Hiiieeee. So many new and different people all around him and they were all humans! Josh wanted to bury his head in the blankets and never come out.

He needed to find Kit, though. This world-traveling magic was bizarre and strange and so very confusing! Hmph. It would have been better if Sasha had come. She could explain it so much better. But when Josh had said that Sasha had threatened to eat him!

This was the third ‘story’ Josh was in to try and find Kit. According to Sasha, each story had a goal or a point of some sort, and once that was accomplished then the story would end. Josh needed to find Kit before he threw the story so wildly off course it wouldn’t end, or he got tangled up with someone he shouldn’t and died.

Which would be a lot easier if Josh knew which story Kit was in, or even who Kit was.

So complicated!

Josh stood still as the teacher introduced him as the new student, bringing his hand up to rub at his neck and draw attention to his collar. Josh had to possess one of the characters in the story so he couldn’t control what he looked like or his name. The only way for Kit to recognize Josh was Josh’s collar - the same collar Kit had gotten him back when he’d first been discovered in the castle, complete with the cuff links Kit had gifted him.

No one seemed to take notice. One of the kids looked like he was actually sleeping, though with the way he flew out the door at the bell he had to be at least somewhat aware of what was happening.

“Your first period is Algebra, which is in room 302,” the teacher said as she handed over a printed schedule. “If you go down this hallway and turn right you’ll find the right room. Let me know if you have any questions.”

Josh nodded along and then followed the crowd to the right place. Compared to Kit’s palace the school was pretty simple to navigate. Josh was halfway convinced that Kit made it complicated on purpose just so Josh would fuss at him.

Only when Josh made it to lunch did someone actually comment on the collar. “Are those real stones?” asked one of the many, many classmates Josh couldn’t remember the names of.

Josh shrugged.

“You do know cuff links aren’t supposed to go on a necklace, right?” was another snide comment.

“Someone very close to me gave them to me,” Josh said quietly. “It’s sort of hard to wear them without wearing a fancy dress shirt, though.”

“Why are they different color stones?” the first guy asked.

Josh shrugged again. “They reminded him of his cat, I think.”

A hand slammed down on his shoulder. “You’re the new guy, aren’t you?” asked a new voice that shook.

Josh nodded. “Yeah, just got here so I don’t really know anyone yet.”

“You and I - we need to talk.”

“Derrik?” one of the others asked. Josh couldn’t keep them all straight. They were like the knights - there were way too many! “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just need to talk with him about… homeroom,” Derrik said. “Won’t be more than a minute or two. He’ll have time to eat.”

Josh wasn’t so sure about that, but he smiled and followed Derrik into the hallway anyway.