I came up with this story idea halfway through writing Single in the City. I knew I wanted to write something that took place in the Eden Hall setting/time period, but I wanted to utilize the idea of being in boarding school and the kind of environment that it is-I don't mean being surrounded by rich kids and all that stuff, but the history of the school and it's past. It's a mystery of sorts, and it centers around Connie, with Julie and a couple of OC's peppered about. Don't worry though, the other Ducks will make appearances in some way. Please read and review!!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ducks, Eden Hall, etc etc.

Chapter 1

Connie waited anxiously at the arrivals greeting area of Minnesota-St. Paul airport. She scanned the people coming out from the arrivals gate, looking for her best friend- Julie Gaffney, whose plane had touched down just minutes before. It was August and the two girls as well as the rest of the Ducks would be starting their junior year at Eden Hall Academy. She hopped to look as her older brother, Christopher laughed.

"Helps to have me around, huh?" he quipped, as her taller sibling could easily see over the crowd that had formed in front of them. "I don't see her yet, but she'll be out soon enough."

"I know, I'm just really excited to see her, " Connie said, leaning on him to fix her shoe. She hadn't seen Julie since the end of the school year, back in June. Julie had convinced her parents to let her come out to Minnesota a week before move-in and to stay at Connie's for some needed downtime with her and the rest of the Ducks before the school year started.

"There she is, " Christopher said a few minutes later, waving his right arm in the air so Julie could spot them. Julie waved back and Connie gave a small yelp of joy and made her way through the small crowd to meet her friend.

"Cat!'

"Cons!" Julie put down her carry-on duffel to hug her friend.

"I'm so glad you're back, " Connie said. Christopher had followed and greeted Julie as well with a high-five, picking up her duffel.

"Me too! Maine was getting boring, " Julie said. "You got that, Chris?"

"Woo!" he said, hauling the light-looking bag onto his shoulder. "This is pretty heavy, Julie. How much more luggage you got?"

"Ah, just two suitcases. My parents are going to ship some stuff to the school, " she said, as the threesome headed towards baggage claim. "Anyway, I bought this really cute lamp for our room- I just hope it didn't break in my suitcase. I didn't want to put it in the boxes my parents are sending out."

"Our room!" Connie said. "Oh man, this school year is going to be so much fun. I'm so happy my parents are letting me finally live at school. The commute sucks."

"Ah, you're lucky that I reasoned with them, little sis, " Christopher said.

"This I am grateful for, yes, " Connie said, giving her brother an affection pat on the arm.

Being scholarship students, a living stipend was given to each of the Ducks to allow them to live at the boarding school like the other students whose families had elected them to do the same. Julie, Russ, Dwayne, Ken, Luis, and Portman all obviously took advantage of this since their start at Eden Hall. The Minnesota based Ducks were also allowed this stipend since most of them lived the required distance away from Eden Hall, which was located in a quiet suburb 40 minutes outside of the Twin Cities. After freshman year, many of the other Ducks had followed suit with the exception of Connie. She was the lone Duck who commuted to and from Eden Hall every day. This commute was either achieved by bus, or by her parents or Christopher who lived on his own in Minneapolis, but worked twenty minutes away from Eden Hall. Sophomore year had been harder since Connie was the only one commuting, whereas in freshman year the Duck parents had mastered the art of organizing carpools.

Connie's parents weren't particularly strict- they were like any other set of parents. They just didn't feel that Connie should be off on her own just yet- she was indeed the baby of the family, and though she was by no means a pushover or someone who could be easily taken advantage of, they felt her place should be at home at the end of the day. Christopher had talked to their parents, pointing out that it would be easier on everyone and Connie if she lived at school, especially for her junior and senior year- the two most important years in one's high school career.

"Eh, I also think they realized how nice and quiet it would be without you jabbering away on the telephone, " Christopher said. The three were standing in front of the luggage carousel, watching for Julie's belongings to make their way around.

"Shut up, " Connie said, smiling. They found all of Julie's suitcases and loaded up into Christopher's SUV and headed to the Moreau household.

"We're home!" Connie announced, carrying one of Julie's suitcases through the door. Mrs. Moreau came out from the kitchen to meet them.

"Where's my blonde daughter?" she asked, as Julie came in after Connie with her bags.

"Hi, Mrs. Moreau!" Julie said, as she hugged the Moreau matriarch, who was in turn her 'Minnesota' mother for the past two years. Mrs. Moreau put her arms around the two girls, as Chris came in with the rest of Julie's belongings.

"Chris, put Julie's stuff up in Connie's room, " Mrs. Moreau said, directing her son. He nodded after giving Julie and Connie a look of fake exhaustion. "Connie, you'll have to inflate Julie's bed, I don't know where to put it otherwise for the week, especially with all the packing going on, but I'm sure you two will figure something out. Now, " she said, turning to Julie, "I'm sure you're hungry- we'll be having dinner as soon as Mr. Moreau gets in."

"That's fine, " Julie said. "Connie and I can hang out until then." The two girls went up the stairs to Connie's room, where they were finally left alone.

"I'm so happy to be back," Julie said, beginning to unpack a suitcase on the floor and finding some clothes to change into. Connie plopped down on her bed.

"Me too, " she said, laying down and curling up into the ball. "I can't even tell you how excited I am to move out to campus!"

"I know! I bet you're happy you don't have to commute everyday, " Julie said, turning around to her friend. "Oh! I almost forgot- did you get your stuff yet?"

"Oh, yeah! Of course I did- I just got it last week. I didn't open it just like we promised! " Connie said, immediately springing up and going to her desk. She rifled through a drawer until she produced a manila envelope. She joined Julie on the floor. It was their registration information for the new semester, which also included their housing assignments. Julie and Connie had signed up as roommates at the end of last year, but would now find out where they were going to live. They had made a promise to wait until they were together to open their letters.

"Ready?" Julie said, revealing her manila envelope from her backpack. Connie nodded eagerly. They both tore into the packet, flipping through all the various papers, forms, and other stuff looking for the information they needed.

"I found it!" Connie said, getting onto her knees and holding up an envelope. "You ready?"

"Yes! Open it!" Julie said. The two girls were anxious to know where they would be spending the next ten months together.

Connie ripped open an edge of the envelope and pulled out the form. She unfolded it and began to read from it aloud.

"Dear Ms. Moreau, your housing assignment for the 1998-1999 school year is Maybury House, 4A. You've opted for roommate assignment with Julie Gaffney, class of 2000, " she read clearly. "Maybury House? Where the hell is that?"

"Maybury House?!" Julie said, her eyes widening. She slumped back onto the floor.

"Is that a bad thing? Why haven't I heard of this dorm before?" Connie asked, laying down next to Julie.

"Maybury House is a really small dorm- like there are maybe thirty other girls who live there. It's in the back of the school property, kind of behind Maplewood but further back, where I lived last year. It's a pain to move into and ugh!" Julie said. "This girl in my English class lived there last year. I remember her talking about all these weird things that would happen. The rumor is that it's haunted."

"Haunted?" Connie asked. She began to laugh. "C'mon, Jules."

"Well, she said some weird stuff happened there- like girls seeing things in the hallway, things falling off shelves-that kind of stuff."

"Sounds creeeeeeepy!" Connie said, teasingly, poking Julie's side, who laughed"This sucks, though, " Julie said, getting up and leaning on her elbows. "Maybe we can try to get it changed."

"I don't think so, " Connie said, following suit. "C'mon, Julie. We're two kids getting a full ride at this school. I don't think they care that we hate where we're going to be living. "

"You're right, who cares about us, huh?" They both shrugged in defeat. Julie brightened up though.

"Listen, let's not let this damper us living together. I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

"It will be fun, Julie. Ghosts-schmosts, whatever. It'll make things interesting, " she said. The two girls heard Mrs. reau call upstairs announcing that dinner was ready, so they went downstairs. Connie pulled her big brother off the couch. Mr. Moreau greeted Julie with a high five, and the family plus one sat down for dinner.

"So, did you girls see where you are going to live?" Mrs. Moreau asked while they ate. "I know Connie was waiting for you, Julie to open her packet."

"Yeah, " Julie said, with a half a smile. "We'll be living in Mayberry House. It's a smaller girls dorm that looks like this creepy house from a horror movie. "

Connie clicked her tongue at her friend. "Julie thinks it's haunted or something. "

"Well, those are the rumors."

"Haunted?" Christopher mused, before taking a spoon of food into his mouth. "Aren't you girls a bit too old to be believing in ghost stories?"

"There are rumors!" Julie said. "But anyway, I'm sure they're just that-rumors, " she said, looking at Connie who gave her an incredulous look.

"Anyway, it's going to be awesome, " Connie said, directing this comment to her parents, who though had given permission for Connie to live on campus, were still slightly overprotective and worried. "It'll be like college almost! Well, I mean without the partying and stuff…" Connie dropped her voice to a whisper, though her parents and brother could still hear her, "Are there parties on campus?"

Mr. and Mrs. Moreau and Christopher all exchanged looks and sighed. Their baby girl was moving out.

The two girls stayed up late, catching up on more gossip, calling up some Ducks to see what they were up to before move-in, looking at pictures from last year, and talking excitedly about living together. They finally grew tired, and turned in for the night.

Connie switched off her bedside lamp. "Goodnight, Julie."

Julie slipped under the covers, "Goodnight, roomie!" Both girls fell asleep soundly.