Okay, so the high school AU thing is kind of old, I know. But I've been wanting to try this for a while, so . . . here goes. I do not own Di-Gata Defenders, just my story plot.

No stealing.

Chapter One: The Newcomer

The dark-haired boy sprinted down the hall, footsteps echoing on the tiled foor. Skidding around the corner, he finally stopped in front of a door. Brushing off his uniform, he opened the door and walked in, just as the bell rang.

The blond, bushy-haired man at the front of the room looked up from his desk. "Ah, Seth. Cutting a bit close, aren't you?"

A few other students in the class snickered quietly as Seth took his seat. "Better late than never, sir," he answered. The professor merely shook his head.

"All right. In today's lesson, we'll be coveringthe composition of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences . . . ." In the desk in front of Seth's, another boy turned around.

"Nice entrance," Adam remarked, nodding his head toward the door. "Shouldn't be to hard for me to beat, though."

Seth rolled his eyes at his cousin, and set to work, beginning to copy down the day's note.

¤

An hour later, the door to the room opened again, a tall man stepping through. He was dark-haired, balding, with quick eyes that saw everything going on. The professor looked up from his desk.

"Headmaster," he acknowledged. "What brings you here?"

"I've brought a new addition to your class, Professor Brim," Headmaster Alnar replied. Looking out the still-open door at someone the class couldn't see, he motioned with his hand.

Seth looked up, purely out of idle curiosity. A new student was no big deal. He watched as the new comer entered.

She was medium height, maybe five-foot-four, her skin a dark tan. Her eyes were a bright blue, flicking shyly around the classroom. But it was her hair that caught the most attention. She wore it loose, with two sidepieces pulled back. It was just below shoulder-length, and a surprising shade of silver-blue, a colour that was heightened by the dark blue of her uniform.

Rapid muttering flew around the class as Professor Brim directed the new girl to a seat . . . right beside Seth. Headmaster Alnar nodded goodbye, and left, class resuming as normal.

Turning to the new girl, Seth extended a hand. "Hi. I'm Seth."

The girl smiled slightly, shaking his hand. "Mel." She didn't get farther than that, due to the bell ringing. Students began packing up, streaming out the door into the hallways.

"What class do you have next?" Seth asked, picking up his books.

"Chemistry," Mel answered. "I'm, uh . . . not really sure where it is, though."

Seth's eyebrows raised. "That's my class too. You want to walk with me?"

Before Mel could reply, however, another voice did. "Aw, aren't you being the nice one today, Seth."

Adam smiled, coming up to the two. "Hey, I'm Adam. Welcome to Di-Gata Secondary."

"Thanks. I'm Mel," the new girl answered. She frowned slightly, looking back forth between the two boys. "Are you two related? You look a lot alike."

Adam shrugged. "Usually when people ask that, I'll deny it. But in your case, I'll make an exception." He flashed a smile, one of his best cocky, over-confident grins.

Mel blushed, smiling slightly. "Well,it was nice meeting you, but . . . I should be getting to class."

Seth cast a glare at his still-grinning cousin before hurrying to catch up with Mel. "Hey, wait up. I'll walk with you, show you the way."

Adam smirked to himself, heading for his History class. A new girl, huh? Yet another lucky girl who would be under his spell by the time the week was out.

¤

"When completing binary nomenclatre of elements, there are two options for bonding: ionic and covalent. Ionic bondingoccurs when a metal and non-metal bond, covalent when the same happens between two non-metal molecules."

Seth glanced across the room at Mel, who was copying down the notes in all seriousness. Could she actually understand what was being said? If so, then it was nothing short of a miracle. Professor Kali, the Chemistry teacher, rarely ever made sense.

"At each lab station, you'll find the materials necessary for testing for hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide gases. Partner up, and follow the procedure for mixing the chemicals on page 249 of your textbook."

Students stood, moving to lab stations, talking amongst themselves as they collected lab aprons and goggles: mandatory protective gear, also designed to make you look as stupid as possible.

Seth felt a tap on his shoulder, looking back to find a friend of his standing behind him. "Hey, Erik."

The taller boy held up his textbook. "Got a partner yet?"

Seth tilted his chin in Mel's direction. "Why not makeit a threesome? She's not going to have someone to work with."

Erik shrugged, smiling. "Sure. Why not?" He headed off to get the station ready, leaving Seth to approach Mel.

"Hey." She turned around, smiling when she saw who it was.

"Hi."

"Listen, my friend and I were wondering if you'd like to work with us? Seeing as how you're new, and you don't really know anyone yet . . . ."

Mel's eyes lit up. "Okay." She gave a short laugh. "I was starting to think I'd be working by myself."

The two of them joined Erik, setting to work. The hydrogen gas made flame pop, oxygen made an ember ignite, and carbon dioxide turned clear limewater cloudy. The three were just finished cleaming up when the bell rang.

Erik snatched up his bookbag, waved goodbye, then left, heading out with the mass exodus of students. Seth glanced over at Mel, watching as she swung her bag onto her shoulder.

"Hey, Mel?" She looked up at him. "You, uh, got any plans for lunch?"

¤

The two were out on the school's back lawn, sitting under a tall oak tree.

"Seth, why do you keep helping me out?" Mel asked. "You hardly know me, and yet here you are, first offering to show me the way to a class, and now keeping me company over your lunch hour. Why?"

He shrugged. "I was new here last year. Without help from Adam and Erik, I'd be lost for good. I mean, Di-Gata Secondary his huge. I wound up making a friend, and I figured you'd need one too."

She smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

"No problem." Talking voices and laughter caused them to look up as a group of students headed past, down to a soccer field at the base of a hill.

"Hey, Seth!" Adam came running over, a soccer ball tucked under his arm. "You up for a game?" He grinned at the new student. "And of course, you're welcome to join us too, Mel."

She stood up, dusting off her uniform skirt. "Sure."

Seth got to his feet, the three of them starting down to the field. "Get ready to get your butt kicked, Adam," he muttered to his cousin. "I have a feeling there's more the Mel than meets the eye."