Wow, for my first fic, I did not expect that much of a reaction. Thanks, everyone. I feel like I should declare that I'm not a diehard Faking It fan. I don't know every detail like some of you do. Therefore, certain aspects – like the timeline – won't necessarily be in line with the show. But hey, Amy hasn't gotten on a bus yet in the show, so... I know things are moving along rather quickly in this chapter, but I want to set things in motion. There will also not be a set update schedule - I have no idea how long this could be or how it ends; making it up as I go, you know? This is also going to parody Calgary occasionally. For instance, the climate; yes, we do occasionally get snow in May. YES, it can actually be 10 degrees Celsius outside with a foot of snow on the ground. Seriously. From this point onward, if Amy is in the presence of others, she will be referred to as Jessie. Anyway, enjoy!

Amy stood looking at herself in the mirror. God, she barely recognized herself; she might go so far as to say even Karma wouldn't despite being friends for ten years (ten years that she threw away in two minutes). As planned, she had dyed her hair a light but permanent brown. She'd have to redo it every couple of months, but with the hair, the glasses and a little makeup, you'd have to look long and hard at Amy to figure out who she really was. A far cheaper and less stressful alternative to being discovered, in her opinion.

The former Raudenfeld had found the cheapest hotel room in the airport and crashed there for the night, she was so tired. So far, her morning had been spent changing her look and trying to adjust to the basic Canadian differences in a matter of hours; she wanted to draw as little attention as possible. Amy's first thought was how easy Canadians have it with their currency; not only do they get one and two dollar coins (but seriously, who calls their money "loonies"? Really?), but it's colour coded with the numbers clearly printed. She patted herself on the back for exchanging most of her money before she left the states. However, she cursed several times when she discovered that – despite being halfway through fucking May – there was still a good foot of snow on the ground, AT LEAST. This was a problem for several reasons; one, she had no boots. Two, she only had the basic coat for fall weather in the event it got really cold. Snow in May was not something Amy was expecting. And yet the weather reports – ALL OF THEM – said that today was going to be nice and warm at 10 degrees (she had to remind herself that Canadians measure temperature in Celsius, not Fahrenheit). And it actually was. It was warm and there was a foot of snow on the ground. What the fuck was wrong with this place?

Amy decided her first order of business was to acquire at least some source of income, and then she would look for a permanent place to stay. So, after quickly doing some general research of the city, she made her to way to a cafe in an older neighbourhood.

As she was standing in front of Six Degrees, Amy took in her surroundings. These buildings were way smaller than the ones in Austin. Granted, the neighbourhood was decades old, but these houses were TINY in comparison. There were a few more small businesses down the block; a small convenience store, an antique joint, a moderately sized clothing establishment and a hair salon. The area itself was nice; despite looking like it belonged in a 70s movie, there were plenty of young families wandering about; Amy had passed by an elementary school on her way here, which in turn had dozens of kids on the playground, despite being covered in slush.

As she took a deep breath and said a silent prayer to a God her mother tried to get her to believe in, Amy –no, she was Jessie now – hoped that she would get the job. It didn't matter that it doesn't pay much; it establishes an income regardless.

The cafe was much warmer than she expected – literally. It was bloody fucking hot in here. Jessie assumed it had something to do with the name of the establishment. The place was wooden, with chalkboards detailing the menu items. Small tables littered with several different newspapers consumed the left area, with about half a dozen patrons seated. On the furthest wall away was the counter, surrounded by relatively large coffee machines operated by a middle-aged woman. Jessie approved of the Fleetwood Mac playing softly in the background.

"Hi there," the woman said. "What can I get for you?"

Jessie put on her friendliest smile and politely replied, "Actually, I'm here about your ad in the paper. I'd like to apply for a job here."

A large grin spread out on the older woman's face. "Oh, fanatsic! You're hired. You got any experience making coffee?"

The look on Jessie's face rivaled that of a deer in the headlights of an impending car. "I...no, but... wait, what?"

"Well, you want to work here, right? That ad's been out there for months and you're the first applicant. So, come on. I'll show you how everything works." The woman hollered that she'd be back in a few minutes, turned around and gestured for Jessie to follow. She did as directed, practically tripping her own feet as she did so.

"Look, ma'am, while I'm thrilled I got the job, you don't even know my name and you just hired me? Isn't that just a little bit risky? I mean, I'm not complaining, just confused." The woman kept walking through a door, leading to a cluttered office area. She sat down behind a large desk and gestured for Jessie to do the same across from her.

"Sue."

"...what?"

"My name is Sue Fraser. And yours?"

Jessie straightened in her seat. "Jessie Owens, ma'am."

"You don't have to be so formal, Jessie. You can call me Sue. I might be your boss, but we're also coworkers. Where you from, kid?"

"Actually, I just moved here from the States yesterday. I wasn't getting anywhere in school and I don't have much family left, so I came here. A fresh start, you know?" At this, a small frown formed on Sue's face.

"Yesterday?" Jessie nodded. "And you've already gotten yourself a job. Wow. Well, looks like you're on the right track... So, where you staying, if you only got here yesterday?"

"Oh, just in a hotel. I figured it'd be better to get some income before I started looking for a place," Jessie nonchalantly replied. "That'll probably be how I spend my time off these next few days, actually."

Sue remained silent for a few seconds. "Look, Jessie, I don't mean to freak you out or scare you here, but as it turns out, my daughter's looking for a new roommate. Her previous one just left to move in with her boyfriend. You look to be about the same age – you're what, 21?" Jessie nodded. "I know it's sudden, and you have every right to say no – I won't punish you if you do – but I thought I'd extend the invitation."

Jessie couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face, but did manage to refrain from jumping up and hugging her new boss of approximately 3 minutes. She honestly could not believe her luck. "I'd love to, Sue. That would be so awesome, thanks! When could I meet her?"

Sue looked at the clock; 3:27 pm. "Well, she starts at 4:30. I'll let her know that I have a potential roommate for her in a new employee, and in the meantime, let's get you familiar with everything, shall we?" Jessie enthusiastically agreed.

For the next hour, Sue showed Jessie the ups and downs of the cafe; she learned how to brew all the drinks on the menu – granted, there were not many – and how to work the register and such. The new employee picked everything up quickly, much to her boss's pleasure. Jessie learned that Sue actually made and brought the baked goods from home, and that shipments of pre-contained drinks arrived weekly. She also interacted well with the customers – something that Sue repeatedly praised her for, and made Jessie blush. Throughout the span of the hour, Jessie repeatedly thanked her new boss for all the opportunities, and the good wage she was being paid.

Six Degree's newest employee was busy cleaning tables and didn't notice when the bell above the door rang, signalling someone's arrival. She also didn't notice her new boss point the stranger in her direction. She DID notice, however, when she felt something tap her shoulder.

And good fucking God, did she ever notice what was standing in front of her.

She had lightly curled dark brown hair and a pale complexion, with the figure of an athlete. She was also about two inches taller than Jessie, and noticeably well dressed in her skinny jeans, flats and a casual but chic jacket. She had a messenger bag over her shoulder, and the beanie on her head only completed her outfit. The stranger was also absolutely drop dead gorgeous, without wearing anything (noticeably, at least) more than mascara.

The beautiful woman standing in front of Jessie extended her hand.

"Hi, I'm Kate Fraser. I hear you're looking for a new roommate."