Chapter 1: Welcome to California
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
I am as of late totally addicted to this show! So I just thought that I'd take all the characters I know and love and write a little something about them. All though, I knew I would need a little more to work with than just the original crew so I made up my own character. Her name is Lauren B. Lieve, pun intended, and derived from Lauren Faust who was one of the creator's of the show. She has bright blue eyes, blonde hair, and she is often seen in skinny jeans, a shirt with a British flag design, and black Converses. She moved from London, England to the United States in order to tour the fifteen varying colleges she was accepted to. The colleges she was accepted to include the California Institute of Technology. When visiting the California Institute of Technology, Lauren ran into Frankie Foster of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Soon the two became best friends and Frankie offered Lauren a job at Foster's while she was in town. Lauren accepted and after a 'brief' chat with Mr. Harriman, she was granted a part-time job at Foster's until she makes up her mind about what college she wants to go to. She only has three months to decide so will she stay or will she leave? Read to find out!
The plane gently landed on the tarmac before rolling to a complete stop as Lauren gazed out the window. She had just flown from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Pasadena, California, home of the California Institute of Technology. She had been touring all the colleges she had applied to and gotten accepted to in order to choose which one she wanted to go to. Now she was visiting the last one out of the fifteen she had liked most of all. Taking the earbuds out of her ears, Lauren had been listening to 'Turning Tables' by Adele, and unceremoniously shoved her phone into her purse. After gathering all of her luggage and exiting the plane, Lauren looked around when she spotted what she had been looking for. A driver with a sign over his head that had her name on it. Changing the position of her suitcase in order to roll it properly, Lauren began to walk towards the man.
Once she was in front of him, the man asks her, "Are you Miss Lieve?"
With a nod, she replies, "I am. Are you from the California Institute of Technology?"
"Yes ma`am, I am. It's a pleasure to meet anyone with an academic record such as yours. Now, Miss Lieve, I am Carter Anderson, you may call me Carter." With that, he extends his hand for her to shake.
Intertwining her hand with his, she replies, "Well, Carter, you already know who I am so feel free to call me Lauren."
"Well, Lauren, it's a pleasure to meet you." Releasing her hand, he inquires, "Would you like any help with your bags?"
"Yes, please, that would be great!" she thanked him as Carter took her suitcase and placed it in the trunk of the grey Porsche. Then Carter opened up the passenger seat for her which she also thanked him for.
Once she was in the car, Carter shut the door and walked to the other side of the car where he opened his own door and climbed into the vehicle. Pulling out of the airport, Carter turned to Lauren and asked her, "What part of Great Britain are you from?"
Giving him a look, she shakes her head before asking, "It's the accent, isn't it?" before continuing, "I'm from the city of London. Have you always lived in California?"
Merging the car onto the interstate, Carter explains, "Yes ma'am, I have, though I haven't always lived in Pasadena. I was born in San Francisco but my parents moved us to Pasadena when our home was destroyed in an earthquake thirty seven years ago."
Instantly regretting bringing up the issue, Lauren cries, "Oh my, Carter! I am so sorry."
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he tells her, "It's all right. I was young when it happened, in fact, I was only four. I don't remember San Francisco that well."
Not sure how to respond to that, Lauren decided to remain silent.
After another moment of silence, Carter arrived at the hotel in which the board had arranged for Lauren to stay in while in California. "I will be arriving here to pick you up for a college
tour in one hour. Please get settled and be ready by then."
"Thank you, and I will, Carter," Lauren promised before walking into the hotel to check in.
After entering her hotel room, Lauren put all of her belongings where she wanted them to go. Then she decided to change into a more sophisticated outfit for her tour. She settled for a white blouse, a black knee-length shirt, and a pair of black heels. Checking her watch for the time, Lauren saw that the hour was almost up so she grabbed her black handbag and quickly left the room.
When she arrived in the lobby, Lauren looked out the window and saw Carter standing beside his car. Lauren smiled and briskly strode out of the hotel and into the awaiting car. "Good to see you again, Carter." Lauren greeted him.
"And it is a pleasure to see you again, too, Lauren," he replies goodnaturedly as he starts the car.
On the way to the California University of Technology, Carter and Lauren discussed what
Lauren would major once she had decided upon her college. "Well, I really want to be a doctor. Back in London, I always loved to volunteer at hospitals and doctors offices because my mother always said that laughter was the best medicine and I've tried to apply it to every aspect in my life."
"Anything you put your mind to, you'll be brilliant," Carter promises as the car pleasantly drives along the road.
Beaming, she replies, "Thank you, Carter, that's so sweet of you to say."
Before Carter could reply, the had pulled up to the California University of Technology. They both exited the car and Carter escorted Lauren towards the dean's office.
Knocking on the door, Carter lets himself in before saying, "Dean Johnson, I brought the exchange student, Miss Lauren Lieve."
Dean Johnson, who had been busily typing away on her computer, looked up and smiled upon seeing who was at her door. Readjusting her glasses, she stands up and replies, "Thank you, Carter. You may leave us now."
"Yes ma'am," Carter says before turning to Lauren and adding, "I shall have the car ready for when you are done with the tour."
"Thank you, Carter," she says gratefully as he walks away.
Once Carter had left them, Dean Johnson turned to Lauren and said, "Miss Lieve, it is an honor to meet you. I personally remember reading your application and it was very intriguing. You are a rare case of genius, indeed. Let's start the tour, shall we?"
Clasping her hand around the dean's in an eager handshake she enthusiastically replies, "Thank you, Dean Johnson, that sounds wonderful."
Dean Johnson lead Lauren all over the college campus, showing her every aspect and not leaving out a single detail. At the end of the tour, Lauren was left with an overall grand impression of the institution and knew she wouldn't mind spending the next few years there.
When she was in the grey Porsche, Carter turned to her and asked, "Lauren, where would you like me to drop you off? It doesn't have to be the hotel."
Musing over his offer, Lauren finally requests, "To the nearest car salesman, please, Carter."
"Yes, ma`am." And then Carter was off. "What kind of car are you looking for?"
Leaning her head back, she replies, "Nothing too fancy. Just something that can get me around here while I attempt to decide which university to attend. I guess I shall see what they have when we arrive at the dealership."
When they arrived at the dealership, Lauren waved Carter off as she browsed through the aisles of brightly colored vehicles. After much consideration, she finally settled on a sleek, light blue Aston Martin. She signed the paperwork and paid off the vehicle because she didn't have the time or patience to deal with monthly payments. Lauren knew she was going to stay in Pasadena until she made the decision of which college she wanted to go to so she knew that besides a mode of transportation, she would need food, water, and other basic necessities in order to stay. This meant it was time to go shopping.
Once in her Aston Martin, Lauren pulled out of the parking lot and drove around in search of a grocery store. She finally came across one and pulled into the parking lot next to an elaborately painted bus that had 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends' painted on the side. Walking into the grocery store, Lauren pulled out a shopping cart and ambled around, grabbing anything that she would need. As she was turning around an aisle, she crashed into another shopper. Both Lauren and the other shopper flew backward.
After gently massaging her temples, Lauren got to her feet. Looking down at the other shopper, she ran to her side. Kneeling down, Lauren stuck her hand out to help the girl up. She looked to be about Lauren's age, maybe a year or so older. She had a white shirt with the Powerpuff girls on it, a green jacket, and sneakers. Her fiery red hair was captured behind her head in a ponytail.
Lauren smiled apologetically and cried, "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
"Yeah," the girl shook her head to clear it before accepting Lauren's hand.
Once their hands were clasped, Lauren gently helped her to her feet. "Really, I am very sorry for knocking you to the ground. It was an accident, I swear."
Brushing herself off, she replies earnestly, "It's okay, really. You're not the first person to knock me over today."
Groaning internally in guilt, Lauren asks, "Really? That's awful! Now I feel even worse!"
"Chill. It is okay, really. I mean it," the girl insists.
Lauren tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear before extending her hand and saying, "Well, if you say so. Anywho, I'm Lauren. Lauren B. Lieve but you can call me Lauren."
The girl took her hand and shook it, saying, "I'm Frances Foster but everybody calls me Frankie."
"Well, Frankie, I do apologize for nearly pulverizing you with my shopping cart," Lauren begins.
Cutting her off, Frankie reiterates, "I said it's fine."
Holding her hands up in surrender, she points out, "Yes, but I still want to make it up to you. Can I treat you to dinner tonight? You pick the restaurant and whatever you want I'll buy it. Just tell me where and when to come and pick you up."
"I don't know. . ." Frankie trailed off, unsurely scratching the back of her neck.
"I insist," Lauren told her with a smile.
"But I have work," Frankie retorted weakly.
Lauren's smile fell for a second before she confidently argued, "Then I'll just talk to your boss. You've earned this, Frankie. If your boss is going to work you so hard, then he should just have another employee."
"It's sort of a family business," Frankie points out.
"Then I'm sure he wouldn't mind. So again, when and where should I pick you up?" she stubbornly asks, refusing to let the issue drop.
Sighing in defeat, Frankie tells her, "Seven o'clock at 1123 Wilson Way. I work at Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. You won't be able to miss it."
"Until then," Lauren said with a wave before the two girls then went their separate ways.