She sat on a chair in the attendence office. The skirt was awfully stiff and the ruffles chaffed her skin. She began to fidget. Her step-mother's hand placed itself in her lap and she stopped moving.
'Why did they have to move? So I inherited my grandfather's business. Not only his business but his estates too. I could have managed the estates and the business over in the America's. But noooooo. Mother had to move us all the way to Britain where it was located.' She watched as her mother got up and began to sign papers.
"Now honey you're going to have to start off this school day. Just remember to be nice and maybe you'll make new friends." Her mother told her.
"Yes, mother." She watched her mother leave. She turned around to see the assistant holding out her schedule and her hand on several thin books. "Thank you."
"Your welcome. The students are in the middle of first period right now, but your class is on the second floor. Take the stairs on the right and it's the first door on your left. Have a nice day." The lady smiled and went back to her web browsing.
She looked down at her schedule. She put her books in her small book bag, left the room and went to where the woman directed.
She stood outside the door. She took in a deep breath and entered.
The teacher stopped talking and everyone turned their attention to her. She looked around and went down the aile towards the teacher. She handed the schedule to the woman and waited.
"Just a moment class. Let me get this young lady settled and then we'll continue." The teacher took the schedule to her desk and popped open her computer.
While the teacher checked her in, she looked around. The class was advanced biology 101. Everyone's intent gaze was on her. The class was large with at least ten lab talbes. 'So this is what the labs look like in private schools. Nice.' Her gaze fell on one boy who didn't seem distracted by her abrupt arrival. He was detached from the rest of the giggling boy and girl groups.
One of his eyes was covered with his long bangs and from what she could tell, his eyes were green. He looked up and she stared at him. He looked back down and continued to type on his computer.
Everyone was whispering about her, she could tell. 'Probably making jokes.' She thought.
"Alright, now that we've got you checked in, all we have to do is place you at a table. Let's see. . . You can sit with Trowa as he doesn't have any partners. Trowa can you please raise your hand." She called out.
Everyone stopped whispering and looked at the quiet boy. He looked up sarcastically and raised his hand.
She went over to the stool across from him and sat down.
"Alright class as you can see we have a new student. Please welcome Alex Roughnight. She comes from America. I hope everyone can show her British hospitality." The teacher announced.
Alex looked at the teacher, "What is this woman insinuating?" She looked at her neighbor. He was back to typing on his computer. She listened to the teacher give her lesson. The teacher explained about genes and of how all animals reproduce and protect their young so as their genes get passed down. Alex was dying to ask a question.
"So does anyone have any questions about our lesson?" the teacher asked ten minutes before the bell. Alex raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Roughnight."
"So basically what your trying to saying is that we reproduce only so that our genes get passed down, right?" Alex asked.
"I suppose that's true in a way," the teacher answered.
"Alright what about love? I mean do we reproduce out of love. What you just said is that we mate and protect our genes because we want to insure our genes future, right?" Alex asked getting even more curious. Trowa looked up at her.
"Well no. . . I'm pretty sure that love does have something to do with it. Well class your homework is on the screen please right it down. Also your essays are due in about a week so please make sure you finish them before the deadline. Ms. Roughnight, can I see you for a bit." The teacher finished off.
Alex got up and went over to the teacher, "Do you need something?" The teacher looked up and smiled.
"I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to do the essay. You have a week to finish it and from the sounds of it you can probaly make it. So would you write an essay? I can make it your first grade here if you want." The teacher told her.
" I will do the essay. May I have my schedule back, please. I don't know where my next class is." The teacher handed Alex back her schedule and a piece of paper.
"The paper tells what you'll need for this class and I'll issue you your software once you get a computer. Do you know where your next class is," she shook her head," Why don't you try asking your neighbor if he knows the way?" the teacher said and continued on with her work.
*Trowa's Perspective
Trowa had been sending Heero a message on his computer when the door opened. He briefly looked up and saw a new student. He looked back down to see his screen flashing. A little later he felt someones gaze on him. He looked up to see the girl looking at him. He stared back then saw that his screen was flashing again and looked back down. He heard the room go quiet and the teacher call out his name and ask him to raise his hand. But from what he could tell the girl already knew who he was. She sat down but asked him no questions. He listened to the teacher speak will he wrote back to Quatre and Heero. He looked up when she asked about Love and Genes. He was surprised, not everyone thought the way she did. He listened intently to the teachers responses. He gave a small smile and looked back down at his computer. The others had stopped writing to him. He looked up and watched the girl leave and come back. Trowa put away his laptop and watched her look at him somewhat fearful, some what angry.
*Alex's & Trowa's Perspective
She came back and sat down. She looked at him. He was staring at her. He felt she had something to ask him and he was hoping she wasn't another giggling baffon.
"Do you know where Mr. Smith's history class is?" Alex asked the patiently waiting Trowa.
"I pass by there. Would you like me show you the way?" Trowa asked.
"Would you, please. I mean if it's not to much trouble." She said.
"No trouble at all." He said just as the bell rang.
He left the room and she followed. Students moved out of their way. She looked around curiously at the peculiar behavior but didn't comment or ask.
"Hey, Trowa! What's up!?" A boy with a long brown braid came up from the side.
"Hello Duo," was all he said. He stopped at his locker to pick up some books. Duo finallly spotted her.
"Why... Hello. And who might this be? Have you been keeping secrets from us, Trowa?" Duo spoke out at spotting her. She glared at him.
"Duo meet Alex. Alex- Duo" She shook his hand and mumbled, "Pleasure to meet you."
"Duo, you're heading to Mr. Smith's class, aren't you?" "Yep" "Can you take her there," was all he said before taking off. She looked after him and then back at Duo. He had a strange expression on his face as he looked after Trowa.
"Well, I guess I have no choice. Come on, Mr. Smith's is this way." Duo said. He lifted a hand to show her to follow him. He took her through winding hallways and almost got lost himself.
"Is it this way oor this way? Hmmmm..." he scratched his head as he looked down both hallways. There was a minute to go before the bell. She looked at her schedule, looked up to see a plaque with numbers on it.
"Its this way." She said pointing to the left and already going down the hall.
"Hey wait up. Sheeze you'd think you were in a hurry to get to class." She gave him a glance that made him shut up. "Hey. Here we are. I knew it was down one of these halls.
They walked in right before the bell rang. Duo left her standing akwardly at the door and sat down at a table with an oriental boy and a blonde boy. She looked around and walked over to the teachers desk. The teacher was late. The students talked most of the time he was not there. She was beginning to lean on the desk when he walked in. He looked to be in his prime.
"Alright, class, enough fooling around. Your lesson is on the screen. Read the chapter and do the review. We'll discuss once I'm done getting ready and taking roll." He walked over to his desk and finally noticed her. "Hello. Are. . . Of course. May I see your schedule please?" She handed him the piece of paper and he typed something into the already opened computer. "Alright, let's see. I'll issue you your things once you get that infernal laptop. You'll be sitting with. . . Duo, Quatre, and Wufei. Here's the list of supplies for this class as well as expectations and consequences." He handed her her schedule and a piece of paper with instructions on both sides. He pointed to where she would be sitting and went about his business.
She looked at the table and went over all the while feeling glances from each and everyone of the students there. She stopped at the table and they looked up. She choose the seat next to the blonde boy.
"Hello," the blonde boy said politely. The oriental looked like he was ready to scoff and Duo just smiled. "I'm Quatre and this is Wufei. You already know Duo." He smiled and Wufei nodded severely.
She nodded, "My name is Alex. Nice to meet you, all of you." And idea occurred to her. "Do you know how to access the computer on the desk?" she had been staring at it pondering.
Quatre lifted the deskcomputer and turned it on. The table of contents came up and he choose history. He showed her which chapter and left it for her to read. She nodded and they all went back to what they were suppose to be doing.
*Quatre's, Duo's, & Wufei's Perspective
Quatre looked up at the clock. "Duo's late."
Wufei looked up, "The fool probably got himselft lost again. I swear the weakling's been here for a long time and he still doesn't know his way around." He reclined in his seat and looked at the door as it burst open a minute before the door.
Quatre looked that way and saw Duo step in. He watched Duo leave the door and noticed a girl following behind him. She stopped at the door but he continued to come towards the table.
She was about his height, but just a bit shorter, although not to the point of having to crane your neck to a painful angle. Quatre couldn't help but notice that her hair was a different color entirely from the ones you find here. It had black roots that turned the color of gold and tips of silver that reached the back of her knees, and all of it natural. Her eyes stood out the most. They were the color of fire. You didn't normally get red eyes in Britain. He looked back to see Duo already at the table.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Duo sayed in his casual happy go lucky voice.
"Hey Duo. You know had you come in a minute or two late you'd have had detention for a week. I heard Mrs. Carrington is roaming the halls. It's her week of hall duty." Quatre scolded. Duo shuddered.
"Who's the girl?" Wufei asked. He was looking at her from underneath his lashes.
Duo shrugged"Don't know. Trowa left me with instructions on bringing her here. Doesn't look like she's from around here." They watched her make her way to the teacher's desk despite all the people whispering about her.
"She holds herself highly for a woman. She's going to be trouble to whomever messes with her. She's a fighter that one." Wufei said. They looked at him. Wufei didn't normally give complements to new students
He glared at them, "What?" he asked menacingly.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Duo said and both of them looked away.
It was to their surprise that she came and sat down with them. Quatre introduced them and they conversed for a while. He opened the laptop and they started their assignment.
*Alex's perspective
It didn't take her long to read the chapter. The assignment was also fairly easy. Everyone seemed to have a laptop and she was doing her assignment in pencil.
'That's okay,' she thought. 'I'll have my own soon."
"Alright class. Let's discuss what the chapter was telling us. Does anyone know why we are studing about Julius Caesar?" A pretty boy with black hair raised his hand. "Yes, Michael."
"Because we're reading Julius Caesar in our English class and you and the english teacher are probably planning on giving us project on it." The boy said sarcastically with a slight smirk.
"Part of that is true. Ms. Sheifeild wanted me to teach you about the time period mainly, just to show you how much times have changed. And yeah you probably will have a project now that you mention it. Alright so can anyone give me some real news on why we're studing about him?"
She raised her hand and he nodded, "The American government has recently had a presedent murdered that way. Only the secret service doesn't know who did it. Also the allied third world forces had taken over. They were resolved to keep the president's son off the throne. But this caused the people to revolt and for two years the third world nations fought the president's forces. The presidents son won and now the people are happy and of course some peace has come but they still fear the beasts created by the nuclear gasses." She said, remebering well what happened to her grandfather.
They had found him in his room stabbed at least 28 times and no one saw anyone go in or come out. Her father had been stunned and had to move them. The U.S. hadn't been the same after the nuclear bombing but she had done everything she could do to save her country, only that was not well known. Her father had gone missing the two years it took her to get all of the third world countries back to where they belonged, but they were still after her and her family for making the country rebell against them. Her father had made her promise that she would keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.
"That is correct Alex and do you have a theory on why the president was killed? Or who his killers were, since your from the former America."
She glared at him as everyone turned to her with awe in their faces, "Yes I do sir. They believed us a threat. They bombed us because the former America had to much power. They killed the former president for that same fear. Not only that we were different. They wanted to keep the former America's from becoming a power so they tried taking us out only it didn't work and now the former presidents son is on the throne and his family will keep rule. I'm also not at liberty to say why my grandfather was killed or who did it or why they are still after the president."
"Yeah, you're FREAKS!!" she heard some people say. She smiled. Everyone she had meet there had called her a freak when they learned where she was from. It didn't hurt her. So what if she was talented and they were't. She didn't mind the name freak because no one was normal.
"Alright Micheal its not very nice to call people things they are not. Alright, Alex, is that all you wanted to say? Or is that all that has been found out?"
"No it's all I wanted to say, Mr. Smith. Although most people don't know when they're messing with something their not suppose to mess with." She looked at the pretty boy in the eyes. She knew he was going to make her stay at this school difficult but she was willing to do the same. She looked at everyone else and they looked away. "Hmph," was all she said.
The bell rang. "Alright people I want you to read the next chapter and do all of the reviews. I want them by tomorrow." They groaned but wrote it down.
"Do you know where your next class is? We can show you the way." Quatre said. She noticed his eyes were a color that you'd find on someone from her country.
She was about to answer when she heard a sly voice speak out right next to her, "You better watch out, Alex. Many of these people won't understand what you are, but if you give me a date, I'll protect you." Micheal said.
"Back off, Micheal. She's not someone to mess with." Duo said.
"Shut up, you long haired freak," Micheal yelled at Duo. "You shouldn't hang around with these types of people. All they'll end up doing is putting you in danger and a bad reputation." Micheal went on.
"Just like you, right?" She said. "I don't give free rides and I don't ever want you to come near me again. I decide who or whom not to like or dislike and right now I don't like you. You disgust me." She finished off. She had never liked guys who thought you'd go out with them just 'cause they're cut.
"You'll regret this, Alex. Just wait and see. They'll," he pointed to other students, "see you for what you truly are. A freak." He said and stormed off.
She glared at him and then remembered she had to be careful. She could accidentally put him on fire. She looked at Quatre.
"Do you know where your next class is?" Quatre repeated. She shook her head. "We can take you there. Let me see your schedule." Quatre held out his hand for her schedule and she gladly gave it to him. He looked down. She had Technology class. . . with Heero. Oh boy.
"We go by there. Come on." He said handing back her schedule. They left the class and were infront of the class before they knew. She had been a ghost trailing behind them. The only way they heard her was the rustling from her new clothes. Duo and Quatre had to look back once in a while to see if she was still there. Wufei tuened a corner and was gone.
"Well here we are. I hope you have a good day." Quatre said. Him and Duo waved bye and headed off down the stairs.
She looked at the class dreading to go in to hear how far off the information had traveled. She took a deep breath again and walked in. Everyone stopped talking. She noticed one boy who didn't seem to care what the others were doing. She looked around stood up straight and walked toward the teacher. He looked up only when she had loomed over him for a minute. His face showed surprise.
"Good afternoon. Do you need anything?" he asked still surprised. She looked at him and gave him her schedule.
"I'm a new student and I seem to have your class." She said. She looked at him dubiously and doubted she wanted an air head teacher.
Out of all the classes she had seen, this one actually had tables. History had been in a large room with tables crossing from right to left. You had steps that went down to the teachers desk and the board. The science class had been an acutual room where the teachers board had been in front and the teacher could walk around and check on the class. This class was exactly the same but with tables and not labtables.
She looked back at the teacher. He had been talking to her. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" she asked, making him turn red.
"Yes. I just said that you would have to make due with a silent partner. You won't need much but here," he said handing her another piece of paper, "this will tell you about what is needed and what I expect from you. You have a vid-screen that will tell you your instructions. Sit with Heero."He pointed to the boy she had seen. She looked amused as she told herself, 'Gee. I seem to be getting stuck with the weird ones. Oh wait! I am a weird one!'
She set her books down. He didn't even look up from what he was doing. She sat down across from him and pulled out the teacher's lists of do's and don'ts. She shut out the sounds of whispering and yelling and began to read. By the end she wanted to laugh out loud. He was obviously new here. He didn't want people not from the class to come in and fool around. There was no fooling around in the class, that was obvious. At the end of the list she noticed she had to pay a fee of 200£. She breathed out a sigh.
The bell rang and class started. She listened half heartedly to the teacher. She played around with the broken robot they had been given. She started to put the thing together. By the time he finished, she was done. It was too easy. She hadn't even looked up when he called her. She had been in the void and was too busy to listen to anything else. He gave up and called on someone else.
Heero looked at the girl in front of him. She was the new student that Trowa had spoke of. She was obviously not normal in anysense. Like Quatre he noticed her ever changing eyes. They would go from red to blue to purple to orange to an electric blue and then back. Almost like if it really was fire. He watched her put together the broken robot. They were suppose to do it together as she was new, but from the look of it she knew what she was doing.
She let out a long breath and looked up. The boy was looking at her. She thought that any other student would have withered under that gaze. It looked as if he could do murder with only his eyes and he had probaly seen a lot of it.
The teacher came around to look at everyone's progress. He stopped at their table the longest. Heero and her seemed to be finished before the rest of the class.
"That's very nice the both of you. But the next time I would appreciate it if you would wait for instructions." He told them, all the while looking at her reproachfully. Heero was afraid she would start apologizing. She did nothing of the sort and just returned a blank stare to the teacher. He left and class was about over.
"Names Heero." He said. She looked at him and nodded.
"Alex," was all she said. And then, "Is this class always so boring?" She asked kind of curiously but not really wanting to know.
He looked stunned and then he chuckled. The class quieted down for the minutest second and then began to talk. He smiled and still chuckling said, "It was a lot more interesting last year, but since the start of the school year a month ago, it has been getting a little stale." He smiled for a little while longer and then looked at his watch.
She realized that he didn't smile much and when he did he looked evil. "What time does this class finish?" she asked.
He looked up, "In another ten minutes. Everyone either goes to lunch or advisory," he said. She nodded and went back to thinking.
Her pupils dilated when she smelled smoke. She turned to it and rose. She wasn't there anymore but back home when they had found where they had had safe haven for a long time. She watched as her home burned to the ground and her nana was killed right in front of her. She snapped back when she heard a scream. She ran over to the girl with the smoldering robot and pulled her away. She then took off her school coat and started to smother the flames that had caught the girl.
She hadn't expected to be rescuing someone so quickly. She heard the sound of a fire extinguisher. She helped the girl onto a chair and checked her over. She was only slightly burned and in a small shock. She looked toward the sound of the fire extinguisher and saw Heero standing there with it dangtling from his hand. He turned to her.
"Is she alright?" He asked walking over.
"She's okay. Just in shock. Someone should take her to the infirmary." She said and her partner walked up and took her off. She looked around. Some of the girls were clinging to each other. She heard the bell go off in the distance. She went back for her stuff and took off. She had decided she would be eating first lunch.
When she entered, she noticed that the fire hadn't spread. She looked around and spotted Duo waving his arms at her. She went over.
"Man I thought you'd never notice. My arms were starting to go numb." He rubbed his shoulders as he spoke to her. he looked around. All five seemed to be here only Heero was missing. She looked at the doors as she heard them swing open and in walked Heero. People moved out of his way rapidly. She sat down next to Quatre who didn't seem too worried about what was going on.
Heero sat down and pulled out his lunch. Most of theirs were obento's. She, herself, had one except it was a very large obento. She took her hands out of her lap and they came out with her lunch.
"How did you. . . ?" Duo started to ask when Quatre kicked him. The rest of them stared at her.
"Did what?" she asked not really understanding.She opened it up and realized that her father had cooked this time. Unlike her mother who could not toast bread, her father could cook just about anything. The lunch was sort of embarassing. It had a small heart made egg and a small ocutpus that smiled. She smiled back and dug in. They stared at her and then stared at Duo and knew he would continue to question.
"You just pulled out your lunch and a moment ago I know you didn't have something lumpy in your bag!" Duo said and was kicked twice this time. He glared at Quatre and Wufei.
She stopped eating and put her chopsticks to her lips, "I still have no idea what your talking about. I did have my obento in my bag you just couldn't see it." She looked at him curiously, "Are you seeing things? You know if you are, you might be sick." She said. Heero and the others were beginning to smile. Duo splutter but was immediately shut up by all of them kicking him. He dropped the subject and began to eat.
"Look what we have here," came a voice not far off. "Five little mice and a freak." She heard laughter. 'Damn!' she thought. 'Was he sitting there when I pulled it out?'
She heard laughter also. The cafteria went silent. She looked straight and felt her shoulders sag when an unfamiliar weight was put on them. She felt someone's face press against her cheek.
"It's not too late, you know? If you apologize to me right know, I'll still reconsider that date," he paused, "under one condition. You ditch these mice and jion me at my table." She felt his hands dip lower than necessary.
She moved too fast for Michael. She had his face pressed against the table in seconds. "If you EVER come near me again, you'll regret it. And Don't, I Repeat, DON'T EVER come near anyone I know or you'll really pay." She said. She snapped her fingers and everything of hers disappered and was in her hand. The lights flickered and went out so that no one saw her things disappear. She turned and left the screaming students.
"THAT LITTLE, BIT. ." Michael began to say but was shut up when he saw Heero and the others stand up.
"I wouldn't finish that word if I were you Michael. You know what's good for you so keep your opinions behind those snake fangs and your forked tongue." Heero said. The others inforced it by advancing.
Michael stood his ground, "I'll get back at her for this. And none of you will like what happens to her." He threatened.
"You better not come any where near her, Michael, or you'll have to answer to us." Trowa said. The others nodded their agreement and then they left.
"You are doing a grave mistake by taking her side. You'll see. She'll pay and so will you. FREAKS. The lot of you. I'll show you her true self and then you'll know that everyone from there is the same. FREAK." He yelled after them.
"Boss, are you mad just 'cause she refused you?" one of his lackies asked. He glared at them and sat down.
She sat next to the fountain in the foyer. Her obento was half done. She let out a deep sigh. The footsteps brought her out of her reverie. She looked up and saw the five guys come toward her and sit down.
Wufei spoke first, "You know you shouldn't let him get to you." He said. They looked at the fountain will he spoke.
"I have never meet. . . Nevermind I have, but I have never been hated so quickly. The others had a reason to hate me, but this guy only hates me because I refused to go out with him." She said thinking back to the two years she fought for her country looking for her father.
They sat silenty. She ate the rest of her food. They took out their obentos and ate. She looked into the fountain again. The bell rang.
"Come on time to go to study hall. Let's head over to the library."Quatre said. They left the foyer and went in. They showed her the way to the library. She opened her mouth. All of the tall buildings in the America had all been demolished and many others were decrepit and almost all of the books were burned out stained. But whatever she was able to find she read. She went to the first row of books and picked one up. She read the back and then began on it.
All of study period went by like that. She'd pick up a book read it in less than thirty minutes and pick up another one. She was done with the first row of books by the time the bell rang for C lunch. The librarian came over to the table they occupied.
"Hello. Yours is a new face that I've never seen before," she said as she looked at Alex.
Alex looked up surprised. She had thought it was only them five. There were others but not very many. Quatre tutored Duo, Trowa read silently, Wufei was asleep, and Heero typed on his laptop.
"I'm new here," she looked down at the books. "Is there anyway I can...check books out."
The librarian smiled at her, "Of course. Come this way please," she motioned her to follow her. The guys looked up and then went about their own business. The librarian took her to a counter where a computer and a sign that read, 'Return books Here.' She went around to the computer. "Okay, I'll need your schedule and your e-mail address."
Alex let her black, gold and silver bangs hide the blush that crept up her tanned skin. "I'm new here in every sense, ma'am. I don't have a laptop yet and as soon as I get one I'll make myself an address and give it to you, but for now my phone number and address will have to do."
The librarian saw the blush creep up her neck. "Alright then, all I'll need is your schedule. Thank you very much," she said as Alex handed her the schedule. She began to type things into the computer. "Alright. You can check upto five books, four magazines, three movies, and two vids and as you progress, the number you'll be able to check out will increase. You are ready to check out all you have to do is choose the five you will read."
Alex smiled. She was finally going to be able to read all those books she had seen at all of those buildings. She took back her schedule and sat back down with the rest of them.
They had all noticed the rate she read those books. She read them almost as fast as Duo eats his lunch. She read ten thick books in under thirty minutes. They stopped to gap at her when she had gotten up to get the eleventh book.
When she sat back down, she was smiling. She picked up the book and continued reading. Ten minutes later she was cruising up and down the aisles to see if she could find any histroy books on the Americas. She found several books. She choose them and went to the librarian.
"Would you like to check out some vids or movies?" the librarian looked pleadingly at her.
Alex smiled, "Do you have any on the former Allied America?" she asked. The librarian smiled and went into a room. Alex followed her.
"Here they are. Do you want all of them?" She asked.
"How many are there?" Alex asked her.
"There are quite a few. You can always come back for the rest of them." The librarian told her. Alex nodded and took the movies that the lady offered.
The librarian checked them all out to her. Alex turned around and the group saw her come toward them with the stack. When she reached the table however, she held nothing in her hands.
"So what do you have next period?" Duo asked.
She looked down at her schedule, "Calculus." They nodded.
"Who's the teacher?" he asked again.
"Ms. Thompson." She answered.
"Isn't Jowy in that class?" Duo asked. The others shrugged. She looked inquisitive but didn't ask. She pulled out all of her papers and looked at them. The science fee wasn't as large as the technology fee, and all she mainly needed was a laptop.
The bell rang. "Whose class is near hers?" Wufei asked.
"I'll take her," Quatre said. They looked at him. "My class is near hers." He answered with a small blush. They nodded and left the library.
Quatre walked by her side. She looked around. People stared at them and looked away.
"Why is it that everyone steps out of your way?" She asked Quatre.
He smiled, "They think we have a bad reputation. They're also afraid of Heero, Trowa, and Wufei." He said smiling.
They passed up some whispering girls. "No way. She's hanging out with the G-boys." They said as they watched her pass by. She tilted her head inquiringly, but shook her head.
"Alright, here it is. This is Ms. Thompson's Calculus class. I'm right next door if you need anything." He turned to leave then turned back. "I'll. . . wait for you. . so I can show you to your next classroom." He said shyly and then walked off to the classroom next door.
She entered the classroom. It was looked just like her history one. The teacher was at her desk. She went over and cleared her throat. Ms. Thompson looked up.
"Hello. You must be the new student I've heard so much about." She said standing up and sticking out her hand. Alex took it. Out of all those teacher's, this is the only one that actually showed any manners. She took the offered hand and shook it. The teacher smiled and took the offered schedule.
"Alright then. You can choose to sit anywhere you want to. I have no particular sitting arrangment but all I want is that you not talk while I'm talking and you do what you are told. Here are the rules and regulations and all you need is on this piece of paper." She said handing her her schedule and a rules sheet. She smiled and Alex left to find a seat.
Alex looked around. Every single seat looked as if it were taken. She sighed. Like always, she had to sit with the quiet ones. She went over to a silver haired boy. He reminded her of Kamui, but Kamui was back in her country. She pulled out the seat andd sat down.
He looked at her and smiled, "Hi. You must be Alex. I'm Jowy." She looked at him surprised. His smile widened, "Rumors spread like wild fire. Rumor says you're hanging out with the G-boys and that you've got something "mysterious" going on." He said. He looked some what interested in what she would have to say.
She looked at him, but said nothing. She was not about to tell him she was a magician and a rune holder to boot. He looked away when she didn't answer. She studied him. He was fine boned but not to the point where he could not lift heavy weights. His hair ended right above his waist. His hands were covered in fingerless gloves. He would be as tall as Heero. The bell rang and she looked away.
The class turned out not as bad as she had suspected. It was quite entertaining to watch the students make fools of themselves when she caught them doing something they weren't suppose to.
The bell rang once again and she stepped outside. Quatre stood there smiling. "So how was your class?" he asked and saw Jowy emerge. Jowy flashed him a small smile and left. She looked down only two more classes to go and she would be out of this hell hole. She had Grammar class next and after that was P.E. Quatre left her in the corridor to her class and he went the other way. She found the class and entered. The class looked at the door and went back to talking. She asked the closest student for the teacher and they pointed her to the back room.
She went over and knocked on the door. The teacher pocked her disheveled head out, "Yes. How can I help you?" She said blowing at her bangs to get them out of her way only to be unsuccessful.
"I'm new to your class. I'm Alex Roughnight. I believe the papers should have come in by now." She said. The teacher nodded and came out. She was plain disheveled.
"Alright let me check," She said going over to her computer. "mhmmmm." She said, "You can sit anywhere you want." She said and went back to her room.
Alex looked around there was no one she knew. There was one desk empty beside a girl who did nothing but draw. She sat next to her. Class began when the bell rang and the teacher came out of the backroom. They were reading Julius Caesar and the girl next to her blushed when she was called on to read some of the lines. Some of the other girls laughed but stopped when Alex looked at them. The girl blushed a deep red and continued to read. Alex received the part of Juluis's wife..
When the class was over, the teacher came over to Alex. "Here you are," she said handing Alex a book. "This is your copy of Julius Caesar. Your homework is on the board. Have a good day." The teacher lef t. She wrote down her assignment and when the bell rang left.
She saw the quiet girl slightly in front of her. Alex sped up, "Um... Excuse me. Do you know where the Gym is?" the girl looked down shyly.
"I'm going there myself. You can follow me." She said and quickened her pace. Alex followed her.
The gym was slightly out of the way. It stood at the back of the campus. They entered and a coach immediately came over to her.
"Hi. I'm Coach Summers. I'm here to give you your locker number and and to tell you that all of your clothes are waiting in the locker." The female coach said and left. She opened her hand and there on the piece of paper th coach had handed her. It had her locker number and her combination. She went down stairs to the locker room. She went to her locker and changed.
She came out to see the quiet girl walking over to a place on the floor. She looked around. There in their own little group was Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. Duo waved at her and she waved back but she had to go over to the girls side. She sat down next to the girl. They didn't speak to each other but did as they were told.
After the exercises had been completed they were allowed to do as they wished. She sat down and watched the five boys play basket ball. She saw Quatre start lagging behind. The called a time out.
Quatre went over and took the towel that she offered and mopped up his sweat.
"Do you need someone to take your place?" she asked. He looked at her surprised. They were all healthy but he just wasn't the basketball playing type.
"Sure. I'll go ask what they think." He said going over to the others. They listened and Heero nodded his head. She went over and took Quatre's place. "Thanks." She heard him whisper.
She smiled and they began to play. The guys had been booing because they changed a member for a girl. They were wincing when the G-Group won five rounds in a row.
A whistle sounded from somewhere and the others went to the locker room. She went down and heard cheering and whistling. All of the girls were packed into the showers. She went over and saw why. The quiet girl was being tormented in the shower.
She started pushing girls out of the way. When she came to the front, she immediately punched the leader. The girl staggered backward and the sounds died instantly.
"Alright everyone get away from here," she looked around. The girls looked at each other and the girl that was lying on the floor half dazed with a bleeding lip. "NOW!" She said so quietly, the girls rushed away. The ring leader got up.
"You bi***! You'll pay for this!" she screamed at her and came at her.
Alex moved out of the way and grabed the girl's arm and brought it behind her back painfully. "I don't want to see you anywhere near this girl again or believe me you won't like what happens to the rest of your pretty face." Alex said. She released the girl and pushed her. The girl gave her a venomous look and took off.
Alex turned to the girl on the floor. The girl curled into a ball. Alex went over. "There gone now. You can get up." Alex said. She went over and helped the girl up. She grabbed the towel that was placed nearby and wrapped it around her. "Are you okay did? They do anything to you?" the girl shook her head and leaned heavily on Alex. "What's your name?"
"Kira... Kira Aso." She said quietly. Alex looked around. She found the girls discarded and tattered gym shorts. She sighed and lead Kira into the dressing room, which was quite empty. She left Kira near her locker and went to hers to get changed. Kira left the locker room. When Alex emerged, Kira was waiting outside for her.
"Thank you for what you did out there. I don't know what would have happened had you not come in or how I was going to stop it. Thank you so very much." She said, and bowed.
"Do they do that all the time?" Alex asked.
"Not all the time. They'll sometimes stuff things into my locker. Or put jelly into my hair. But this time it got out of hand. They normally do it to see me cry." She said smiling weakly.
"They won't do it again." They walked up into the stands and sat down. The five guys came over.
They didn't look too happy. "We heard what happened," Heero said. Kira looked surprised. "They're always doing that to you," he continued, "We've seen you come out of the girl's lockerroom crying. It's about time someone put them in their place." He finished fiercely.
The bell rang and they left. She followed them to the front of the school. She waved them good bye and waited. She watched as limos came and went. After five minutes a Rolce Royce came around. She stepped up to the curb.
The car stopped, the door opened, and she stepped into the car. She let out a deep sigh.
"How was your first day?" She looked up in surprise. A large smile filled her face.
"Dad! I thought you weren't going to be able to come and pick me up." She said excited.
"I canceled some of my meetings so I could see my little girl. So how was your day?" he asked again.
"It was horrible. First, I think I've made friends. Second, I have an enemy who won't leave me alone and thinks I'm a freak. Then, I get involved in this incident where a girl was being jumped in the locker and now I not only have one enemy but two a guy and a girl. So my day wasn't just horrible, I don't want to go back," She said but noticed the look on his face, "but I know that I have to go back." She said with finality in her voice.
Her dad smiled. He looked like he was going to say something but thought again and looked out the window. She was still amazed that so many people could live in one place. Her home wasn't like that. People had to live together or they might just become wendigo bait. Here there were no monsters to take your people or eat your livestock. She smiled.
They got home. She went upstairs and did her homework. She then fell asleep.
'Why did they have to move? So I inherited my grandfather's business. Not only his business but his estates too. I could have managed the estates and the business over in the America's. But noooooo. Mother had to move us all the way to Britain where it was located.' She watched as her mother got up and began to sign papers.
"Now honey you're going to have to start off this school day. Just remember to be nice and maybe you'll make new friends." Her mother told her.
"Yes, mother." She watched her mother leave. She turned around to see the assistant holding out her schedule and her hand on several thin books. "Thank you."
"Your welcome. The students are in the middle of first period right now, but your class is on the second floor. Take the stairs on the right and it's the first door on your left. Have a nice day." The lady smiled and went back to her web browsing.
She looked down at her schedule. She put her books in her small book bag, left the room and went to where the woman directed.
She stood outside the door. She took in a deep breath and entered.
The teacher stopped talking and everyone turned their attention to her. She looked around and went down the aile towards the teacher. She handed the schedule to the woman and waited.
"Just a moment class. Let me get this young lady settled and then we'll continue." The teacher took the schedule to her desk and popped open her computer.
While the teacher checked her in, she looked around. The class was advanced biology 101. Everyone's intent gaze was on her. The class was large with at least ten lab talbes. 'So this is what the labs look like in private schools. Nice.' Her gaze fell on one boy who didn't seem distracted by her abrupt arrival. He was detached from the rest of the giggling boy and girl groups.
One of his eyes was covered with his long bangs and from what she could tell, his eyes were green. He looked up and she stared at him. He looked back down and continued to type on his computer.
Everyone was whispering about her, she could tell. 'Probably making jokes.' She thought.
"Alright, now that we've got you checked in, all we have to do is place you at a table. Let's see. . . You can sit with Trowa as he doesn't have any partners. Trowa can you please raise your hand." She called out.
Everyone stopped whispering and looked at the quiet boy. He looked up sarcastically and raised his hand.
She went over to the stool across from him and sat down.
"Alright class as you can see we have a new student. Please welcome Alex Roughnight. She comes from America. I hope everyone can show her British hospitality." The teacher announced.
Alex looked at the teacher, "What is this woman insinuating?" She looked at her neighbor. He was back to typing on his computer. She listened to the teacher give her lesson. The teacher explained about genes and of how all animals reproduce and protect their young so as their genes get passed down. Alex was dying to ask a question.
"So does anyone have any questions about our lesson?" the teacher asked ten minutes before the bell. Alex raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Roughnight."
"So basically what your trying to saying is that we reproduce only so that our genes get passed down, right?" Alex asked.
"I suppose that's true in a way," the teacher answered.
"Alright what about love? I mean do we reproduce out of love. What you just said is that we mate and protect our genes because we want to insure our genes future, right?" Alex asked getting even more curious. Trowa looked up at her.
"Well no. . . I'm pretty sure that love does have something to do with it. Well class your homework is on the screen please right it down. Also your essays are due in about a week so please make sure you finish them before the deadline. Ms. Roughnight, can I see you for a bit." The teacher finished off.
Alex got up and went over to the teacher, "Do you need something?" The teacher looked up and smiled.
"I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to do the essay. You have a week to finish it and from the sounds of it you can probaly make it. So would you write an essay? I can make it your first grade here if you want." The teacher told her.
" I will do the essay. May I have my schedule back, please. I don't know where my next class is." The teacher handed Alex back her schedule and a piece of paper.
"The paper tells what you'll need for this class and I'll issue you your software once you get a computer. Do you know where your next class is," she shook her head," Why don't you try asking your neighbor if he knows the way?" the teacher said and continued on with her work.
*Trowa's Perspective
Trowa had been sending Heero a message on his computer when the door opened. He briefly looked up and saw a new student. He looked back down to see his screen flashing. A little later he felt someones gaze on him. He looked up to see the girl looking at him. He stared back then saw that his screen was flashing again and looked back down. He heard the room go quiet and the teacher call out his name and ask him to raise his hand. But from what he could tell the girl already knew who he was. She sat down but asked him no questions. He listened to the teacher speak will he wrote back to Quatre and Heero. He looked up when she asked about Love and Genes. He was surprised, not everyone thought the way she did. He listened intently to the teachers responses. He gave a small smile and looked back down at his computer. The others had stopped writing to him. He looked up and watched the girl leave and come back. Trowa put away his laptop and watched her look at him somewhat fearful, some what angry.
*Alex's & Trowa's Perspective
She came back and sat down. She looked at him. He was staring at her. He felt she had something to ask him and he was hoping she wasn't another giggling baffon.
"Do you know where Mr. Smith's history class is?" Alex asked the patiently waiting Trowa.
"I pass by there. Would you like me show you the way?" Trowa asked.
"Would you, please. I mean if it's not to much trouble." She said.
"No trouble at all." He said just as the bell rang.
He left the room and she followed. Students moved out of their way. She looked around curiously at the peculiar behavior but didn't comment or ask.
"Hey, Trowa! What's up!?" A boy with a long brown braid came up from the side.
"Hello Duo," was all he said. He stopped at his locker to pick up some books. Duo finallly spotted her.
"Why... Hello. And who might this be? Have you been keeping secrets from us, Trowa?" Duo spoke out at spotting her. She glared at him.
"Duo meet Alex. Alex- Duo" She shook his hand and mumbled, "Pleasure to meet you."
"Duo, you're heading to Mr. Smith's class, aren't you?" "Yep" "Can you take her there," was all he said before taking off. She looked after him and then back at Duo. He had a strange expression on his face as he looked after Trowa.
"Well, I guess I have no choice. Come on, Mr. Smith's is this way." Duo said. He lifted a hand to show her to follow him. He took her through winding hallways and almost got lost himself.
"Is it this way oor this way? Hmmmm..." he scratched his head as he looked down both hallways. There was a minute to go before the bell. She looked at her schedule, looked up to see a plaque with numbers on it.
"Its this way." She said pointing to the left and already going down the hall.
"Hey wait up. Sheeze you'd think you were in a hurry to get to class." She gave him a glance that made him shut up. "Hey. Here we are. I knew it was down one of these halls.
They walked in right before the bell rang. Duo left her standing akwardly at the door and sat down at a table with an oriental boy and a blonde boy. She looked around and walked over to the teachers desk. The teacher was late. The students talked most of the time he was not there. She was beginning to lean on the desk when he walked in. He looked to be in his prime.
"Alright, class, enough fooling around. Your lesson is on the screen. Read the chapter and do the review. We'll discuss once I'm done getting ready and taking roll." He walked over to his desk and finally noticed her. "Hello. Are. . . Of course. May I see your schedule please?" She handed him the piece of paper and he typed something into the already opened computer. "Alright, let's see. I'll issue you your things once you get that infernal laptop. You'll be sitting with. . . Duo, Quatre, and Wufei. Here's the list of supplies for this class as well as expectations and consequences." He handed her her schedule and a piece of paper with instructions on both sides. He pointed to where she would be sitting and went about his business.
She looked at the table and went over all the while feeling glances from each and everyone of the students there. She stopped at the table and they looked up. She choose the seat next to the blonde boy.
"Hello," the blonde boy said politely. The oriental looked like he was ready to scoff and Duo just smiled. "I'm Quatre and this is Wufei. You already know Duo." He smiled and Wufei nodded severely.
She nodded, "My name is Alex. Nice to meet you, all of you." And idea occurred to her. "Do you know how to access the computer on the desk?" she had been staring at it pondering.
Quatre lifted the deskcomputer and turned it on. The table of contents came up and he choose history. He showed her which chapter and left it for her to read. She nodded and they all went back to what they were suppose to be doing.
*Quatre's, Duo's, & Wufei's Perspective
Quatre looked up at the clock. "Duo's late."
Wufei looked up, "The fool probably got himselft lost again. I swear the weakling's been here for a long time and he still doesn't know his way around." He reclined in his seat and looked at the door as it burst open a minute before the door.
Quatre looked that way and saw Duo step in. He watched Duo leave the door and noticed a girl following behind him. She stopped at the door but he continued to come towards the table.
She was about his height, but just a bit shorter, although not to the point of having to crane your neck to a painful angle. Quatre couldn't help but notice that her hair was a different color entirely from the ones you find here. It had black roots that turned the color of gold and tips of silver that reached the back of her knees, and all of it natural. Her eyes stood out the most. They were the color of fire. You didn't normally get red eyes in Britain. He looked back to see Duo already at the table.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Duo sayed in his casual happy go lucky voice.
"Hey Duo. You know had you come in a minute or two late you'd have had detention for a week. I heard Mrs. Carrington is roaming the halls. It's her week of hall duty." Quatre scolded. Duo shuddered.
"Who's the girl?" Wufei asked. He was looking at her from underneath his lashes.
Duo shrugged"Don't know. Trowa left me with instructions on bringing her here. Doesn't look like she's from around here." They watched her make her way to the teacher's desk despite all the people whispering about her.
"She holds herself highly for a woman. She's going to be trouble to whomever messes with her. She's a fighter that one." Wufei said. They looked at him. Wufei didn't normally give complements to new students
He glared at them, "What?" he asked menacingly.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Duo said and both of them looked away.
It was to their surprise that she came and sat down with them. Quatre introduced them and they conversed for a while. He opened the laptop and they started their assignment.
*Alex's perspective
It didn't take her long to read the chapter. The assignment was also fairly easy. Everyone seemed to have a laptop and she was doing her assignment in pencil.
'That's okay,' she thought. 'I'll have my own soon."
"Alright class. Let's discuss what the chapter was telling us. Does anyone know why we are studing about Julius Caesar?" A pretty boy with black hair raised his hand. "Yes, Michael."
"Because we're reading Julius Caesar in our English class and you and the english teacher are probably planning on giving us project on it." The boy said sarcastically with a slight smirk.
"Part of that is true. Ms. Sheifeild wanted me to teach you about the time period mainly, just to show you how much times have changed. And yeah you probably will have a project now that you mention it. Alright so can anyone give me some real news on why we're studing about him?"
She raised her hand and he nodded, "The American government has recently had a presedent murdered that way. Only the secret service doesn't know who did it. Also the allied third world forces had taken over. They were resolved to keep the president's son off the throne. But this caused the people to revolt and for two years the third world nations fought the president's forces. The presidents son won and now the people are happy and of course some peace has come but they still fear the beasts created by the nuclear gasses." She said, remebering well what happened to her grandfather.
They had found him in his room stabbed at least 28 times and no one saw anyone go in or come out. Her father had been stunned and had to move them. The U.S. hadn't been the same after the nuclear bombing but she had done everything she could do to save her country, only that was not well known. Her father had gone missing the two years it took her to get all of the third world countries back to where they belonged, but they were still after her and her family for making the country rebell against them. Her father had made her promise that she would keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.
"That is correct Alex and do you have a theory on why the president was killed? Or who his killers were, since your from the former America."
She glared at him as everyone turned to her with awe in their faces, "Yes I do sir. They believed us a threat. They bombed us because the former America had to much power. They killed the former president for that same fear. Not only that we were different. They wanted to keep the former America's from becoming a power so they tried taking us out only it didn't work and now the former presidents son is on the throne and his family will keep rule. I'm also not at liberty to say why my grandfather was killed or who did it or why they are still after the president."
"Yeah, you're FREAKS!!" she heard some people say. She smiled. Everyone she had meet there had called her a freak when they learned where she was from. It didn't hurt her. So what if she was talented and they were't. She didn't mind the name freak because no one was normal.
"Alright Micheal its not very nice to call people things they are not. Alright, Alex, is that all you wanted to say? Or is that all that has been found out?"
"No it's all I wanted to say, Mr. Smith. Although most people don't know when they're messing with something their not suppose to mess with." She looked at the pretty boy in the eyes. She knew he was going to make her stay at this school difficult but she was willing to do the same. She looked at everyone else and they looked away. "Hmph," was all she said.
The bell rang. "Alright people I want you to read the next chapter and do all of the reviews. I want them by tomorrow." They groaned but wrote it down.
"Do you know where your next class is? We can show you the way." Quatre said. She noticed his eyes were a color that you'd find on someone from her country.
She was about to answer when she heard a sly voice speak out right next to her, "You better watch out, Alex. Many of these people won't understand what you are, but if you give me a date, I'll protect you." Micheal said.
"Back off, Micheal. She's not someone to mess with." Duo said.
"Shut up, you long haired freak," Micheal yelled at Duo. "You shouldn't hang around with these types of people. All they'll end up doing is putting you in danger and a bad reputation." Micheal went on.
"Just like you, right?" She said. "I don't give free rides and I don't ever want you to come near me again. I decide who or whom not to like or dislike and right now I don't like you. You disgust me." She finished off. She had never liked guys who thought you'd go out with them just 'cause they're cut.
"You'll regret this, Alex. Just wait and see. They'll," he pointed to other students, "see you for what you truly are. A freak." He said and stormed off.
She glared at him and then remembered she had to be careful. She could accidentally put him on fire. She looked at Quatre.
"Do you know where your next class is?" Quatre repeated. She shook her head. "We can take you there. Let me see your schedule." Quatre held out his hand for her schedule and she gladly gave it to him. He looked down. She had Technology class. . . with Heero. Oh boy.
"We go by there. Come on." He said handing back her schedule. They left the class and were infront of the class before they knew. She had been a ghost trailing behind them. The only way they heard her was the rustling from her new clothes. Duo and Quatre had to look back once in a while to see if she was still there. Wufei tuened a corner and was gone.
"Well here we are. I hope you have a good day." Quatre said. Him and Duo waved bye and headed off down the stairs.
She looked at the class dreading to go in to hear how far off the information had traveled. She took a deep breath again and walked in. Everyone stopped talking. She noticed one boy who didn't seem to care what the others were doing. She looked around stood up straight and walked toward the teacher. He looked up only when she had loomed over him for a minute. His face showed surprise.
"Good afternoon. Do you need anything?" he asked still surprised. She looked at him and gave him her schedule.
"I'm a new student and I seem to have your class." She said. She looked at him dubiously and doubted she wanted an air head teacher.
Out of all the classes she had seen, this one actually had tables. History had been in a large room with tables crossing from right to left. You had steps that went down to the teachers desk and the board. The science class had been an acutual room where the teachers board had been in front and the teacher could walk around and check on the class. This class was exactly the same but with tables and not labtables.
She looked back at the teacher. He had been talking to her. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" she asked, making him turn red.
"Yes. I just said that you would have to make due with a silent partner. You won't need much but here," he said handing her another piece of paper, "this will tell you about what is needed and what I expect from you. You have a vid-screen that will tell you your instructions. Sit with Heero."He pointed to the boy she had seen. She looked amused as she told herself, 'Gee. I seem to be getting stuck with the weird ones. Oh wait! I am a weird one!'
She set her books down. He didn't even look up from what he was doing. She sat down across from him and pulled out the teacher's lists of do's and don'ts. She shut out the sounds of whispering and yelling and began to read. By the end she wanted to laugh out loud. He was obviously new here. He didn't want people not from the class to come in and fool around. There was no fooling around in the class, that was obvious. At the end of the list she noticed she had to pay a fee of 200£. She breathed out a sigh.
The bell rang and class started. She listened half heartedly to the teacher. She played around with the broken robot they had been given. She started to put the thing together. By the time he finished, she was done. It was too easy. She hadn't even looked up when he called her. She had been in the void and was too busy to listen to anything else. He gave up and called on someone else.
Heero looked at the girl in front of him. She was the new student that Trowa had spoke of. She was obviously not normal in anysense. Like Quatre he noticed her ever changing eyes. They would go from red to blue to purple to orange to an electric blue and then back. Almost like if it really was fire. He watched her put together the broken robot. They were suppose to do it together as she was new, but from the look of it she knew what she was doing.
She let out a long breath and looked up. The boy was looking at her. She thought that any other student would have withered under that gaze. It looked as if he could do murder with only his eyes and he had probaly seen a lot of it.
The teacher came around to look at everyone's progress. He stopped at their table the longest. Heero and her seemed to be finished before the rest of the class.
"That's very nice the both of you. But the next time I would appreciate it if you would wait for instructions." He told them, all the while looking at her reproachfully. Heero was afraid she would start apologizing. She did nothing of the sort and just returned a blank stare to the teacher. He left and class was about over.
"Names Heero." He said. She looked at him and nodded.
"Alex," was all she said. And then, "Is this class always so boring?" She asked kind of curiously but not really wanting to know.
He looked stunned and then he chuckled. The class quieted down for the minutest second and then began to talk. He smiled and still chuckling said, "It was a lot more interesting last year, but since the start of the school year a month ago, it has been getting a little stale." He smiled for a little while longer and then looked at his watch.
She realized that he didn't smile much and when he did he looked evil. "What time does this class finish?" she asked.
He looked up, "In another ten minutes. Everyone either goes to lunch or advisory," he said. She nodded and went back to thinking.
Her pupils dilated when she smelled smoke. She turned to it and rose. She wasn't there anymore but back home when they had found where they had had safe haven for a long time. She watched as her home burned to the ground and her nana was killed right in front of her. She snapped back when she heard a scream. She ran over to the girl with the smoldering robot and pulled her away. She then took off her school coat and started to smother the flames that had caught the girl.
She hadn't expected to be rescuing someone so quickly. She heard the sound of a fire extinguisher. She helped the girl onto a chair and checked her over. She was only slightly burned and in a small shock. She looked toward the sound of the fire extinguisher and saw Heero standing there with it dangtling from his hand. He turned to her.
"Is she alright?" He asked walking over.
"She's okay. Just in shock. Someone should take her to the infirmary." She said and her partner walked up and took her off. She looked around. Some of the girls were clinging to each other. She heard the bell go off in the distance. She went back for her stuff and took off. She had decided she would be eating first lunch.
When she entered, she noticed that the fire hadn't spread. She looked around and spotted Duo waving his arms at her. She went over.
"Man I thought you'd never notice. My arms were starting to go numb." He rubbed his shoulders as he spoke to her. he looked around. All five seemed to be here only Heero was missing. She looked at the doors as she heard them swing open and in walked Heero. People moved out of his way rapidly. She sat down next to Quatre who didn't seem too worried about what was going on.
Heero sat down and pulled out his lunch. Most of theirs were obento's. She, herself, had one except it was a very large obento. She took her hands out of her lap and they came out with her lunch.
"How did you. . . ?" Duo started to ask when Quatre kicked him. The rest of them stared at her.
"Did what?" she asked not really understanding.She opened it up and realized that her father had cooked this time. Unlike her mother who could not toast bread, her father could cook just about anything. The lunch was sort of embarassing. It had a small heart made egg and a small ocutpus that smiled. She smiled back and dug in. They stared at her and then stared at Duo and knew he would continue to question.
"You just pulled out your lunch and a moment ago I know you didn't have something lumpy in your bag!" Duo said and was kicked twice this time. He glared at Quatre and Wufei.
She stopped eating and put her chopsticks to her lips, "I still have no idea what your talking about. I did have my obento in my bag you just couldn't see it." She looked at him curiously, "Are you seeing things? You know if you are, you might be sick." She said. Heero and the others were beginning to smile. Duo splutter but was immediately shut up by all of them kicking him. He dropped the subject and began to eat.
"Look what we have here," came a voice not far off. "Five little mice and a freak." She heard laughter. 'Damn!' she thought. 'Was he sitting there when I pulled it out?'
She heard laughter also. The cafteria went silent. She looked straight and felt her shoulders sag when an unfamiliar weight was put on them. She felt someone's face press against her cheek.
"It's not too late, you know? If you apologize to me right know, I'll still reconsider that date," he paused, "under one condition. You ditch these mice and jion me at my table." She felt his hands dip lower than necessary.
She moved too fast for Michael. She had his face pressed against the table in seconds. "If you EVER come near me again, you'll regret it. And Don't, I Repeat, DON'T EVER come near anyone I know or you'll really pay." She said. She snapped her fingers and everything of hers disappered and was in her hand. The lights flickered and went out so that no one saw her things disappear. She turned and left the screaming students.
"THAT LITTLE, BIT. ." Michael began to say but was shut up when he saw Heero and the others stand up.
"I wouldn't finish that word if I were you Michael. You know what's good for you so keep your opinions behind those snake fangs and your forked tongue." Heero said. The others inforced it by advancing.
Michael stood his ground, "I'll get back at her for this. And none of you will like what happens to her." He threatened.
"You better not come any where near her, Michael, or you'll have to answer to us." Trowa said. The others nodded their agreement and then they left.
"You are doing a grave mistake by taking her side. You'll see. She'll pay and so will you. FREAKS. The lot of you. I'll show you her true self and then you'll know that everyone from there is the same. FREAK." He yelled after them.
"Boss, are you mad just 'cause she refused you?" one of his lackies asked. He glared at them and sat down.
She sat next to the fountain in the foyer. Her obento was half done. She let out a deep sigh. The footsteps brought her out of her reverie. She looked up and saw the five guys come toward her and sit down.
Wufei spoke first, "You know you shouldn't let him get to you." He said. They looked at the fountain will he spoke.
"I have never meet. . . Nevermind I have, but I have never been hated so quickly. The others had a reason to hate me, but this guy only hates me because I refused to go out with him." She said thinking back to the two years she fought for her country looking for her father.
They sat silenty. She ate the rest of her food. They took out their obentos and ate. She looked into the fountain again. The bell rang.
"Come on time to go to study hall. Let's head over to the library."Quatre said. They left the foyer and went in. They showed her the way to the library. She opened her mouth. All of the tall buildings in the America had all been demolished and many others were decrepit and almost all of the books were burned out stained. But whatever she was able to find she read. She went to the first row of books and picked one up. She read the back and then began on it.
All of study period went by like that. She'd pick up a book read it in less than thirty minutes and pick up another one. She was done with the first row of books by the time the bell rang for C lunch. The librarian came over to the table they occupied.
"Hello. Yours is a new face that I've never seen before," she said as she looked at Alex.
Alex looked up surprised. She had thought it was only them five. There were others but not very many. Quatre tutored Duo, Trowa read silently, Wufei was asleep, and Heero typed on his laptop.
"I'm new here," she looked down at the books. "Is there anyway I can...check books out."
The librarian smiled at her, "Of course. Come this way please," she motioned her to follow her. The guys looked up and then went about their own business. The librarian took her to a counter where a computer and a sign that read, 'Return books Here.' She went around to the computer. "Okay, I'll need your schedule and your e-mail address."
Alex let her black, gold and silver bangs hide the blush that crept up her tanned skin. "I'm new here in every sense, ma'am. I don't have a laptop yet and as soon as I get one I'll make myself an address and give it to you, but for now my phone number and address will have to do."
The librarian saw the blush creep up her neck. "Alright then, all I'll need is your schedule. Thank you very much," she said as Alex handed her the schedule. She began to type things into the computer. "Alright. You can check upto five books, four magazines, three movies, and two vids and as you progress, the number you'll be able to check out will increase. You are ready to check out all you have to do is choose the five you will read."
Alex smiled. She was finally going to be able to read all those books she had seen at all of those buildings. She took back her schedule and sat back down with the rest of them.
They had all noticed the rate she read those books. She read them almost as fast as Duo eats his lunch. She read ten thick books in under thirty minutes. They stopped to gap at her when she had gotten up to get the eleventh book.
When she sat back down, she was smiling. She picked up the book and continued reading. Ten minutes later she was cruising up and down the aisles to see if she could find any histroy books on the Americas. She found several books. She choose them and went to the librarian.
"Would you like to check out some vids or movies?" the librarian looked pleadingly at her.
Alex smiled, "Do you have any on the former Allied America?" she asked. The librarian smiled and went into a room. Alex followed her.
"Here they are. Do you want all of them?" She asked.
"How many are there?" Alex asked her.
"There are quite a few. You can always come back for the rest of them." The librarian told her. Alex nodded and took the movies that the lady offered.
The librarian checked them all out to her. Alex turned around and the group saw her come toward them with the stack. When she reached the table however, she held nothing in her hands.
"So what do you have next period?" Duo asked.
She looked down at her schedule, "Calculus." They nodded.
"Who's the teacher?" he asked again.
"Ms. Thompson." She answered.
"Isn't Jowy in that class?" Duo asked. The others shrugged. She looked inquisitive but didn't ask. She pulled out all of her papers and looked at them. The science fee wasn't as large as the technology fee, and all she mainly needed was a laptop.
The bell rang. "Whose class is near hers?" Wufei asked.
"I'll take her," Quatre said. They looked at him. "My class is near hers." He answered with a small blush. They nodded and left the library.
Quatre walked by her side. She looked around. People stared at them and looked away.
"Why is it that everyone steps out of your way?" She asked Quatre.
He smiled, "They think we have a bad reputation. They're also afraid of Heero, Trowa, and Wufei." He said smiling.
They passed up some whispering girls. "No way. She's hanging out with the G-boys." They said as they watched her pass by. She tilted her head inquiringly, but shook her head.
"Alright, here it is. This is Ms. Thompson's Calculus class. I'm right next door if you need anything." He turned to leave then turned back. "I'll. . . wait for you. . so I can show you to your next classroom." He said shyly and then walked off to the classroom next door.
She entered the classroom. It was looked just like her history one. The teacher was at her desk. She went over and cleared her throat. Ms. Thompson looked up.
"Hello. You must be the new student I've heard so much about." She said standing up and sticking out her hand. Alex took it. Out of all those teacher's, this is the only one that actually showed any manners. She took the offered hand and shook it. The teacher smiled and took the offered schedule.
"Alright then. You can choose to sit anywhere you want to. I have no particular sitting arrangment but all I want is that you not talk while I'm talking and you do what you are told. Here are the rules and regulations and all you need is on this piece of paper." She said handing her her schedule and a rules sheet. She smiled and Alex left to find a seat.
Alex looked around. Every single seat looked as if it were taken. She sighed. Like always, she had to sit with the quiet ones. She went over to a silver haired boy. He reminded her of Kamui, but Kamui was back in her country. She pulled out the seat andd sat down.
He looked at her and smiled, "Hi. You must be Alex. I'm Jowy." She looked at him surprised. His smile widened, "Rumors spread like wild fire. Rumor says you're hanging out with the G-boys and that you've got something "mysterious" going on." He said. He looked some what interested in what she would have to say.
She looked at him, but said nothing. She was not about to tell him she was a magician and a rune holder to boot. He looked away when she didn't answer. She studied him. He was fine boned but not to the point where he could not lift heavy weights. His hair ended right above his waist. His hands were covered in fingerless gloves. He would be as tall as Heero. The bell rang and she looked away.
The class turned out not as bad as she had suspected. It was quite entertaining to watch the students make fools of themselves when she caught them doing something they weren't suppose to.
The bell rang once again and she stepped outside. Quatre stood there smiling. "So how was your class?" he asked and saw Jowy emerge. Jowy flashed him a small smile and left. She looked down only two more classes to go and she would be out of this hell hole. She had Grammar class next and after that was P.E. Quatre left her in the corridor to her class and he went the other way. She found the class and entered. The class looked at the door and went back to talking. She asked the closest student for the teacher and they pointed her to the back room.
She went over and knocked on the door. The teacher pocked her disheveled head out, "Yes. How can I help you?" She said blowing at her bangs to get them out of her way only to be unsuccessful.
"I'm new to your class. I'm Alex Roughnight. I believe the papers should have come in by now." She said. The teacher nodded and came out. She was plain disheveled.
"Alright let me check," She said going over to her computer. "mhmmmm." She said, "You can sit anywhere you want." She said and went back to her room.
Alex looked around there was no one she knew. There was one desk empty beside a girl who did nothing but draw. She sat next to her. Class began when the bell rang and the teacher came out of the backroom. They were reading Julius Caesar and the girl next to her blushed when she was called on to read some of the lines. Some of the other girls laughed but stopped when Alex looked at them. The girl blushed a deep red and continued to read. Alex received the part of Juluis's wife..
When the class was over, the teacher came over to Alex. "Here you are," she said handing Alex a book. "This is your copy of Julius Caesar. Your homework is on the board. Have a good day." The teacher lef t. She wrote down her assignment and when the bell rang left.
She saw the quiet girl slightly in front of her. Alex sped up, "Um... Excuse me. Do you know where the Gym is?" the girl looked down shyly.
"I'm going there myself. You can follow me." She said and quickened her pace. Alex followed her.
The gym was slightly out of the way. It stood at the back of the campus. They entered and a coach immediately came over to her.
"Hi. I'm Coach Summers. I'm here to give you your locker number and and to tell you that all of your clothes are waiting in the locker." The female coach said and left. She opened her hand and there on the piece of paper th coach had handed her. It had her locker number and her combination. She went down stairs to the locker room. She went to her locker and changed.
She came out to see the quiet girl walking over to a place on the floor. She looked around. There in their own little group was Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. Duo waved at her and she waved back but she had to go over to the girls side. She sat down next to the girl. They didn't speak to each other but did as they were told.
After the exercises had been completed they were allowed to do as they wished. She sat down and watched the five boys play basket ball. She saw Quatre start lagging behind. The called a time out.
Quatre went over and took the towel that she offered and mopped up his sweat.
"Do you need someone to take your place?" she asked. He looked at her surprised. They were all healthy but he just wasn't the basketball playing type.
"Sure. I'll go ask what they think." He said going over to the others. They listened and Heero nodded his head. She went over and took Quatre's place. "Thanks." She heard him whisper.
She smiled and they began to play. The guys had been booing because they changed a member for a girl. They were wincing when the G-Group won five rounds in a row.
A whistle sounded from somewhere and the others went to the locker room. She went down and heard cheering and whistling. All of the girls were packed into the showers. She went over and saw why. The quiet girl was being tormented in the shower.
She started pushing girls out of the way. When she came to the front, she immediately punched the leader. The girl staggered backward and the sounds died instantly.
"Alright everyone get away from here," she looked around. The girls looked at each other and the girl that was lying on the floor half dazed with a bleeding lip. "NOW!" She said so quietly, the girls rushed away. The ring leader got up.
"You bi***! You'll pay for this!" she screamed at her and came at her.
Alex moved out of the way and grabed the girl's arm and brought it behind her back painfully. "I don't want to see you anywhere near this girl again or believe me you won't like what happens to the rest of your pretty face." Alex said. She released the girl and pushed her. The girl gave her a venomous look and took off.
Alex turned to the girl on the floor. The girl curled into a ball. Alex went over. "There gone now. You can get up." Alex said. She went over and helped the girl up. She grabbed the towel that was placed nearby and wrapped it around her. "Are you okay did? They do anything to you?" the girl shook her head and leaned heavily on Alex. "What's your name?"
"Kira... Kira Aso." She said quietly. Alex looked around. She found the girls discarded and tattered gym shorts. She sighed and lead Kira into the dressing room, which was quite empty. She left Kira near her locker and went to hers to get changed. Kira left the locker room. When Alex emerged, Kira was waiting outside for her.
"Thank you for what you did out there. I don't know what would have happened had you not come in or how I was going to stop it. Thank you so very much." She said, and bowed.
"Do they do that all the time?" Alex asked.
"Not all the time. They'll sometimes stuff things into my locker. Or put jelly into my hair. But this time it got out of hand. They normally do it to see me cry." She said smiling weakly.
"They won't do it again." They walked up into the stands and sat down. The five guys came over.
They didn't look too happy. "We heard what happened," Heero said. Kira looked surprised. "They're always doing that to you," he continued, "We've seen you come out of the girl's lockerroom crying. It's about time someone put them in their place." He finished fiercely.
The bell rang and they left. She followed them to the front of the school. She waved them good bye and waited. She watched as limos came and went. After five minutes a Rolce Royce came around. She stepped up to the curb.
The car stopped, the door opened, and she stepped into the car. She let out a deep sigh.
"How was your first day?" She looked up in surprise. A large smile filled her face.
"Dad! I thought you weren't going to be able to come and pick me up." She said excited.
"I canceled some of my meetings so I could see my little girl. So how was your day?" he asked again.
"It was horrible. First, I think I've made friends. Second, I have an enemy who won't leave me alone and thinks I'm a freak. Then, I get involved in this incident where a girl was being jumped in the locker and now I not only have one enemy but two a guy and a girl. So my day wasn't just horrible, I don't want to go back," She said but noticed the look on his face, "but I know that I have to go back." She said with finality in her voice.
Her dad smiled. He looked like he was going to say something but thought again and looked out the window. She was still amazed that so many people could live in one place. Her home wasn't like that. People had to live together or they might just become wendigo bait. Here there were no monsters to take your people or eat your livestock. She smiled.
They got home. She went upstairs and did her homework. She then fell asleep.