This is probably going to be based right after the start of season 2, Episode 22: Doctor's Disorders.
The sun shone brightly over Amity Park. Birds sang and flew in the crisp morning air. All-in-all, it was gearing up to be a fantastic day. Danny, Sam, and Tucker made their daily commute, backpacks full of homework and books.
Speaking of books, Tucker happened to glance at what was clutched in his goth friend's hands.
"'The Modern Goth's Guide to Ghosts, Specters, and Spirits?" he asked skeptically.
"What? I figured that we might as well study up on ghosts so that Danny can handle them better."
"I doubt a book can tell you anything about real ghosts," Danny stated. "There's a lot of false information out there. Besides, who has access to ghosts to write about them?"
"Your parents. Vlad."
"Valerie," Sam added. "The Guys in White."
"You know what I mean."
"Hey, come on. I got it from a reliable source," Sam assured.
"Really? From where?"
"That store on the corner before you reach the mall, with the incense and purple door curtain?"
Both boys just stared at her like she grew a second head, which wouldn't be too far out of the realm of reality with everything they've been through. She sighed and closed the book.
"You know, Praecantrix? Run by the exchange student?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Geez, you two are oblivious! She moved here over a month ago! I go there every night when we aren't out fighting ghosts."
"Listen, Sam," Tucker started. "If it's not the Nasty Burger, or a potential date, then I don't care."
"Right.. Why do I even bother?"
Frowning, the female of the group sped up, leaving the two males behind out of agitation.
Cordelia leaned against the lockers, her book held firmly to her chest. Her red hair hung down over her ocean-blue eyes.
"You dress like you got mauled by a bear," the pink-wearing Latina teased.
The blonde cheerleader sniggered obnoxiously at what her friend said with her hand resting on her collarbone. They both high-fived.
She gave no reaction to their taunt. Instead, Cordelia turned her back to them and fished around in her locker.
SLAM!
The two popular girls closed her locker with force. They looked anything but happy.
"Hey, we're talking to you, freak."
"Whatever," Paulina said, sauntering off on her own.
Star left shortly after to catch up with Kwan.
It wasn't long before screaming broke out, along with buzzing like a swarm of insects. Cora's eyes went wide as she saw mosquitoes chasing students like stink on a skunk. They were small, as regular mosquitoes should be, but green and fuzzy. She ducked down, raising her large, grey book over her head protectively whilst squatting down to remain a smaller target. However…
The longer she stayed down, the more she waited. It seemed like none of the weird bugs had noticed the teen. She was relieved, if only mildly curious. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Cordelia stood up and made a run for the doors.
Quarantined.
All of Cora's fellow classmates were taken to the empty hospital on the hill. Well, they hadn't been her peers until recently. Still, she felt a little a bit bad about not being able to do anything about the situation. She didn't even know what had spared her the same fate in the first place.
Reaching toward the pendent around her neck, the redhead grasped the black tourmaline crystal. It helped to ward off harmful spirits and forces, and made her feel safe after finding out about Amity Park's affinity of being plagued by ghosts. Her mother insisted it would be a great learning experience for her. Why did she have to leave so soon after the move? Well, she knew why, she just wished she had waited longer than one month. Maybe then she wouldn't be heading to the once-abandoned hospital with a basket full of vials, crystals, and other things.
Cora approached the green and black guards -what kind of hospital needs two guards at the front entrance?-, giving a shy wave once she was right in front of the steps.
"Hello, I was wondering if I could-"
"This area is restricted," the one on the left said, holding up a hand in a 'stop' gesture. "No admittance."
"Oh, I know that. I just wanted to know if I was allowed to drop off some supplies? For all the sick kids from Casper High?"
She held out the basket, a deep red cloth over the top to hide the contents. Not that they were bad, but more so unorthodox as opposed to medicine from medical professionals. Before they could continue talking, however, a kid in a beret rushed over, another kid in his arms looking to be unconscious.
"My friend is sick! He needs to be in the hospital. Him, not me."
"It's alright, guards. Stand down," another person interrupted. It turned out to be a pale man with a sharp chin, red goggles, and a hunched back. "Has this young man been exhibiting any ghost-like symptoms?"
As if answering his question, the kid turned invisible for a moment before reverting back as he was with a pained groan.
"Oh, no. You poor, sick, human child. It's worse than I thought."
As he turned his back to them to leave, Cordelia spoke up.
"W-wait! Could you please give these to those who're ill?!"
But her protests went on deaf ears. The surgeon -or doctor, nurse, whatever he was- snapped, and the guards grabbed her forearms. The contact lasted only a second before the redhead felt her crystal grow warm, and they were repelled away from the teen. The boy who had handed his friend over stared at her in awe, mouth hanging wide open.
"How did you do that?" he asked, seemingly spaced out.
"No clue," she admitted, glancing wearily at the downed 'people'. "But we should get out of here."
No doubt those guards wouldn't be happy after just getting thrown around as though they were rag-dolls.
"..Good point."
The two of them booked it, jumping behind thick bushes without leaving the hospital grounds.
"So, how did you do that to those gho- er, guards! Because they're guards, and definitely not ghosts. Ghosts aren't real!"
He gave her a nervous smile, sweat traveling down his temple. Cora raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
"Riiiiight.. I don't know. That's never happened before. Well, at least, not to people."
"So you have pushed things around with your mind?"
"Sort of, but probably not in the way that you're thinking."
Tucker blinked in confusion. What did that mean? Is there more than one way to use telekinesis or something? Maybe she had been bitten by those ghost bugs, and just didn't realize it yet? Either way, he decided to change the subject to save himself the headache.
"I'm Tucker Foley. And you are?"
"Cordelia Sarafine, but feel free to call me Cora."
"What's in the basket?"
"Oh, this? Just some herbs, healing crystals, and other things that help aid the sick and quickens their recovery. I felt bad about running out of the school and not taking anyone with me. Maybe I could have prevented some others from getting ill due to those mosquitoes."
"It's not your fault," he reassured. "It's not like you let those things loose in the school to begin with."
"Yeah.. but still. I took an oath to help as many people as I can.. Running away was the exact opposite of what I should have done."
They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while, each unsure of how to continue their conversation until a question popped into Danny's friend's head.
"I've never seen you at school before. Why were you there today?"
"I moved to Amity Park last month. I'm probably in the grade above you, which is why you and I don't cross paths. I also take online classes for half of the day, so I come into school right before lunch."
"Oh, yeah.. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know Sam, would you? Wears all black, purple lipstick, has a ponytail on the top of her head?"
Her deep blue eyes lit up with recognition.
"Do you mean Sam Manson? Of course! She visits my shop a lot. It's hard not to learn the faces and names of my repeat customers!"
A small beeping sound started to go off, startling Tucker a bit. Cora looked down at her watch and looked surprised.
"I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Tucker." She stood up, basket in tow. "I'll see you around school!" Waving, the redhead took off, leaving the olive-skinned male by himself to wait for Danny.
Cordelia unlocked the shop's door and flipped the tiny cardboard sign from 'Gone on lunch break, back in 30 minutes' to 'open'.
The inside of the shop was quaint and warm. It was fifty feet deep by twenty feet wide. The light wasn't too bright to avoid being harsh on the eyes, but not dim enough so that they could read labels and prices. She had Sandalwood incense burning by the front counter so that her customers and herself would be soothed. One wall was full of books arranged in alphabetical order by names instead of authors. The side wall to the left of that was shelves with ingredients such as herbs, crystals, purified water, creams, salves, elixirs, incense, incense burners, sage for smudging, and the like. The wall that ran behind the counter had the harder to find objects -i.e. certain animal bones, exotic feathers, volcano rocks, seashells and plants from across the world, or books that only have a select number of copies, if not only one in existence-. A single stool lay behind the counter, which also held an old-style register. The last wall of the store had telescopes, star charts, Celtic music, CDs and tapes of pagan mythology, and even Ouija boards.
Settling into her place on the stool, the redhead breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly to help settle her frazzled mind. She let her worries about the students drift away, and opened her book she had been reading before.
It was later that night that a familiar ravenette entered Praecantrix, book in hand. Cordelia looked up and flashed a relieved smile.
"The hospital let you go so soon?"
"Yeah. Everyone's fine now."
"That's great. If you're still feeling ill, you can take a Jasper if you want, free of charge. It should help the last bit of your sickness go away."
"Oh, no, I'm fine, really. But, thanks."
Shrugging, the redhead stretched out. She glanced at the clock and sighed.
"Only twelve-thirty? I have two and a half hours left," she whined.
Sam shook her head while smiling. "Why don't you close up early?" she offered.
"Because mom would kill me if she found out."
"Fair enough."
"What are you looking for today?"
"I was wondering if you had anything about astronomy?"
The blue-eyed teen gestured to the far wall in the back of the store.
"Right over there, Sam."
"Thanks."
"Not a problem."
"Ya know," the goth girl started. "I'm surprised you don't have more customers. This stuff is really interesting."
"I don't mind not being busy. It means I can nap without being caught."
They both laughed. Sam picked out two telescopes and a map of the constellations, paid for them, and happily left the store. Well, not exactly 'skipping for joy', but the small, barely noticeable smile on her lips was enough to tell Cora that she was satisfied in her findings.
This made the older of the two also smile. She liked it when her shoppers were helped.