Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf

“So,” I wondered, bumping Callie with my shoulder as we walked down the hallway toward the cafeteria, “I have to ask. What was with the shoe?”

“I’d tell you…” she pondered for a second, “but then I’d have to kill you.” She grinned at me before skipping ahead into the cafeteria, parking herself down at a table where I didn’t know any of the kids.

For a second, I watched, wondering if she knew them. But then she extended her hand, like she had with me in English. The difference was that the people sitting around her didn’t seem to accept her as well as I had.

“C’mon, Callie,” I intervened, pulling her to her feet and away from the table.

“Bye!” she called to them as she stumbled along behind me. “God, they’re no fun.”

“Lesson one about McKinley High,” I sighed, sitting her down in a bench next to Kurt, “everyone is super cliqued out. New kids are not accepted very much.”

“Oh. That’s stupid.”

“No dispute here.”

“Oh my God,” Kurt exclaimed, turning toward Callie. “Your hair is amazing. Where did you get it done?”

She absentmindedly twirled a purple strand around her finger and shrugged. “Did it myself.”

“Oh, no way.” Kurt was in flat-out awe. Apparently, it was wonderful for him to find someone with good taste. Well, considering he was probably comparing her in his head to me… “That’s amazing, seriously. I mean, it’s a thin line, the platinum hair with purple. It could be tacky. But you totally pull it off.”

“Thanks!” she grinned. “But the blonde is my real hair.”

“It’s gorgeous.” Already, I felt like I was being replaced by a prettier, peppier, more stylish new girl. And yet, I still couldn’t dislike Callie. She gave off too much of a likeable air.

Not that I really wanted to dislike her anyway.

“Ellie, what do you think about this color blonde?” Kurt was holding a lock of Callie’s hair out to me, ripping me from my thoughts.

“I think it’s great, but not for me.” Just imagining the light hair with my pale skin was enough to make me shudder a little.

“Too bad,” he murmured, turning back to Callie to discuss the best techniques on getting the best color possible out of a hair dye. Well, at least he had someone to talk to about style.

Across the cafeteria, I could see Sam and Quinn talking animatedly at their table, Quinn looking absolutely fascinated with what Sam was talking about. Which, knowing him, was either something about Star Trek, Star Wars, or he was being exceptionally deep and telling her the state of her life in more detail than she even knew herself. But probably, it was Star Wars.

Which meant that, with the look on her face, she and Sam were definitely meant to be together.

“Helloooo!” Kurt called, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Ellie! Anyone home?”

“Welcome. Please take off your shoes on the mat and refrain from tracking mud into the house,” I responded.

Kurt looked at me like I was completely crazy, while Callie laughed. “Thank you,” I told her. “I figured it was funny.”

“I seriously wonder about your mental state,” Kurt sighed, shaking his head a little.

“Thanks.” I stuck my tongue out at her. “Anyway, why did you interrupt me observing how cute Sam and Quinn are?”

“Because,” Kurt stopped and pointed behind him, where Puck was smiling at me.

“Well, don’t mind if I do, thanks for offering,” Puck shoved me into Callie so that he could sit on the end of the bench.

“Grrr. Go away,” I whined.

“Oh, you love me,” he responded, taking a handful of my potato chips.

“Actually,” I argued, succeeding in stealing some of them back, “I hate you and want you to leave.”

“They’re going out,” I heard Kurt whisper to Callie.

“Somehow, I can tell,” she giggled quietly.

“So are you going to Glee after school?” He questioned as he reached for my water bottle and taking a big gulp.

“Where the hell is your own food?” I laughed. “And no, I was actually planning on skipping…because Glee is so not important to me.”

There was a pause before Puck whispered, “Was that sarcasm?”

“Yes. Good observation.” I rolled my eyes at him before shoving my trash in his hands. “Go. Make yourself useful.”

He grumbled, but got up and threw out my rubbish as directed.

“God, you have him whipped,” Callie observed with a huge grin as he walked back to the table. “I bet he would murder someone for you.”

“Got anyone in mind?” I joked, cocking my eyebrow.

“Nope. I already told you I don’t hate anyone.”

“Just wait until you formally meet Santana,” I responded, feeling Puck slide back in the seat next to me. “Oh, and Callie, this is Puck. Puck, Callie.”

“Nice to meet you,” she greeted with her sweet voice. “I’m new.”

“I know. I’ve heard people talking about you. They say you’re weird, though.”

“She is,” I piped up. “But it’s a good weird, not a bad weird.”

“Yeah, I don’t talk to buildings.” Then, with a wink, she added, “Yet.”

Puck looked worried for a second and watched Callie as she explained that she had to go to her locker before the next class and left. “She’s kidding, right?”

“Someone’s had too many drugs today.”

“All the time,” he replied sarcastically.

“What, so you can use sarcasm, but you can’t understand anyone else’s?”

He hesitated. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

“You’re an idiot.”