Winding Circle High School
by KitLee
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters aren't mine. They belong to Tamora Pierce.
A/N: This is my version of the adults at high school very similar to mine. I might do another version with the kids (Briar, Sandry, Daja, and Tris).
Chapter 1 - Meet the Students
*****
Niko Goldeye was sitting on the front steps of Winding Circle High, waiting for his friends to arrive. He'd had to arrive early to talk to the Student Council, Science Club, Math Club, and chess club sponsers. Niko prided himself of keeping busy.
Just then he saw her. She was walking into school talking animatedly, surrounded by a large group as usual. She was laughing and smiling; and as they passed Niko, he couldn't help but stare at her. He knew that his best friend thought that his crush on her was stupid, but Niko didn't care. To him, there was no one more perfect than Lark.
A whack on the head jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a very cross-looking girl with brown hair.
"Hi Rosethorn," Niko said sheepishly.
"Still enamoured of the princess, I see," Rosethorn said.
Niko shrugged. "I'm not enamoured of her," he muttered.
"Yes you are," Rosethorn said, sitting down next to him. They were best friends and had been for years. "You know it'll never work out."
"Why not?" Niko asked defensively.
"Why not? Hmmm, maybe because she's a cheerleader, and you're a nerd. Maybe because she only dates jocks, and you're a nerd."
"I'm not a nerd," Niko said.
"Niko! You're president of the math, science, and chess clubs for god's sake!"
"So what about you?" Niko asked, changing the subject. "What about you and Crane?"
Rosethorn made a terrible face. "Gross! I'm not interested in that -- that, brat."
"But you said -" Niko began.
"That was years ago," Rosethorn snapped. "I'm sorry I even mentioned it to you."
"It's strange to think how much things have changed," Niko said, changing the subject yet again. While it was fun to tease Rosethorn, he knew not to do it too much.
"Yeah," Rosethorn said. "Remember when we were kids. Lark, Frostpine, and even that idiot Crane were all part of our little group."
Niko nodded. "Oh," he said. "Here's your schedule. I got it from the office, you know, to save you the trouble to standing in line."
"Thanks." Rosethorn took it and grabbed Niko's to compare them.
"We have homeroom together," Niko told her. "And we both have first lunch." He paused. "So do the populars." That's what they called their ex-best friends.
"I wish -" Rosethorn began, but he never found out what she wished because just then the bell rung. They grabbed their stuff and joined the mad rush to class, passing the vice-principal, Ms. Moonstream.
*****
Lark was so excited on the first day of school that she woke up at 5:30. She lay in bed, thrilled to be going back to school where all her friends were. Best of all, she'd gotten a phone call a few days earlier. Ms. Moonstream (the vice-principal) told her that Maria and Victoria -- the two seniors on the varisty cheerleading squad -- had gotten pregnant and had quit the squad, making Lark head cheerleader.
Anyway, she'd quickly gotten ready for school, combing her short black curls and putting on minimal make-up. Her natural beauty made the other girls horribly jealous. Anyway, after picking the perfect clothes, she'd run out and driven her blue bug to school. As soon as she got out her car -- right next to a rather old-looking car -- she'd instantly been surrounded by her friends. Lark smiled to herself, those girls could barely function without her.
They walked to the office, laughing and gossiping. Once at the office, they'd immediately passed to the head of the long line for schedules. It was common knowledge that Lark and her group ran the school, especially now that she was head cheerleader.
They were wandering through the hall when she saw her best friend, Frostpine. Unlike her other friends, she and Frostpine had been friends ever since first grade. Out of their group in elementary school, he was the only one she was still friends with.
"Hi Frostpine," she called happily.
He came over and gave her a hug. "Hi Lark. You know, I heard a rumor that -"
She grinned. "It's true. You're looking at Winding Circle's youngest head cheerleader in over a decade."
He smiled back. "Congratulations. You've really earned it."
Behind them, her friends whispered and giggled. Everyone thought that Lark and Frostpine should become a couple, but Lark knew that it would never happen. They were just friends -- best friends -- and she wasn't about to screw that up.
"So, who do you have for homeroom?" he asked. "I got Marksman."
Lark looked at her schedule. "Me too." She turned to her group. "What about you guys? Are any of you in Marksman for homeroom?" They shook their heads.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me," Frostpine said.
She laughed. "The dynamic duo, together again."
The first bell rang, and she and Frostpine headed off for homeroom.
*****
Crane moodily headed up the stairs to the third floor. He had Marksman for homeroom, something that he was annoyed by. Not only did none of his friends had Marksman, but also his ex-best friends from elementary school were all in there.
Crane thought back to those days. They were inseperable. The fantastic five, as Lark had called them. But when they left Emelan Elementary and entered Summersea Middle, things changed. They all had different interests: Lark became a cheerleader, Frostpine became a jock, Niko -- a year older -- was a brain, and Rosethorn acted even pricklier than before. But through all that, they managed to stay friends.
No, what really broke them apart wasn't changing interests -- as much as everyone else wanted to believe it. No, it was love.
During sixth and mainly seventh grades, he'd gotten a crush on Rosethorn. When she found out, she was furious. By then, Frostpine and Lark had already broke away for the same reason; and she was angry that he would do the same thing. Claiming Niko as her best friend, she had left him, leaving Crane without any friends.
It had been awkward for all of them, but they'd gotten through it by avoiding each other. Now they had to be in the same homeroom, seeing each other every day. Crane didn't know how he would manage.
Because, after all those years, he still had a thing for Rosethorn. She was just so stubborn and pretty and . . . perfect.
Sighing, Crane walked into the classroom. It was going to be a long year.
by KitLee
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters aren't mine. They belong to Tamora Pierce.
A/N: This is my version of the adults at high school very similar to mine. I might do another version with the kids (Briar, Sandry, Daja, and Tris).
Chapter 1 - Meet the Students
*****
Niko Goldeye was sitting on the front steps of Winding Circle High, waiting for his friends to arrive. He'd had to arrive early to talk to the Student Council, Science Club, Math Club, and chess club sponsers. Niko prided himself of keeping busy.
Just then he saw her. She was walking into school talking animatedly, surrounded by a large group as usual. She was laughing and smiling; and as they passed Niko, he couldn't help but stare at her. He knew that his best friend thought that his crush on her was stupid, but Niko didn't care. To him, there was no one more perfect than Lark.
A whack on the head jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a very cross-looking girl with brown hair.
"Hi Rosethorn," Niko said sheepishly.
"Still enamoured of the princess, I see," Rosethorn said.
Niko shrugged. "I'm not enamoured of her," he muttered.
"Yes you are," Rosethorn said, sitting down next to him. They were best friends and had been for years. "You know it'll never work out."
"Why not?" Niko asked defensively.
"Why not? Hmmm, maybe because she's a cheerleader, and you're a nerd. Maybe because she only dates jocks, and you're a nerd."
"I'm not a nerd," Niko said.
"Niko! You're president of the math, science, and chess clubs for god's sake!"
"So what about you?" Niko asked, changing the subject. "What about you and Crane?"
Rosethorn made a terrible face. "Gross! I'm not interested in that -- that, brat."
"But you said -" Niko began.
"That was years ago," Rosethorn snapped. "I'm sorry I even mentioned it to you."
"It's strange to think how much things have changed," Niko said, changing the subject yet again. While it was fun to tease Rosethorn, he knew not to do it too much.
"Yeah," Rosethorn said. "Remember when we were kids. Lark, Frostpine, and even that idiot Crane were all part of our little group."
Niko nodded. "Oh," he said. "Here's your schedule. I got it from the office, you know, to save you the trouble to standing in line."
"Thanks." Rosethorn took it and grabbed Niko's to compare them.
"We have homeroom together," Niko told her. "And we both have first lunch." He paused. "So do the populars." That's what they called their ex-best friends.
"I wish -" Rosethorn began, but he never found out what she wished because just then the bell rung. They grabbed their stuff and joined the mad rush to class, passing the vice-principal, Ms. Moonstream.
*****
Lark was so excited on the first day of school that she woke up at 5:30. She lay in bed, thrilled to be going back to school where all her friends were. Best of all, she'd gotten a phone call a few days earlier. Ms. Moonstream (the vice-principal) told her that Maria and Victoria -- the two seniors on the varisty cheerleading squad -- had gotten pregnant and had quit the squad, making Lark head cheerleader.
Anyway, she'd quickly gotten ready for school, combing her short black curls and putting on minimal make-up. Her natural beauty made the other girls horribly jealous. Anyway, after picking the perfect clothes, she'd run out and driven her blue bug to school. As soon as she got out her car -- right next to a rather old-looking car -- she'd instantly been surrounded by her friends. Lark smiled to herself, those girls could barely function without her.
They walked to the office, laughing and gossiping. Once at the office, they'd immediately passed to the head of the long line for schedules. It was common knowledge that Lark and her group ran the school, especially now that she was head cheerleader.
They were wandering through the hall when she saw her best friend, Frostpine. Unlike her other friends, she and Frostpine had been friends ever since first grade. Out of their group in elementary school, he was the only one she was still friends with.
"Hi Frostpine," she called happily.
He came over and gave her a hug. "Hi Lark. You know, I heard a rumor that -"
She grinned. "It's true. You're looking at Winding Circle's youngest head cheerleader in over a decade."
He smiled back. "Congratulations. You've really earned it."
Behind them, her friends whispered and giggled. Everyone thought that Lark and Frostpine should become a couple, but Lark knew that it would never happen. They were just friends -- best friends -- and she wasn't about to screw that up.
"So, who do you have for homeroom?" he asked. "I got Marksman."
Lark looked at her schedule. "Me too." She turned to her group. "What about you guys? Are any of you in Marksman for homeroom?" They shook their heads.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me," Frostpine said.
She laughed. "The dynamic duo, together again."
The first bell rang, and she and Frostpine headed off for homeroom.
*****
Crane moodily headed up the stairs to the third floor. He had Marksman for homeroom, something that he was annoyed by. Not only did none of his friends had Marksman, but also his ex-best friends from elementary school were all in there.
Crane thought back to those days. They were inseperable. The fantastic five, as Lark had called them. But when they left Emelan Elementary and entered Summersea Middle, things changed. They all had different interests: Lark became a cheerleader, Frostpine became a jock, Niko -- a year older -- was a brain, and Rosethorn acted even pricklier than before. But through all that, they managed to stay friends.
No, what really broke them apart wasn't changing interests -- as much as everyone else wanted to believe it. No, it was love.
During sixth and mainly seventh grades, he'd gotten a crush on Rosethorn. When she found out, she was furious. By then, Frostpine and Lark had already broke away for the same reason; and she was angry that he would do the same thing. Claiming Niko as her best friend, she had left him, leaving Crane without any friends.
It had been awkward for all of them, but they'd gotten through it by avoiding each other. Now they had to be in the same homeroom, seeing each other every day. Crane didn't know how he would manage.
Because, after all those years, he still had a thing for Rosethorn. She was just so stubborn and pretty and . . . perfect.
Sighing, Crane walked into the classroom. It was going to be a long year.