Monday, September 15th, 2014

Six Months Before Not What He Seems Premieres

"Oh my god, why is this person driving so slow?" Jocelyn moaned. "The speed limit's 40!"

It was the beginning of the second week of Jocelyn and Hazelle's senior year of high school. Jocelyn was driving herself and her younger sister Nova to school, but despite the cheery nature of that sunny Monday morning, Jocelyn was fuming behind the wheel.

"Uh, Joss?" asked Nova, now a freshman. "The speed limit's 35 here."

Jocelyn rolled her eyes. "Rookie mistake. The cops won't stop you unless you're going more than eight miles above the speed limit. We're fine." Jocelyn glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Seven eighteen. At this rate they'd be late, thanks to this idiot.

XxX

"Why on earth is this person tailgating me?" Hazelle wondered aloud to her empty car. The speed limit was 35 here, and she was going 36. She didn't want to get a ticket, especially so early in the school year. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Seven eighteen. At this rate, Hazelle would have just enough time to hit her locker before heading to homeroom.

It was a clear, beautiful fall morning, so Hazelle had left the windows rolled down to catch the clean air. Approaching a stoplight, Hazelle noticed the asshole behind her switching lanes, and pulling to a stop in the lane next to her.

Glancing to her right, Hazelle's face fell at the comedy of the situation. She should've known—from the Imagine Dragons blaring from the stereo, it could've been really only one person.

Jocelyn glanced over at Hazelle, the wind whipping her tumbling braid. Seeing Hazelle's astonished face, she lowered her sunglasses, a devious smirk working its way across her lips. "Beep beep, mothefucker."

Beside her, Nova leaned forward from the passenger seat and offered a friendly wave. "Hi, Hazelle!"

"Hey, Nove," Hazelle replied with a half wave from the steering wheel. Returning her attention to Jocelyn, she scolded, "Was it really necessary to ride my ass?"

Jocelyn's grin widened. "Hey, you were going slow. Don't be late to homeroom, nerd."

Hazelle bristled, indignant. "We're not even in the same homeroom! And that's not your car! It's your mom's minivan!"

"Yeah, and there's a car seat for you in the back!" Jocelyn shouted triumphantly, and sped off as the light turned green. Her scream of "WOOOAAAAAHHHH!" in the style of Mordecai and Rigby could be heard as she drove away.

Hazelle sighed exasperatedly, but had to smile.

Jolted out of her reverie by a car horn behind her, she accelerated, making sure to keep to the speed limit.

XxX

Jocelyn was leaning casually against Hazelle's locker when she came rushing down the hallway at seven thirty-two.

"Hey, look who made it!" Jocelyn quipped with mock enthusiasm, moving aside so Hazelle could access her locker.

"Shut up, Joss," Hazelle retorted, but a smile could be heard in her voice. "Have fun getting a ticket one day, speed demon."

"Nah," Jocelyn replied, flipping some curls out of her face. "When the cops aren't around, anything's legal. I know when to tone it down."

Just then, the bell rang, sending the duo running in opposite directions to their respective homerooms. "See you in stat!" Jocelyn called over her shoulder to her friend.

Hazelle flopped into her seat in homeroom, considering. It wasn't unlike Jocelyn to live in the fast lane-accelerating before thinking, risking it all, but enjoying the rush nonetheless. Meanwhile, Hazelle took it slow, weighed her options carefully, triple-checked everything before making a move. She was a born worrywart, but recently Jocelyn's disregard of rules and safety for the sake of having fun was beginning to bother her. When it came to the portal jumping, Hazelle knew Jocelyn wanted to find Lucy as much as she did, if not more. But if Jocelyn continued down the path she was on, being reckless could cost them everything: their families, their knowledge, their dreams, their mission...even their own lives.

Shaking her head, Hazelle forced herself to settle down. She couldn't allow herself to doubt. With her map and Jocelyn's powers, they were a formidable dynamic duo. They were going to find Lucy eventually and set things straight. They were going to come out on the other end safe and sane.

But as the school day went on, Hazelle's worries never faded.