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jeremy looks up at the tall brick building in front of him, apprehension quickly rising. not many people had arrived yet since it was seven a.m., and jeremy was thankful for that. that gave him more time to prepare for what was ahead.
paradise, ohio, was a small town, practically a ghost town with how far the houses were spread out. everyone knew everyone here. that meant that he'd have to keep his head down, lest even one person caught on about who he was, what he was. he knew his cêpan would hate to move so soon after the incident that happened in florida. jeremy didn't exactly find the situation ideal, either. he was tired of moving around. he just wanted at least a bit of normalcy and if that meant he'd have to finish high school for the fifth time, then so be it.
but he knew that wasn't going to happen. the real world didn't work like that. florida would happen again, but to someone else.
and speaking of florida,
he hadn't known number three well, but when the symbol had burned itself into his skin, he had the odd feeling that he had lost someone important. the witnesses on the beach had been accurately terrified, and the two had been sent packing again. but the one thing about it that was different from the rest, was that he saw three's death in a sort of water hologram thing.
he remembered number two. maggie hoyle had been one of the smallest garde sent to earth. she had been quiet, unlike the others on the ship. he preferred hanging out with her and number seven over the others and their boisterous natures. her symbol had shown up a few years before three's had.
number one had always felt out of reach to him. not in the literal sense, but she was someone he wanted to be. sure, she had been a little more aggressive than some of the others, but she always meant well in her actions, and she was someone that could be counted on, someone that knew things. he had been surprised when her symbol appeared on his leg, he had believed that she would have survived way longer than she did.
but the universe wasn't that predictable.
and he was next. the mogadorians would be looking for him now. the next in line, and it was all because of a stupid charm that had been put onto the group, not allowing them to be killed out of their number order unless two of them came into contact.
"hey," a hand lands on his shoulder, and he jumps. paul adopts a look of guilt before shaking it off. "just be careful, okay? maybe make a few friends?" jeremy's nervousness wanes a little, but not much at his kind gesture. he knew paul meant well, but jeremy always felt like he fell short. sure, the man was definitely a legal and technological genius, but his social skills were practically nonexistent.
"i-" jeremy glances at the school and the few teens that were hanging around the entrance before looking back at paul. "i'll try." he gives jeremy an encouraging grin before getting back into the small jeep and speeding away.
jeremy turns back to the building, letting out a breath as he steps forward. one step, two, three, and there's the door. don't be nervous, you'll be fine.
the small coil in his stomach unravels a little once he moves into the school. that was one task done, and about fifty left.
"you seem lost." his head whips around to see a girl that was slightly taller than him, a yellow cardigan hanging off her shoulders and a camera in her hands. "smile." she doesn't give him a minute before there's a bright light going off in his face. he catches her sympathetic glance after rubbing the black dots away. "sorry, i thought the flash was off."
"it-it's fine," he cringes imperceptibly at the stuttering, but he guesses that can't really be helped now. besides, it's not like it didn't happen almost every time he opened his mouth. "and-uh yeah. i-i'm looking for the office?"
"you're new?" she looks a little excited at the fact.
jeremy's hand gravitates to the back of his neck. "is it that obvious?" she giggles before grabbing his other hand. he tenses up for a moment before loosening at the sudden movement.
"i'll show you. i'm brooke, by the way. brooke hart." a soft smile appears on his face as she tugs on his hand. and, for some reason, as she pulls him along, he gets the feeling that this is the start of something big.