The next morning Jack woke up and it was still dark outside. He groaned and pulled the pillow over his head. But his alarm clock screeched the morning news at him endlessly so he slammed his fist down on it and got out of bed. After taking a shower and having a quick breakfast Jack looked in his miniature closet and grabbed a pair of old navy jeans, a black t-shirt and a grey, gap pull over sweater. It wasn't normally what Jack wore. In fact, it was never what Jack wore. He wore them on camping trips with his cousins in the summer. But he figured to make the best of this situation...when in Rome, do as the Romans do. He grabbed his loose, empty backpack and his wallet and ran out of the house, slamming the door behind him without saying goodbye to his parents.

He walked down the driveway, wishing he had worn a coat as the cold September air bit at his cheeks. As he passed he heard a door slam and saw a girl running out of the house. He tried to ignore her, realizing this was the girl his mother had mentioned.

"Hey!" She called waving. Jack ignored her. The girl ran to his side and walked to match his pace. "You're Jack right?" She asked. Jack glanced at her and looked away quickly. He wasn't expecting someone pretty.

"Uh...yeah." He grumbled in a low voice, burrowing himself up in his sweater.

"I'm Kate. It's nice to finally meet you." She told him. Jack nodded. "Not a morning person are you?" She asked sympathetically. Jack shook his head. "Well, that's too bad. I'll shut up then." Jack smiled happily in his sweater, glad she could at least take a hint. They walked side by side until they reached their bus stop. It was in front of a catholic school about two blocks from their houses. Only a few moments after they had arrived a school bus pulled up. Kate paused to let him on.

"Ladies first." Jack said politely. Kate smiled appreciatively and blushed. She climbed on the bus and took her seat next to a Korean girl. Jack sat down in the first available seat, an empty seat. He drew his knees up and gazed quietly out the window. He could feel people staring at him from all directions.

The bus ride wasn't long and Jack wasn't sure if he was entirely grateful for that or not yet. He got off the bus and followed a line of students into the large brick building. He quickly identified the front office and stepped in.

"Can I help you?" A woman asked. Jack nearly fainted. The secretary at his old school always wore a skirt or dress with an expensive blouse that fit her perfectly, she had carefully applied makeup and her hair was always in a tight, neat bun. The large women behind the old, rickety, water stained desk now, wore a large grass green top and navy blue khakis. Her mousy brown hair was falling out of a pony tail on the side of her head and she was eating a sub sandwich that mustard and was dripping out of and onto her paper work.

Jack isn't a snob. He didn't think he was at any cost, at least. He cared about children starving around the world, he volunteered at animal shelters because he wanted to help, and he loved kids. When he was 15 he went to India to build a school with his best friend, Marc, because he just wanted to help. Jack knew his heart was in the right place, well most of the time. He was just a bit spoiled and he had only just realized, that his pampered life he was accustomed to, the one he loved was far behind him and he had just entered a strange new place, where clearly the rules were all different. He took a deep breath.

"My name is Jack Shephard. It is my first day." He told her. She leaned out of her chair slightly.

"Well, welcome to Bernard Chicago High School, honey," She held out her hand to shake his, giving him a big, mustardy smile. "Home of the Bulldogs." Jack shook her hand and smiled. At least she was nice. The women set down her messy early morning snack and reached into her desk. She pulled out a folder full of paper and handed it to him. "In there is your schedule, and map, the best routes have been outlined, courtesy of me, Mrs. Bradshaw, but all the kids call me Ruby. Now, you have to get a form signed by each teacher, and bring it me at the end of the day. You also have about thirty minutes before class starts. Go down the hall to the janitor and he'll set you up with a locker. Since you are starting late in the school year you'll have to share one." She explained and picked her sandwich back up again.

"Thanks Mrs...er...Ruby." He grinned nervously and nodded.

"Have a good first day, Jack." She said as he left.

Jack walked out of the office and tried to disregard the people looking at him. Not everyone noticed him and whispered, realizing there was a new kid, but a few did and watched him with curious eyes. Jack wasn't too nervous about going to a new school. He had enough confidence that he could catch up and keep up and teachers generally liked him. He was only a bit worried about the friend making. Jack was good at making friends, when he fit in. However, now he was clearly in uncharted territory. He knew nothing of the niches, the cliques, the clubs or the sports teams. What was cool? What was uncool? He could not make head nor tail of this place yet. But he tried not to fret. Jack was never one to follow the crowd, at least not back home. The crowd generally followed him, whether he wanted it to or not. And honestly, though he would never let his friends know, he would prefer if the crowd kept its distance. He just wanted to make at least one good friend, not a mindless cow, following the herd.

Jack looked at the door of a small closet and looked around. It read janitor. Jack wasn't sure what to do, knocking on the doors of custodians wasn't something he was well practiced in. Jack was about to knock when the door flung open. Jack jumped backwards and held back a yelp, which he was appreciative for.

"Vat do you vant?" An elderly man with a white beard asked. He was small and had somewhat of a hunch back. Jack came forwards hesitantly.

"I..." Jack stumbled for words, taken aback by the man. "I...I...need a locker." He managed to get out. The custodian glared at him out of his greyish blue eyes.

"Are you new?" He asked suspiciously. Jack nodded hurriedly, watching the man as warily as he was being watched. "Vat is the name?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked politely.

"The name! Vat is the name?" The man snapped.

"The name of what?"

"You! You! The name of you!"

"You..." Jack mumbled under his breath. "Oh! Oh! I'm Jack Shephard. The name is Jack Shephard!" Jack blurted out quickly. The man nodded and shoved out a wrinkly, withered hand.

"I'm , I'm from Sveden. Do you know where that is?" He asked as Jack shook his hand.

"Yes. It's right by Norway."

"I spit on Norway!" Mr. Ackers snarled. Jack raised his eyebrows. "Locker? Locker..." Mr. Ackers mumbled and slammed the door on Jack's face. Jack stood stunned, staring at blue door with the brown sign in a shocked silence. Suddenly the door swung open again, smacking Jack in the face.

"Ouch!" Jack gasped, jumping back and he heard students snickering nearby and Jack willed himself not to blush, failing miserably.

"Vhat are you doing?" Mr. Ackers asked him irritably. "I vas vinking, finally, here is a smart boy! And vhen you go and hit yourself vit a door!"

Jack gasped at him. "You hit me!" Jack accused.

"I did no such ving!" Mr. Ackers snapped back. Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Do you vant a locker or not, you dum boy?" He asked.

"Yes, I want the locker! And I am not dum!"

"Vell, vat is yet to be decided isn't it, Vack?" He grumbled and set off down the hall, Jack following shamefully in his limping wake. Jack wondered why Mr. Ackers limped, favouring right side, yet had no cane but decided he had pushed the poor man's buttons enough for one day. They reached a locker, close to the front doors which Jack was at first grateful for. There was boy already using the locker, and he stood aside while Mr. Ackers explained the Jack was new and they were now locker buddies. Jack studied the boys face and saw he didn't seem to be to upset, but not enthralled either. Soon, Mr. Ackers limped away, without saying a proper goodbye to either of the boys.

"Hi." The boy said bluntly. He was large boy, with brown scraggly hair and took up at least a quarter of the hallway. "So, you are Jack?" He asked. Jack nodded. "Well, I'm Hurley. Sorry about the locker location. It really sucks." He told him.

Jack frowned. "Why?"

"Because Chicago winters suck and every time that door opens, we get a nice cool blast of icy air. Plus this hallway is always busy and the floor turns into a river with the slush." Hurley explained. Jack frowned in annoyance.

"I'm from L.A."

"You aren't very tan."

"My mother was born in Britian."

"That sucks. I bet you really miss it over there, in L.A I mean." Hurley sympathised. Jack nodded. "Well, welcome to the home of the cold, the wet and the...well...the not so ugly cause we have hot girls here too." Jack laughed. "I hope you can put up with it. I have to get to class, see you." He took off down the hall, people wedging around him as he passed. Jack turned to the locker and saw it was locked. He looked around and realized he had never even learned the combination and hoped to run into Hurley later to ask.

Next time, more Kate, and the bus ride home. ;)