Hello lovely readers! In celebration of the release of Creeping Shadow, I am writing a Lockwood AU fic! the AU isn't very exciting, just this: The Problem is the exact same except adults don't lose their sensitivity. Which means teens are still in school, but it's ghost hunting school. Lucy is a late transfer. Here we go!

Lucy was late, in more ways than one. The obvious, of course, was the fact that she was rushing through the unfamiliar halls of her new school, hair in a crazy flurry around her head, bag slung hurriedly on one shoulder, blouse untucked. She had overslept. No one in her dorm had thought or wanted to wake her because she was a newbie. She had transferred to the London Academy for Psychic Agents after receiving her Grade Three. Most students at the Academy could boast of training there from Grade One. Even Grade Two transfers were tolerated, but Grade Four? Unheard of. And there was a heavy fee to pay, as Lucy soon discovered. She finally found the correct door, with the correct number, for her correct class. She heaved the heavy door open. It creaked noisily. Dozens of pairs of eyes swung to her. There were looks of disgust, looks of amusement, looks of disappointment, but not one person gave her any trace of pity.

"Is this Study of Ghost Types, Grade Four?" Lucy asked, rather stupidly.

Laughter swelled in the classroom. The instructor, a stern faced lady, shushed them.

"Yes Miss Carlyle. I was just about to send someone to fetch you. Please have a seat. Tuck in your shirt. As this is your first day, I shall let the infraction pass. Do it again, and it's a detention."

There was only one seat empty, in the front of the room.

Just perfect, Lucy thought sullenly.

She dropped her bag unceremoniously and rapidly tucked in her blouse into her skirt. She then scanned the room, observing the enemy. Every single girl had their perfectly crisp white shirts tucked perfectly into their perfectly ironed black skirts. Some had black jumpers, embroidered with the crest of the school. The boys had similar shirts and jumpers but pants instead of skirts. Lucy hated it instantly. She couldn't wait to get to rapier practice to show them a thing or two, and wipe the pretentious smirks off their faces. For now she wouldn't say a thing. She wouldn't rise to the bait. She would bide her time.

"What is the obvious problem whilst dealing with a Poltergeist, Miss Godwin?"

A sharp chinned, highbrow type character gave a quick, clipped reply.

"No visible manifestation."

"Correct, as always."

Miss Godwin gave a smug smile, as if she had just figured out the solution to the Problem. That question and answer sequence was Grade One stuff. The rest of the class went much the same way. The beginning of the year was mostly review as always. It seemed to Lucy that, besides the general attitude, London was no different to her little town in the north. Just a bit bigger; maybe a whole lot bigger. As the bell sounded the end of the lesson, Lucy checked her schedule. She had History. When it said "history" she knew it meant the history of the Problem and lots and lots of historic outbreaks and cases. Fun. Lucy was going to hear the same old tales about Tom Rotwel and Marisa Fites, again. She was the last one out the door, so the next class was already fileing inside as she squeezed out. She knocked into someone as she passed. It was a short, but wide guy with pale hair. His clothes were also rumpled, just as Lucy's. But she had to suspect that he wore it like that everyday.

"Sorry."

He just narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down through round glasses. Then he raised his eyebrows and let out a short laugh.

"Done staring?"

Lucy asked accusingly.

He replied simply.

"Yeah." Then he walked into the classroom, still laughing to himself and shaking his head.

Then Lucy remembered she had a class to get to. If it was her luck she would be late to the next class as well.

"Where the devil is room 347 supposed to be?" She mumbled to herself angrily. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the numbering system. It would skip suddenly from room 213 to room 273 with out any warning. It's like a number line meant nothing to the builders. Students were still milling about as it was still three minutes to the bell.

Lucy looked around for someone who would possibly even talk to her like she didn't have a deadly contagious disease.

A tall, pale boy, who was just across the hall, was smiling. A genuine full teeth, dazzling smile that made you, despite yourself, want to smile back. The pretty brunette that he was chatting up was giggling charmingly. Lucy steeled herself, then walked up to him. She tapped him on his shoulder.

"Excuse me?"

He turned toward her, the full force of his grin directed upon her. She was suddenly aware of the disarray of her hair, her shoddy tucking in job, not to mention the wrinkled clothing.

"Yes?"

She only just managed not staring stupidly at the boy.

"Sorry, it's just, well I don't know the layout of the school very well. I'm new." As Lucy said this, the brunette scoffed. The boy did nothing. Lucy continued.

"Can you help me find room 347?"

The boy nodded sympathetically.

"Who ever did the remodeling of this place really mess up the numbering. It's two floors up. Where you get off the landing, it's going to be on your right."

Lucy sighed in relief.

"Thanks."

The boy's smile melted away, into a concerted expression.

"You don't have a lot of time. You may be late."

Lucy's first instinct would have been to make a mad dash for the fourth floor, but she knew that she wouldn't make it either way. She shrugged philosophically.

"I'm defiantly going to be late."

The boy's grin was back. Lucy blinked in its brightness.

"Good to see you've excepted your fate. Most newbies don't."

The brunette, now obviously miffed and a little jealous, sidled up to the boy and linked arms with him.

"Come on Lockwood. Otherwise we're going to be late." Lockwood. Interesting name for an interesting person, Lucy thought briefly. Then she strode to the stairs and started to annoyingly long climb up.

Lockwood pulled his arm out of the girls and said,

"You didn't have to be so rude, Angela." He spotted a paper lying on the ground and picked it up. It was a schedule. The name at the top read "Lucy Carlyle". He checked the second period class for Monday and sure enough it was in room 347. Folding the paper, then stuffing it in his pocket, he marched into his next class. The dropped paper gave him an excellent reason to talk to the new girl with wild short hair and determination in her eyes again.

Thank y'all, as always! I would love reviews (as always) ;) The Lockwood and Co fandom is too small for everyone to be silent! This is my encouragement to hesitant writers/artists/creators: JUST DO IT! When you do it, you will find joy in the journey, as well as knowledge. You will be better because you did it. It might not be perfect the very first time. It may never be perfect! But you know what? Without you doing it wouldn't even exist. Write. Paint. Draw. Create. This is your time to shine!

Much love,

Sparkle