[A/N: There's always a debate about how old these guys are. I think they're technically supposed to be in middle-school, but I cheated and made them juniors, because that's my author's prerogative -- and because, being a junior, I can write it more realistically. It's set before the story arc... basically, it has the same "plot" as the main series, but isn't set during any specific part of the timeline. Let's just say they've been fighting the Yeerks a few years now and not everything has gone exactly as KAA wrote it. She was misinformed or something, whatever. As far as my disclaimer, yes, I do own Animorphs, and I want a quarter anytime anybody reads one of the books. This means you. Thanks, and I expect my quarters soon.]


Am I really going to live like this? I shifted the backpack slung over my shoulder and dropped it to the ground with an echoing thud. One student out of the many packed into the cafeteria turned to look at me with a half-smile. Was she as new to this place as I was?

Impossible. It was one thing to go from a Homo sapiens school to another, or from sophomore year to junior; another thing to go from a Dalenian planet to this one. I sank into my seat with an uneasy twist of my shoulders. This felt wrong, completely, but I... needed...

What did I need? To forget? No, to keep busy. Roaming around in the Karaken forest wasn't going to cut it. Too much time to think.

Karaken? No, Earth. Get used to it now. Calling the planet my race titled Karaken "Earth" was another thing that felt wrong; I was used to calling my own planet Earth. And now I'd have to change.

I wasn't even the captain, I wasn't a warrior. I was just one little girl of Dalena. Why was I the one that escaped -- why not the captain, the emperor, someone who'd have a shot at marshalling enough firepower to save the others? I sank lower in my seat. The advantage to being just one more little girl was that I wouldn't be expected to go back. I could hide like a coward and I'd never have to face it again...

What was I supposed to do now? Eat something? Here? I didn't know what was in that stuff, but even normal humans seemed to be rejecting it. I let my head sink onto my folded arms and closed my eyes.

"Hey." A girl I vaguely recognized from the first class stared down at me with a cordial smile. "Who're you?"

I hesitated before pulling my fictional name out of my memory. "Kylie."

"Melissa." She stuck her hand out. Relieved that I knew the accepted response, I shook it firmly. "You're new this year."

"Absolutely." I tried to forget just how new. "You're a veteran?"

"Yeah. Daddy's the principal here." Her eyes flashed proudly, not arrogantly, just with a sort of pride in her father. That look was universal.

"Principal Chapman?"

"Yes." She jerked her head toward the place where the food was being served. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Not really."

She slid a round object at me. "Have an apple."

Apple. I lifted it and peered at the reddish exterior. Just bite a chunk out of it? What if it was as rock-solid as it looked? Casually, I dug one of my nails into it. Ah. Not so hard. I bit deep, more hungry than I'd realized.

Melissa, meanwhile, was pulling more human food out of a brown paper bag. I watched her, making note of what to do with each item; for some there were plastic forks, whereas others were simply to be eaten as the apple was.

"Junior year," she commented around a bite of meat. "I wonder how much harder it'll be. Where were you last year?"

"What school? Well, I come halfway from across the country, nearly."

"Really? What state?" She leaned forward, eyes glimmering.

"...North Dakota." I decided to improvise.

"What's it like?"

She had me there; I had no clue. "Cold." I laughed. "Not much to describe, really." Is North Dakota really cold?

Satisfied, she rocked back in her chair.

"So. Why're you making friends with the new kid?" If Karaken -- if Earth was anything like Dalena, new transfers were to be exiles in social circles until they'd proven themselves. Evidently humans had it a little easier... at least, I assumed.

Melissa shrugged. "We're in a class together. And you seemed interesting, pretty smart in Bio II, anyway."

"Heh heh..." I knew nothing about biology but the basics I'd gotten between naps in Dalena. I'd never been an overachieving student. Apparently, however, knowing the basics was enough. Maybe human classes were easier.

Hey, what did you expect -- that you'd get a full test on Bio I within the first week? I reprimanded myself. It's probably just because it's the first day. The classes will be plenty challenging.

Inventing a false transcript of my freshman and sophomore years had been quite a challenge, but I'd checked out the school files for an example, and reproduced it to the best of my ability. Add in a little luck... okay, a lot of luck. I'd still been able to influence people's thoughts, but now the ability had been permanently removed. I didn't want anything left to remind me of Dalena.

She peered at me. "You seem out of it," she said frankly.

"Oh, sorry." I snapped back to attention. "Any other classmates you could introduce me to?" I suggested, only half-joking. "I need all the help I can get adjusting to this place." Well, that much was true.

Melissa shrugged. "A few people. Are you into gymnastics?"

"Gymnastics?"

She screwed her face up in a grin. "Don't look so clueless... don't they have that in North Dakota?"

"Of course," I said quickly, "but I've just... never taken it. What's it like?"

"Are you flexible?"

"Reasonably." At least, I hoped my human body was flexible.

"I have a few friends on the team." Her eyes darkened.

The bell rang; she stood up; I followed suit. Two hour and a half classes left, since this was what they called "block schedule" - and that was what? Algebra II? That was it; according to my forged transcript I'd already taken Algebra I and Geometry. That much I could fake knowing. I'd been a good student in math on my homeworld...

I had to stop thinking of how I'd been there. "There" shouldn't even have existed anymore for me.

"What classes do you have this year, all in all?" Melissa asked me.

"Uh... Bio II, US History, lunch -- obviously" -- I reddened -- "Theatre Arts I, and Algebra II last."

"Cool, Algebra II last for me, too. With Johnson?"

I nodded.

"First and last class together, and same lunch," she remarked, surprised. "I don't think that happens often."

"Look at your good luck. You'll get to see me three times a day."

My dry wit drew a laugh from her. "I rejoice."

"Waitasec." She waved at a passing student. "Rachel!"

A blonde girl stopped, looking at us with startling blue eyes. We raised eyebrows at each other. "Melissa," she answered. "What's up?"

"Will you be at practice today?"

"Of course." Rachel attempted a warm smile, but it came out looking forced.

Melissa's eyes seemed hesitant, and I wasn't sure why. They were evidently friends - why then the almost desperate look? "This is Kylie. She's thinking about trying for the team."

I am? I blinked.

"Hey, Kylie. Nice to meet you."

Her tone was very polite and very cold. There wasn't any malice... just not any interest, either. I smiled, with equal politeness, a little disappointed. "Likewise, Rachel."

"Gotta go," she said. "Next class: Theatre Arts. Mr. Halstead has fits if his students are late."

"Hey, my class too," I pointed out, a little too eagerly. "Can you show me where it is?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Tag along."

I took a deep breath, switched my backpack to my other shoulder, and followed.