Jessica was still adapting to this new school having arrived from… elsewhere.
She wasn’t like others here- which while sure many girls her age would say that when trying to make friends, she really wasn’t like them in a huge number of ways.
There had been a couple of close calls but yes- this time she was sure everything would work out fine. No problems at all. She had introduced herself to the Headmaster and submitted all her papers correctly, with a bit of assistance- computers could be a such a bother but yes this time there should be no issues at all.
She hoped anyway that this time she was not going to be any trouble. Walking along the corridors of the High-School. “Easy.. it’s okay- you look just like everyone else- just play it cool as they say-” As -’they’ say…
She was a fairly average looking girl with brunette and dark brown eyes. Small freckles on her features she wasn’t exactly ‘curvy’ though people said she had a nice figure- though she would have to take their word for it. She was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. There were a lot of things she had to get used to. Being in a new place was always a bit unsettling though despite all the.. other things.
“I wonder if I’ll ever see my home again…” It felt far away but every day it was getting closer. She could sense it. She just had to be patient. It had been a few months but soon-
“Hey girl!” A teenage boy waved. “You seem lost. What’s up?”
Jessica looked momentarily taken aback. The boy seemed friendly enough. He was wearing one of those red jackets and a darker set of blue jeans. His hair was a dark black and slightly tanned features. Physically he looked quite strong with broad shoulders. Though Jessica had to blink a few times realizing she was looking at him a bit too long. “Uh- I just transferred here. I was looking at my schedule and … maybe some clubs.”
“Oh? Well, there’s lots of clubs. I’m heading there too. Come on I’ll show you around. My name is Ethan by the way.” He walked confidently with Jessica. “So what’s your name?”
“J-Jessica.” She glanced around as she was lead across the maze of corridors and down towards another floor. This place was much larger then other places- oh right stairs- that was something to master here. “You want to find a club too?”
”Yeah, but I haven't really decided on what yet. Something to make me a more ‘rounded person’ or something like that. I kinda wish there was something a bit more exciting to do… all these extra things are too nerdy for me.”
“Nerdy Oh- right- nerdy.” She laughed a bit. It wasn’t really a word she understood all that well and it had been used to describe herself at times. That was until she mastered blending in anyway. Still she was curious about one thing and it was the one question she always asked in a new place. “Well- actually I don’t suppose there’s a… magic club?”
Ethan stopped. “A what?”
“You know. Magic?” Was that a weird thing to wonder? Still she had to find out.
“Heh, Magic?” Ethan thought about it. He had seen one but it seemed a strange club. “You mean like the Occult stuff? Eh sure, bunch of weirdos though- I don’t think you’ll fit in with them. You’re too…”
Jessica arched an eyebrow. “Too…?”
“… nice I guess- uh- anyway- magic isn’t even real.”
“Well-” Jessica wondered what to say to that but shrugged. “What do they do?”
“It’s just a bunch of people on a ouija board trying to contact the dead. Spooky stuff but I dunno. They dress up with cloaks and pointy hats- never grew out of their Halloween phase. Anyway if that is your interest, that’s their door over there. The one with the pentagram on it. It’s not going to help you get a job or anything though.”
Jessica hummed a little pausing at the door. The pentagram symbol was… rather ordinary really, printed on scrappy pierce of paper. There was an air of disappointment in her gaze… She placed her hand on the door pausing for a moment.
Ethan watched Jessica touch the door without going inside tilting his head slightly. “So… you some sort of witch then?”
“Ah- what ever gave you that idea! I was just wondering if- you know- I could-” Jessica laughed. It was a bit silly.. “Well- I guess it isn’t for me after all.” She sounded vaguely disappointed.
Ethan seemed relieved about that. “There’s plenty of clubs. Chess maybe? Books? Art? Hm… I hope there’s something a bit more sporty for me though.”
Jessica nodded. “I suppose I should-” Then she froze. A spark… something- there was something here. She had almost forgotten that feeling… could it be? Someone else… someone other then her. Yes there was no mistaking it. She started to run down the corridors, as fast as she could while Ethan ran after her.
“Hey- where are you going?”
Jessica paused as she turned to the left. yes- it was here. Here! Just a few moments ago? “What’s- What-s this room?”
Ethan glanced at the other club door. “Oh that’s the Radio club.”
“Radio…?” The girl gave a curious look like- well as if she had never heard of it before.
“yeah- even nerdier then the guys who play D&D if you ask me. Who even listens to the radio any more?”
Jessica had to go in and see. That… feeling. It was here. Slowly she opened the door to the Radio-Club.
Inside… was the typical radio equipment from various decades. However it looked like something a bit more ‘elaborate’ was being created here too. She had no idea what was going on with all the strange machines. Working on one of the machines was a young teenage boy with glasses and another girl who was tuning something. The girl was quite short, and slender. She appeared to be of oriental decent.
The nerdy looking boy had short black hair, and greasy looking hair. He was of average height with pale skin. A bit of acne on his features made him look like quite the nerd. “Oh- visitors? Hey!” He smiled. “Interested in joining the radio-club?”
Ethan glanced around not understanding ‘anything’ in this weird place and mostly just had an expression of disdain.
Jessica however looked quite excited. “I- well-” Was it him? She tried to sense it again but it wasn’t around any more.
“Welcome!” called a girl who was under the desk for some reason. She appeared to be an oriental looking girl with small pig-tails. She had a very innocent look about her. “I’m Yumi it’s nice to meet you.” She looked to be about twelve at best- she was helpin with the radio?
“I’m Marty,” The other boy waved. Marty was probably older, though not by much.
“Uh, I’m Jessica and this is Ethan.” She said- then waved quickly as if it was something she had to somehow remember to do. “So- what stuff do you do?”
“We are at the moment trying to listen for Extra-terrestrial signals from beyond the stars!” Marty said pointing a finger upward with dramatic flare.
Yumi responded with a light cough. “Actually- we’re just seeing if we can contact the International space station with the equipment we have here.” She shook her head. “I don’t think we have near enough power though no matter how much I adapt. Budget is too low.” Despite her youth it seemed Yumi knew her stuff. Was she the brains of this outfit?
Ethan chuckled. “Heh. You guys are such nerds. Aliens? Give me a break,” he groaned again in annoyance. “What next, looking for the Easter Bunny?”
Jessica gave a little smile with an odd expression, her arms behind her back. This was probably the most interesting club she had seen so far. “So… can you show me what you were doing before?”
Yumi sighed. “Oh you saw the light flicker? There was a little power surge in the capacitors.”
Marty gave another excited look. “Then we heard that message. It had to be aliens! I got it recorded and we’re just trying to clear it up.”
Yumi gave another shake of her head. “Just background noise, probably some pop-song with a lot of interference.”
“Can I hear it?” Jessica asked.
“Sure.” Yumi once again got under the table. “Connecting the circuits now.”
Ethan sighed. This was dull and boring. Why in the world was Jessica interested in this crazy stuff? First magic now aliens? The poor girl was going to be taken in by all these crazy people. All he wanted to do was find a club to excel in and be worthwhile to put on his record. Even golf at this point would be better!
Then they heard it from the speakers. A strange sound- a melody. It felt kind of odd to Ethan like a silken feeling inside his head. He wasn’t entirely sure he liked it given how it felt like it vibrated his bones with every strange beat. There was something.. enticing about it.
It seemed that everyone here was listening to it surprised at the aluring music.
Ethan sighed. “It almost sounds.. sad? No… uh… is that a girl?”
Jessica seemed to widen her eyes. “That sound… oh no- uh- can you maybe turn that off-”
At that moment the door behind them as another Jock or something came in with his girlfriend. “Huh? Oh man, looks like the rooms busy.” He sighed.
Ethan glanced at the two as the strange ‘music’ played. That was Michelle and Dean. Ethan knew Dean a bit but knew he was oe of those ‘big shots’, star quarterback types. “What’s wrong?”
“Urgh, what is that horrible noise?” Michelle groaned. “Turn it off!”
Horrible? Ethan seemed surprised at that. How could anyone think this was horrible?
“How do you turn it off?” Jessica asked starting to go into a full blown panic for some reason. Unnoticed to anyone something underneath her hair started to twitch-
“Oh just turn this dial on the speaker.” Ethan suggested. However Ethan had turned something and now the signal was somehow deeper… strangely echoing across the room. It was like reality itself had done some strange ‘implosion’ causing everyone in the room to freeze. A spark from the radio seem to make the sound die down.
“Oh man no! That cost us $200!” Marty looked crushed. “That was the amplitude modulator not the off switch you moron!”
“Whatever, let’s find somewhere else to make out,” Dean said to Michelle as they walked out with a little buzzing in their ears.
Ethan however was staring at Jessica. Her ears looked longer somehow? Like- almost like that of an elf. “Uh- Jessica?”
Jessica blinked a bit and looked at the way Ethan was looking at her. “Oh- I gotta go! Maybe I’ll visit the clubs later uh- got a big homework assignment you know ha- take care!” With that she ran off.
“Your girlfriend is weird.” Said Marty.
“Very weird” agreed Yumi with a nod crossing her arms.
“Hey- uh- she’s not my girlfriend. We only just met… anyway um- I got to go too anyway. You kids stay out of trouble.”
Yumi sighed. “Teenagers.” She looked back over the equipment. “I guess that was a bust- we’ll have to start all over again…”
Jessica was in the girls bathroom quickly looking over her features. “That was a close one.” Hopefully nobody noticed… she didn’t want to just pack up and leave all over again. Still she was quite excited. “I might be able to go home…”
That strange machine could get a message out right?
… Maybe.
Dean walked with Michelle towards another end of the college. Of course he was rather disappointed that their usual ‘make out’ spot had been taken over for the day. He enjoyed spending time with his girlfriend, Michelle the cheerleader. It was a rather stereotypical romance of sorts between a jock and a cheerleader.
Michelle of course used Dean to score some social ladder points. Did she love him? Eh… well until something ‘better’ turned up.
Though for Dean he felt like that strange music was still somehow inside his head. It was an odd ear worm that was hard to let go. The music felt oddly… familiar? Like an old show or something. He found himself humming it a little as if to try and get that resolution. How did it end?
“This looks like a nice spot,” Michelle winked. She gently pulled him closer wrapping into a kiss. “I’m so glad you’re helping me with all my work.”
“Oh- no problem babe.” Dean wasn’t exactly all muscle though that was his strength. He did have a good brain too and Michelle seemed to be capitalizing on that. However that was when she noticed something.
“Hm?” It was like when she held him Dean felt… smaller? She was used to looking up at him but now they were the same height. At first she thought he was slouching but then something else- something ‘very’ strange began to happen… The teenager placed a hand on his face in confusion feeling how smooth his skin had become His eyes widened and seemed to get locked in that surprised look as he stared at his hands with fingers elongating and stretching out strangely. “Ah- Oh- This itches- Help!” He cried out.
Michelle was looking all the more in confusion as suddenly Dean seem to just shrink. Though to be honest if Dean had suddenly become larger like a were-wolf she would have likely bolted and ran. At this point though with Dean becoming only about four feet tall, she became curious.
The feathers began to turn a curious brownish red colour while his hair took on the same curious red. His shoes exploded outward as massive talons erupted from them!
“Ah- oh God what’s happening to me!” He tripped out of his shoes as the talons forced him to take a weird position standing on- tip toes? Something like that.
Dean seemed to have become some kind of.. bird-boy? Though with the way his cheekbones looked and his larger eyes… actually- there was something odd. Dean’s voice began to go high and squeaky. “Help!” He said as his voice was now quite girly…
Michelle had seen enough and just ran!
Ethan was surprised when it was announced that school would be ending early. There appeared to be an ambulance outside and… well- someone was being brought inside. He guessed there had been some kind of accident. However judging by the size of the blanket it was probably some kid.
“I hope he’s okay,” Ethan quietly thought.
Still a day off was pretty good to have.
“Apparently someone got some kind of illness,” A voice muttered.
Ethan listened to the rumours However it was clear when he heard it was Dean. Somehow Dean got hurt? He hoped he was okay…
Then he looked towards Jessica who for some reason was looking increasingly nervous and paranoid.
“You okay?” Ethan asked. “I’m sure Dean’s okay.”
“Oh- Yeah absolutely! I’m sure he’s just fine…” She quietly bit her lip. “So uh- I was thinking to visit Dean to make sure he’s okay. Do you happen to know where he lives?”
“I dunno…” Ethan was a bit cautious on that. It wasn’t like he was close to him or anything like that. Still it was nice that Jessica was so concerned about him. “I guess- well- I know where he lives, we can pay him a visit sure.”
“Great! I appreciate it.”
