RxL (Complicated)

[Ravenbelle]

Laurel

On the Sunday before the 3rd Monday of the school year at Pacific Cine Academy, Laurel Siltra didn't plan on doing absolutely anything after making a schedule change request. She had woken early this time in order to get there before the line gets too long. Those who were still unsatisfied with their schedule are supposed to make a request on Sunday mornings, but the announcement wasn't very specific so Laurel simply decided to get there at 7 am. Her best friend and roommate, Liz, wasn't too enthusiastic about being woken at that hour, but even though Laurel had tried to be as quiet as possible, she had tripped while tiptoeing and hit the redhead by accident. She's hopeless.

Once out the door, Laurel didn't see to many students wandering around. It was too early for that and breakfast starts at 8 at the marketplace. So the short brunette shouldered her little messenger bag containing her folded up schedule, inspiration notebook, cellphone and a few other things on her way to the guidance office. The sunlight was warm on her cheeks on her way up the path and so she shivered when she entered the air conditioned guidance office in the main building. There was already someone at the front desk occupying the woman--Ms. Wethers--on staff, but other than that, no one else was in there. She expected to wait until the long haired guy was done, but as soon as she stepped inside, Ms. Wethers called to her with bright blue eyes and smiled like she wanted a favor. "Oh! Laurel! What a perfect coincidence!" She smiled cheerfully, looking between her and the guy she'd never seen before. "Can you please be a dear and give new Rick here a tour of PCA?"

Laurel blinked, unsure of what to say now that the guy was looking at her.

"Please? I would call in one of the student council members, but they've been real busy. Start of the new year and all. I trust you." She smiled.

Laurel smiled shyly and awkwardly in response. "Uh. Sure, I guess.. but uh..before we go, would you mind taking a schedule change request real quick, Ms. Wethers?" Laurel gave Rick a quick smile that said she'd lead him around in a second. She didn't mind really. She was just...nervous.

"Of course. Can I see your schedule?"

"Yeah." She dug around in her bag til she found the blue folded paper and handed it to the old lady.

"What's there to change? It seems to be appropriate for you and it fits your requests. What's the trouble?"

"I just wanted to switch gym class for something different. Uh. Drawing 1 maybe?" Anything but gym class. There's a swimming part of the curriculum and there was no way they'd let her out of it if she told them she couldn't swim. The coach might even try to be overly helpful about getting her a tutor or something! Laurel had been switching out of it every year and this would be her third because she's a junior.

"Let me see..." Ms. Wethers tapped away at her computer and made dissatisfied faces. "Sorry dear, but it seems drawing is full and it's too late to switch out of it until next semester. It's a required credit and you have yet to fill it."

"Can't I take it online or something?" Laurel gripped the counter with anxious white knuckles.

"They got rid of that option last year, hon. Talk to me when the semester ends and I'll see what I can do." She handed back the schedule and signaled to the new boy.

Laurel sighed dejectedly and nodded before grabbing her schedule back and gritting her teeth. She had to figure out some way out of the swimming part before it started a week and a half from now. At the moment though, she would have to forget it and talk to the new boy. She turned and smiled again, this time to Rick. "Hi. Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's uh, get started I guess. I'm Laurel, but uh you already knew that. ehe.." She headed outside with him and gripped the strap of her messenger bag tightly. "And you're. Rick. Um. I could show you to your classes first if you want. Do you wanna..show me your schedule?" She asked timidly once outside the cold guidance office.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Rick Cooper's alarm clock rudely went off at exactly 5:15 am. Rick hit the snooze bar to silence it momentarily, and then rose up out of bed. He looked over at his sleeping roommate Wally Baxter and just shook his head. Rick was more than slightly jealous that Wally was able to sleep in, and by all rights Rick should've been able to sleep in as well. However he had to wake up for his training, and then at 7 since he was a new transfer into the school Rick had to go through an orientation process while going to classes. Training he didn't mind so much because Rick loved training, but the whole orientation thing with classes on top of that made his skin crawl. Being stuck probably with some perky little student advisor, or a guy who would merely go through the motions just filled Rick with what could best be described as a sense of dread.
The feeling of dread had been Rick's constant companion since him and his mother Elise had moved to town during the summer. No time really to get to know anyone, rushing to make sure Rick got into the school he and his mom read so much about, and just being the new kid on the block was a real pain in the neck.

The hardest thing to get used to was dropping their real last name of McPherson, and going with Elise's maiden name of Cooper. Rick's father Edward was the co-founder of a worldwide software engineering firm called SAM-TECH. The "M" stood for McPherson, and things were just fine for the family until a little over a year ago when Edward died in a car accident. Elise and Rick decided they didn't want any part of the company, and it was a reminder of what they had lost in Edward. One night after Elise had agreed to sell her shares of the company, for a substantial sum, Rick and her decided they need to go somewhere and start over. Where every place they looked wouldn't remind them of Edward, so they literally pulled out a map and threw two darts each at it. They researched each place where the darts landed and felt that the city of Haddonboro was the best fit for them. It was a small town, had a great school (with a swim team which is what Rick wanted), a great sense of community, and best of all no one knew who they were they could just blend in and disappear. They bought a fixer-upper on the outskirts of town and spent most of the summer getting the house in a livable state. Getting into Pacific Cine Academy took some doing considering the wait list, and that Rick's application had to be done quickly. However once the board found out who Elise really was and she made an anonymous "donation" Rick was welcomed with open arms. Elise called in a favor from SAM-TECH that the school's entire IT structure would be upgraded by SAM-TECH for free. On the condition that Rick's true last name would remain a secret.

Rick slipped on his sweat gear, tied his running shoes, put in his ear buds and as quietly as he could slipped out of the room. Once he made it outside the dorm Rick began a brisk walk to the track. He looked around and saw no one around and scaled the fence. With that Rick started his workout mix and began to run on the track. The beat in his ears gave him a perfect rhythm for his feet to hit the ground. He loved this time of the day. Things were still and everything was at peace, there was no one to bother him, and he could just let his mind wander. Usually Rick's mind wandered towards his writing. He was working on a story about a private investigator trying to solve the death of a Government Official, and the prime suspect was a Senator who happened to be the PI's estranged father. The thing that Rick liked most about this story was in this story the father was still alive.

Rick finished his 5 mile run on the track, and now came the cool down walk. Rick again looked around and saw no one with him. He opened up the pictures folder on his phone and began scrolling through pictures of him
and his parents. There was the one taken at Big Ben, one at the Hollywood sign with his mom, at the Grand Canyon, the day Rick got his license, and Rick and his dad at the Super Bowl. They all made him smile. Rick didn't have any pictures of his mom or dad out, because he didn't want to take the chance someone might recognize them and piece together who he was. Rick was loving his new found anonymity and was gonna fight tooth and nail to keep it. That didn't mean though that Rick didn't love his parent he loved them very much, but this was the price he had to pay for a double life. Rick was convinced no one else would ever know what having to keep a secret like this from the world was like.

Rick got back to the dorm and Wally was still asleep. He debated on whether or not to be loud enough to wake him, or let Wally sleep. Wally was a good guy and he and Rick got along, and not to mention they shared a love of swimming and were on the team together. Rick decided to let him sleep as Rick proceeded to get cleaned up.

After a shower, a couple of granola bars with coffee, and slipping on his clothes Rick was out the door as Wally was finally waking up.

Rick made his way down to Ms. Wethers office for his orientation. Rick stopped before entering her office and said in a whisper, "For God and King Richard." He rolled his eyes and walked in.

Ms. Wethers was working away on her computer and said, "I am loving the new IT system here. Light years ahead of what we had the last 5 years."

Rick smiled and looked skyward and mouthed, "That's for you dad."

She looked up and asked, "Can I help you?"

Rick replied, "Yes my name is Rick Cooper, and I…"

Before he could finish Ms. Wethers said, "Oh yes I was told to be expecting you for your orientation. We have heard so much about you already. Give me just a minute. "She looked down at her computer and said, "Oh dear. Your orientation guide is sick, and it's a little too late to call in another one I…"

Just then a brown haired young lady entered the room. Ms. Wethers asked if she would take Rick on his tour around campus. She agreed but was also trying to get a change done in her schedule.

Rick didn't pay much attention to her situation, but this young lady had Rick's attention. She was attractive and she seemed willing to help Rick. She introduced herself as Laurel as they left the office and Rick smiled at Laurel.

He said, "Hi Laurel" as he handed her his schedule and said, "It looks like I have U-S History with Mrs. Roland."