Crossed Wires

[ApfelSeine]

Hundreds of students were bustling about the large courtyard of the Hawthorne Academy campus, chatting with each other and milling about in their socially dictated friend groups. Faye stood by the gate, looking up at the imposing buildings which stretched high above her. From where she was standing, it almost seemed as though the buildings boxed them off from the sky. Glancing behind her, Faye met the gaze of her older brother Seth, who had escorted her to the school for her first day. The blond met her gaze and gave her a shrug in response.


With a sigh, Faye turned her gaze back towards the school, psyching herself up for the day ahead of her. Part of her wished that her brother would walk her all the way to class, but she knew he would stubbornly refuse to get anywhere near 'the stuck up prep students' as he called them. It wasn't an entirely accurate description, or at least Faye didn't think so. Neither of them had met any of the other students though, so it would remain to be seen which of them was right.


Looking around, Faye caught the gaze of another girl about her age. Faye smiled at the girl, but the girl promptly turned away and started whispering to her friends. It was somewhat disconcerting, but that was only one person. There were thousands of students in the school, and surely at least one of them would be friendly. Undaunted, Faye made her way to her designated class, sitting down in the seat with her name hovering over it. It was somewhat of a relief to have assigned seating, as it saved Faye the trouble of figuring out who she could sit next to without bothering.


As she settled into her seat, she could swear that she heard whispering. Glancing discreetly behind her, she couldn't find the source of it. Perhaps she was being paranoid. Slightly unnerved, Faye sat up straight and focused her attention on the front of the room. Although it was not time for the class to begin yet, she knew that if she looked around and stared at people too much, she'd stand out much more than she should as someone who had never been in a classroom setting before. At least not that she could remember. If she was lucky though, a nice, friendly student would be sitting next to her and help her fit in. She could only hope.

 

[Scorpio]

"You think they'll be an issue Marcov?" His friend Franklin asked as the two strode across the upper levels of the academy where the Chess club's room was. Macrov shrugged, his friend asking about some new members that had joined the club thinking they were hot stuff.


"I know how to play then as well as the game. How are the other Two doing?" He said as he and franklin discussed business, stepping into a high speed elevator and getting shot down through the levels. They continued to chat for a good few minutes as they landed on their level and walked to their new classroom. Marcov went into his first classroom, spotting his assigned desk. Next to him was some new girl he hadn't seen before and his eyebrow whirled. This would be interesting.


he went to his seat, and glanced at her before looking ahead while he spoke, "New student I presume?"

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye was somewhat startled out of her train of thought with the appearance of her seatmate. She smiled at him, hoping that she was coming across as friendly. The only person close to her age that she'd really been able to practice that on was her brother, and he didn't exactly provide the best practice. Hopefully people out in normal society weren't such grouches. The boy sitting next to her seemed friendly enough, so she was already well on her way to proving her brother wrong. She'd have to rub his face in it when she got home.


"Yes, that's right," Faye replied, nodding. "I took the test last summer and placed in. My name is Faye. What's your name?"


She shifted in her seat, regarding the boy curiously. It was difficult not to get too invested in wanting this boy to be her friend. After all, it was rare that she found someone who actually initiated a conversation with her. She had to hope that spending all her time around science focused hermits hadn't stunted her social skills too badly.

 

[Scorpio]

Marcov was amused; the girl was eager to become friends, that much was obvious. Lower class he'd say but if she tested in, she tested in. At the very least she'd have entertainment value and besides, each of the triad was constantly jostling to make more students part of their respective spheres- Hamilton's being athletics, Antonio's being academics, and his own being the more social stuff. You could be part of them all but the everyone eventually cultivated an allegiance to one of the three. Ever since they had taken over freshman year they had set it up this way as a competition between three friends and a very real power struggle. If she turned out to be a hidden talent it'd only be a bonus. "My name is Macrov. I've gone here since freshman year. I'm the Treasurer and the Chess Club president amongst other things." The other things being three other positions. Plus she was a girl. He needed more girls in his group before everyone knew he was gay- Franklin already knew and that was too many. There wasn't a stigma anymore, if you weren't a wealthy heir that was expected to have a kid with some woman at some point. He'd like to hold off dealing with that controversy until he had actually found a guy he cared for.

 

[ApfelSeine]

"Wow! That must keep you busy," Faye said, looking somewhat awed.


Truthfully, she wasn't sure what the normal level of activity was for high school students, but it certainly sounded impressive. She wondered if clubs were the way that people made friends. It seemed likely. From what little she knew about the concept, Faye was aware of the fact that it was a gathering of like minded individuals, which according to her research  was the opportune setting for befriending others. She'd asked her brother, but his grumpy response was somewhat lacking in regard to actual substance. She'd simply have to confirm for herself.


"How does one go about joining one of these 'clubs'?" she asked, tilting her head curiously as she regarded Marcov.

 

[Scorpio]

He blinked and smiled,"Ah, in that case you simply have to express interest to the club president. They'll decide if they can admit you or not and then you can join. Was there anything specific you'd like to join?" He asked curiously, interested to know what she'd reply with.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye paused, taking a moment to mull over the question. She didn't have anything in particular in mind, though she had a vague sense of what types of clubs were likely to exist. Still, she didn't have that solid an understanding of how clubs worked, or what specific clubs would be the best to make friends with. Perhaps some kind of sport, since teamwork would lend itself well to strong bonds, Though conversely, if she didn't perform well it would just result in fostering resentment. Though considering the fact that she was with someone knowledgeable about clubs, she could simply ask.


"I'm not really sure what to join. I enjoy trying new things, but there's not much in particular that I'm interested in already," she replied. "Seeing as how I'm new though, I would like to join a club which is easy to make friends in. Is there a club that would be good for that?"

 

[Scorpio]

Marcov frowned a bit. "I wouldn't say there's any one club like that. The clic culture is very strong here, so having a shared interest is more likely to get you into one of the pre existing friend groups." He shrugged, "The closest thing to what you're talking about is the honors club- it's an academic elitist club but they look after their own. Beyond tha everyting is very much focused on interests or future careers."

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye smiled and shook her head a little in response. It was a shame that there wasn't a more generic or broadly reaching club. Still, she would have to join something, so she may as well try to narrow her specifications.


"Does this school have a robotics team?" she asked. "That's one of the things I'm particularly knowledgeable about, though I know that not a lot of the people at this school are likely to do engineering work. At least, that's what I've heard."

 

[Scorpio]

Macrov nodded, "You've been informed correctly. I do think we have a robotics team though its rather small, only a few people really. Its not that impressive if you want me opinion but if you enjoy it you may like it there."

 

[ApfelSeine]

"I might look into it, if only to see what type of projects they do," Faye replied. "More important than joining the right club will be making friends and connections here though. I know that's big goal for a lot of the people here, even though most of them already have the advantage of connections before they started attending this school."


She shrugged a bit, regarding Marcov somewhat curiously. She wondered whether Marcov had similar goals to what she'd heard was the main focus of most of the students. In an age where memory and processing speed could be enhanced well beyond a person's default capabilities, school almost seemed redundant. It wasn't as though people were able to have knowledge funnel directly into their brains though, so there was still a purpose, even if most of the hard work was done by cybernetic enhancements. Before her train of thought could wander off too much however, she flashed Marcov a smile.


"How hard is it to find one's niche in a school like this?"

 

[Scorpio]

"A niche?" Marcov said with a raised eyebrow, "Whatever do you mean by niche? If you're reffering to something that makes you a special snowflake... then sure, easy enough I suppose." He said with a shrug. "There's lots of things here at the school so quite honestly its not hard to find SOMETHING to do with your life."


He stretched, "If you get into any... competitive card or board games like chess let me know, I'll give you some help."

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye looked rather bewildered at Marcov's confusion, but she listened patiently to his response. She wondered if the word she'd used was too broad for what she meant. With amnesia, she did often forget things that she'd learned a long ways back. Though her grasp of terminology had always been strong... it didn't make sense to dwell on the matter either way though. Clarification would be the logical way to convey what she was looking for.


"It seems like there's almost too much to choose from," Faye remarked with a shrug. "I honestly don't think finding a way to stand out is important. I'd much rather fit in if that's possible... I would like to figure out what my place in this school is, and to do that I've got to try different things to get a better sense of it. At least, that's how it seems. With that in mind, I wouldn't mind trying out competitive games like the ones you've mentioned. I haven't really played anything like that before, neither my father or brother seem very interested in it, but I have wanted to try for some time."

 

[Scorpio]

Macrov understood what she was asking- So many came here looking to be the next big thing in something. Having the idea to be part of the group would benefit her much more than some all-star thinking.


"Ah I understand; the diversity can be a bit overwhelming but in all honesty its mostly counter balanced by the fact that school and the people from it are your life while you're here. There aren't many distractions so most people can be a part of many groups and activities. But yes, newbies tend to spend a year exploring before settling down in an area of the school. It'd be wise to do something similar. And of course I'll help you out," Macrov flashed a smirk, "Competitive games are our worst kept secret, but a secret they still are. Even if you know they exist you'll need help getting to them. I'll gladly help there."

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye's eyes sparkled excitedly and she flashed Marcov a cheerful grin. She'd only ever heard stories and had a vague understanding of things like games and hobbies. Her own family's interests were so straight forward that Faye hadn't had much chance to explore many new things. She was positively ecstatic as being able to have the opportunity to try something new. She would certainly have to brag to Seth about all the great experiences that she was sure to have. That would put a dent in his gloomy, know-it-all attitude. He didn't seem to like the idea of Faye spending time with the students at the school, but she was already planning how best to show off to him when she inevitably brought home a new friend for the first time.


"Thank you so much Marcov! I'm looking forward to getting to try out competitive games," Faye replied. "When do you think you'll have time to show me how to get to them?"

 

[Scorpio]

Macrov almost laughed at her excitement, "Whenever I know you're good enough not to embarrass yourself on your first night out," He said truthfully and good naturedly. He didn't want either of their reputations to be sullied in certain circles- he doubted the girl expected the types of competitions he referred to but they were after all the moist lucrative part of the more mentally focused games. Neitehr of them were likely to get big signing contracts so money was made other ways.

 

[ApfelSeine]

"Ah, well I hope that will be soon," Faye said, tilting her head slightly in bewilderment. "I'm a pretty fast learner, if I do say so myself, so as long as the rules are explained to me I'm sure I'll get the hang of it."


It was true that Faye tended to learn quickly. She had a particularly sharp memory, and didn't tend to forget anything. At least, anything after the date she contracted amnesia. Faye often wondered if she'd be able to remember all the way back to her childhood if she hadn't lost her memory in the accident. But it was a rather silly thing to spend much time thinking about it, since she'd likely never know the answer. Instead, she focused her attention in on Marcov, wondering how challenging the games would be. There would likely be more to it than raw intellect, and the prospect of that sort of challenge made it particularly interesting to Faye.

 

[Scorpio]

Macrov nodded as the class for ready to start. "we'll have to have a game later to see just how good you can be," he said as the teacher began to get ready to start the class


he didn't pay much attention- his enhancements meant he could record practically any lecture without him even thinking about the implants. However it kept him from from falling asleep at least.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye listened cheerfully to the class, enjoying the novelty of learning from another person for a change instead of from a computer screen. Perhaps she would get used to it eventually, but she found it preferable to teaching herself. Perhaps she was simply well suited to it though. She couldn't imagine her brother sitting through a class like this. When the class has finished, Faye turned to Marcov.


"I'm sure you've probably got things to do, but thanks for helping me figure out this extracurricular thing," Faye said. "I'll give you contact info, and you can just send me a text when and where you want to do this game. I don't want to impose you too much, but I'll be ready whenever you are."


She flashed him a confident grin, all keyed up and excited at the prospect of proving herself.

 

[Scorpio]

"It was a pleasure; send me your information to my holodeck," Macrov said, twirling it around, "What is your next class then?:

 

[ApfelSeine]

"Its physics," Faye said, without missing a beat.


With her memory, it was incredibly easy to remember such details. She'd only had to read her schedule once before the times and locations were ingrained in her memory. It was so good that Faye had to wonder if she'd received cybernetic enhancements on her memory at some point. She'd brought up the idea to Seth once before and he'd gotten weirdly testy about it, and her father had simply insisted that she must have a photogenic memory, which was rare but it did happen biologically. It was all rather odd the way they reacted about it, so Faye didn't press the issue.


"What's yours?" she asked curiously, tilting her head as she regarded Marcov.

 

[Scorpio]

He arched an eyebrow, "Ah, creative writing myself. I suppose I will see you later. It was lovely meeting you, I'll send you a text whenever you're rerady." He nodded to her as he gathered his stuff and made to l;eave.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye grinned and nodded as she set about typing in her contact info to send to Marcov. She was hoping to see him again soon, and she was immensely pleased that he seemed to have enjoyed meeting her just as she had enjoyed meeting him.


"Yes, I'll see you around," she said cheerfully as she sent him the info and quickly gathered up her bag so that she could be headed to class.

 

[Scorpio]

Macrov was sitting on a balcony, drinking some hot chocolate as he texted for Faye to meet him there. He had a chess board all set up and ready. He was interested to see juist how good this newbie actually was.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Faye stepped onto the balcony, waving cheerfully as she approached him. She paused as she reached the chess board, regarding it curiously before sitting down beside it and studying it thoughtfully.


"Is this the game you wanted me to play?" she asked.