School Daze (Kay, Shuis, E/T, Juvy, cast)

[UAgirl]

Thought it might be easier to understand "My So-Called Life" if you'd read this one. ;)

Yeah, I know, should have thought about that BEFORE I posted it.

LOL!

Hope you enjoy the re-read; I tried to clean it up a bit (that'll make the reposts come a little slower).













Chapter One






"Hey Miguel!" Kay waved, nearly tripping in her haste to catch up with her best friend. Her stomach flip-flopped when he flashed her a brilliant smile, reaching out to steady her.


"Hey Kay. Better watch out where you're going. Don't want you publicly humiliating yourself the first day of school."


"Who? Me?" she asked. "Nah." She laughed.


He rolled his eyes, laughing with her.


"So...what's your schedule like?" she asked, pulling out her own and comparing it to his. "This bites. We only have French together. And I'm really looking forward to THAT," she muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm.


"Hey," Miguel said, draping his arm around her shoulders. "Maybe it won't be that bad."


"Oh god," Kay groaned, spotting one of the single-most annoying people on the planet walking towards them with an idiotic grin plastered on his face. Reese Durkee was the bane of her existence. He just couldn't get it through his fact-filled head she wasn't interested in him that way. Not at all.


Miguel suppressed a grin as Reese kissed Kay on the cheek. She was dying of embarrassment, he was sure.


He finally stopped making googly eyes at Kay long enough to speak to him. "I can't wait for French class. Rumor has it Mrs. Nelson's replacement is a total babe. She's even lived in France. Cool, huh?"


"Sounds good to me," Miguel agreed with a smile.


"Ugh! Guys! Is that all you think about? I bet she's a witch."


"Who's a witch, Kay?" Kay groaned and turned around, coming face to face with the second-most irritating person on the planet. Her kid sister Jessica.


"None of your business. I wasn't talking to you. So butt out." She shot Jessica a withering glare.


"Geesh. Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Jessica shot back over her shoulder as she walked down the hall to her homeroom.


"At least I don't have any classes with HER."


"Come on, Kay. We're going to be late for homeroom," Reese said, pushing his glasses back more firmly on his nose. "I'll carry your books for you," he grinned.


"Uh, no," she said, leaving him in the dust.


Miguel laughed watching Reese follow her like a lost puppy dog. Then he went in the opposite direction to his own homeroom. He waved at Simone across the room as he settled in his seat. Whew, he thought. Just made it before the bell rang. Mrs. Croweley was very strict on tardiness. Very strict, he thought as someone new walked through the door only a minute late.


"Take a seat, young lady," she scowled. "Tardiness is frowned upon in my classroom. I expect you to keep that in mind. Don't make the same mistake again. Is that understood?"


"I'm so sorry," the girl said in a sweet voice. "I'm new here and don't know my way around yet."


Mrs. Croweley just stared at her. She had a way of making a person feel 2 feet tall.


She turned around, scanning the room for an available seat. She found it. Right in front of him.


"Don't mind her," he told the pretty young blond. "She's like that with everyone. The meanest teacher at Harmony High."


"Thanks," she said, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "My name's Charity. Charity Standish. What's yours?"


"My name's..."


"Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald! I won't have you speaking while I'm talking. It's rude and shows bad manners. See me after the bell."


He groaned and slid further into his seat. Only the first day and The Crow already had him nailed. Luis wasn't going to be happy with this. Neither was Mama.


Charity was waiting for him when he walked out of the classroom after a stern warning from Mrs. Croweley. So was Simone. And Reese and Kay. "Miguel," he heard her say. "I'm so sorry I got you in trouble."


"It's nothing," he said, waving her apology off. He was totally oblivious to the look of pure jealousy on his best bud's face.


Kay's dark eyes narrowed as she watched the sugary-sweet blond put on the innocent act for Miguel. Who did she think she was?


"But I still feel bad. If you hadn't been talking to me...trying to make me feel better..."


"Hey. Don't worry about it. I'm already over it. What class do you have next? Maybe I can help you out."


Charity handed him her schedule. "You have French with us. Come on. We'll show you where to go."


She smiled shyly at him--at them all--and followed them down the hall through the throngs of people rushing about, trying not to be late. They made it just in time. She sat down beside him again, not noticing Kay behind her.


Kay opened her mouth to say something.


"Kay," Simone said. "Leave her alone. It's not like she's trying to steal Miguel. She's really very nice."


"Nice," Kay muttered under her breath as she took the seat opposite Reese. "Oh, I bet she's nice alright. Real nice. It's all an act, Simone. It's all an act."


Simone rolled her eyes at her. She felt sorry for anyone who got in Kay's way. She was fiercely protective of Miguel. Her attention went to the front of the room when she heard Reese and a bunch of the other guys in the room inhale in surprise.


"Whoa! Would you look at that?"


"Hello class," the tall blond said with an engaging smile. "I'm your new French teacher. Sheridan. Sheridan Crane."


Miguel's jaw hung open. A Crane? His French teacher was a Crane. He couldn't wait to tell Luis. The news was sure to give him a heart attack. He laughed at Reese behind him.


"I think I'm in love." And looking around the classroom, Miguel could tell his friend wasn't the only one.

[UAgirl]

Chapter Two






"Come on, Whitney. Live a little," Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald chided her best friend.


"Live a little, Theresa? Do you hear the words that come out of your mouth sometimes?"


"But Whitney," Theresa said. "Chris Hall is THE cutest guy at Harmony High. And he wants to ask you out. Give tennis a rest. There's more to life, you know."


Whitney heaved a long suffering sigh, barely restraining from rolling her eyes. "You're one to talk. Your sole goal in life is to marry Ethan Crane. You're obsessed with the guy. What ever happened to a career? Making something of yourself? Those things count too, Theresa."


"I will. AFTER I am Mrs. Ethan Crane," Theresa said. as she opened her locker and shoved her books inside.


Whitney took one look at all the pictures and cutouts of Ethan Crane plastered inside her friend's locker. And she thinks she not obsessed, she thought with a shake of her head. The girl was hopeless.


"Oh my goodness! Whitney! Is that who I think it is?" Theresa squealed, practically jumping up and down and hanging on her arm.


"What?" Whitney asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"


"Over there," Theresa pointed.


Whitney followed her line of vision. "So," Whitney shrugged. "She's very pretty. I bet she's the new French teacher everybody's talking about. Sheridan something or other."


"Sheridan Crane, silly. Ethan Crane's aunt. Oh, I can't believe my luck, Whitney. It's fate."


"Not that again," Whitney muttered as Theresa dragged her down the hall and stopped right in front of Sheridan Crane.


"Hi," Theresa said brightly, a little too enthusiastically.


This caused the older woman's brows to rise. "Hi," she said politely, looking at them curiously.


"I'm Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald and this is my best friend, Whitney Russell. We just wanted to welcome you to Harmony High."


"Thank you," she replied. a genuine, but tentative smile coming over her face. "Is Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald your brother? I have him in one of my classes."


"Yes, he is," Theresa said happily.


Whitney stood by while Theresa proceeded to give Ms. Crane the abridged version of her and Miguel's life. Finally, she was able to pull her away from her.
"Theresa," she hissed. "She probably thinks you're an escaped mental patient--not so subtly pumping her for information about Ethan like that. "Oh, Ms. Crane. Paris is such a beautiful city. I've never been there myself, of course, but I've read all about it. I hear you have a nephew. Did he spend much time with you there? I mean, seriously Theresa. What kind of question is that? Next time she sees you she's going to go running the other way."



"Is not," Theresa said dreamily. "I think we hit it off, Whit. And someday, she's going to introduce me to Ethan, and he's going to fall madly in love with me, and we're going to live happily ever after. It's my destiny, after all." Fate, destiny. It didn't matter to Theresa. She was hell-bent on getting what she wanted. And what she wanted was Ethan.


Whitney was mortified when Theresa again grabbed her by the arm. and follwed Ms. Crane outside. Oh god, Whitney thought. This is just what I need. There was no mistaking the man standing not ten feet in front of them. She'd seen enough pictures of him in her lifetime--all thanks to Theresa-- to know exactly who he was. She yelped in pain when Theresa squeezed her hand. Hard!


They watched as he hugged Ms. Crane--Sheridan--then walked around to the other side of the fancy sports car and opened her door for her.


"Whit, look. Isn't he a gentleman?" she sighed. "Whitney! He's looking right at me. Now he's waving. I knew it! It's love at first sight, Whit. Whit?" she asked when she failed to get an answer. "Whit?" She looked all around her. But Whitney was gone. Oh well, she thought. It didn't matter anyway. Ethan Crane had waved at her. She walked home in a complete daze.

[UAgirl]

Chapter Three





"Rough day, Aunt Sheridan?" Ethan asked with a smile, glancing over at the woman in the passenger seat beside him.


The wind was whipping her blond curls around her face as she reclined in her seat with eyes closed. "Not really," Sheridan answered. "Just different. I think things are going to work out. There's a few bad apples," she told him. Remembering one student in particular, and the way he looked her up and down openly and whistled set her on edge. It was different--creepy. "But most of the kids are really sweet. I think I'm going to enjoy my time with them, Ethan."


"Good," Ethan said. "You need this. Something to occupy your mind. So you won't obsess over that jerk of an ex of yours."


Sheridan turned her gaze away from him then, watching the buildings in downtown Harmony pass them by.


Ethan could kick himself. Things had been going fine. Until he mentioned Jean-Luc. "Me and my big mouth again. I'm sorry, Aunt Sheridan," he apologized.


"It's no big deal, Ethan. He's out of my life. We're finished. Kaput," she said with a smile. "So don't worry about it. I'm a big girl. You don't have to watch everything you say around me."


"But still...I shouldn't have said anything."


"Ethan!" Sheridan laughed. "I said it was alright. Look. If you really want to make it up to me, you can buy me a cappacino or something. Over there," she pointed.


Ethan looked where she pointed. "The Book Café? I've never been there. It's a local hangout. Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere else?"


"This is fine, Ethan. What? You not coming?"


"I'll be right behind you. I need to give Gwen a call."


Sheridan opened the door to the Book Cafe and walked in. She smiled as she took in her surroundings. "Can I help you?" she heard a voice say. She turned around. "Yes. Are you the owner?"


The slender brunette behind the counter smiled at her nervously before saying, "Yes. The Book Cafe is my place. I'm Beth. Beth Wallace. Is there a problem, Miss?"


"Oh! No. No problem at all. Hi," Sheridan smiled, "let me introduce myself. I'm Sheridan. Sheridan..." She paused mid-sentence, her jaw going slack as she met a pair of deep brown eyes across the room. Eyes that were shining with amusement as he caught her admiring him. She blushed when she realized she was making a fool of herself and turned back to Beth, breathlessly placing her order.


Beth just smiled. She'd seen it happen time and again. Luis just had that effect on people. Especially women. She handed Sheridan her change and her cappacino and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing when the blond dropped her change when Luis began walking her way.


"Here. Let me get that," he said, kneeling to gather the money up in his hand.


"That's not necessary," Sheridan told him, reaching out to grab the last of it and gasping when her hand came in contact with his. He grinned at her, and she drew back shakily. Her hand still tingling from his touch. She rose to her feet and smiled tightly at him. Sheridan, she thought. Get a grip. The man's gorgeous, but you don't have to act like a complete idiot around him. "Thank you," she said softly as he dropped the money into her open palm.


"My name's Luis," he said. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new in town?"


"Yes. Yes, I am. I just moved back after a long absence. Today's actually my 2nd day back. And what a long day it has been," Sheridan answered with a smile. Nervously, she tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. He's just being nice. Nothing more, her mind shouted. Besides, you just came out of a bad relationship. You don't need to get mixed up with someone new so soon. Oh, but he is so sexy, she thought. Not being able to stop her gaze, she stammered as he caught her again. "I-I-I'm sorry." She fled so he couldn't see her wither away in embarrassment.


"Wait," Luis called after her. "You didn't tell me your name. I told you mine."


Sheridan flashed him a brilliant smile. "Sheridan."


And then she was gone, leaving Luis to wonder what had hit him.

[UAgirl]

Chapter Four



"Luis? Earth to Luis," Beth called, waving her hand back and forth in front of Luis's face. A smirk crept onto her face when she realized he was still staring after Sheridan long minutes after she had left. "Come on Luis. Snap out of it," she laughed.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, Beth. What were you saying?" Luis asked, turning back to look into her amused brown eyes.

"Brad's leaving Jennifer for me, and we're going to run away. Someplace beautiful. Hot," Beth said with a smile. She laughed at the incredulous look Luis was sporting. "Okay. I was just kidding. But it COULD have been true. I could have been having a heart attack, calling for help, and you wouldn't have noticed me, Luis. You were too busy gawking at that blond. Very nice lady, friend. But do you have to be so obvious?" she teased from behind the counter. Her brown eyes lit up when the bells chimed and in walked Hank Bennett. Goofball extraordinaire.

"Whoa, Buddy! Did you just see the blond that left here? Man. I can't wait to work the Bennett charm on her," he bragged, giving Beth an engaging smile and ordering a coffee to go.


"Hank," Luis said, a cocky grin gracing his features. "It just so happens that I did see her. Tall. Gorgeous. Beautiful blue eyes. And really nice, too. Kind of clumsy, though, if you ask me. Dropping her change all over the place."

Beth rolled her eyes from behind the counter. The things that came out of Luis's mouth sometimes. He knew exactly what made Sheridan nervous. He just wouldn't admit it. Why she'd never know. Luis was far from modest. To those who didn't know him, he seemed almost arrogant, cocky. She handed Hank his coffee and left the two men to their oh-so-important discussion. She didn't want to be privy to their talks about women. Some things were better left unsaid. She waved at Theresa as she walked past her. But Theresa didn't notice. As she was far too many of the times Beth saw her, Theresa was in a dreamy daze, floating on clouds. She swore the girl was in some Ethan Crane- induced stupor 24/7. Her school binder even had his picture on it, huge and plain as day. If word ever got back to Mr. Crane heir himself, Beth was sure he'd have stalking charges drawn up on the lovestruck teen. She cringed as she witnessed Theresa trip an unsuspecting old man, making him spill his coffee all over the floor. She told Julie to go help him and disappeared before Theresa could do more damage she would be witness to.

Kay and Simone whispered back and forth from their table in the corner, thick as thieves. "Can you believe her?" Kay sneered. "One day she's going to walk out in front of a bus and get flattened before she even notices it. Really, Simone. If Ethan Crane came up to her right now and asked her to jump off a rocky cliff, Theresa'd happily oblige. Ugh!" she scowled in disgust.

Simone laughed, watching Theresa walk right past her brother without saying hello and go straight to the magazine rack in the back to scour the shelves for more fresh, new pictures of Ethan, no doubt. "Kay, you're one to talk. If Miguel asked you to strip naked and prance around on Main Street, you'd probably do it."

"But Simone," Kay said, shaking her head. "There's a huge difference. I actually have a life. Nobody would mistake me for a loony bin escapee. Simone? Simone?" Kay repeated, making one ridiculous face after another trying to get her friend's attention again. But Simone only stared blankly ahead. A funny little smile turning the corners of her mouth upwards. "Hey, Simone," Kay said, sticking her tongue out--anything to get a reaction. For her troubles she got a rather rude gesture in return from the old man Theresa had just tripped. "Oh my goodness, Simone. Did you just see that? That old man flipped me off," she cried, outraged. "Simone! I'm dying here," she said. To prove her point, she clutched her throat and started making gagging noises. "I can't breathe. Help me," she wheezed.

"Don't worry, my darling Kay. Your love to the rescue," Reese exclaimed, rushing from out of nowhere to her side and expertly performing the heimlich maneuver on her while Simone got up from her chair and walked toward the front counter with an enormous smile on her face.

Kay fought off Reese, shoving him away in annoyance. "What are you trying to do? Kill me?" she glared, jerking her hand away when Reese tried to kiss it. "Ugh!" she muttered under her breath, wiping her hand on her jeans. Then she got up, leaving a confused Reese behind again, per usual. "Simone Russell!" she cried, stomping over to where her friend stood wearing an adoring smile on her face as gazed out the window. "You've got some explaining to do. And whatever it is...it better be good."

Simone sighed blissfully to herself. Oh, Chad Harris was good alright. Too good to be true.