Find Yourself 2
The day seemed to be moving by at a snails pace and Kristina was relieved that it had finally been lunch time.
Heading to the cafeteria she smiled as she spotted Kurt standing by the doorway awaiting her arrival.
“I believe we have a date,” he said holding out his hand for her to take.
Blushing a bit at his sentiment although it was totally obvious that the young man was gay, she took his hand and let him lead her toward the lunch line.
“I’m sure the quality of the cuisine here isn’t up to the standards of your beloved Madison Prep but it is edible.”
Kristina looked over at the food that was placed on her tray and was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t look like the grey colored slop that she had seen being served in the movies that she had seen about High School life.
Letting Kurt lead her to his table Kristina was instantly greeted by three smiling faces.
Letting out a sigh she felt a wash of relief fall over her as she realized that Sonny and all his exploits probably didn’t hit the news as hard in Lima, Ohio and that Kurt’s three friends would not be judging her on her father’s deeds.
“Guys, this is Kristina Davis,” Kurt said, “Kristina the guys.”
Kristina smiled as she was introduced to the trio that sat at the lunch table on the far side of the McKinley cafeteria and soon she took a seat between Kurt and one of the two female occupants a sweet yet painfully shy Asian girl who was introduced to her as Tina Cohen-Chang.
The tables other two occupants were a young African American girl named Mercedes Jones who seemed to be glued to Kurt’s other side and a young wheelchair bound man named Artie Abrams.
“So,” Mercedes spoke as she visually began to size Kristina up like a scientist looking at its subject from underneath a microscope.
“Kurt says you come from New York.”
Kristina bit her lip.
‘Great,” she thought, ‘the twenty questions is about to begin.’
Nodding she knew that the young girl deserved an answer.
Taking a bite of her salad she smiled.
“Upstate Mercedes, nothing glamorous.”
A brief silence filled the air as they ate a bit more.
Then question number two.
“So, you went to private school all your life,” Artie said or rather asked her.
“Yes I have, and man let me tell you its so surreal being at a school where not everyone is dressed in uniforms.”
The others nodded while she mentally began to let her mind wander while she began to picture Noah Puckerman and how he would look dressed in a prep school uniform as opposed to the t-shirt, jeans, and letter jacket he had on.
‘Would Madison even of admitted him with that Mohawk of his,’ she pondered as she flashed back to the moment they met a few hours ago.
There is an empty seat located next to Mr. Puckerman,” the teacher said motioning Kristina to a lab stool near the middle of the classroom. Looking over to the man that would be her lab partner she shook her head wondering if she was in the right class as from looks alone he didn’t seem like the kind of person that would be in advanced Chemistry.
Walking over to the empty stool she placed her bag by her feet and took a seat next to him.
Watching as the young man looked at her and smiled she felt a spark of comfort at first sight. There was something about this Noah Puckerman character that felt reminiscent of Ethan Lovett from back home. It was because of Ethan’s concern for her well being that had been the reason she final gained the courage to stand up to her abusive boyfriend Kiefer once and for all. However though he still gave her nightmares Kiefer was her past while Lima was her present and until she left for Yale, her future as well, the least she could do was make the best of it. Half expecting her lab partner to speak in an Australian accent she watched as he opened his mouth to speak.
“So, you’re new,” he said in a tragically American yet totally breathtaking voice.
Kristina simply nodded knowing that this would be the question people asked her for a while.
After that he seemed to be a man of few words though he wasn’t completely detached from her. He would from time to time comment to her about the lecture going on or push his book in her direction so she could read what was going on.
Lost in the flashback Kristina jumped as Kurt’s hand suddenly waved across her face taking her out of her daze.
“Earth to Kristina, come in Kristina.” Kurt spoke as Kristina blinked before flashing him an apologetic gaze.
It was in that moment Kristina had an epiphany of sorts. Kurt seemed to be a walking talking who’s who guide of McKinley. He was sure to know more about her lab partner wasn’t he?
“Kurt, you seem to know everyone around here.”
He smiled with a sense of pride. Although he wasn’t the most popular person at McKinley he definitely thought of himself as the premiere gossip queen of the school.
“I try,” he spoke, “so what is it that you want to know about, or rather whom.”
“Well,” Kristina said pausing to try to formulate a decent wording, “what can you tell me about Noah Puckerman?”
The foursome looked to one another and rolled their eyes while whispering to one another.
“Puck,” Tina said being the first to speak up in a tone loud enough for Kristina to here, “why do you want to know about Puck?”
“Well, he’s my lab partner and…”
She was interrupted as Kurt let his hand fly up in a dramatic fashion to stop her dead in her tracks.
“Wait, lab partner, you mean to tell me that Puck is in advanced chemistry?”
She could tell Kurt along with the others were trying to hold back laughter.
“Mercedes,” Kurt said through the noise, “did you know about this.”
She shook her head.
“Maybe he lost a bet,” Artie had suggested thinking that somehow there was some logical explanation for the jock to be in honors classes.
Kristina was getting impatient.
“Can you please tell me about Noah, or Puck as you guys call him please…”
Kurt sucked in a deep breath thinking that it was best his new friend heard it all from him. He only hoped she didn’t have a penchant for shooting the messenger when he told her how Puck had slept with his best friend’s girlfriend getting her pregnant and then to add further insult to injury lied about the babies paternity for months.
It was in that moment however that a particular brunette began to approach the table.
Kurt rolled his eyes.
“The ice queen comeith,” he said as the girl took a seat between Artie and Mercedes without so much as an invitation.
“Hello,” she said to Kristina, “I’m Rachel Berry but I’m sure you knew that.”
Faking a smile Kristina nodded thinking this was the over dramatic head case Kurt had mentioned during the tour.
“So, welcome to McKinley…”
She paused waiting for the new girl’s name.
“Kristina.”
“Kristina,” Rachel said, “anyway so I’m sure these guys told you all about New Directions.”
Kristina shook her head. No they did not though from the name she had the assumption that it was some religious club and she really wasn’t interested.
“Well,” Rachel continued, ‘we have an open audition the day after tomorrow, three o’clock sharp you should come.”
And with this she stood up and left the table as quick as she had arrived.
There was a short silence as they finished off the food on their trays before Kristina spoke up.
“So are you going to tell me all about Puck or not,” she asked.
Kurt was about to open his mouth to speak when the bell rang signaling the period was ending.
The group parted with the promise to tell Kristina everything she wanted to here. Unfortunately for her the opportune time for her to become privy to this knowledge didn’t arrive before the final bell and she left to head home before getting to know the 4-1-1.