Deja Vu

Disclaimer-I don't own anything you recognize.

Summary-Almost completely AU. Max is a senior in high school and the time is present, not future. She's just come back from summer vacation in California after her family's money troubles suddenly disappear. All sounds well until she starts having strange dreams. Enter Manticore (slightly revised).

Pairings-These will become clear before too long, especially if you've read my other stuff you'll know the pairings I generally choose.

A/N-As a change from my other fics, this will be in first person. I may switch off if I feel like it later, but for now it's just Max's POV.

Chapter One

I once read somewhere that the noise that people found most grating is the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. While I agree that it's pretty unpleasant, I don't think it's the worst. I'm sure other teenagers my age and maybe even a number of adults would agree with me on this. The most awful, annoying, teeth-clenching noise in the world? Yeah, that would be an alarm clock.

If you've never had this abomination jerk you into a conscious state in the early morning then I sincerely envy you. Yes, I realize the whole point of it is to get people up all the quicker so they won't be late for school, work, or whatever. I just hope whoever created this ingenious thing was driven from his or her home by the sound of their invention multiplied by a zillion, all turned up to the highest possible volume.

Or something.

Alright, so I'm a little bitter right now. You would be too if you just had an awesome summer vacation and were now being physically shoved out of the house by your mother so you wouldn't miss the school bus on the first day back.

"You remembered to pack a lunch, right honey?" my mom asked as she used her whole body to block the doorway. I gave the door one final half-hearted nudge before blowing out a sigh. My upper-body strength sucks.

"Yes, I remembered," I mumbled before heading down the steps. My mom flashed a wide smile and cheerfully waved at me.

"Have a great day! See you at 2:00!" she called. Then she quickly shut the door. If I had better hearing I probably would've picked up the sound of the lock being turned. It's comforting to know that my own mom thinks that I despise going back to school so much that she's designated me a big enough threat to lock me out of my own house.

Not.

But maybe all seventeen year old girls who spent their summer on warm sandy beaches in California and had a short fling with a gorgeously tanned, dark-haired lifeguard named Matt are considered deadly by their parents when they have to come back to Seattle for their senior year at Lakewood Highschool. God knows I'm probably not the only one.

Like a good girl, I looked both ways before crossing Meridian towards the bus stop.

Yeah, you read that right. I'm seventeen, soon-to-be eighteen in a couple weeks and while I do have a perfectly legitimate Washington State Driver's License, my mom has yet to trust me enough to give me a car. Making me one of the very select few seniors of that bogus club.

So yes, I take the big yellow bus to school. Complete with the cranky, mullet-haired 'lady' driver who bites off your head if even one of your toes sticks out in the aisle or you aren't sitting straight, hands folded-Ms. America contestant style.

You can stop laughing now.

What makes this experience actually bearable is the fact that two of my friends, Sketchy and Original Cindy, choose to endure it with me. Sketchy would just as happily ride his bike to school, but he's desperate to make OC rethink her recent proclamation that she prefers the all-girls team and therefore spends every second he can trying to impress her with his 'maleness'.

How he thinks following her around like a lovesick puppy is endearing, I don't get. But like I said to Cindy when she let the world know her personal preferences, I told him, 'whatever floats your boat'.

As for the princess herself, she's got her own little car that her mom gave her. One that can hardly ever be driven thanks to its frequent visits to the shop. So many in fact that we've had a license plate specially made that reads 'PZACRP'. Lovingly, of course.

Since the bus stop is just right across the street from my house, I'm always the first one there. OC is never far behind and usually arrives in some outfit that pushes the limits of the school dress code. Today was apparently no exception as she was wearing a purple spaghetti-strap tank top that just barely met the top of her low-riders. There was an abstract design on the front of her shirt that I couldn't make out.

"Should I be worried when one of the teachers figures out what that is?" I asked by way of greeting after she gave me one of her trademark wide smiles.

"If none of them have seen one before then I just feel sorry for 'em," she replied. I nodded slowly, unsure if I should let my imagination run wild or just change the subject. OC made the decision for me when she suddenly slapped me on the arm. "Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you since the beginning of summer. All I was able to get out of your few, quick, garbled and might I mention grossly giddy phone calls that you were havin' a 'marvelous' time out in the sunny state of California while your girl was stuck in gloomy Seattle getting fired from babysitting jobs and being stalked by Sketchy! Now you better have a good explanation or I'm gonna open up a can of hair pulling like you wouldn't believe."

She completed this rant with the whole finger snap and funky head wave. It took all my will power to hold back my laughter and meet her gaze with what I hoped was one of pure innocence and apology.

"Nuh uh, don't try pulling that with me," she commented instantly. Rolling my eyes, I opened my mouth to respond when I suddenly felt arms wrap around my middle, my legs were lifted off the ground and I was being spun in a circle.

"Sketchy, Sketchy put me down!" I hollered. He complied and gave me a light punch on the arm, much like the slap OC had delivered.

He looked just like he had at the end of our junior year. Tall and lanky with floppy brown hair that gave him a boyish look. He was wearing his usual loose jeans (thankfully held up by a belt after OC and I had strictly told him to always keep his underwear hidden from our view) and a faded blue shirt that had a weird character who almost resembled Kyle's little brother from South Park. The word 'Pie!' was written above it. It was almost as abstract as OC's shirt, but in a very different way.

"It's good to see you, too," I smiled.

"Now hold on. Before we get into any heartfelt reunion I still wanna know about this girl's summer," OC said, not caring that a few of the other people at the bus stop were glancing over and trying to be sneaky about eavesdropping.

"Oh yeah, what did you do, Max?" Sketchy asked, gladly wanting to please OC.

Thoughts of a shirtless Matt floated through my mind, but I didn't feel like describing his Greek God perfection around the other people. So I just gave them what I hoped was an enigmatic smile. Apparently it worked since OC gave me another slap on the arm, but it was more playful than indignant. Her brown eyes also had a new glint to them.

"I knew it. My boo got busy with someone. Details please."

Sketchy gave me his usual crooked grin and waggled a finger in my face. "If the rating of this story is over PG-13 you probably shouldn't let Original Cindy's delicate ears ever hear any of it." He illustrated his point by swiftly covering the latter. OC grunted and slapped his hands away.

"Like I'd let you be the only one of us to know?" she retorted just as the bus trundled up the street. The squeaking noise of the brakes being applied made me flinch.

I missed Sketchy's response as the movement of the doors swishing open sent a small gust of air at my face. With the air came the mixed smell of gasoline, stale cigarettes, body odor, and old leather. My former feeling of dread came back with a vengeance as the reality of returning to school sunk in.

I shifted my shoulder bag towards my back as I climbed the steps so I wouldn't bash anyone's knees with it as I walked down the aisle.

Our stop was the second to last so the bus was always packed already, and today was no exception. I walked all the way towards the back and sat down next to a guy who had his face covered by the hood of his sweatshirt and appeared to be sleeping with his hands tucked underneath his arms. OC sat across from me next to an Asian girl with bright red and gold highlights in her hair and who was wearing basic jeans and a t-shirt. Sketchy chose a seat behind her with a Caucasian female wearing small-wired glasses and who was dressed in a white polo shirt that looked freshly ironed and simple black pants.

Is our school diverse or what?

Cindy's rear end had barely touched the leather of the seat before she turned her attention back to me and blurted out the same question she'd been asking me all morning. "So what were you doing in California? I know there was some boy involved." I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling at her eagerness.

"Anyone ever tell you that you'd make a great criminal interrogator?" I countered, still not desiring to share the experience of my heated summer where plenty of strangers could overhear. Now it was Sketchy and OC's turn to roll their eyes.

"All the time, and don't try to change the subject, Max," they answered in unison. I felt the guy next to me stir so I lowered my voice when I replied.

"I'll tell you guys later when we're alone, okay?" They narrowed their eyes at me as if trying to gauge whether or not I was telling the truth. Apparently deciding to give me the benefit of the doubt, they nodded.

"Alright, then at least tell us what your first semester classes are," Sketchy said, pulling out his own schedule to compare. I grinned.

"That I can do, as it has nothing to do with lifeguards." My comment made both of their eyes widen. I covered my mouth with my hand and feigned embarrassment. "Oops, did that slip out?" Sketchy slowly shook his head as Cindy gave me a swift kick. "Ow! Did you eat something that makes you extra physical today or what?"

"Just the fact that my friend is trying to keep secrets from me."

"No I'm not. I'm just not telling them to you yet."

"Same thing."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-"

"Uh, it's still just the morning of the first day back, there'll be plenty of time for pinching and eye-poking later in the year," Sketchy interrupted, playing peace-keeper. OC and I smiled in silent truce.

"Alright, I've got Individual Sports first period, what do you have?" I asked. OC's eyes widened again, this time in excitement.

"Yes, I've got that too." I smiled while Sketchy scrunched his nose in distaste.

"That's not fair, I've got math then." OC mirrored his pout and patted his head condescendingly.

"Aw, poor baby." He looked delightfully pleased at the attention, which she tactfully ignored. "How 'bout second?" I glanced back down at my schedule and grimaced.

"Ugh...I'd forgotten I had Mr. Declen for English." They winced in sympathy. Samuel Declen was well-known for being one of the worst teachers at Lakewood. He had no logical sense of humor, he smelled of moldy cardboard boxes and cheap cologne, and didn't know the meaning of personal space. Ask him a question and he'll lean towards you, pretending that it was either to hear you better or to show you something about your work, when in actuality he's probably trying to look down your shirt or something.

"Maybe it's not too late to switch out," Sketchy suggested. I nodded absently.

The familiar sight of our high school suddenly appeared outside the windows and the bus pulled to a screeching stop. I hadn't even noticed when the driver had made the last stop, let alone actually gotten us to school.

As I stood up, my shoulder bag jostled the guy next to me. He let out a noise halfway between a yawn and a groan before he lifted his hood away from his face. He glanced up at me and my breath caught in my throat. His skin was the color of a creamy mocha, which caused his incredibly bright green eyes to really stand out. Especially since they were surrounded by a fringe of long, dark lashes. His short blonde-brown hair looked slightly mussed, I guessed from his hood.

My brain got sort of fuzzy and I felt a tingly sensation go through me, which wasn't exactly pleasant. He stood up, one eyebrow slightly raised at me. If I'd been paying more attention I probably would've noticed that practically everyone except for the few people behind us had gotten off the bus. His full lips curved into a smirk.

"Forget something?" His voice had a sarcastic lilt that for some reason I became very grateful for, snapped me out of whatever weird trance I'd been in. I blinked once and muttered something incoherent before quickly striding down the aisle.

As I stepped onto the hard concrete in front of the school, the cloud that had passed over dispersed and normalcy returned. I gave my head a slight shake and turned to see OC and Sketchy giving me weird looks. I forced myself to smile reassuringly.

"So what do you guys have for second period?"

"Photography. Are you okay?" Sketchy asked bluntly. I restrained myself from looking at my seat mate when I saw him pass by in the corner of my eye and continued to smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Cindy, what do you have?" She stared at me for a few seconds before answering.

"Chemistry."

"Crap, I have that fifth," I replied, looking back at my schedule. She and Sketchy briefly glanced at each other before their faces suddenly creased into identical mischievous smiles. My suspicion radar clicked on. "What?"

"We're alone, Ms. Guevara. So kindly tell us what the hell you did on your vacation. Filthy details included. I want to know everything," OC demanded. Sketchy cringed.

"I personally wouldn't feel offended if you left certain things out," he sounded horrified. OC ignored him and continued to look at me expectantly. I glanced around, trying to find an excuse not to tell them yet. But all I saw were small groups of people forming. Old friends getting back together to tell their own stories.

"Alright," I sighed, then spoke in a rush. "So we went to California and my mom let me have my own hotel room. The beaches were a frequent place for me to go. Something about the glistening blue-green water, hot silky sand, gentle flowing breeze..."

"And scoping out hot lifeguards," Cindy commented knowingly. I laughed out loud.

"Yeah, so that was a big part, too. His name was Matt. He was gorgeous, tan, dark-haired, and a fabulous kisser. Overall, he helped make that summer vacation the best ever. So if I seem at all bitter today about being back, it is completely not my fault." They smiled in friendly understanding.

"So I take it your family managed to get themselves out of that financial pit you guys were in for so long?" Sketchy asked. I nodded distractedly and looked down at my watch. We had about 15 minutes before classes actually started. The buses always got here early.

"Yep. I'm gonna go see about getting my schedule switched around. I'm not very enthusiastic about the idea of having a whole semester of Declen breathing down my neck."

"Who would be?" Cindy replied as I headed towards the office. "Good luck! The lines are probably insanely long!" I waved good-naturedly back at her and Sketchy.

For the past few years my mom had been having a lot of trouble bringing home the bacon, so to speak. Budgets were tight and eventually so were my clothes since I'm still a growing girl. I couldn't have those special luxuries like going to the movies or buying food when I needed to. The longer it went on, the more I expected us to need welfare. But we never did since at the very end of the school year, my mom suddenly claimed everything was fine. Something happened at work and she got a raise.

I never really realized how strange it seemed until now, which is an act of idiocy and gullibility on my part. I didn't care how we had gotten the money since the next words out of my mom's mouth were 'trip to California' and I'd get my own hotel room. Then we'd also be able to move into a new house when we got back.

We left for the trip only a few days after school ended and as soon as we got back, we were too busy moving into the new house, which was why I didn't see my friends at all over the summer.

And this house was pretty. Two stories, four bedrooms total (we only use two and have yet to figure out what to do with the others) with their own bathrooms, and a huge backyard. Way better than the cramped apartment we'd been living in for so long. I doubt the source of our newfound wealth is anything illegal, like my mother had to kill someone or rob a bank. I'm sure she just stepped up her work ethic.

My thoughts started to go to dark places as I walked to the office so I concentrated on my schedule, trying to figure out if I wanted any other classes beside second period English switched. I wished I had at least asked Sketchy and OC about the rest of their classes to get a better idea of what I might want.

I had my head down so I didn't notice the girl until I'd already crashed into her. She wasn't that much smaller than me, but she must've been preoccupied too since she fell over like a piece of paper. I winced and quickly helped her up.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going," I blurted as I picked up a few papers that had flown from her hands. Most of the girl's long brown hair covered her face but the portions that I could see were a deep magenta from embarrassment, which made me feel like a complete dolt. Especially when I noticed one of the papers was a map of the school. She was either a freshman or new.

"It's, um, okay," the girl said hurriedly as she stuffed some of the papers into her backpack. Quite a lot of people had stopped what they were doing to look at us, like it was the most interesting thing they'd see all day. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure your idea of a perfect welcoming isn't to get run over by someone," I said and was relieved to see a smile form on her face. She had finished organizing her papers again. "Sorry again and good luck with the rest of your day, though not every person is as clumsy as me." Her smile widened.

"Thanks." I nodded and moved around her towards the office. Cautiously. I didn't want to risk another collision before the day ended.

I reached the counselor's office and immediately groaned in exasperation. Cindy had been right. The line was insanely long. A few people walked in behind me and I quickly grabbed a spot. I didn't want to wait longer than needed.

After about five minutes the line inched forward and I realized I could at least call OC and Sketchy to ask them about the schedules. I glanced at the clock to make sure school hadn't officially started yet and rummaged in my bag for my cell phone.

OC answered after the fifth ring.

"Max? Why are you calling me? Class starts in less than three minutes." I looked at the clock again. Guess it was a little slow.

"Really? Huh. What are your classes third to sixth period?" She didn't answer for a few beats and I figured she'd hung up on me.

"Math Analysis with Jacobs, fourth is free, Painting and Drawing with Teyr, and English with Ronald. The teacher's glaring at me. We're not supposed to use cell phones in the locker room, I gotta go. Bye."

The bell rang just after I hung up so I knew I wouldn't be able to call Sketchy. Though being the kind of person he is, he'd answer it even in the middle of a test.

The line moved forward again as I looked down at my schedule. I had Metals where she had Math, World Studies were she had a free period, Chemistry where she had Painting and Drawing, and Math where she had English. If I switched into her English class then Math would be my second period. I wasn't sure which teachers had it then, so I'd have to check with the counselor. I hoped Sketchy had at least one of the classes with me, but I'd have to wait to find out.

I guess I zoned out as the line continued to inch forward since a bell rang, announcing the end of first period. Oops.

Oh well, I'd just get a note from my counselor to give to the PE instructor when I had the class next.

The line began to move more steadily. Probably people were either getting tired of waiting or didn't want to miss another class. Even though it's only the first day of school and all you do is get paperwork about the rules of the class, which are always the same every year, a few things for your parents to sign, and probably a stupid 'Get to Know You' game that teachers seem to be unhealthily obsessed with. Like anyone is going to remember by the end of the semester that you have a couple of uncles and like to shop. The questions are always too generic.

Another bell announced the beginning of second period and finally it was my turn.

By the time I was finished straightening things out with my counselor, I only had about fifteen minutes left of second period.

My new Math teacher was Sandrik. Apparently she'd been teaching at Lakewood for about forty years and still dressed as if it were her first day. Meaning she wore a pale purple colored top that looked like a cross between a poncho and a tunic and a flowing sky-blue skirt that reached her ankles, a skirt that I had actually seen on a teenage girl just last week. On her feet were simple black flip flops.

She looked like she'd just been spit out of a twirling time machine from the 60s.

I had no idea what my expression looked like when I walked into the classroom and saw her, but it must've pretty much mirrored what I was thinking since a few giggles could be heard as I handed her the note from my counselor.

She glanced down at it and then gave me an unbelievably wide smile as she grabbed my hand and gave it a very firm shake for someone who was supposedly about 60 years old. Her skin was wrinkled so I expected her hand to feel leathery, but it was surprisingly soft.

Feeling just a little more than a tad creeped out, I politely dislodged my hand from her grip and smiled nervously.

"Lovely to have you here, Ms. Guevara," her voice didn't even seem to fit her. It was smooth and strong. Like her handshake. "Since it's just the first day we didn't go over anything math-related, so you're in luck." She actually winked at me. "I haven't made a seating chart either so sit wherever you feel guided to."

"Uh, thanks," I replied before quickly scanning the room. The walls were covered with brightly colored pieces of paper and posters that gave simple math tips, the kind that no one really paid attention to. For example, the dragged out way to solve any problem (read it twice, brainstorm ideas, blah blah woof woof). Common sense just tells us what to do, not a picture of creepy smiling bugs.

There was only one huge window that overlooked the courtyard. I could see a few people choosing to skip class sitting on some of the lunch tables. Kind of a stupid thing to do on the first day. If they didn't want to go to class why not just stay home? At least they wouldn't be risking getting detention.

Next to the window was a row of three cupboards positioned over a sink and even more cupboards. I very smartly decided they held math supplies and cleaning products. In the middle of the room were about thirty desks, not all of them occupied. I actually knew a lot of people there but not enough to just plop down next to them and start a conversation like old drinking buddies.

I ended up choosing a seat near the far side of the room in the fourth row next to a poster of a cat doing algebra. I knew from past experience that whoever sat in the very back or front got called on the most, even if they hadn't raised their hand. Something that has and always will bug the crap out of me.

"Max, right?" a girl's voice asked as I settled into my new seat, which meant me getting out my iPod. I looked over at her with my eyebrows raised in question.

The girl looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place her. She was wearing dark blue capris and a plain white tee. Part of her black hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail and held by a barrette. Around her neck was a silver locket. Her whole appearance screamed Innocence, which unnerved me.

Not that I'm a wild party chick or anything. Far from it actually. But I'm not a goody two shoes either, if this past summer is any indication.

"Yeah?" I replied. The girl smiled, showing perfect white teeth courtesy of a job well-done by an orthodontist.

"I'm Brin," she introduced, probably catching on that I had no idea who she was. "We were in the same Biology class last year." Recognition finally kicked in and I laughed sheepishly.

"Oh right. You sat a few seats away from me in Willick's class. I think we even got paired together for a lab once." Brin's smile widened. "Seen any more frog guts since then?" She laughed.

"No, I've had to steer clear of that. That image is still burned in my brain, I don't really care for another." I nodded in agreement. "How good are you at math?"

"Looking to copy my future homework are ya?" I was joking, but Brin looked comically stricken.

"Of course not," she replied as she quickly shook her head in the negative. I just smirked.

"I was kidding. You wouldn't want to copy my homework anyway. It's not exactly top rate," I explained. Brin nodded in understanding.

"Well the reason I asked is because I'm not that good either and I was wondering if we could help each other." I shrugged just as the bell rang.

"Sure, sounds good to me," I replied as Brin smiled.

"Great. Maybe we'll have more classes together this semester."

"Maybe. See ya later." I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked out of the room to Mrs. Sandrik's departing words, which all meant the same thing but were said in a zillion different languages. I'm not an expert though, so that's just a guess.

After second period we had a 15-minute break. Cindy, Sketchy, and I hadn't actually agreed on a spot to meet this morning so I just headed towards our usual spot from the past three years and hoped they'd be there. If not, I'd just head towards my next class.

I reached the track and brought my hand to my forehead to shade my eyes from the sun as I scanned the area. It didn't take me long to find 'em. They were both waving and calling my name. I rolled my eyes and headed towards them, ignoring the few weird looks that were pointed in my direction.

"How did it go?" Cindy asked, referring to my schedule changes. I grinned.

"Very well," I answered as I brandished the new schedule. "No more Declen. I've got Math with Sandrik instead-who's kinda strange in that hippie-stuck-in-the-times way. So now I have English with you." Her face broke into a wide smile.

Sketchy made a huffing noise and snatched the paper from me. "What period is that? Any classes with yours truly?" I didn't even know what his were so I waited for him to finish scanning it. His face broke into a wide grin that matched Cindy's, causing mine to mirror it without even knowing why. "We've got Chemistry and English together."

I grabbed my schedule back, feigning a look of betrayal. "I mentioned I had Chemistry fifth period earlier, why didn't you say anything?" He rolled his eyes impatiently.

"Maybe because I was just a tad more interested in what your summer was like and I didn't want to give you another reason to hold off telling us what happened."

"But I almost switched that class while I was with the counselor. We almost didn't have it together at all since you didn't tell me in the first place," I lied. He just cocked a single brown eyebrow at me. My face slowly spread into another smile as I shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, it could've happened. You don't know."

"I would have survived," he retorted, his voice deadpan.

"Hey Kendra!" I heard OC call suddenly. I glanced in the direction she was waving in time to see a girl with long platinum-blonde hair wave back. She was wearing a navy blue skirt and a green sweater over a matching halter top.

Kendra Maibaum's our school's walking tabloid. She pays attention to everything that goes on in this place. From the girl's bathroom in the 200s building needing soap to who cheated on who's special someone, Kendra's ready with the info. Whether or not the rumors she helps spread around are actually true is a whole other situation.

She said a few parting words to a guy standing next to her before heading over to us.

I did a double take and realized it was the guy I sat next to on the bus. Before anyone could accuse me of staring, I looked away to greet Kendra.

"Hey guys," she smiled brightly. "Happy to be back at school yet?" Both my friends glanced over at me, but I just returned her smile politely. They murmured their thoughts on the subject before Cindy seemed to recognize the guy from that morning, though I thought I was being pretty clever by not staring at him like I had earlier.

"Max, didn't you sit next to him on the bus?" she asked. I nodded mutely as I quickly averted my eyes. A dreamy expression passed over Kendra's features.

"He's gorgeous, right? He just moved here from somewhere in the Midwest. His name's Alec McDowell. He can speak like a zillion different languages. Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, you name it! Oh and guess what..."

What'd I tell ya?

Kendra continued to carry on about how perfect Mr. McDowell was with Cindy adding a few half-hearted commentary while Sketchy inserted a few of his own thoughts on the subject, none of which I was really paying attention to since my eyes strayed of their own violation.

He was wearing sunglasses so I couldn't officially tell where he was looking, but the same strange feeling passed over me again. The tingly sensation traveled throughout my entire body until it finally hit me like an electric shock.

Somehow, somewhere before I'd met Alec McDowell.

A/N-Okay, so that's the first chapter. I was going to wait a little longer til I had more chapters ready, but I got bored so I figured I might as well post the first chapter and see what happens. Please let me know what you think. Reviews really help jog my typing ;o)