A/N: Jinksy, H.G., Mrs. Frederic are alive…I'll come up with an outtake if you want to know how. Somewhat OOC, AU. If you have questions, comment, I'll do my best to answer them.
"She's Crissi Donovan."
"Okay, what about her?"
"She's fourteen years old."
"She's fourteen?"
"Yep, youngest this university's ever had."
"What do you know about her?"
"Hacked the University. Her file's a hard read. Little sister to Claudia and Joshua Donovan, parents died when she was five. Claudia works for the IRS, she's nineteen; Joshua works for CERN in Switzerland. Been in foster care since she was five. There were a billion pages of psych evaluations though; I wonder how much of her files true. She clearly doesn't like people."
The boys following me or 'going to class' talking about me were quiet for a second.
"Do you think she can hear us?"
"No she had her headphones in."
Yeah right you call my name, I hear it. I hear the whispers of all the damn people wondering how a fourteen year old has twenty credit hours, straight A's, minus speech class, that was failed – for me at least…B+.
"How many psych evaluations were there?"
Oh dear boy wouldn't you love to know of my many psych evaluations, and 'treatments' of electroshock therapy.
"Too many, I mean I'm twenty, and I've never even had one."
"Well if she's is the foster care system, surely they would keep tabs on her ability to adjust."
I inwardly scoffed at that. I was only in the system for two years, then they shipped me off to the same ward Claudia had been in. She was pissed when she learned that. Dr. Mitchner and her were 'good friends' so I had to 'be good' for my big sissy's 'friend'. That lasted until my first 'treatment'. According to Claudia, Mitchner was bronzed, whatever that meant. I don't know what she does, that's not my business. That's the difference between Claudia and me; she's nosy when curious, when I'm curious, I find out my own way instead of badgering for information.
"Is it even legal for her to live here and attend college?"
I sensed the other guy shrug; "Her file had a few odd names on it, Kozan, Frederic, Valda, Weisfelt, and then her sisters. I searched for the names and got nothing."
I walked in to my class, the boys still following; I was surprised when they took out notes and textbooks. I sat through my calculus class, iPod playing music in one ear, taking notes but not listening to the prof's voice, the math didn't seem complicated. When the class ended I plugged the other ear in, grabbed my notebook, threw it in my bag, and walked out.
As I was walking, I got tapped on the shoulder. I stopped walking but didn't turn around. The two guys who were talking about me moved to stand in front of me. They started talking; I read their lips until I pulled out one of my headphones.
"Hey, Crissi right?"
"We were wondering if you could help us this semester in Calc. We barely understood a word of what the prof said today."
I sighed, "It's only the second day."
"Exactly."
I rolled my eyes, "Look, I'm pretty sure there's some kid in your little group who has a brain. Just wants to fit in, so he's going to do whatever you ask, as to stay in said group and fit in. Have that pathetic person do your homework and tutor you. I have organic chem now." I started walking away.
"Wait! Please, we live on the same floor. Please?"
I glared up at the boys that literally towered over me, "Meet me in the study room at six tonight, I'll let you know then."
I headed down to organic chem. My head wouldn't stop spinning, I quickly sent Claudia a text saying that I needed to talk to her, I wasn't okay with people hacking into my file, she told me Mrs. Frederic (whoever she is) had it sealed. I got a text back saying she would come pick me up from my dorm at seven. Perfect. At six I would grill those kids for looking into my file. Organic chem passed in a blur…I honestly couldn't tell you, but somehow, I have seven pages of notes.
Oh, the reason my life is a shit storm – I see auras, spirits, supernatural stuff. Leena got a kick out of someone reading her aura. For someone who ran around telling people their auras were all over, hers was crazy out there. Artie had taken to asking me when Leena needed to relax; she told everyone else when they were off, Leena deserved it too. Claudia's makeshift family quickly became mine too, even if I didn't know what they were talking about 90% of the time.
I headed back to my dorm after organic chem, my music playing as usual. I opened my door and put my iPod on the speakers and looked over to my roommate's extremely messy side of the room. How someone could be so freaking messy, I didn't know. I put my backpack on my chair and pulled up my laptop to start on my online calc homework, it only took me forty-five minutes. It was 5:50 when I finished, so I pulled out my organic chem text since I was so zoned out.
I walked down to the study room at six; the two boys were sitting there with pizza, chips, soda, and their computers and books.
"Hey Crissi."
I looked at them slightly disgusted.
"Is this your natural studying environment?"
The two boys looked at each other, "Pretty much."
I rolled my eyes, "Before I decide to help you, I want to know how you got into my file. It's sealed, oh and I heard everything you said about me. But most of all I want to know why."
The boys looked at each other.
"Curiosity."
I glared at him, "You don't risk expulsion from university on just a curiosity."
The second one answered, "Seriously, just curiosity. An entire semester of wonder."
"That doesn't explain my records becoming unsealed."
Neither of them talked for a few minutes.
"I'm waiting."
"When I hacked in, it unsealed every record and file. I didn't know it was sealed."
I didn't believe that, Claudia's taught me a few things.
"That's bullshit."
"You're too young to swear like that," one reprimanded me.
"And you're in no position to reprimand me. Especially when you need my help. And I don't even know your name!"
"Well I'm Tyler," said the one that reprimanded me, "And he's Sam," the one that apparently did the hacking.
Tyler was a brown haired kid who was about 5'10"-11"; Sam was blonde and about 5'9".
"Okay."
"And we don't NEED your help," Sam said.
I smirked, "Great. Bye." I got off the table I was sitting on and turned to walk out.
"WAIT!" Tyler called.
I stopped but didn't turn around.
"He didn't mean it. We really do need your help."
"Then be honest with me. Why all the freaking digging!"
"Seriously we were just curious. You're uber young," Sam said.
"You're digging should've stopped when you realized my 'file's a hard read' my life's none of your fucking business. Curiosity is solved by asking, and ended when the questions are answered with none of your fucking business. Did you enjoy reading that I lost my family at five? That foster care is where I grew up, moving from family to family? 'Cause I'm a freak and no one wanted me? Glad you liked it."
I pulled out my phone to see that it was 6:50.
"I have to go my sister's picking me up for the night."
I walked out of the study room in somewhat of a state. My mind was going crazy. I wish I had Jinksy. Maybe Claudia was right when she asked if I was sure I wanted to live on campus, perhaps online courses would have been better, but I know online classes are a sucky comparison to a lecture hall. I walked into my dorm and grabbed my bag, stuck my laptop in it along with jeans, t-shirt, and sweatpants. Then, I threw my iPod in the side pocket with my cell, put my leather jacket on and left my dorm. Just as I walked out the doors, I saw Claudia pull up in her Chevy.
"Hey," I said getting in.
Claudia looked at me for a second, "You okay?"
I shrugged, "Can we go? I'll tell you on the way."
Claudia put her foot on the gas, "So what's going on?"
I sighed, "Someone hacked into the university and got into my file. They're in my calculus class, then they had the nerve to talk about it while following me into class, they sat right behind me! Then they asked for my help because they're so lost. Ugh, I'm scared Claud. They told me they were curious, but they risked getting expelled. You don't do that off a curiosity."
Claudia pulled up to a stop light and looked at me, "I'll ask, Artie or Mrs. F, they'll probably know how. Do you have any classes tomorrow?"
"Yeah, at eleven 'til five."
Claudia rolled her eyes, "My genius baby sister. What classes?"
"Calculus 'til 12:30, then orgo lab from 1 to 3, and orgo lecture from 3 to 5, but then it's Saturday and I can do my homework and relax."
We got to the B&B in record time.
"Who were the kids that did this?"
"Their names are Tyler and Sam, they apparently live on my floor."
I followed Claudia in and was greeted by the smell of Leena's cooking. Pete was sitting with Myka and H.G. monopolizing the remote.
"Hey guys."
"Hey Crissi. What are you doing here?" Pete asked.
I shrugged, "Long day, slightly emotional. I needed to talk to Claudia.
Myka looked at me, "What happened?"
"Someone hacked into my file at the university, because they were 'curious'. I don't like it. I get that I'm fourteen, but who else are they going to tell?"
Myka and H.G. both gave me a hug, "It'll be okay."
"Want them to meet the big bro Pete?"
I rolled my eyes, "I'm pretty sure it would be Uncle Pete."
"I'm not old!" Pete yelled.
"Of course not Pete, but she's fourteen, you're old enough to be her father." H.G told him.
"I did not need that mental image, H.G." I told her.
The four of us were laughing when Leena called dinner. Leena had made my absolute favorites, I looked over at Claudia and she shrugged so I looked at Leena. Leena had apparently understood my confusion, "Call it intuition Crissi."
I sighed; I would never understand how people just knew. I was quietly eating, enjoying the dinner talk that school didn't allow. Something popped into my head.
"Claudia."
"What's up?"
"Something just popped into my head."
"Okay…?"
"Sam and Tyler were talking about all the psych evaluations in my file and wondered if my file was completely true. What if they start digging further?"
"That's not a part of you file." Another voice said.
I jumped slightly and turned around to see an African American woman standing there. I looked at Claudia, Leena and Myka. Claudia seemed stunned into silence. Leena looked at me, then at the woman.
"Crissi, this is Mrs. Frederic." Leena said.
I stayed quiet, that didn't help me at all.
"Mrs. F, what are you doing here?" Claudia asked.
"I was alerted today that young Ms. Donovan's file was unsealed."
I sighed, "Yeah, two kids who live on my floor."
Mrs. Frederic looked at Claudia, "Claudia, I need to speak with you. Now." Then she turned and walked out of the room.
Claudia glanced around the table, then got up and left the room. I picked at my plate continuing to glance at the door. From the tenseness of the rest of the room, everyone felt the same way. Claudia came back in ten minutes later.
"Crissi, I need to tell you something, about what we do."
Pete butted in, "Wait, so is Crissi your One?"
Claudia shook her head, "Mrs. F just said the Regents voted and Mr. Kozan approved since she's not nosy or curious, which I don't understand, and since Joshua knows, it's only 'fair'. And apparently Mrs. F wants to tell all three of us something once Crissi understands."
I shrugged, "Okay…?"
"Okay. Well, uhm, we all work at Warehouse 13."
I just stared at her for a second, "And that is…?"
Artie took over, "It's a secret warehouse where we place artifacts, so they can't hurt people."
"Artifacts?"
"Things from events in history, events create bad juju in the objects, they become dangerous, we find them, and put them, and put them in the warehouse." Myka said.
I took a second to think, I guess it made sense, things happen in the past, objects get bad juju. "It kind of makes sense, sort of…?" I told them.
Jinksy laughed as he walked into the room, "At least you're being told, I got thrown in."
I rolled my eyes, "If you think about it, it makes sense. Huge events, huge emotions, bad juju."
"Well that was easy," Pete said.
I rolled my eyes, "You forget, girl who sees dead people. Bad juju's not a far stretch."
Pete nodded, "Right…forgot about that."
"Only because unlike you, I don't run around telling everyone everything."
Claudia looked at me, "So are you okay with everything?"
I nodded, "Yeah, it's whatever. It sounds pretty sweet. Is it fun?"
"It's pretty fun I guess. If you consider inventory fun..."
"Artie makes you do inventory? Dude!" I looked t Artie, "Do you have any idea how fabulous she is?"
Claudia laughed, "I'm glad someone agrees with me!"
"Hey she also happens to be my partner!" Jinksy retorted.
The rest of dinner went quickly, Pete started a small food fight, which Myka took part in; I was going to stay clear, until Pete threw a green bean at me. I glared at him and flung a spoon of mashed potatoes, which hit him on the forehead. Leena glared at Pete, getting up and yelling, "You are cleaning this up!" and left the room.
A/N 2: My friend is actually writing this but doesn't take criticism well. So she's asked me to post this and see how it goes. "I'll let you deal with criticism," she says. Ha. She's had some bad, bitchy reviews in the past and so now I get to deal with it. :)
