Author's Note:
I just…have no idea what to say about this. Kayla and I got joking around about a high school AU for Helix and the next thing I knew I was writing it. I honestly don't know where it's going or if it'll go anywhere, but I'd at least like to introduce all of the main players. I'm on a Helix kick recently and I dunno how long it will last, but for now I keep getting really weird ideas. And as usual I end up doing it from Sergio's point of view, because I still feel like I know him the best - ironic, considering it's possible we know the least about him overall.
So…I'm sorry. This is really weird and pretty dumb, but it entertained me for a few hours and I might end up continuing it over spring break.
Don't know what we're doing
Don't know what we've done
But the fire is coming
So I think we should run
They always that this school would be better. Always one of those "It just takes some getting used to" speeches, a vague warning not to punch anyone on the first day, and then driving away quickly as if to avoid having to witness whatever might happen within the next few minutes.
It'll be better, you'll make friends, you just have to be nice... He did notice that they didn't seem to be trying quite so hard to get him to believe it this time around, but that wasn't too surprising. Being formally put in a group home for 'troubled' kids kind of made less likely that he would excel at making friends, and at this point they just seemed determined to keep him from being expelled or something.
In a way, Ilaria High would be different, if only for the fact that it was the first time Sergio had actually gone to high school at all - at least for any length of time. Technically he'd gone a few weeks of freshman year in the last town, but that hadn't lasted long at all. A few skipped days had turned into outright ditching, and by the time his current foster parents had thought to call a truant officer there had been other...problems. Those problems had led to him having a whole probation officer to himself, random check-ins, a set curfew, and a tracking anklet that managed to stay hidden under the cuff of his jeans only when he kept checking it. From what he could tell, his particular program didn't usually require a tracker, but after the fourth time getting out of handcuffs and locked doors he had been deemed a 'flight risk' or something and now had the thing on 24/7. Especially at school.
By this point he was well-accustomed to the counselor's office, though the process took a little longer this time as the man dealing with the paperwork - his name had been Harris or something similar - appeared to be new and was still figuring out the procedures. He apparently couldn't decide whether or not to stick to the professional attitude and didn't manage to hide some of his muttered complaints about the school board and the entire process of getting someone set up in the middle of the year. At the very least, the disgruntled annoyance didn't seem to be actually directed at Sergio himself, and Harris seemed to be polite enough when necessary.
"We have your record on file, of course," he said matter-of-factly, hunching over what seemed to be the hundredth form that day. "The teachers have been informed of the situation, but it won't be made public knowledge. You're free to tell the other students whatever you like."
"So I can make up a new story for each class?" The slightly weary look that was sent his way answered that question easily enough and Sergio scoffed, glancing up at the clock, fingers tapping restlessly on his folded arms. "Great. Anything else I have to sign my life away to before I can get out of here?"
"Oh, you've signed everything already. We're just waiting for your guide."
Hell, they still did that? He stifled a groan, glaring up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at Harris. "I don't need a guide."
"It's the middle of the year, classes are already in full swing, and we're out of maps." The man seemed to almost be smirking as he looked up, shoving the paper in with the rest of the stack on his desk. "Anyway, she just walked in, and it'd be rude to leave a lady waiting, wouldn't it?"
Sergio glanced around back toward the office door and blinked once, barely managing to conceal a look of surprise. The girl standing there had to be the one Harris was referring to, simply because there was no one else even relatively student-aged in sight, but he wasn't even sure she was student-aged either. She was tiny - nearly a foot shorter than him - and didn't look like she could be any older than thirteen, at the most.
He followed Harris a little reluctantly, meeting the girl's eyes when they reached her and was again surprised when she held his stare evenly, almost like she was challenging him. The counselor was already attempting introductions.
"Sarah Jordan - Sergio Balleseros." At least he managed to get the name right. Sergio nodded curtly, taking the paper Harris handed him automatically. "Sarah's had most of the classes you're in before, so she'll know where they are. She can show you the rooms along with the general layout of the place." The girl still seemed to be sizing him up, which was getting almost disconcerting, and he met her stare for a moment again before nodding once more.
"Are we done, then?"
"So long as you check back in with me at the end of the day, yes." Harris hesitated a moment and then shrugged, pulling the door open for them. "Play nice, won't you?"
"No promises." Sergio rolled his eyes a little at the look that earned him and ducked around Sarah into the hallway. "Don't really have any other options, do I?"
He was striding down the hall before Harris could reply and his guide caught up a moment later, surprisingly quick for someone that much smaller than he was. She still didn't seem put off in the slightest and was peering down at what looked like a copy of his schedule.
"Spanish this hour, apparently," she said, and he was a little surprised at the confidence in her voice, as if she was regularly stuck with transfer students with rather hazy backgrounds. "I'll get you to each of the rooms and you should be able to catch the last part of that..."
"Look, Jordan," he cut in, "you get excused from class for this or something? Some professional tour guide?"
She stopped, looking up at him with a bit of a frown, and he noted that she put both hands on her hips instead of folding her arms like a lot of people would when challenged. "I show new students around quite a lot, yes. I tend to be a little less threatening."
Well that's an understatement. Sergio scoffed, eyes rolling briefly. "Yeah, I'm sure. How old are you, exactly?"
"I'm fourteen." It sounded like she'd been asked that a lot, and he could see her shoulders square a little. "I'm also top of my class in most of the junior level AP courses, I've taken summer programs at Cornell, practically have early enrollment there, and my SAT score was in the 99 percentile." The smile she gave him looked almost patronizing. "But yeah, I look like a freshman. I'm doing my job and you're not ditching me, alright?"
Sergio found himself actually at a loss for words for a few moments, which wasn't common. She looked dead serious, and it definitely seemed like she'd gotten this sort of attitude before. A change of pace was in order, then. She wanted to feel in charge and wanted to be taken seriously. He could manage that. He'd always been good at getting on people's good side, if he thought it worth the effort.
"Alright, fair enough. Give me the VIP tour, then, Cornell." She raised an eyebrow at that, but it seemed that wasn't a battle worth fighting right now, and the girl turned again, starting off down the hall.
"Spanish is down this hall, there on the right. Your math room is pretty far off, so there won't be a whole lot of time to get there - might want to mention that to the teacher when you check in with him."
To her credit, she was a pretty good tour guide. Sergio was positive he could've found everything if left to his own devices, but it wasn't just the rooms Sarah ended up showing him. There would be random bits of information thrown in as well, the first coming when he had paused outside a door, trying to catch the strange sound that he had sworn had come from it just a moment before.
"Ignore it."
He glanced down at her tone and raised an eyebrow curiously. "What?"
"That's the janitor. You'll hear him sometimes - likes to sing when he's working. He's been working here something like 29 years, so there's tons of rumors. Some people think he just lives in the boiler room."
"That based on any evidence?"
Sarah snorted and seemed to almost smile. "This entire place is practically one big conspiracy theory, according to most. You're not going to get evidence for anything, but there are rumors for pretty much everything that happens." She looked up at him for a brief moment and shrugged. "You're new, so you'll probably become a walking conspiracy by tomorrow."
He glanced down unconsciously at his ankle, making sure it was still covered properly. "Sounds like a blast."
She told him about the nurse, who seemed to think that the cure for absolutely every ailment was an ice pack, the biology teacher, who had somehow acquired at least five class pets - including a monkey, though no one knew if that was technically legal or not - and the principal, who everyone but the staff seemed to have a healthy fear of. They were still out when the bell rang and Sergio instinctively got as close to the wall as he could manage while still looking slightly normal as the crowds all rushed past at varying speeds. Some spotted him and seemed to realize he wasn't one of their own, but no one actually tried to approach. Sarah was polite enough to wait until the initial swarm had passed before moving on, waving occasionally to people who called out to her.
The last stragglers were nearly gone when Sergio noticed the odd one out. He was tall, seemed to hunch into himself a little, and didn't actually look like he was going anywhere in particular. Their eyes met briefly when they passed and, once out of earshot, Sarah sighed.
"Thought you'd notice him. Saves having to point him out."
"He looks..."
"Twenty-something, right? Probably because he is. That's Peter. Technically he graduated about two years ago, and he's supposed to be going to the community college, but he's sort of...always hanging around here. His brother is a junior, but I think that excuse ran out a while ago."
This place was already weird as hell. Sergio grunted, glancing back once at Peter's retreating back and making a mental note to avoid him as much as possible.
He learned where the main hubs were - the main hallway, the quad out back, the front lawn that got packed at lunch - and found various quick exits and possible places to duck out of sight if necessary. Sarah brought him back to the math room at the end and for a moment it seemed like he would get away with being minimally social. She ended up stopping a few yards away, however, and looked him over again.
"You never said where you're from."
Of course that would be brought up. Sergio kept a blank expression, shrugging. "So?"
"Most people don't come in this late. Usually wait until the next semester, at the least. I'm assuming you just got into town, which means you have to have come from somewhere." She had that critical look again, examining him as if he was some sort of experiment gone awry. "Where'd you come from?"
The boy considered his options for a moment. Harris had said he could tell the students pretty much whatever he wanted, but he hadn't really expected to need an answer this soon. After a bit of thought he sighed, glancing around the hall and leaning a little closer.
"Honestly? I was...in prison." He could see her stiffen and decided to tack on quickly, "For killing a guy." The girl's eyes had widened and Sergio let that hang in the air for a few seconds before he threw on a wide smirk and straightened again. Sarah stared at him a moment longer before the look of surprise turned into a glare and she sighed impatiently at his quick burst of a laugh.
"Might as well tell someone the truth," she told him, "before the rumors are all people know."
He shrugged absently, idly straightening the leg of his jeans. "Let 'em wonder. I think I can find my way from here - thanks for the tour, Cornell." At least she didn't bother sticking around long after he had walked away. He let his 'reasonably polite' demeanor slip off and Sergio hesitated a little at the door to the room, glaring down at his ankle for a moment before going inside.
Not even an entire day here and he was already tempted to break his probation.