"You're very welcome Ciara" Raven smiled warmly at her, "Feel free to come and talk to me about these things anytime okay? We will do whatever we can to make you feel safe here"

Ciara got up and headed to the door with her father, who went to hold the door open. There was a clink of metal and Ciara and Miss Darkhölme both looked toward the window. Was that a flash of purple fabric she just saw... No, must have been the curtains in the breeze.

She followed her father out. He didn't seem to want her at school till this issue was worked out. "Please Dad. I don't want to miss swim practice tonight."

"And risk having this happen again?" Beast shook his head, "Why don't you just stick to the pool at the institute? There's plenty of space for swimming there"

"Dadddd. I just started making new friends..." She whined. She hadn't mentioned any of this in fear her Dad would pull her from school and continue to home school her. "I don't want to spend every day locked up at the institute. I never get a chance to get out..." She rubbed her arm. "Please Daddy."

He turned to look at her and sighed, ".... fine. But I'm picking you up after swim practice, and you have to promise to come home with Scott after school otherwise, okay?"

"Awww man." She said lightly. She was enjoying her roller blading trips home. It gave her some time to herself. To think. It was always crazy at home. If she didn't have a room to herself she'd never have any peace of mind. She sighed, "Alright... Deal." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks for understanding Daddy."

He smiled and nodded, "Alright honey, have a good day at school. I'll see you later" he kissed her forehead and left.

First period was over by the time, her meeting with Miss Darkhölme. So off to Science class. Usually almost always volunteered to read or answer a question but today she sat quietly at her desk. Doodling in the margins of her binder.

Pietro glanced over at her doodles during class and grinned a little, taking her pen-because he certainly didn't have one-and adding a little t-rex struggling to do push-ups to the mix.

A smile cracked onto her face at the doodle. She reached into her pencil case and doodled a steak under neath him. Just out of reach of his little t-rex arms.

Pietro added a speech bubble 'curse you mother nature!'

Ciara drew over his arms and eye, and wrote: "Cyborg T-rex. For Science!" Making the T-rex able to reach the steak.

Pietro held back a laugh and added a monocle and top hat, 'sophisticated cyborg T-rex, For science! and Society!'

Ciara couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Miss McCoy. Since you seem to be paying so much attention to the lesson, please stand up and repeat what I just said."

Ciara stood up, "The Atomic number is the number of protons in an atomic nucleus. The are two different ways of labeling an element, with the atomic number and the element symbol." She repeated exactly what the teacher had just said.

The teacher blinked, "Ahem. Very good. You may sit back down. But please be quiet."

Ciara nodded, "Sorry, Sir." She sat back down and drew a teacup. Her drawing skills weren't very good. The teacup looked more like a mug.

Pietro gave her a fairly impressed look at her and wrote, 'Way to put him in place'

She blushed a little 'That wasn't my intention. I just already know all this stuff. I work in the lab with my Dad all the time. It's just basic information for me.' She wrote back.

'Then why are you even here?' Pietro asked

She shifted on her stool, "Because I want to make friends my own age and we'll be covering things my father doesn't focus on. I've kinda been homeschooled for a good chuck of my life and being in this class.. makes me feel well, normal."

"okay...." Pietro gave her a look, "hmm... ask to go to the bathroom and meet me at the football field"

"But class is still..." She paused and sighed. After a moment she raised her hand and asked to go to the bathroom.

*
5 mins later at the football field which was empty and on the other side of the school so the teacher or students in her class won't notice her out there.

Pietro sped up next to her with her back pack, which she would not have been able to sneak out of class by herself. "Seriously, what's the point of going to a class you don't need? You'll pass it, so why not have some real fun in the meantime?"

She took her bag from him, "You mean skip? Oh, I couldn't do that. I mean, I just started here and I want to make a good impression and stuff. Plus Dad would KILL me if he found out. He almost didn't let me stay today." She rubbed her arm, not looking at him. "I have to make a good impression. I don't want to be stuck in the institute all the time. It can get pretty lonely when everyone else is off doing.. stuff..."

Pietro laughed, "I think you're missing the point. What's keeping you here? You want to make a good impression so you can leave that institute now and again. Well what's keeping you in the institute? Just get up and leave now and again. Do what you want for a change because all I hear coming outta your mouth, is what everybody else wants."

She sighed, "It's complicated. Pietro, I'm not..." She sighed. "Where do you wanna go?" She changed the topic.

Pietro chuckled, "You're still not getting" he took her hand and lead her to the very top of the bleachers, pointing her towards town and gesturing widely, "Where do you want to go?"