Janis didn't know how she felt about her cousin moving in with her family. She found it odd. Why couldn't she just stay with her own family?

Her parents said that her cousin needed some time away from Sherwood for junior year and this might be a chance for her to make new friends. They said she needed a new start, whatever that meant.

Veronica Sawyer was a year younger than Janis and shorter than her, but they had been each other's doppelgängers when they were younger. Now that Janis has grown and dyed her hair, the similarities had diminished. It's actually been awhile since Janis had seen Veronica- or even talked to her- so she was curious as to how the girl has changed.

She changed a lot, apparently.

When an Uber pulled up in front of her house, Janis watched as a pale, weary-looking teenager stepped out. Her skin was ashen and dark purple bags looked like bruises under her dull eyes. Still, Veronica made an effort to smile at Mr and Mrs. Sarkisian as she walked up to stoop to greet them. Janis watched as her cousin flinched violently when she was hugged, like she thought she was going to be hit or something.

"Hey, Vera," Janis said, finally emerging from the house.

"Hey, Janis." Veronica replied with a shy smile.

Veronica had always been more reserved than Janis, but something seemed off. She seemed more more anxious than usual, constantly glancing around like someone was going to jump out of nowhere and attack her.

Janis then remembered what her parents had told her. Veronica was suffering from trauma- PTSD. She wasn't told what caused this to form within her cousin, but she really wanted to know. Alas, she would have to wait.

"Janis, dear," Mrs. Sarkisian spoke, "Show Veronica to her room."

"Alright."

Janis led her cousin up the stairs and to the guest bedroom.

"Enjoy your stay," She said with a mock bow, getting a small laugh out of Veronica.

"Thanks."

The smaller girl slipped into the room and set her things down. She had five bags in total. A suitcase and a duffle bag for her clothes, one for her brush and makeup and toothbrush etc, a computer bag with her laptop, journals, and pens, and then her backpack. She really was going to stay awhile.

Janis hung around the doorway for a moment, watching as Veronica fidgeted and put her things away. She would occasionally glance over at her, but didn't say anything.

"It's been awhile." Janis finally said, trying to make things less awkward.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Veronica nodded while putting her clothes in the closet. "I like your hair."

"Thanks!" Janis smirked, "My friend Damian helped me dye it. I'll introduce you to him tomorrow at school."

Veronica bobbed her head again. She seemed more distant than Janis remembered. Sure, she was never a social butterfly but she just seemed to isolated and locked up.

"Well, I'll let you unpack!" Janis said, walking back to her own room. She didn't know how this would all go, but she hoped nothing would go wrong.

North Shore was just as wild as Westerburg. Students were lumbering around, yelling, talking, fighting. The courtyard was a mess of people all doing their own thing. Veronica lost Janis in the crowd and started to get claustrophobic.

"Woah! Check out that football field! It's huge!"

Veronica looked around and saw the trio of blue figures of the three teenagers she murdered. Kurt and Ram were eyeing the sports field while Heather gazed upon the students like she was ready to make them bow down to her.

"Do you guys really have to be here?" Veronica mumbled.

"You can't get rid of us!" Ram laughed.

"Literally." Heather said. "We're practically roped to you. We can't go anywhere else."

Veronica didn't know if they were just really vivid hallucinations or actual ghosts. They almost seemed to be alive and showed up often enough to be spirits, and the dizziness that accompanied their arrival felt real enough.

"Then help me find Janis."

Suddenly, the ghosts didn't seem interested in bothering her. They talked amongst themselves, showing no interest in helping. Veronica sighed.

"Don't look so sad!" Kurt threw his arm around her shoulder. His touch was ice cold. "This is a new start for you! Nobody knows how you murdered three people and caused the death of one more."

Veronica winced and shrugged off his arm. She didn't know how they were able to interact with her like they were actually there. She thought ghosts weren't able to touch things. Apparently they can.

"You're not helping.."

"We aren't trying to." Heather said bluntly. "Now, chop chop! I want to see this place."

Veronica sighed and began weaving through the crowd. A few people glanced at her and whispered about her being new, but she didn't hear anything too horrible. She looked around for Janis nervously, calling out her name a few times. Her anxiety was relieved slightly when she finally caught sight of her cousin and padded over.

"Janis, I was looking for you." She said.

"Oh, sorry for running off," Janis laughed slightly and then turned back to the group she was hanging around. "Guys, this is my cousin, Veronica. She's the girl I've been telling you about. She'll be living with me."

The people were introduced as Cady, Damian, Aaron, Regina, Gretchen, and Karen respectively. Veronica shyly greeted them, still feeling the presence of the ghosts lingering behind her. She opened her mouth to actually introduce them, but then stopped right when she pointed to Heather and said, "This is H-" Her ears burned in embarrassment as her cousin's friends gave her odd looks.

"I appreciate the attempt at introducing us, at least." Heather said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Uh-" Veronica cleared her throat. "Nothing. Sorry, I keep thinking my old friends are with me. We were always together."

"Nice save." Ram commented.

"Though you 'weren't always together'," Kurt piped up. "You spent most of the summer alone in your room. It was so boring!"

Ram and Heather each gave their nods of agreement. Even Veronica couldn't deny that. She did coop herself up in her room when she wasn't getting fresh air to soothe her dizziness or going to her therapist.

"Aww," Gretchen cooed in sympathy. "We'll be you new friends! Right, guys?"

They all seemed to give pretty sincere nods. Veronica was then bombarded with questions about herself, which she answered as best as she could. She was happy to not be left out or alone, but she also felt smothered.

The bell finally rang and Veronica stumbled through the halls with her schedule to find her first period, which was Algebra II. And she was horribly late after she asked for directions to the room from some seniors and was directed to the upper C wing.

There was no upper C wing.

After finally finding the D wing with all the math classes, she hiked up the stairs and checked her phone. Fifteen minutes late. Wonderful.

"Act natural." Ram advised when she got to the room.

"Don't freak out." Kurt added.

"Just say you're new. They'll probably understand." Heather said.

Veronica opened the door and stepped inside. The teacher, a middle-aged brunette woman, stopped talking and the class turned to stare at her.

"You're late." The teacher said.

"I-I'm sorry." Veronica stuttered, "I'm new." She held out the blue slip of paper with her schedule on it.

The teacher took it from her and scanned it for a moment.

"Veronica Sawyer?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright. Where are you from?"

Veronica had turned to find a seat and then froze. She wasn't expecting to be asked any question.

"Ma'am?"

"I asked where you're from. What brings you to Evanston?"

"O-oh, umm-"

Veronica assumed she couldn't say how her parents basically disowned her because her trauma was becoming too much to handle. How they couldn't deal with her thrashing and screaming in her sleep anymore. How her anxiety was deteriorating them and their happiness.

She swallowed hard. She hadn't considered it abandonment until now. But surely they were coming back for her! She just didn't know when.

"Sherwood, Ohio. I came from Westerburg High. I'm living with my cousins now." Veronica quickly explained after thirty seconds of her saying nothing and just standing their awkwardly. "Do you know Janis Sarkisian? I'm staying with her."

The teacher nodded thoughtfully.

"Wasn't Westerburg the school that blew up?" Some kid in the second row asked loudly. A few murmurs went through the class.

A dizzy spell hit Veronica like a violent tidal wave. She curled her toes and struggled to not stagger backwards.

"That's enough." The teacher said before she could answer. "Please take a seat, Veronica."

Veronica nodded and shuffled over to an empty desk.

"Could you have made your dwindling mental state anymore obvious?" Heather said, sitting on the desk beside Veronica's. Of course, the student there didn't notice.

Veronica bit her tongue. She wanted to answer, but surely someone would hear her talking to nobody. She didn't want her new classmates to think she was insane.

First period went well enough and Veronica was soon searching for second. Lunch quickly rolled around after fourth period, but she had no idea where to sit up until Janis waved her over. Probably because Veronica looked so damn pitiful spinning around in the cafeteria, clearly lost.

"So, Veronica," Cady started, "How do you like living with Janis?"

Veronica blinked at her. What kind of question was that?

"Wow. That is scraping the bottom of the barrel with an attempt at small talk." Heather commented and Veronica snorted.

"It's...nice?" Veronica tilted her head. "I'm not used to living with anyone except my parents."

"Well, who's this? Another girl the dyke tied to her bed?"

Veronica looked over her shoulder to see some guy leering down at her. Janis had her jaw clenched, which she also noticed.

"Go away, Peter." Regina said, rolling her eyes. "Her name is Janis and that's her cousin."

"Oh, so now the dyke is fucking her family members now, too? I knew she was desperate, but not this desperate!" The boy, Peter, chortled.

"Leave her alone." Veronica growled, glaring at Peter.

"I'm sorry, are you actually talking to me?" Peter loomed over her.

"Yes, I am." Veronica said back confidently. "I want to know what gives you the right to pick on my cousin. You're a high school has-been waiting to happen, a future gas station attendant."

The tables nearby were silent, as was Peter. He stared hard at Veronica before growling deep in his throat.

"I'll get you back for this." He spat before storming off.

"That was amazing, darling!" Damian cheered, clasping his hands with Veronica's.

"You really showed him." Gretchen laughed and Karen nodded rapidly in agreement.

Janis nudged Veronica's arm over the commotion of her friends and smiled.

"Thanks." She said.

"No problem." Veronica replied.

But there was this sinking feeling in her stomach that she couldn't understand. She knew for a fact this wouldn't be the last time her insides would twist up painfully.