So this is Chapter One of my So Weird story, "Under the Surface". I know it's a bit long, but I didn't want to leave it at an akward place. Also, SW hasn't been on for a long time, but I adore it, and I just had to do some fic! Not complete but expect a lot more, with twists and turns. This is just the beginning, to establish the story. Please R&R, suggestions welcome! This is my first fic for this site so I'd like to know how I'm doing. Thank you!
NOTE! I line either signifies that that it's later or a different perspective. Usually both. Just so you don't get confused!
DISCLAIMER! I do not own So Weird or any of it's characters. Disney does. I do however, own Keely, and the storyline to this.
Each passing second felt like a year as time dragged on and on. In the Hope Springs public library, papers rustled, pens tapped, keyboards clicked, and an occasional sigh or child's laugh rang out through the shelves.
Annie Thelan sat hunched over her algebra book, her chin resting in the cup of her hand. She tried to listen to the explanatory voice of her friend Jack Phillips, but her face gave away her daydreaming thoughts.
"Then you just divide by two and… and let the monkey do the rest," Jack said, finally noticing the look on her face.
"Uh-huh," Annie mumbled.
"Annie! Are you even paying attention?"
She blinked and suddenly straightened up, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Jack," she said, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "It's just… I have a lot on my mind, you know? We've got those gigs coming up and I'm so excited! Even if it means we're only staying at home for a few weeks."
Despite himself, Jack had to smile at her enthusiasm.
"Okay kiddo," he said with a sigh. "Why don't we call it quits for today. It's almost time for me to meet up with Carey anyway. I'll help you again tomorrow. That is, if you're going to listen."
She blushed again, and gave Jack a sheepish smile.
"I will, I promise. See you later!"
"Bye, Annie," Jack said, swinging his messenger bag over his shoulder and leaving the library.
She sighed, slapping shut her book and leaning back in her chair. Yes, in only a few more weeks she would be back on the Molly Phillips tour bus, traveling from city to city, making music, and probably, she thought, coming across lots of weird things.
She rolled her eyes at that. Sometimes Annie thought of herself as some sort of magnet for weirdness. No matter where she was she always managed to find herself caught up in something, whether it was ghosts, mummies, or whole towns full of strange people. She absentmindedly rubbed the ring on her thumb, the one Jack's sister Fi had given her right before she joined the Phillips and Bell families on the tour bus, and sighed heavily. Now that Jack had left, she realized she had nothing to do.
Gathering up her books into her own messenger bag and walking down the stone library steps, she pondered what she should do with the rest of her afternoon. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice the girl coming towards her until it was too late.
"Oh my Gosh, I am so sorry!" she cried, bending down to pick up the books the girl had dropped on impact. "It's just not my day, I can't seem to do… any…"
She trailed off as she straightened, getting her first real look at the stranger. The girl before her was stunning. She was tall and thin, yet looked strong. Her hair was long and glossy, a peculiar shade of reddish-brown that couldn't be natural, yet obviously was. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips perfectly curved, and her eyes! Annie thought if nothing else, this girl's eyes were amazing; a soft sparkling green the exact color of an emerald.
"Sorry," Annie repeated, shaking her head softly after realizing she was staring. "I just… I should watch where I'm going I guess."
The girl seemed to appraise her for a minute, and Annie shifted uncomfortably. After what seemed like ages, her face broke into a wide grin.
"Don't worry about it," she said gaily, her voice holding the trace of an accent Annie couldn't quite place. "Everybody has an off day."
She took her books from Annie and extended her hand.
"I'm Keira," she said. "Or, Keely to my friends."
"Annie," Annie said, shaking hands with the girl.
"Oh wow!" Keely breathed, catching sight of the charm bracelet on Annie's wrist. "That's gorgeous, where'd you get it?"
"This?" Annie asked, surprised but pleased Keely's obvious beauty didn't seem to have spoiled her. "Just at this jewelry store at the mall."
"I love it," Keely told her firmly. "Actually, after I dropped off these books, I was just on my way to the mall. Want to come with me?"
Annie blinked. She had only just met this girl, and she was inviting her to go shopping? Still, there was something about Keely that was contagious, a glow she seemed to emit that made Annie want to get to know her.
"Yeah, sure!" she responded, smiling. "Let me just call Molly and tell her where I'm going so she doesn't worry. She's my guardian."
"Okay," Keely said happily. "And then, one awesome shopping adventure!"
"We're home!" Jack yelled into his house, his friend Carey Bell following close behind him.
"Oh good!" his mother's voice drifted back. "You can help me make dinner."
Carey groaned but followed Jack as they walked into the kitchen.
"Why isn't Annie helping you?" Jack asked.
"Oh, she went out with a friend," Molly answered, handing some potatoes and a peeler to Jack and an onion on a chopping board to Carey.
"Annie has friends?" Jack teased, and Carey gave a small chuckle.
"Jack," Molly said in a warning tone. "Although, I've never heard of this girl before. Annie said her name was Cara or Kela or something. Ever met her?"
Jack glanced at Carey, but Carey shrugged.
"No, mom," Jack said. "I've never heard of that person before."
Molly frowned in concern but before she could say anything the front door slammed and the sound of two laughing girls floated into the room.
"Annie?" Molly called.
"Be right there, Mol!" Annie called back, her voice followed by another round of giggling and a rustle of bags.
"Well, it looks like we'll get to meet this mystery girl," Carey noted with a smirk.
"Hey guys!" Annie cried as she entered the kitchen holding up a gauzy red dress. "Look at this, isn't it the cutest? Keely picked it out for me. She said it was 'too cheap to pass up'."
"Gotta love a sale!" Keely replied, and the girls laughed again, as if their shopping trip held the funniest memories possible.
"Well?" Annie prodded. "Molly, guys, what do you think?"
For a moment, no one responded. They were too busy looking at Keely to really notice the dress. But then Molly cleared her throat.
"I'm sure it'll look great on you, Annie," she said, smiling at her surrogate daughter.
Annie smiled back.
"Oh!" she cried suddenly, grabbing Keely's arm and pulling her forward. "I almost forgot. Keely, this is Molly Phillips and her son Jack, and that's Carey Bell. Guys, this is Keely."
"Nice to meet Annie's family," Keely said, smiling at them all.
"Molly, can she stay for dinner? Please, Molly?" Annie begged.
"Okay, okay!" Molly said with a laugh. "Yes, she can stay for dinner. If it's all right with her parents."
"Oh, it is," Keely said. "Thanks so much, I'd be honored. Now c'mon Annie, let's go curl your hair."
Linking her arm through Keely's Annie and her new friend left the room.
"Well she seems nice," Molly said sincerely.
"Yeah," Jack said, staring at the spot Keely had been only moments before.
"Real nice," Carey agreed.
Upstairs, Annie and Keely were behaving as though they had always been friends.
"And that man, at the candy counter?" Annie laughed.
"Hold still or I'll burn you!" Keely warned, tugging Annie's hair teasingly.
"Man," Annie said, "I can't believe I'd never seen you around before! We could have been having all sorts of fun."
"And we will," Keely assured her, ignoring the comment about their meeting.
"I just wish I was staying in Hope Springs longer," Annie said wistfully. "It's not that I don't love Jack and Carey, or the girls at school, it's just… you're different, you know? There's something about you. Don't you feel like we've been friends forever?"
Keely smiled, releasing one curl and starting another.
"Maybe we were," she said mysteriously. "Maybe we've been friends in all our past lives!"
The girls laughed again, and Annie really did feel like she'd known this girl forever.
"I'm glad you don't think I'm weird," Annie said suddenly, blushing when she realized she hadn't just thought the words.
"Why would I think that?" Keely asked confused. "If anything, you should think I'm weird. I mean, everyone else does. People are always staring at me, or dashing off when I come around."
Annie rolled her eyes.
"Of course people get flustered, you look like a model! You saw the way the boys behaved downstairs, they were totally awestruck."
"Pssssh," Keely blew. "I'm no prettier than you are. Hey, let's do your nails next."
Annie flushed at the praise, hardly noticing how quick her new friend was to change the subject.
After a delicious meal that had been mostly filled with Annie and Keely talking about their day at the mall, Jack was happy to leave the table and start up his X-box. The others had gone into the other room to show off some songs to Keely, but Jack had wanted some time away. He started a car racing game and was quickly lost to the machine.
"Third place, not bad."
He jumped at the voice. He'd been so engrossed in his game he hadn't noticed her come into the room. But now that he'd spotted her, he was all too aware of Keely's lithe body perched on the edge of the couch mere feet away from him.
"Uh, yeah," he said, finding his voice. "I've uh, had a lot of practice."
"Can I play?" she asked, already reaching to plug in another controller. "Loser buys the winner a milkshake tomorrow."
His head spun at the thought of going out for shakes with this gorgeous girl, but he ignored it.
"You're on!" he chuckled.
A few minutes later, the two cars were neck-in-neck and Jack could feel the awkwardness between them melt away as they raced. Keely was really into it, and he saw her moving out of the corner of his eye as if shifting her weight would make her car turn faster.
"C'mon, c'mon!" she yelled at the t.v. screen, and then "YES!" when she pulled ahead.
"Oh no you don't!" Jack countered, pushing her car into the wall with his and crossing the finish line a split second before her.
"Nooooooooooo!" Keely wailed, and Jack laughed, enjoying her company.
"Looks like I owe you a shake," she said glumly, but giving him a smile at the same time.
"Hey, you played a good game," Jack told her. "I just played better."
He was shinning his hand on his shirt in mock superiority when a pillow hit him in the face.
"Hey!" he laughed, grabbing another pillow and hitting her back.
"A-hem."
At the sound of Molly clearing her throat, they stopped abruptly and looked sheepishly towards the doorway where she stood with Annie and Carey right behind her.
"My couch cushions are not weapons," Molly teased them with a hand on her hip.
Jack and Keely moved to straighten things up, Keely giving Jack one more peaceful shove along the way.
"I hope we weren't boring you with our music," Annie said, coming into the room behind Molly.
"Oh no," Keely said. "I was just wondering where Jack disappeared to. I almost beat him in car racing."
"Yeah, almost," he teased, causing Keely to stick her tongue out at him.
"Well guys, it's getting late. I think it's time for all friends to go home," Molly said.
"Okay," Keely said, climbing off the couch and walking towards Annie. "Let me just grab my stuff from the hall and I'll be out of your way."
"And I'll be back for breakfast Ms. P," Carey joked.
"I don't doubt that!" Molly laughed back at him.
The group continued to the hall where Carey nodded goodbye and walked onto the porch and down the steps.
"I wonder why he didn't wait for you," Annie said confused. "You're probably going the same direction."
"Don't worry about it," Keely said. "Anyway, I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" She hugged Annie goodbye. "Thanks for dinner, Molly. I'll see you tomorrow, Jack!"
She waved again and left, Molly closing the door behind her.
"What a nice girl," Molly mused. "We should have her over more often. As for you two, I expect you to get ready for bed in half an hour."
She smiled at them and left to clean up the dining room.
"Jack," Annie said after a minute. "What was Keely talking about, she'll see you tomorrow?"
"We're gonna go out for shakes," he replied, feeling a rush of warmth when he said it. "We had a bet on our game and she owes me."
"Oh," Annie answered.
Jack just smiled and went up to his room, not seeming to notice the look on Annie's face.
Yes, alright, there we are, the first bit. Rest assured this is not just some Mary-Sue, Keely isn't going to turn out to be important. Jealous feelings are already arising! So I hope I you like it, and I hope you stick with it. Thanks for reading (and reviewing I hope)!
