Disclaimer: Deltora Quest does not belong to me. It never shall. I wish it would, but it doesn't. Shame.

Hey people! This is just a fan little fic to tide me over until I have more ideas for DoD and FT. I know where they're going, I just can't get them there. So it may take a little Feng Shui and meditation, but they will come. Until then...enjoy!

Yes, this is yet another modern-day take on DQ. Yes, it is once again set a high school. Why? Well, for a number of reasons.

Lief and Jasmine are 16 in the first series. High school age. Barda shall be brought down to their level.

There is so much drama and angst at high school that it fits in perfectly with what I have planned.

I am at high school. It's what I know best. It's also all I know.

It's fun as all get go to write. :-P

Unlike some of the others going around, this story will start from the first series. So LJ shippers may have to wait a few chapters. Apologies. I may throw in the odd hint along the way, because I couldn't live without.

Please review, even if just to tell me to quit while I'm behind.

WARNING: Slight coarse language. Only one word, really. And not all that bad. But the warning must be there.

A DELTORA QUEST STORY (Sorry!! My creativity is gone, I tells ya. GONE!)

Chapter 1: Halls of Silence – part one

Just my luck, Lief thought. Today is my birthday, and it's the first day back at school for the year. Brilliant. Groaning, Lief pulled his blazer on, and threw his bag over his shoulder. Birthdays are meant to be happy. You are meant to be relaxed. You are meant to sleep in. He was already running late, and had missed the bus. Now, he was going to have to run to school. Perfect. And he still hadn't received any birthday presents.

☻☺☻☺☻

"Lief, it's the first day back," Lief was greeted by his friend Chris slapping his shoulder. "And you didn't have it in you to rise to the occasion and rock up on time?"

Lief simply glared, dropped his bag, and stormed over to the year eleven building to find out which homeroom he was going to be in for the next four terms. He scanned through three class lists before he found his name.

"11 Green," he said aloud. Then he scanned the list again to see which of his friends were in his class. His face dropped. Not a single person on that list was even close to being called a friend. He cursed and went back to the motley huddle of spiky-haired boys that were his friends.

"Whose class you in?" Chris asked.

"Ms Smith's," Lief replied dully, plonking himself down on the ground. "I've got no one in my class."

"Ooh, tough break," Nathan, another of Lief's friends, grinned and did not look the least bit sorry for him. "Doesn't matter – we'll still have wood tech and PE together."

"Oh, well that's great," Lief huffed. "What about English? History? Literature? Maths?"

"Dude, that's entirely your own fault. We warned you not to do smart classes, but did you listen?" Nathan laughed. "Why are you so snappy anyway? Mummy cut off the pocket money again?"

"Haha, funny," Lief said without the slightest bit of laughter in his voice. Letting out a deep breath, Lief knew he was taking out his frustration on his friends. Trying to pass it off with some weak excuse, he said, "I must just be hungry. Mum and dad had left for work by the time I got up, so I didn't have breakfast."

"Aw, poor little Lief," Chris crooned mockingly. It was all in good humour. "Mummy wasn't home to make diddums his morning porridge."

"Bugger off," Lief grouched as he slung his bag over his shoulder once more. The bell had rung, and it was time for the first homeroom session of the year. Fun.

"Oi, Lief," Nathan called. Lief turned, and instinctively caught the apple thrown his way. "Eat up, munchkins, you've got a big day ahead of you."

Lief glowered and ducked his head as he made his way towards the year eleven building, trying to hide his face from the girls who began giggling furiously at Nathan's words. Stuff the lot of them, Lief thought. They're not being abandoned in any of their classes. And not one of them remembered it was my birthday.

☻☺☻☺☻

"Lief, I'm glad you're here," Ms Smith pulled Lief to the side as the 11 Green of 2008 were filing into their homeroom. "You're the only one who I know in this class, because of maths last year. We've got a new student in the class – can you go to the office to collect her?"

Lief glanced warily around the class room. If he had to go to the office, he wouldn't have any say in where he sat. He'd probably be stuck with the losers, the geeks or the loners. What did it matter? He didn't have any mates in there anyway. "Sure," he forced his mouth into a straight line that would have to pass as a smile. "What's her name?"

"Jasmine Forest," Ms Smith smiled. She looked so grateful for Lief not putting up a fight that he managed an actual smile in return.

☻☺☻☺☻

And so Lief headed to the office, slightly curious about the new kid. You never know, she might actually be tolerable, and she'd probably sit with him, so it might not be too bad. Year eleven girls, though, tended to be quite clueless if they were 'cool', and quite arrogant if they were smart. His hopes weren't high. It was not hard to miss Jasmine when he got the office. Her hair was long, dark and curly, and pulled up in a loose ponytail. Her skin was tanned, and when she looked at him with a bored glance, her green eyes caused his to start. Surely eyes were not supposed to be that green? All-in-all, she looked more like a wild Queensland girl than a Melbourne girl. Her tan wasn't orange, and it wasn't fake. That was already a novel experience. And she wasn't wearing any make-up. She was one of a kind in Lief's eye.

"Jasmine Forest?" Lief asked. There were a few stray kids hanging around in the large office foyer, but she was the only girl about his age.

"Yes?" she replied impatiently. There was no trace of shyness or apprehension about her. She was not nervous about her first day at a new school. Even one as big and intimidating as Deltora Secondary College.

"Hi, I'm Lief," Lief held out his hand to shake hers. She didn't extend hers, but merely glared at his hand. Lief dropped it awkwardly to his side. "I'm in your homeroom class. I've been asked to take you there."

"Oh, right. Well, lead the way." Lief turned on his heel, and walked back through the office doors, out into the yard. Jasmine did not walk next to him, as he expected her to. She walked a few steps behind, surveying the buildings around her with a critical eye.

"This school is semi-private, no?" she asked after a long and, in Lief's opinion, awkward silence.

"Yes," he answered, gratefully for the chance to talk. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, merely a hunch I had. There seems to be a pretty lame attempt at gardens and recreation areas, like the classy schools have, but the buildings are quite ordinary. I'm guessing the big wigs like to give the impression it's an upper class college?"

Lief laughed nervously. He did not know whether she was joking or whether she was being serious. He glanced at her stoic face, and realised she was not joking. He didn't know whether she required an answer, but he gave her one anyway. "Every principle likes to believe the school they run is a lot better than what it is, but Deltora SC isn't all that bad."

"No, I suppose it can't be, from what I've heard. But then again, you're a student here, so it's only natural that you're a little biased."

"You're a student here too, now," Lief replied, a little annoyed. "If Deltora isn't up to your standards, take it up with mummy and daddy when you get home. I'm sure they'll happily find you a new school to go to."

Jasmine was silent; Lief took this for a victory. When he saw her furrowed brow and dark eyes, though, and he felt a little sorry for her. Of course, she was scared to be starting at a new school. She was trying to cover it up, and that's why she was coming across as a little cold. Deciding it was within his powers to be exceedingly nice, Lief tried again with the girl.

"I'm sorry, I won't tease you. I understand how scared you must be starting at a new school. Just stick with me, and I'll look out for you until you find your own friends."

The girl was outright scowling now. "I am not scared! And thank you for your kind offer, but I can look out for myself." Huffing, she crossed her arms and looked away. "Are we nearly there?" she asked impatiently.

"Here," Lief roughly pushed open the doors to the year eleven block. "Follow me."

When he got into the class room, Lief saw that there were round tables in this room. Each table seated six. A few boys he knew from footy were sitting with a couple of the athletic girls on one table. There was an empty seat there, and they furiously beckoned him over. Lief was more than willing to take the offer. He glanced around the classroom quickly, curious to see who Jasmine was going to sit with. The only other table with free seats was one in the back corner. There was only one person sitting there. Barda.

Barda was a pretty decent bloke – sensible, and down to earth. Nobody disliked him, but then nobody especially liked him, either. He wasn't open with anyone, and didn't seem to be bothered about putting in an effort to make friends. The fact that he was rather tall and built for a sixteen year old didn't exactly help his cause, either.

Jasmine may have been unpleasant, and many people would think she and Barda were peas in a pod, so deserved each other. But Lief felt guilty at the thought of leaving her alone with the boy, so he did the gallant thing. For the entirety of the 2008 school year, he was going to sit with Barda the loner, and Jasmine the ice queen. Excellent. Damn him for being such a gentleman.

Lief showed Jasmine to the back table, and sat between her and Barda. This was going to be a nightmare.

Well, there we are. My little intro for you all. Was kinda crappy, but I have big plans, people. BIG plans. But again, it's frustrating me have to connect all these ideas. I suck at joining things up to make a flowing story, but I'm working on it.

Please review on your way out, if you would be so kind.

Susie :-P