I'm making a couple of changes to the cannon time line:
First, the raid on Mindoir took place in 2170 in cannon, I'm placing it late in 2169. Shepard then arrives late in her sophmoore year of highschool. Mindoir and Shepard's status as a survivor of it is going to feature pretty heavily in this story, with later events occuring on the actual planet.
Second, this story is mapped out almost from beginning to end (a bit of a rarity for me). I'll be moving into the events of the first game fairly soon so I want to say that I've made one more significant change to the timeline. Talitha, the Mindoir survivor from ME1's 'I remember me" mission will not appear until the events of ME2 for reasons that will become apparent with time.
I appreciate every single reader this story gets. It's honestly a blast to write, and I have quite a lot planned for it, but my life is a bit busy at the moment, so pelase bear with me.
Effingham, Illinois
May, 2170
Andrea stood on the side of the drop off, toes just crossing the edge.
She tipped her head back drinking deeply of the cheap bodega beer and then tossed the empty bottle into the quarry.
Kate was a few feet away, leaning against a boulder looking up at the stars. Neither of them were drunk, but the beer softened the night. SHe was thankful her art skills had translated into her making fairly believable fake ID's for herself. It made Andrea think less about what might be going on at home in her absence. She had sent her mom a quick message saying she wouldn't be home until later, she doubted there would be any repercussions Her mom would be too distracted.
She walked to Kate, "Whatcha looking at?" She asked. She leaned back beside her and looked up at the stars.
"The stars," the redhead said, "they're different here." She sighed, "I mean of course their different, it just… I forget sometimes."
Andrea leaned next to her, "I've only ever seen these stars."
"So the pictures on the inside of your locker?" Kate asked. Andrea blushed, she had plastered her locker with photos from across earth and then added more from the rest of the galaxy. A sunrise on Palavan. The temple of Athame on Thessia. The circular ring of the presidium on the citadel with it's artificial gravity.
"Extranet pictures and hope," Andrea admitted, "I don't want to spend my life stuck here." She looked up at the night sky, "what are the colonies like?" She felt her cheeks growing hot. That might be an awkward topic, considering the school gossip. Emily Marrietti, whose mother was the school's secretary, had spread the rumor that her family had been killed on some colony out on the Verge a few months ago and she had been in some psychiatric hospital since.
Kate took a long breath, "better than here, but a lot smaller," she said finally, "but I guess everyone knows." Andrea glanced over, trying to see if the redhead was upset, but she just looked thoughtful. "It's all true, what they're saying," Kate said.
"You don't have to talk about it."
Kate looked at her for a long time, then said, "there weren't any winters," it took Andrea moment to realize she was talking about Mindoir, "There are, like, five Noveau Californias on the planet, and we grow- I mean grew- crops year round." She swallowed, "we had two dogs and a couple barn cats. Our house was on a hill and we used to go swimming in the valley, in the lake." Then she shifted, "I spent three months in the ward after…" She trailed off.
Andrea shook her head, "I told you, I don't care. Emily is an idiot. Before you came along she used to pull all the shit with me. She's a bitch."
"You?" Kate looked surprised.
Andrea shrugged, "I moved here Freshman year. It wasn't an easy transition." She wrinkled her nose, "not quite as bad as yours, but I still don't have many friends. Everyone here has known each other sense pre-school. It's hard to fit in."
"Where were you from?"
"Chicago," Andrea said, "I liked the city better than here, but my mom…" She hesitated. "There was a fight between my parents and we had to leave." There. Close enough to the truth. She decided not to mention that her father was a drunk with a temper or that she had seen his car pull in the driveway late last night and pull out early in the morning. He'd been showing up once a week for the past few months, probably all teary eyed and apologetic. Her older brother at college had yet to return her increasingly frantic texts.
She bit her lip and glanced at Kate, wondering if she'd call her on her bullshit. Kate was still looking up at the stars. "Anyways," Andrea pressed on, Emily used to spread all kinds of bullshit rumors about me. Knock my books out of my hands, or trip me in the hallway. Your typical school bitch crap."
"She thinks I'm flirting with her boyfriend because we got partnered in that bio class," Kate grumbled.
"Yeah," Andrea said, "she's a tad… jealous."
"She's crazy," Kate said, "besides, hes not my type, he just doesn't actively suck." Andrea had been at nearby table watching the two of them work on dissecting their frog. They had seemed to be having a good time, but Taylor was definitely known for being infinitely more sane than Emily.
"What is your type?" Andrea asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Not boys," Kate said. She had spent most of the conversation still watching the stars and sipping her beer, now she glanced at Andrea out of the corner of her eyes, gauging her reaction. When Andrea didn't she took another sip of beer, "you?"
"I like girls, I think," Andrea shrugged, "maybe boys too?" She smiled, "I just want to experience everything I can. It's a big galaxy."
"Mmm," Kate said. She took a last drink and walked to the edge of a drop off. There was the sound of shattering glass as she tossed the bottle into the ravine. She walked back slowly. "I just want to make it through the next two years," Kate said, "and then I want to leave."
"Where will you go?"
Kate shrugged, "who knows."
"Back to Mindoir?"
"No," Kate said immediately, then she hesitated, "maybe to visit?" she said finally, tentatively, "I don't know." She tilted her head towards the music player Andrea had set up when they arrived, "I love this song."
Andrea sensed her desperation to change the subject and complied, "yeah me too. My brother took me to one of thier concerts before we left the city."
That caught Kate's interest, "what was it like? We didn't get many good bands passing through."
Andrea described the crowds, the bands, the excitement, "we should go to a show sometime. I get my drivers license in a few months. I can talk my mom into borrowing the car."
Kate nodded, "yeah, I'd like that." She looked up at the moon, "We should get back soon."
"Yeah," Andrea said reluctantly. She was enjoying this easy conversation. Going home sounded like walking back into a lot of complications. Being here, with Kate, was easier. "So.. She said as they turned to go back, I head you were in the smart math classes?"
"Yeah," Kate said, "honors. I like computers and stuff."
Andrea smiled, "then maybe you can help me, because I'm failing dumb math."
"You shouldn't call it that," Kate said.
"Ok," Andrea replied, "I'm still failing a remedial course. I am literally begging for help." A low C wasn't exactly failing quite yet, but it wasn't gaining her points at home, and she maybe might kind of want an excuse to spend time with Kate.
"I can do that," Kate said, "tomorrow at your place maybe?"
Andrea thought about the cold war between her and her mother, and the sporadic reappearances of her father, she made a sound of discomfort, "maybe yours instead?"
Now it was Kate's turn to look uncomfortable, "there's a lot of people at my house. Little kids. It's loud and kind of crowded." She had the same note of discomfort in her voice.
"My mom works at a diner," Andrea said slowly, "I'll bet we could talk her into feeding us if we went there." Mary Calhoun's work face was legendary, hopefully it would diffuse some of the mother/daughter tension. There was no chance her father would make an unexpected appearance there anyways.
Kate smiled, "I like that idea." She paused outside a house. It was fenced in, with a kiddie pool out front that looked like it had seen better days. Toys littered the lawn and a dirty looking car was parked in the driveway. The lights in the living room were on and Andrea could hear voices, though she couldn't tell if they were raised in excitement or anger or who they belonged to.
"This is me," Kate said softly. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something. Then she stared Andrea down again,"I saw you talking to Emily at the end of the day. You don't need to stick up for me. I can take care of myself." She lifted her chin proudly.
Andrea tilted her head and crossed her arms, "look, I just mentioned that I had seen her car parked in her other boyfriend's house over the weekend. I let her know that Karma's a bitch and I can be too." She grinned at the memory, "I should be thanking you. I was saving that information for a rainy day but the look on her face," she made a chef's kiss, "absolutely worth it."
Kate laughed, "you know," she said, "it's been ninety-seven days since I was on Mindoir and every single one of them has been terrible. I've been alone and I've…" she trailed off, "it's been awful," she finally repeated, "but this night hasn't sucked. So, thanks."
Andrea reached out in the darkness and found Kate's hand. "You don't have to be alone anymore," she said. She spoke quickly, before she had a chance to second guess what she was saying.
Kate squeezed her hand before letting go and flipping the latch on the gate, "neither are you. See you tomorrow."
No longer hesitant the freckled girl walked up the driveway to the door. Andrea watched her go, before she strode off into the night.