means you get to spend time with me." Morgan pointed her soda at him with a sly smile. "Which I've noticed you're pretty keen on doing."

She watched him light up with a flush at the suggestion and he coughed. 

"Well, I mean, who wouldn't yo? New girl in town needs someone to show her the ropes, right? I'm a charitable kinda guy."

"Uh huh" she said, crossing her arms "you're a real altruistic guy, Toddy"

"That's me, yo. I'm like, a hero, didn't you know?" he grinned hopefully at her.

"A hero, huh?" Her smirk of amusement turned into a more genuine little smile. "Yeah, I'll buy that after you saved my neck yesterday."

"Hope you don't forget it, doll!" He topped to his feet on the desk, and then down to the floor, straightening up out of a crouch. "But uh, I better go find Bobby or Miss Prez or somebody if I wanna get in on your tour later, yo."

"Don't worry. I won't forget." Morgan offered her hand to him. "Help a girl up?"

"With pleasure, yo!" Todd took her hand, helping her to stand, with a doofy little flourish with his free arm.

Morgan stood with an easy grace, her cool fingers on his as she rose to her feet and winked.

"Thanks, leapfrog." She let go, and poked his shoulder "be seeing you."

000

As Morgan left, Todd watched her go for a long moment, before he headed out himself.

‘She's prolly just teasing me hardcore, but like, maybe maybe maybe.... maybe I got a shot here. One in a million…’