For Juno.

[lydiascreams]

Lydia was looking forward to going back to school. Even if the semester was almost over with, all her friends were there and here, no one was going to be staring at her like they had been back home. No one knew about anything that had happened, not even her friends. And here? Her friends were actually going to be at school with her. Even Allison. Especially Allison.

She had already finished up the paperwork and she was now sitting outside the principal's office, waiting for a senior who was supposed to be showing her around. Not that she really needed a stranger to do that considering she already knew people at school but she supposed she should start building her social circle here now.

Back home she was the Queen Bee, the most popular girl in school. Even now, after everything she's been through and her circle of friends changed. Even after Jackson left. She had built that image for herself and she had kept it. People just expected her to look and be perfect all the time. And while Lydia didn't plan on changing that, she was excited to trying it at a place where no one knew her. Where she didn't have to be the Lydia Martin.

Comments

[thecautionarywhale]

“Hey,” Juno knows that she’s running late, bouncing up to the girl she hopes is the one she’s supposed to me meeting. It isn’t her fault, she would swear it up and down. Mister Dirtwiler had it out for Juno and had insisted on waiting until the Principal’s secretary returned his call before letting her leave study hall. “Sorry I’m late. Dick of a teacher on a power trip, man, some things never change no matter the town. Are you Lydia?”

She sticks her hand out, still moving at full speed. “I’m Juno, and I get to show you around this illustrious pile of bricks.”

[lydiascreams]

Lydia stands up and smiles at the girl, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "I haven't been here long. Nice meeting you, Juno. I am Lydia." Obviously but she figures she'll confirm it anyway.

Having to introduce herself to people around school is definitely going to be new considering back home she's been going to school with the same people since kindergarten. "I take it you're glad you're graduating?"

[thecautionarywhale]

"Finally and not a moment too soon," she says, not really thinking that it puts a bad slant on the school, or school in general. Juno nods down one of the halls, heading toward the centre of the building first. "It's weird, y'know? Half the people here think they've always been here. History is a joke, just about Darrow, but we still read Shakespeare? It's bizarre."

[lydiascreams]

Lydia doesn't mind it. She knows most people feel that way about school. For her, it's the normalcy of it she likes to hold on to. The homework, the studying, the classes, sitting at lunch with her friends. School itself has always been extremely easy for her, but she finds comfort in it. She always has because she always got a lot more attention at school than she does at home, but now, especially, she craves the lack of supernatural, the experience that someone her age should be going through.

"That sounds-- like it doesn't make sense at all. How do they explain the UK if all that exists is the Darrow?" She asks curiously. "Or-- I'm guessing it's one of those things we're not supposed to question?"

[thecautionarywhale]

"Right? It's exactly the problem, and it is crazy. But don't bring it up, because it goes down like a bag of kittens with a brick tied around it." Maybe not the nicest analogy, but it's how she feels every single time she's pointed out the issue in class. "Generally never mention home unless you know someone is also not from here, even if it drives you crazy to not."

[lydiascreams]

While she winces at the analogy, she nods in understanding. She has experience with feeling like she's going crazy and trying to hide it, at least this time, she will know for sure she's okay and just to keep on hiding it. And she does hiding really well.

"Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind. Shouldn't be too bad since my closest friends are also here, at least I can talk to them."

[thecautionarywhale]

"Seriously? Does everyone have friends here?" Juno feels like it sometimes, that most people have at least one friend from hime, even if she knows that isn't true. "Where are you from anyway?"

[lydiascreams]

"My hometown is known for weird, so I guess this isn't a surprise. I'm from Beacon Hills, California. You?"

She's really grateful her friends are there, especially Allison considering what happened back home. And she doesn't even want to think about what would happen if she was sent back again.

[thecautionarywhale]

"Do you guys have some sort of special Darrow access route?" Juno laughs, pointing at the cafeteria and gymnasium as they pass. There has to be some weirdness happening with the numver of Beacon Hills people here. "Do you know Stiles?"

[lydiascreams]

"I'm starting to think so. Most everyone is here." Except for Ethan and Aiden. And Kira. But at least she knew Kira was okay.

She smiles at the mention of Stiles, though. He's certainly a lot better here than he was back home. "Yeah, I know him. And Allison, Scott, Derek. Do you know them?"

[thecautionarywhale]

"Yeah. I met Derek first actually, but Stiles and I hang sometimes. Allison is pretty cool too." Juno has a handful of friends here which sometimes still feels strange to her. Bleeker and Leah had been it at home, but she'd been okay with that too. Quality over quantity she used to say. Here it seems she's getting both, and sometimes she worries that it's too good to be true. "And then there's Mister Stiles. Which, cool, right? Having his father show up?"

[lydiascreams]

"They are a couple of my best friends from back home." And she says that without a hint of shame. A few years ago she'd never have associated with someone like Stiles. But now? She's only sorry she didn't get to know him and Scott before.

"The Sheriff? He's a great man." She only wished her dad was a fraction of the man the Sheriff was.

[thecautionarywhale]

“You’re lucky. Stiles is pretty awesome.” They all are, actually, and it raises Lydia in her estimation to know that she’s friends with people Juno likes so much. “Just don’t get into an argument with him about Star Wars. Dude can go on forever.”

It’s said affectionately, but with the tired sigh of someone who’s had this conversation a few times. “Yeah. I think he’d get along with my Dad. Kinda reminds me of him actually. It’s nice. Weird, but nice.”

[lydiascreams]

"I consider myself pretty lucky," she agrees with a smile. Because she does love her friends now that she has real ones. "Oh I've learned that the hard way. Although I do enjoy criticizing Star Wars 'science' in front of him. His head looks like it could explode."

And then it's her turn to be a little jealous of Juno. Because she wishes she had a dad like Stiles'. Or at least one that was present at all. "Yeah? Guess you're lucky, too."

[thecautionarywhale]

"There's science in Star Wars? Huh." That's a surprise to her, she's always thought that it was more fiction than anything else. "Or wait. You mean there's not, right? I'm not exactly a science whiz. I don't suck at it either, it's just not my thing." Mostly, science class still reminds her of Bleeker, her lab partner for just about forever. "Are you good at it? School, and stuff, I mean."

"Probably. I mean, my mom is a write off, but Dad and Bren always managed to make up for it." It's weird talking about it here, even after the year and a half she's been in this place.

[lydiascreams]

"Oh no, definitely no real science in Star Wars. I mean, lightsabers? Would never work. They are laser beans. They would need a tip to reflect at the end. Not to mention laser doesn't actually clash when they cross each other. At most, they'd cancel each other off," she says, shaking her head then smiles. "I do pretty well at school. I'm a STEM kind of girl," she adds.

Lydia isn't really comfortable with discussing her parents, since her family has always had to look perfect even if they all know they are anything but, so she nods. "That sounds nice. Maybe they'll show up here."

[thecautionarywhale]

“That’s pretty cool.” She’s never put a lot of thought into it, but now that Lydia mentions it, it seems cool. At least kindacool, in a weird, geeky way that she enjoys. “You could write a book on that stuff, probably. I mean, not here. Here half the people haven’t even heard of Star Wars. Which, another thing that will get Stiles going.”

Juno shrugs. She’s past the point of expecting to see either Bren or her dad when she turns around or walks past the train station. “Maybe. Anyway, this is the school. Not huge, not illustrious, but it’s alright, I guess.”