Okay, here is my DISCLAIMER! The Weapon X program in the story is copyright Marvel Comics--but I'm stealing it. Anyone you recognize is copyright Hanna Barbera, January is copyrighted to ME! HA HA AHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!! and February is copyrighted to ME! and my friend, Rory. (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA anyway!) If you find someone who isn't copyrighted and really like 'em, have a ball! And YES! I'M GETTING PAID FOR THIS! I STOLE THE CHARACTERS AND HANDED OUT MY SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS SO THAT EVERYONE COULD PAY ME!!!!! Lying! I'm lying! Don't sue me! This is what happens when you read too many comic books . . .

CASTING SHADOWS, chapter one
by Shakti
jbmcdragon@lycos.com

Oh man, she hated this. Only a few more minutes. Jessie looked up at the wall clock again, praying the bell would ring. Looking back at the chalk board she tried to make head or tails of the complicated math problem that filled the entire thing. Her teacher was trying to explain how it worked. He wasn't doing a very good job.

Jessie rubbed her eyes again. Mr. Jobine walked by her seat, lecturing as he went. He was soooo boring! Just as he past her chair he stopped, and Jessie started praying that he wouldn't call on her.

"Miss Fiztgerald," He started. The entire class turned to look at the girl he was talking to. She had her knees folded up, touching her chin. Her head was bent, resting on her legs as she dozed.

Long, black, wavy hair fell away from her face, revealing black sunglasses covering eyes that sat in pale skin.

"Perhaps, since it appears that you know this so well, you could finish the problem for me."

The new girl stood up slowly, unfolding her long legs from her seat. She wore a black blouse tucked into tight black jeans, making her look even more pale than she really was.

Jessie prayed for her sake that the bell would ring.

Nope.

She took the chalk from Mr. Jobine's hand and made her way to the front of the class. The room was silent as everyone wondered what she'd do now. She looked up at the chalkboard, took in the problem, and wrote the answer in the space left.

Still silent she turned and walked back to her seat, brushing past Mr. Jobine and letting the chalk slip from her fingers, clattering to the floor. Saying nothing, she picked up her backpack and walked out, leaving the room in utter quiet. A moment later, the bell rang.

**

"Did you hear about the new girl? She showed up Mr. Jobine in his own class! It was amazing! Everybody knows that his is the hardest one! And she started mid-semester so she hasn't even taken the first part."

Jonny gaped. "Jess, isn't that your class?"

"Yeah, it was so cool! Mr. Jobine couldn't say anything. He was so flustered that he didn't even assign us homework!"

"I heard she's a total snob."

"I don't think so. She looks sick or something. Maybe she's on drugs," Jessie said.

They sat on the grass outside the History building, eating their lunch. Alec and Jamie had joined them and they made a noisy foursome sitting there.

"I heard she was a babe." Alec leered. Jessie rolled her eyes. He was SUCH a wolf.

"Well, judge for yourself. That's her." Jessie pointed.

The girl still wore the sunglasses and the black outfit, showing clearly the white stripe that traveled down the length of her long black hair. She walked by them quickly, not even glancing down.

"Helllllo nurse!" Alec said quietly to the girls and Jonny. Jonny laughed and the two others exchanged glances. The girl stopped dead in her tracks.

"Excuse me?" She turned around and looked at Alec, venom in her voice.

Alec smiled and looked her up and down. Jessie shook her head. He was dead. "I said hi."

"Funny. I could've sworn you said hello nurse." She smiled sweetly and giggled, making both girls sick.

"Well, maybe I did." Alec was practically panting.

"Really?" She walked closer, letting her books slide to the ground and kneeling before him.

He was a good looking guy, but Jessie couldn't believe this!

"Then maybe," she fingered his shirt, "I'll have to rip out your throat," she grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, still smiling sweetly, "and eat it for lunch. What do you think?"

"Uh . . . I think that you're a wonderful person who doesn't like to be called nurse."

She smiled wickedly and looked at Jamie. "He learns fast." With that she stood and picked up her books, walking away. "I have a name. It's January. Don't forget."

"What a witch." Alec complained, rubbing his neck.

"I heard that! MISS witch to you."

Jessie started to laugh.

"That girl has got some ears!" Jonny commented.

"Yeah." Alec rubbed his head.

**

Jessie came in from P.E. the next day, wishing she'd gone with Alec and ditched school. Touch football just wasn't fun in the mud. The last girl left the lockers and Jess sat down tiredly. Wiping mud from her shirt she wondered absently why it was that she always managed to fine the slippery parts of the grass.

Shaking her head, she stood up, getting ready to shower and change.

Someone ran in, slamming open the door to the bathrooms. A loud crash could be heard and Jessie went to investigate. The heavy door was just swinging closed as she came in looking around.

All the stall doors were open, so she called out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm-" the sentence was cut off abruptly as January bent back over the toilet, spitting back up her lunch. Jessie came in quickly, steadying the girl with one hand while pulling back all her hair with the other. Getting long hair in your face while puking your guts out wasn't fun, Jess knew.

"Are you sure?" She asked when the girl finally stopped.

January smiled weakly. "Have you seen my glasses? I lost 'em on the way in."

Jessie smiled and went to look, leaving the girl to clean herself up.

Halfway down the hallway Jess found them and brought them back.

"Are you okay?" She asked again.

January nodded. "I think so. Must be something I ate. Thanks." She looked up and tried to smile, failing miserably as Jess looked at the girl without the glasses. Dark gray circles were under troubled blue eyes, and her face was very white.

"You want me to walk you to the student hospital? I'll call your parents for you." Jessie offered.

"No, thanks. I'm sure I'll be-" She stopped again and ran into the bathroom stall.

"Right. I'll call your family."

January came out and shook her head. "No good. They're not home."

Jessie frowned. "I have one more period before I get out, if you want to wait I'll take you home. You can stay in here."

January smiled. "That'd be great. Can I pay you back?"

Jess laughed. "Yeah, give me some math lessons."

The girl with black hair laughed tiredly too. "Oh, you heard about that?"

"I was there. It was so cool. I don't know of anybody who's ever bested Mr. Jobine!"

January shook her head slowly, smiling haggardly. "I'm not normally so rude. I've had some problems lately."

"I know what you mean. Look, if you want to wait here I'll come by for you in about an hour, okay?"

"Sounds good. Thanks."

Jessie just waved as she walked out of the bathroom to go change.

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