Right 2 things; the ratings going to DEFINITELY go up its just this first chapter is super tame and i have false advertising, and secondly the title is from a poem by WH Auden. (and thirdly between this and the High School AU and the Crime Scene AU I will be keeping busy who's excited I'm excited)
The language lab was draughty: Myka pulled her coat around herself and shivered as she tried to concentrate on the final listening exercise. Tiredness magnified the bite of the cold, but Myka was determined to finish this assignment. She blinked rapidly twice, rubbed her hands together and sat up.
The computer's quiet tapping seemed to be magnified by the empty room, but Myka was used to having the language lab to herself. Few other students made use of the lab's 24-hour open hours.
Her phone buzzed on the desk next to her: an inviting distraction she had ignored twice before. Myka sighed and leaned back in her chair to read Pete's texts.
"I'm so sorry to inform you, but your friend Pete just died. The coroner's report shows it was boredom of studying." Myka chuckled and rolled her eyes, clicking to see the next text.
"Can I borrow 37 dollars when I resurrect myself tomorrow? There is a first edition Marvel comic someone's selling on Craigslist and I want it."
"Mykaaaaaa." The last text embodied her best friend's tell tale whine and Myka couldn't help but grin, tiling her phone so she could quickly reply.
"I'm leaving the language lab in 2 minutes. Can I get you anything to eat to make the pain of midterm studying go away?" She offered, sending the text and snapping her phone back together. Before she had even put it down it vibrated in reply though.
"Studying ruined my appetite," came the immediate reply, "Though I think Steve might really appreciate some maple popcorn." Myka smirked.
"I'll make sure I get 'Steve's treat," Myka assured her best friend.
"No, it really is for Steve," the next text insisted. Myka ignored it and rolled her eyes, sending an identical text to Claudia and Leena.
"Important question: are you going to go by Timmy Hoe's before it closes?" came Claudia's reply while Leena rejected the offer. Myka smiled at Claudia and checked the clock on her computer. She had another half an hour before the coffee chain closed.
"Probably," she replied.
"AWESOME can you get me some timbits," came Claudia's instantaneous reply. Myka smirked and slipped her phone back in her pocket.
She stared at the computer screen and blinked, desperately trying to make herself focus on the last module as it focused and unfocused in front of her eyes. She was distracted for a second as the door opened and closed softly, a responding draught ghosting along Myka's spine. She didn't look up though, assuming the janitors where changing the bins and continued with her work stoically.
Fifteen minutes later she reached the end with an accomplished sigh, stretching languidly as the computer slowly logged her off. She glanced around the room and was surprised to see another girl sitting in the corner on the computer nearest to the door. Myka gathered herself together and collected her bag, swinging it over her shoulder and picking up her binder. The other girl looked up and smiled.
"Good evening," she said cordially as Myka approached her, walking towards the door. Myka's ears perked at the British accent and she grinned despite herself.
"Evening," Myka replied, returning the polite smile. As she walked past the computer she glanced at the black screen and stopped. "If you're having trouble with the software, IT is open 24-7," Myka told the girl helpfully. The girl laughed.
"I'm not having trouble with the software," she explained. Myka raised an eyebrow.
"CompSci student?" She asked, confused. This was a language lab, so it made no sense that a compsci student would be using the facility. The computers wouldn't have the right software…
"More like lazy student," she supplied with a wink as she turned back to the computer. Myka stared at her in amazement.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Do you take Physics?" The girl interrupted.
"What?" Myka blinked in surprise.
"Do you take Physics 203 with Frederic?" The question wasn't rude, despite the abrupt manner with which it was delivered. Myka recovered quickly.
"No, I'm in pre-law right now, and I'm taking Nielson's Chemistry class as my science requirement," Myka admitted shyly, biting her lip. "I know someone who takes that class though and she loves it," she added quickly. The brunette gave her a searching look.
"Does she find the material difficult though?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Myka tilted her head and bit her lip again, thoughtfully. "I don't want to be bored."
"She's the most intelligent person I know and yes, she does. So I don't think you should worry." The brunette grinned broadly.
"I will take your word for it, Miss Myka Bering," she hummed cheerfully. Myka did a double take.
"You know my name?" she asked, surprised. The girl grinned at gestured at the binder Myka was holding.
"It's in bright green on that binder. Yes I know your name. I'm Helena, by the way." She threw the exclamation about her name over her shoulder as Myka continued to hover there. She swallowed dryly before she repeated her earlier concern.
"What do you mean, you're a lazy student, Helena?" Helena didn't stop what she was doing, casting an impish grin in Myka's direction.
"Can you keep a secret?" She asked, lowering her voice conspiratorially and turning from the computer to Myka. Myka gulped but then nodded apprehensively. "It's easiest to hack into the mainframe from the language lab computers because the firewall is weaker. It was weakened in order to allow the language software to interact with the network."
"And?" Myka didn't like where this is going.
"And," Helena finished, drawing out the word and turning back to the screen, "I am using this to hack into the mainframe and rearrange my scheduling slightly."
"Rearrange my scheduling slightly?" Myka narrowed her eyes. This sounded like cheating. "Add-drop period ended like two weeks ago. You can't change classes without express permission from the University."
"Oh, I know. It's just I'm a bit bored of the physics class I'm in. So I'm bumping myself up a level." Myka tilted her head and opened her mouth as if to something but then decided better of it, closing her mouth and tilting her head again.
"You're doing this so you can go up a physics class?" She clarified. Helena grinned.
"Yeah: according to my advisor I didn't have the right credits to go straight to Fredrick's course but I know I am more than qualified so I decided to screw bureaucracy and go for it." Myka shifted uncomfortably.
"Bureaucracy is there for a reason," she muttered. Helena laughed.
"I don't know Myka," she laughed, "sometimes it just feels unnecessary." Myka swallowed again.
"But this is cheating!" She whispered, her voice dropping to a barely audible level as if there was someone else in the large empty hall. There wasn't: it was just Myka and Helena. "I should report you!" Helena shrugged, turning back to the computer.
"That would invoke more bureaucracy," she sighed in reply. Myka stared at her in confusion. Who was this girl? Too annoyed at the situation and at this girl for incriminating her by association Myka just stormed out, glancing at her watch and realising she would probably have to run so that she wouldn't miss Tim Hortons. She left before she could hear Helena saying goodbye.
There was a long line at Tim Hortons: a small elderly woman was manning the cash register and making all the tired, studying students their bagels. Myka played with her phone, flipping it open and closed in impatience as she obsessed about Helena and her stupid stupid need to cheat.
Who did she think she was anyway? The twisting in Myka's stomach grew tenser and she wished she had something to distract herself with.
Why did it bother her so much anyway?
As if on queue, her phone buzzed. "Where are you?" Claudia didn't do greetings. Myka smiled despite herself.
"I'm getting you Tims," she replied. "There's a long queue so I am stuck here for a while longer."
"More than 10 minutes?" Claudia asked and Myka could hear a bang in the background. She frowned.
"Yes, more than 10 minutes. What's happening at the house, Clauds?"
"I just left: I'm coming up to join you!" Myka smiled, pleased at the surprise.
"Awesome! Why?"
"To keep Pete interested in studying, Jinksie has started throwing around a football every time that Pete gets an answer right. It's getting annoying because Steve is the worst shot in the world and football is constantly banging against the walls." Myka laughed and shuffled forward in the queue slightly.
"Well, that does not sound fun," she agreed with a sigh.
"So, I'll be there asap," Claudia confirmed. "Don't die of boredom without me." They hung up.
The minutes ticked by. When there was no entertainment, the twisting worry about Helena the Cheater seemed to grow in the pit of Myka's stomach, fermenting and rotting as Myka tried to concentrate on literally anything else. The putrid colour of the walls and the tired, dejected whispers around Myka offered little relief.
Myka was close to dying without Claudia as the younger student poked her in the shoulder announcing her presence. "Dude, how long have you been standing here?" She demanded, looking behind them.
"Like 10 minutes?" Myka offered, frowning at the fact there were still twenty people ahead of them.
"Ugh I hate it when these places are so inefficient," Claudia sighed, taking off her thick winter coat and draping it over her arm. Myka nodded, shifting slightly.
"Yeah, especially because it means we're gonna miss the convenience store and Pete won't get any maple popcorn." Myka agreed. Claudia pouted.
"We'll buy him a donut," she comforted Myka. "As long as its food, Pete doesn't really care." Myka chuckled.
"It's true," she agreed.
"Did you have a lot to do at the language lab?" Claudia asked, glancing down at her watch, raising an eyebrow. "It's late, even for you."
"There was some girl there," Myka sighed. Claudia raised an eyebrow.
"Some girl?" She asked. Myka chuckled, covering her face in exasperation at how tired she was.
"Yeah: she was changing classes. She and I got talking," She clarified. Claudia did a double take.
"Say what?" She asked, her voice a beautiful imitation of a confused comedian. "Add-Drop period ended like two weeks ago!"
"Well," Myka's voice dropped to a barely audible whisper and Claudia leaned in conspiratorially. "She wasn't exactly ethical in her maneuvers." Claudia gasped.
"Ohmygod spill Myka. I want to know this girl's secret. What did you say her name was?" Claudia flicked open her smart phone. "I need to Facebook stalk her, casually run into her and then become her best friend ever. I don't know anyone else who's done that!"
"Anyone else?" Myka repeated the phrase, scandalized. Claudia brushed it off.
"I didn't actually do anything, Myka," she excused herself. "I was just seeing whether I could do it,"
"You're impossible," Myka sighed, rolling her eyes and suppressing the proud smirk for a bit.
"This is true," Claudia agreed, "now tell me her name." The facebook app was ready but Myka shook her head.
"She only introduced herself as Helena and I've never seen her before so I'm pretty sure she isn't in the Faculty of Arts." She explained. Claudia typed in Helena anyway.
"Helena Chan?" She offered, showing Myka the profile picture. Myka shook her head.
"Helena Pitman?"
"Oh no, I know her. She's in my American Literature class. I don't like her." Claudia laughed at Myka's pursed face.
"Helena Wells?" Claudia offered, showing Myka the picture again. Myka tilted her head and then nodded slowly. The profile picture was slightly blurry and the girl had her arm draped around a guy's neck while cheering, but it was her.
"Yeah, that's her in the middle," she admitted. "I had no idea she was Helena Wells though."
"Ugh you basically interacted with a celebrity," Claudia sighed in envy. "That girl is the most intelligent engineer I have ever even heard of, so if you ever talk with her again, send her in my direction."
"Why on earth was she trying to move up Physics classes though?" Myka asked, confused. "Isn't she a fourth year?" Claudia laughed.
"You clearly have not been paying attention to the engineering faculty gossip, Myka!" Claudia grinned.
"Catch me up?" Myka suggested. "All I know about her is that she won that contest at the end of last semester." Claudia was all too happy to comply.
"That is a bit of an understatement, Myka. She was the first First Year ever to have won that contest. She entered under her brother's name but the professor recognised her design and she was awarded the prize. She could have been expelled but she wasn't she was just that brilliant." Myka gave her friend a side long look.
"You need to stop swooning, Clauds," she muttered. Claudia just grinned.
"Over Helena Wells? Not gonna happen, Myka. What class did she move to? Perhaps I should try and join her."
"You wouldn't!" Claudia laughed.
"I'm kidding, I promise! I have a soft spot for Professor Fredricks so I won't be leaving that class any time soon." They shuffled forward and the couple in front of them got served. Myka grinned at Claudia.
"Such a wonderful rule abiding Genius," she teased, ruffling Claudia's hair lightly.
"Hey!" Claudia ducked, trying to protect her hair. "I just redyed it!" She gestured at the blue strip now hanging in front of her eyes. Myka tilted her head thoughtfully.
"I preferred green," she admitted. Claudia made a face at her.
"Next!" Myka smiled at the lady as she and Claudia stepped over.
"Finally," Claudia muttered under her breath as Myka began listing all the foods she would need.