A.N. Aloha!
Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Freshmen', Teen Titans, or virtually anything you recognize. Righteous.
The Freshmen
For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe we'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen.
*O*
The Astael Academy for Young Adults has seen its fair share of change.
Founded in 1874, it has seen two World Wars, four bombings, three power-hungry dictators, 331 teen pregnancies, and still it stands.
Headmasters have come and gone, teachers have lived and died, students have loved and experienced, and still it stands.
No, the Academy is no stranger to change.
But a different sort of change has come to the Academy- one that is not pleasant or peaceful.
Now, only the cutthroat survive at the Academy, and those who can't take the heat are soon burned beyond recognition. School politics are razor-edged and used as blades against rivals or anyone daring to challenge the way of living.
This is a dangerous time at the Academy, a time when alliances are made and disaster lurks behind every gilded corner.
*O*
Jennifer Jina Hall pulled her suitcases behind her as she exited the taxi, throwing a crumpled twenty at the cabbie as she slammed the door.
With a fierce tug, she set her worn suitcase rolling and stalked down the cobble path towards the hulking main building.
Students frantically searching for their dorms parted as she stalked past, partly because it was obvious she was pissed and partly because she simply looked intimidating. With neon pink hair yanked up into a messy, spikey bun, her jean shorts slung low on her hips, and her jacket-and-shirt combo, she looked dangerous. Combined with the furious glint in her eyes, it was enough to make anyone duck for cover.
Yanking the door open when she reached it, she stalked into the office and collapsed into a chair near the front desk. Burying her face in her hands, she gave a long, drawn out sigh.
"Rough day?" A teasing male voice said from next to her.
"You have absofreakin'loutley no idea how- wait, who in the name of all things punk rock are you?" Jeni snapped, looking at the stranger from between her hands.
He smirked slightly and his blue eyes twinkled. "Wally West, at your service."
"Ohmigod, you're Wally West?" Jeni adopted a tone of awe. "Wally West is sitting next to me?"
"In the flesh." Wally tilted his head to the side. "You've heard of me?"
"Nope." Jeni smiled brightly. "Now go away."
"I didn't think so." Wally continued, ignoring her last command. "I usually try to keep a low profile everywhere but the track."
"Oh?" Jeni looked at him sideways. "What are you, some kind of jock?"
"Nope." Wally grinned at her. "Just an overly-confident track star with a 4.0 and succulent good looks."
"Not a good enough reason to use the adjective 'succulent'."
Wally sighed mournfully. "There never is. C'mon, I'll walk you to your dorm." Jeni began to glare at him but stopped when she noticed a thin webbing if pale white scars reaching up his arm and disappearing into his shirtsleeve.
"I don't have my freakin' dorm number yet, stupid. "
"Again with the violence, child. I'm sure that can't be good for the soul." Wally stood and sauntered over to the front desk, pushing aside a few smaller students in his path. Running his fingers through his red hair, he beamed at the secretary manning the desk and said something that made the old woman laugh and blush.
Five minutes later, he returned with her dorm key and her schedule.
Jeni raised an eyebrow as he lead her out the door and down yet another cobblestone road. "Can you do that?"
"What, charm stuff out of people?" Wally snorted. " 'Course. I'm a junior- half the time they just give me what I want. And when they don't, well, people who can't manipulate others don't make it very long at the Academy."
"That how you got your scars?" Jeni motioned at the marks. "Manipulating people?"
Wally chuckled humorlessly. "You noticed those? Nope. I got the scars for...let's call it disrupting the peace."
"Really? Righteous."
"Yeah, well." Wally rubbed the back of his head. "Being different isn't really...welcomed at the Academy. Best way to survive is to disappear."
*O*
Kory Anders squealed as she entered her dorm. It didn't take a lot to make Kory squeal- in fact, she did it quite often, to the severe annoyance of her dorm mate, Rachel. They'd roomed since seventh grade, with another girl called Anna, who, after a showdown with Kitten Travoni that left her covered in emotional and physical bruises, had tearfully left the Academy.
They'd have a new dorm mate now, Kory thought as she clutched Rachel to her in exhilaration.
"You're disturbing my peace, Kory."
Rachel muttered, hugging her excited friend back anyway.
"I am sorry, Friend Rachel," Kory said, beaming, her French accent slipping through her speech. "But eet ees just so exciting! We survived anuzzer year!"
"Only because we faded into the background like good little mindless school girls." Rachel huffed. "You've got mail, by the way."
Kory beamed once more and bounded over to the desk, eagerly opening the letter with the Academy seal that waited for her.
Within seconds after reading it, she was reduced to tears.
Miss Anders:
We are pleased to inform you that due to your excellent performance in Advanced Trigonometry you have been selected as a tutor for a group of struggling younger students. You will be meeting twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. You will be joined in this endeavor by Mr. Richard Grayson.
Best wishes,
Administration.
Rachel snatched the letter from her crying friend and speed read it, turning red with indignation as she finished.
"They're saddling you with Grayson?" She hissed. "Even after last year?"
Kory nodded and groaned. "I swore to never even look at him again ! 'Ow can I eegnore 'im if zey make me do zis?"
Rachel patted Kory's hair comfortingly. "It won't be so bad, K, I bet he doesn't even remember."
Kory glared. "I pledged my love for 'im. In front of ze eentire student body. I'm sure 'e remembers- 'e rejected me, after all!"
"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Rachel began, "I'm still running the library with that nitwit Gar."
"At leest he likes you!" Kory wailed. "Mon dieu, this will be the worst year!"
Rachel opened her mouth to reply just as the door opened and Jeni and Wally entered.
"You must be Jennifer's dorm mates!" Wally cried enthusiastically. "Take care of my future wife, okay?"
"That is so not happening." Jeni swung her suitcase on the empty bed near her. "Guys like you don't go for girls like me."
"Dude! I'm a Blink-182 fan, you're a Blink-182 fan, and we're going to have Blink-182-loving children. It's just going to happen."
Jeni glared at him. "You can go now."
"See you tonight, Jin," Wally winked at her, ignoring her glare as he walked, whistling, away.
"'E totally likes you!" Kori exclaimed as soon as the door was safety closed.
"Not for long. Scholarship students and track stars don't mix." Jeni stuck out her hand. "I'm Jennifer Hall. Call me anything but Jeni and I will murder you in your sleep."
"I am Kory Anders, Friend Jeni!" Kory wiped away her tears with a friendly, if watery, smile. "And thees eez Friend Rachel Roth!"
"Cool. What's up with the tears?" Jeni flopped on her bed and lazily flicked at her suitcase.
"Weel..." Kory faltered.
"Kory fell in love with a dude named Richard Grayson, she told him, he rejected her in front of everybody, and now the Academy's making her tutor snot-nosed seventh graders with him. " Rachel said flatly.
Jeni winced. "Damn. Well, that sucks."
"Eet does the suck quite a lot." Kori vigorously agreed. "Jeni, are you going to meet zis Wally at ze bonfire tonight?"
"Bonfire?"
"The welcome back bonfire?" Rachel snorted. "It's full of illiterate females with boobs bigger than their IQs getting wasted and acting like bimbos in front of idiotic males."
"Sounds like fun." Jeni rolled over on the bed and buried her head in the pillow. "You going?"
"Of course!" Kory beamed again. "Eet eez the only time I can see my friends in different dorms!"
"Then I guess I can make an appearance." Jeni shrugs. "Can't be that bad."
"With West after you?" Rachel snorts. "Oh, yes it can."
*O*
Next Chapter:
Jeni gasped as the blonde girl tossed the bag and the sketchbook into the bonfire, smirking viciously as she did so.
"What the hell!" She bellowed. "Why'd you- those are mine!"
"Correction: They're ash." the blonde girl smiled patronizingly. "Trash, just like you."
"Jeni!" She heard Wally's voice in the distance.
"This the Academy, kid." The blonde girl shook her head. "It's a kill or be killed world- live with it or get the hell out."
