Chapter 6:

Danny:

I couldn't believe that Gear was telling the truth. She really was Quam Tu, known and feared throughout the hacking world. She really was signing us up for high school. We really were going to wait for the mutant guys to contact me after hinting at mutant abilities. Though it had been a week since she told me the plan, I was still having trouble wrapping my mind around it. Then again, I supposed that none of it was weirder than waking up in the Ghost Zone with no memories.

Speaking of the Ghost Zone, I did ask Gear about it. She explained a lot to me. She might not tell me about my life- well about what happened to my family, friends, and even me, but she sure was willing to talk about the Ghost Zone. Funny, as soon as she started to say a few things it was like a wall was being lifted in my mind. I caught on pretty quickly and things about ghosts came back to me. Kind of weird how amnesia (though Gear insisted that it was related more to Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome than amnesia) worked. Though it was extremely weird to think I knew more about ghosts then I did myself. Gear insisted that it was normal- something about the mind always blocking more about yourself (I wasn't paying attention cause she babbled).

I shook my head. Either way today was the day I started at Bayville High School. I quickly got dressed. I changed into some normal jeans and that white and red shirt that I noticed when we first moved in. I walked downstairs and didn't see anyone. Was Gear still sleeping? I glanced at the clock. We had thirty minutes to get to school. Was that enough time? Shaking my head I ventured into a land that no man has gone before- Gear's bedroom. I desperately hoped that she wouldn't end me for looking into it- I said end because I was already dead.

I slowly opened the door, praying that she didn't have weaponry ready to shot if the password wasn't said. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for her to curse at me or some weapon to shot. There was nothing. Slowly opening my eyes and creaking the door open more so I could walk through, I looked around. Her bedroom was… more normal than I thought it would be. Unlike the rest of the house, her walls weren't gray. Well maybe they were, but it was hard to tell since every single inch of visible wall was covered with either a blueprint design, metal, or a computer screen (that was only on one wall actually). Aside from the blueprints, metal, the computer screens on one of the walls, and the various tools and gadgets laying around, it was a normal room. There was a large king-size bed with royal purple covers that didn't appear to have been slept in (Gear didn't strike me as the type to make her bed). Laying on it, aside from the pillows and the few gadgets, was a stuffed seal.

Raising an eyebrow, I picked up the seal. There was a small collar and tag on it. I read the tag, Mr. Silkie. I chuckled to myself.

"You put Mr. Silkie down, you intruder," a deadly voice said from behind me.

Gulping, I slowly turned, raising my hands to show in defense after I slowly put the stuffed animal back on its place on the bed. She stood there with her eyes narrowed and her arms across her chest.

"Touch Silkie again and you'll be an ectoplasmic stain, got it? Now let's go, we have school!"

She turned and left so I followed suit all the way to the truck.

"So where were you," I asked, "I checked the kitchen and living room that's why I went into your room."

"Two things dude. One, I was up all night- I usually do that. It's actually kind of rare for me to sleep since my mind's always on overdrive."

As a ghost, I didn't need to sleep anymore though I vaguely recalled something saying that newer ghosts did sleep to get energy so I might have to sleep soon. Though I knew Gear was a human (Grated, after hearing about the mutants and seeing some of her inventions I sometimes thought she was more mutant than human), and she needed her sleep. It wasn't healthy to go without sleep. I made a silent vow that whenever she does sleep to let her sleep and not disturb her.

"Two, one of the reasons I warned you to not go into my room is because a good portion of the time I don't bother with pajamas."

I looked at her horrified as she just laughed.

I had to wait out in the hall as Gear went inside to get our schedules. I recalled that our names (in the school system) was going to be Gywn Gia and Danny Tempest. According to her, it was her real name and she could use it since her real name was clean (apparently she just used alias names on almost everything else). It was a bit of a bummer 'cause I was kind of hoping that she would put my fake name as Danny Parker, I liked that last name. I wasn't even sure what she put for the rest of the information needed to enroll (except that she was going to a senior and I would be two years below her). She did briefly mention that we were going to be cousins (it took a lot of paperwork so that I had birth certificates all the way to fake doctor records). Of course, I did voice some concern- like what about her family finding out? Though according to her, all of her family members were dead. She was last Gia- her grandparents died a long time ago before she was born, her parents died when she was fourteen, and the only member aside from her that was alive was her abusive drunk uncle that according to her 'was dead to her.' I regretted asking not soon after that statement.

The cover story was that my father (and her uncle) 'Charles W. Tempest' was our guardian (she faked signatures really well and as for the name, it didn't take a genius to figure out she based the name off of Clockwork) but he worked so much that Gear get registered as legally independent (oddly enough her real name Gywn Gia was registered to be legally independent and according to her it has been that way for a long time). Everything was going to work.

"Hello," someone greeted from behind me.

I turned to see a redheaded girl smiling at me. She looked to be about Gear's age, maybe a year behind.

"I'm Jean, you must be one of the new students? Don't worry, I'm with Student Council- I was one of the ones to help prepare your papers."

"Hey," I smiled and shook her hand, "Name's Danny."

"Well welcome to Bayville High, Danny. Do you have your schedule yet?"

"No," I rubbed at the back of my neck sheepishly, "My cousin is getting them."

At that moment, the door opened and Gear walked through. Honestly, I was a bit surprised now that I realized what she was wearing- jeans, a black tank top, combat boots, which was all normal and all until I saw that she was still wearing her yellow-tinted goggles, her metallic belt, and her metal arm band (both of which she had explained had various tools and internet access for cases and emergences). She was muttering to herself in a different language as she looked over the schedule. She handed me mine,

"Dude, you wouldn't believe the issues this school has and- oh hey."

She nodded towards Jean, who smiled back.

"You must be the other new student, Gywn Gia?"

"Gear," Gear corrected, "The nickname's Gear and I prefer to be called it."

"Gear," Jean asked skeptically.

"Yep. Long story short, I'm wicked sweet with tech."

The way she said it didn't sound smug, more that she was just stating a fact. Jean nodded politely and was about to say something, but a guy down at the end of the hall was calling her name causing her to run off. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Gear leaned over and whispered,

"That was one of the mutants- Jean Grey. Pretty sure she has telepathy and telekinesis though sources may be wrong. So when you're with her, feel free to think things that would hint that you're a mutant. I'll do the same- thinking you're a mutant I mean 'cause I ain't."

"Why can't you be," I asked curiously, "I mean, you're intelligence has to be superhuman."

"Flattery gets your everywhere," Gear winked, "but nah- ain't my style. You, on the other hand, can totally pass for it. Now get to class Double D, don't want you getting in trouble on the first day. Shoo!"

She all but shoved me down the hall in the direction of my first class. I wondered if maybe, just maybe, the plan might work.