Lucy noticed her missing schedule as soon as her class was over. She crouched next to her disorganized bag of notebooks folders and textbooks and started rifling through them. No schedule. She sighed in frustration. Everything that could go wrong is going wrong, she thought wryly. Someone tapped her shoulder lightly. It was the boy. He was standing casually over her, his dark hair flopping over his brow, his dark eyes sparkling with an amused and mischievous air.

"Excuse me?"

He said as Lucy picked herself off the floor and pushed her own hair out of her eyes.

"Are you looking for something important Miss Lucy Carlyle?"

Both Lucy's eyebrows shot up. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He flashed a grin at her.

"At least, I assume that's your name..."

Lucy couldn't help the grin the broke out on her face as she reached for the paper the boy handed her.

"My schedule! That could have been really bad."

The boy's grin widened, and he shook his head.

"Where are my manners? I'm Anthony Lockwood. Everyone just calls me Lockwood though."

"Lucy Carlyle, but you already knew that."

He nodded. He motioned for Lucy to follow him, parting a path through the other pupils still walking to their various classes. He continued in a conversational tone, as if the two of them had been friends forever.

"My dramatic entrance line did come across as a tad stalkerish didn't it?"

Lucy laughed, shouldering her way through the crowd behind him. She accidentally bumped into a couple sharing a kiss. They turned and glared at her simultaneously.

"Oops sorry- yeah it kinda threw me off guard."

Lockwood stopped suddenly, and Lucy ran suddenly into his back.

"Sorry. Bit of warning next time?"

He Ignored her fumble and apology, instead drew his own schedule out of his trouser pocket. He flourished it and turned to Lucy.

"I checked your schedule and we got lucky!"

"Lucky? What makes you say that?"

"You, me and George have maths together."

Lucy was confused. She didn't even know a George. She realized she didn't even know Lockwood.

She furrowed her eyebrows and fumbled with the strap of her bag, and asked Lockwood,

"Why would that make us lucky? Maths is a blowoff class. It's all self paced..."

"Exactly! No one cares about mathematics. Here comes George."

It was the tallow haired boy, with a round face, small spectacles, and wide body.

He raised an eyebrow at Lucy and greeted Lockwood.

"Hey Lockwood. Who's this?"

Lockwood drew in a breath to answer but Lucy cut him off.

"Lucy Carlyle. I'm a transfer."

"I could only assume that."

He looked her up and down once again, and shook his head slightly. Then, he pushed past the two of us and entered the class room.

Lockwood smiled at Lucy.

"That went well."

Lucy's puzzled face prompted him to clarify himself.

"I can tell George and you are going to get along well."

"What makes you say that?"

"He laughed and shook his head like that the first time I met him."

Then he turned and followed George into math class.

Lucy shook her head at this turn of events. She had woken up, confused and disoriented, feeling like the world was against her. Now she seemingly had found one, possible two, friends.

Lockwood and George were sitting in the back of the class, and had saved her a seat. She sunk into it just as the bell rang.

Lockwood laughed quietly, and twisted in his seat toward her.

"You always seem to have horrid timing."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply just as the teacher bellowed out,

"Hello everyone."

Lockwood stifled laughter and George grinned at the irony. Lucy grinned sheepishly, turning her attention to the teacher.

"As you all well know, this a self paced class. You must complete all assignments and lessons throughout the year in preparation for the two end-of-semester exams."

Lucy was already bored. She normally skimmed a couple of the tougher lessons and blew through the exams, but other than that, completely disregarded maths.

The teacher sat down at his desk and the class erupted in hushed conversations. Very few got up to get the course material. Lockwood slouched back in his desk, and grinned at Lucy.

"Math classes are the same all across the country. Nobody cares if you can't find the length of the hypothesis if you can locate a Source."

George shook his head.

"It's a hypotenuse."

Lockwood scoffed good-naturedly at him.

"I've heard it both ways."

Lucy shrugged.

"I guess as long as someone knows how to do these things it's all good and fine. Like architects."

"That's true. Anyways," Lockwood fixed her with a intent stare, "are you any good with a rapier?"

Lucy pushed a some stray hairs out of her eyes. The top of her desk suddenly fascinated her.

George said,

"I'm going to take that as a 'No'."

Lucy shook her head.

"I don't really have anything to compare my skills with. I was the best where I came from, but that means nothing here."

Lockwood clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"You either are going to do really well, and astound everyone or, well- just hope your fencing partner is merciful."

George made a show of looking concerned.

"Remember poor Robin. He had to be taken to the hospital hall with only half an arm."

"Don't listen to George. They dull the rapier a to spar with."

Lucy had a question to ask.

"What are your Talents?"

George took his speckles off his round face and rubbed them vigorously with his jumper.

"You mean psychically? I'm mediocre at all three. Not bad but not really good."

"I see them the best. I also get death glows, sometimes blindingly. You?"

"I'm a Listener. Sometimes a bit out Touch but you know how spotty that can be."

Lockwood smiled brightly when she said this.

"Perfect."

George quirked an eyebrow and Lucy grinned quizzically.

"It's the perfect team."

He said as if that explained everything.

Lucy could tell instantly that George was the pessimist and Lockwood was the optimist. They were each other's opposites in many regards and not just personal hygiene.

George stood, pulling himself out of the desk and said,

"Well that was a lovely powwow, but I'm off to get my course material and see what a load of rubbish it is."

As squeezed himself between rows of desks, he called back over his shoulder,

"Have fun you two."

There was an awkward moment of silence, followed by an even more awkward question.

"So who was your girlfriend?"

Lockwood looked somewhat startled and looked quickly at Lucy.

"What?"

"That brunette from this morning?"

"Angela? She was part of my team for the practicals in our classes last year. Fourth Grade is when we get to pick our own teams," Lockwood glanced at Lucy. "and she was trying to convince me that she needed to be a part of mine."

"Oh."

Lockwood sighed exasperatedly in his mind. How many hints could he drop without actually outright asking her, he thought. He inhaled then continued.

He said it super casually,

"That being said, we're down one member. Care to join ours?"

Lockwood carefully studied her face for a reaction. She blinked once, twice, three times. Then she nodded.

"I don't see why not."

He ignited his megawatt smile, and was pleased to see her smile back. Was that a hint of reddening in her face he detected? Wishful thinking, most likely.

Thank you again! Yes this is a Locklyle/Lucewood fic! (how could you not ship those two dorks together?)