The beginnings of a LOST fanfiction.

This will be updated on a single blog, as much as I possibly can do. Chapters are relatively short, so don't knock me. But there are about six and a half, so it's not too bad.

It's LOST at New Otherton University. I'll be adding more stuff when I can.

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter1 (Jack)

My alarm clock buzzes. Damn. How long was I out? I check the time. I slept only a good three hours. Crap.

I get up. Ooh, another eventless day at college. New Otherton. I grab whatever I can find, put it on, and shuffle out the door, where I run smack into Sawyer.

"Jeez, Doc, watch where you're going." he says without a hint of tiredness. What I wouldn't give to feel alert again...what I wouldn't give for his roommate...

Kate Austen and Juliet Burke's room was being inspected and repaired because of yesterday's incednt with the polar bear. Sawyer got to them first. Kate accepted. They get to live with Sawyer and his best friend Sayid for a good month before they move back. Sayid wouldn't go near another girl besides Shannon, so no worries there. Sayid's pretty cool once you get past the fact that he could pretty much snap you like a twig. Sawyer on the other hand...

I trudge onward to class, through the open forest (that's the kind of school we are in) and walk to the vending machine inside the Swan. Yay for apollo bars. Someone's in front of me. She's taking forever. Before I get pissed enough to pop a synapse, she turns around. It's Juliet. Really nice girl, in my major, premed. Gorgeous, really. I think she's interested in me too, but she deserves better. Right now, I've got someone else on my mind. It doesn't help that that someone is her best friend.

"hey..." she says. She looks a bit unsure of herself. Then I notice it. Her trip home did her some good. She's from Oregon, and she loves it home, and she always comes back happier.

She takes a few glances around and takes a deep breath of relief. "Oh, thank God."
"What?" I ask her.
"Ben. He's been a little over interested lately. Were friends and all, but I don't like him that way." here she looks down. "So I'm off to class..." she trails off and walks away and around the corner. I watch her go. I turn around for my own class (calculus) when the announcments cut in.

"Good morning, everyone. This is a special announcement for today. Today, four new students will be transferring in. You will be meeting them today. Happy Friday."

This is weird. Transfers were rare, if ever. Plus, nobody really hears of NOU. Who'd transfer?

I slide into my seat next to my sister, Claire, who'd gotten into my class this year. She looks at me.
"Transfers? Whats going on?"
"If only I knew..." I trail off, lettin my mind wonder what's going to happen. Looks like today isn't eventless after all.

Chapter 2(Faraday)

The Door opens. No really, it did, Administration was in a building called the Door. Here I thought I was going somewhere normal. This is what I get for not remembering anything.

My tour guide looks nice. I read her nametag. Libby. Looks short for something. I won't worry about it. I hve enough to worry about, being one of the firs four transfers to ever come here.

Not like I even wanted to leave. I'd just started at Boston University, grants and all. I was happy there, partly because of the freedom I had, partly because I had friends. Then I get a very ominous piece of mail to my dorm, which says I've been transffered. Needless to say, I raise hell. My school didn't know what to do, simply because whoever did it did everything. They bring up that I have memory issues and say I may hve just forgotten, which I refute. I send them my declination letter sayig thanks anyway. A month later, another letter comes, saying that they are very happy I've decided to attent NOU and that I won't regret my choice. I relent, tell my school to reserve m space, because I'll be back by Easter.

Apparently, transfers in are rare. Interesting. I decide to note this for later, when I'm making my argument to go back to Boston.

Libby hands me a map. ""This is your way of getting around until you learn your way. You have to remember all of this, or else you'll get lost. The little houses on top right are the Barracks. Your dorms. Little cottage like things you share flqith anywhere from one to three other people. At the bottom is the Door, administration and orientation, which you'll be doing with the transfers anytime now. Next to the Barracks is the Arrow, your cafeteria and student center. Library's in there too. At the center are your class buildings, the Swan, Flame, Looking Glass, Tempest, Hydra, and Orchid. Under the Door is the Pearl, security and staff. The Temple is your chapel, and theology. Sorry I sound so bored." she says with a good natured smile. "Its just I did this tour three times. Apparently you all come from different places."
"it's okay.." I say. "Its natural I guess. I'm Daniel."
"I know, they had me study all four of your files so I could give you all a tour that would serve you all."
Bewildered at this information, I let it slide. Files? Explains why she said remember a few times.
She continues. "Anyway, here you are. One of the teachers takes it from here with all four of you. Wait in there. See you around." she smiles and leaves.

I walk in and see three people walking or sitting around the room. One is a smallish looking guy with dark hair and a dark blue tshirt. He's standing in a corner, reading the map Libby got him. Te appears Asian, and a little hard to get to know. The other guy is tall, fit looking, and wearing aviator glasses. He's pacing around the room. Looks like he got here first. He has bluish eyes, light hair, and a tan shirt on.

The girl had to be the prettiest girl I'd seen in a while. Red hair, blue eyes, green shirt, freckles. She appears shorter than me, and she's got the air of someone who knows what she can do, but isn't cocky about it. The girl guys like me want, but never get. She's staring out the window, oblivious. Thank God.

I take a seat on the floor and try to commit as much of the map to memory as I can. God knows how I'll get around without it.

The smallish guy walks up to me and sits down. "Hey." he says simply.
Surprised, I return the greeting with a nod hello.
"I'm Miles. Miles Straume." he says.
"Daniel." I say. Maybe he's friendlier than he lets on. "Where you from?"
"LA. UCLA." he says. That's when the other guy walks up and introduces himself as Frank Lapidus, and to just call him Lapidus. After nodding yes to this, he sits down. We spend a good half hour talking about ourselves, and I feel like I've got new friends. Which is always nice.

That's when the intercom creaks on.

"Welcome to NOU, new transfers. You will be seen to shortly."
The door opens. A youngish teacher or oldish student walks in, also wearing a nametag. It says Locke.
"Hello. I see you got your maps. Your rooms are on the bottom right corner. Or rather, little house number. We housed you all together, so hope you guys made friends. Follow me."
He looks new. Already I miss my physics teacher. Miles looks at me and smiles.
"This should be fun."

Chapter 3 (Desmond)

I enter the student center. This place always seems peaceful. I scan the room for someone I talk to ( we know everyone, that's how small this school is) and spot Charlie, plugging away at his guitar. He looks up and waves me over.

"Hey, Dezzie." he says defeatedly. He's always calling me Dezzie. "what's up?
"Nothing, really. you hear about the transfers?"
"Thats all everyones talking about. You have to get chosen by hand to come here. The fact that they're picking out again..." he trails off, staring behind me. I turn around, expecting him to be staring after the girl we all know he likes. I am not dissapointed.

Claire is wandering in, following Jack. She's saying something inaudible, and Jack looks like he's trying to tune her out. She gives up, sees Charlie and me, and runs over to us.
"Charlie! Desmond!" She gives me a kiss on the cheek, and gives Charlie a hug. It's a pretty long hug, and neither want to let go. Finally, she sits down next to him, leaning on his shoulder. Interesting. I save that for another day.
"so you heard too?"
"Yeah. I think I saw one walk in, too. She was really pretty. Red hair, real European looking girl. Libby tour guided them. I ran into her before I came here. She said there's four, different places, different grades, two sophomores, one second term freshman and a second term senior. The schools got files on all of them. All of us. Libby had to study them before touring the newbies."
"wow..." I say.
"Look, Desmond, I know your bummed about Penny getting shipped off to Scotland to intern, but make light of it. She writes." Claire says. God, can she read minds?
I smile to myself. Well, I do miss her.
That's when Professor Locke comes in. They're here.

Four figures walk after him. One really tall guy with aviation glasses, a skinny Asian guy walking next to an even skinnier, pale guy, and the redhead Claire saw. Locke seats them at a table three tables from us, and leaves.

I watch them sit there. The Asian guy and the pale guy look to be friends. Or very close aquaintances. They seem to have bonded. Cool.

"Hey, Charlie...let's say we become good neighbors." I say as I get up and make a beeline for their table. Charlie and Claire follow.

Chapter 4 (Miles)

This almost seems fun. Sure, I have no idea how this school got a hold of my info, but what the hell? I've got friends pretty quick. Danny boy's pretty entertaining. I look over his shoulder to see...some friendly native students. Hopefully, they're friendly.

Three people are approaching us. A guy with longish hair, another guy with a guitar slung over his back, and the blondest girl I've seen since California. They take a seat with us and promptly introduce themselves.

"Hi, I'm Desmond." the guy with the longish hair says. "Thats Charlie, and this is Claire."

We all look bewildered, so I take the lead. "I'm Miles, this is Lapidus, and Daniel, and..." I realize the female has yet to introduce herself. She speaks up. We hear her voice for the first time.
"Charlotte. I'm Charlotte."

Were shocked. She's not from America. She's British.

Charlie pipes up. "Youre British? Where you from?
She smiles. He's from her country. "Kent. I won't ask, I know a Mancunian when I hear one."
They both laugh. I notice the blonde girl look rather uncomfortable. I turn to Daniel, but he's absorbed by the scene in front of him. I get the vibe that he's slightly jealous. And believe me, I know vibes. So blonde girl and Danny have crushes. I'll save this info for another time. I turn to third wheel Desmond.
"So, thanks for breaking the ice with us. I've noticed were a bit of a rarity around here."
"Yeah, you could say that. There's never been a transfer in, ever. Now there's four. In the middle of the year too. It gives us all pause."
"I can understand that. Anyway, we've got to go unpack soon. Can you tell me where to find house number 23?"
"Of course, come with us. We've got homework, anyway. Oh, your classes start next Monday. They delivered your schedules already. There in your respective rooms."

As Desmond, Charlie, and the blonde girl lead us to our house, I begin to wonder if my very random school change isn't a good thing. Friends, a private house...looks like I got away pretty easy. I'll never be found here...

Chapter 5 (Sawyer)

Class bites. Even if it is Special Ops. What in the he'll did I sign up for? I think they're gonna employ us to that odd looking company that always needs spies. I could be a spy. Heh.

I exit my dorm house, only to see Desmond, Charlie, Claire, and about four other people I've never seem before. Guess those are the almighty transfers. Best go say hello.

I walk up to Desmond, welcome smile plastered in. Who knows who's watching?

"Well, hey, Desmundo."
He bites. Were friends, why wouldn't he? "Hey, Sawyer."
"These are..."
A"...the transfers." Desmond finished. I scan their faces, so I remember them. When I am certain that I do, I walk alongside Desmond. May as well see where they live.

"So, Chico," I say, referring to skinny pale guy. "what brings you here?"
He's shy, I can tell. "I have no idea." he says quietly. He looks up at me. "And yourself?"

I look at him square in the eye. "Now, Chico..." he cuts me off.
"Its Daniel."
...Daniel...your the new kid here, I'm the one asking questions."

He let's it drop. Desmond finally arrives at a house. Not his. Theirs. He checks under the mat to find four sets of keys. He tossed one to each of them, takes the girl's, and opens the door. He hands the keys back to the redhead and ushers them inside.

"Check the mailbox. They should be there." The Asian guy checks and finds four envelopes with their names on them. He passes them out, then opens his.

"okay, I've got...Philosophy, Theology 3, Ancient Languages, European History, and some seminar."

The female then reads out hers. "anthropology 3.5, archeaology, world history, chem, and...a seminar. Same as yours, I bet." I make note of her accent. British, although I can't place where.

The painfully tall guy reads. "Aviation, physical fitness, world history, calculus and the seminar."

Desmond, looking bewildered, offers his input. "Maybe it's some sort of transfer thing."

Pale guy hasn't read his yet. I notice this. "Hey, truckstop, read yours. I'm curious." I've never been so encouraged to nickname someone. They just keep coming. Perhaps well be friends. I hope so, I don't think the other guys will be so tolerant.

He seems to ne still inspecting his. "None of these classes fit my major." he says, looking confused.
"well, what's your major?" Claire says, trying to be helpful.
He looks her in the eyes. "You Australian? And physics."
She smiles. "yeah, I am. The one and only. And maybe they made a mistake. Maybe..."
"Listen, moonbeam, this place doesn't make mistakes. They've got files, mistakes are all but impossible." I say, quashing her theory. "Anyway, what do you got?"
He looks down. "Umm...ancient encoding, intro to music, theoretical science, that seminar thing, I think it's for transfers and...am I Reading this correctly?"
Charlie, who I notice has taken a sudden liking to this skinny pale guy, possibly for the music thing, breaks in. "What is it?"
He looks up. "Time travel independent study."

Chapter 6 (Kate)

Damn. Special Ops is way harder than I thought. It didn't help that Sawyer is always trying to make me race him during the ten mile runs. I just declared this, I'm nowhere near in shape.

I push my house door open (or rather, Sawyer's and Sayid's) and collapse on my bed.

Juliet's already there, typing away on her new Dell. "Hey, Kate. You okay?"
"No. I'd kill for premed right now."
"no you wouldn't. I've gotta go to my first autopsy today. Professor Locke is all about that hands on learning. I say my first because I've been chosen to perform it. And I'm supposed to be a fertility specialist? Stupid Jack, volunteering me."
"Jack volunteered you? Awwww!"
"Shut up, Kate, he likes you."
"say what?" That was not the news I needed to hear.
"Yeah. Why do you think I havent tried? He wants you." Juliet actually looks sad.
"Julie...he'd be lucky to have you, and once he gets his head out of his ass, he will see that." That gets a smile out of her, and she thanks me before going back to studying for her autopsy.

That's when Sayid walks in. God, if that twig Shannon didn't have his heart, the things I could do...I get my head out of the gutter as he starts talking.

"The transfers are here. They're here. Sawyer just absorbed into their tour guiding party. He could have info."
"Why is it such a big deal that they're here?" I ask.
He looks me square in the eye. "we were all handpicked, for whatever purpose. If there are transfers...they missed people, and they found them. The fact that they slipped through their system is big. That mean anything to you?"

It clicks. This is huge.

Juliet gets up. "I've got to go dissect a human. Let m know what Sawyer finds out." she waves as she walks out. "Oh hey Sawyer." we hear her say. "Theyre in there."

Sawyer bursts in.
Sayid is already asking questions. "who are they?"
"I'm not entirely sure. There's a British girl who's in my world history class and your chem class." he nods toward Sayid. "Theres a theology major, an aviation major who looks like they sent him over for special ops, cuz lord knows we need someone who can fly a plane, the girl is anthropology, and one guy's saying physics, but they put him in the most craziest thing ever. He's got music and a time travel class. Time travel! And they've got the transfer seminar. It's like a welcome to thing. They don't know, but I do." he says in one breath.

I don't know whether to listen or to kick Sayid out and have my way with him. God, he's so...I don't even know. That's why Jack and his crush wasn't something I wanted or needed to hear. He's better for Juliet anyway.

Sayid looks puzzled. "Somethings going on in the school, and it's not good."
"How?" I ask.
"They have no idea why they're here. They've got less of a clue than we do." he says ominously. "the school can use them to their own ends, and we'd be none the wiser, and neither would they."

As I process this information, I wonder how I came to come here. How we all did.

Chapter 7 (Shannon)

I sit in my little house, which I share with Ana-Lucia, Libby, and my brother Boone, and I draw. It seems to be all I do lately. That, and help the theater department design their sets. Oh, the woes of an art major.

Ana-Lucia rocks. Plain and simple. She'd used her specialty in special ops to not only lift Libbys files before Libby had even picked them up, but she had them back before even the teachers knew what happened. So not only do we know all there is to know about the transfers, we learned before the announcement had even come on this morning. Before coffee.

It's about eight at night. I should be getting ready for my date with Sayid tonight, but I've got to get this done. Damn musical sets. Oh, that remind me, I've got to get the audition flyers done. Professor Rousseau has been killing me. So what if I'm the only one doing single major art? Doesn't mean I don't have a life.

My door opens. It's Ana-Lucia, my best friend, besides Libby. I'm so happy I live with them.

She looks at me like I should be doing something else. I know what I should be doing, but I've got all this work to do.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go to the cafeteria or some corner of the library, all dressed up with Sayid?" she says. Damn her. Always knows how to get me off what I'm doing. Although that isn't such a bad thing now.
"Yeah, I know, but I've got a whole show to design, right down to flyers. You are going to audition. Your voice is so pretty."
"Nah, I don't feel like it." She walks to my closet and tosses a blue dress I wore for a ballet recital in high school at me. "Wear that. It's nice."
She's such a girl sometimes. All that girlness, wasted on Special Ops. I put on the dress, remembering the wonder of high school, and grab a pair of silver shiny shoes. No girl should ever go without shiny shoes. Once I'm finished, I grab my sketchbook and try to finish the audition flyers. No sooner have I sat down when I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

I walk to the door and open it. It's Sayid. Suddenly, I feel less pretty.

He's staring at me. I'm assuming this is good.

"Hi." he says finally.
"Hey..." I trail off. God, he gets me so tongue tied. It's only been a month, but I've never felt this strongly for a guy before. And the fact that Boone doesn't like him only makes him more appealing.

He takes me by the hand and leads me out my front door. Thank God Ana-Lucia and Libby are in their rooms. They've never seen me get so nervous.

As I walk through the trees with Sayid, who's leading me god knows where, I begin to feel that this night's going to be one for the books.

Chapter 8 (Sayid)

I open my eyes groggily. What happened last night? I make an attempt to lift my head, only to find a blonde girl sleeping next to me. It's Shannon. That's what happened.

I didn't even mean for that to happen. I like her a lot, I wanted to wait. But the I went to pick her up, and she looked so pretty, and it just happened. Thank God I'm prepared for anything, so no unplanned anything. I look down at her, wondering how I'm going to tell her that I love her. A month. A month, and Im talking like this.

My bedroom door opens slowly. It's Sawyer. He looks at me as if I should be up earlier, despite the fact that it's a Sunday, when he looks closer and sees Shannon, quietly sleeping next to me. He smiles knowingly. He's had quite a few girls to the cabin.

"So, Captain Falafel..." he says. Damn him and his nicknames. He's been calling me that since high school. "How was she?"
"Sawyer, I can't begin to tell you how voyeristic that sentence is..." I'm about to go off on one of my speeches, when he gives me a knowing look and I bite. "I think I'm more in love with her now than I was yesterday."
He laughs. "That's what happens, kid. Now get up. Say goodbye to your lady friend and get up. We've gotta go. Desmond promised me he'd tell me how they came to come here."
We both know who they are. And we've got to know this. This will judge if they really were chose to come here.
I don't want to get up, really. Sawyer knows this. He extricates me from Shannon, and tosses me clothes. She is amazingly, still sleeping. I look at Sawyer, wondering how he did that.
"I have a gift. Now move."

A half hour later (Sawyer's useless without his coffee, or so he claims. He just looks for excuses to bump into Kate.) we find ourselves at Desmond, Charlie, Claire, and Michael's barrack. (Speaking of Michael, I've got to ask him about Sun. I always lose touch with him. Not cool of me.)

Lucky for me, Michael opens the door before Sawyer can even knock. He smiles at me, then the smile fades slightly at the sight of Sawyer. He's a tech expert in Special Ops with a minor in art. How is the covert training program the big thing here? What the hell are we gonna do with our degrees?
"Hey, Sayid. Desmond told me you guys would be coming. He's in the living room." With that, he leaves. I watch him go, toward Sun, Hurley, Nikki, and Paulo's cabin. Go Michael. Way to score.

Sawyer leads the way. Desmond is where Michael says he was. He looks up and sees us.

"Hey guys."
"What did you find out?"
"They all told me how they heard of the place, and they're all quite strange. The girl says somebody came up to her and handed her a brochure, but she didn't see him. So she gave it a shot, because she wanted a change of scene. Miles said that he won some lottery, which he'd never signed up for. He said, and I quote, "Why do a lottery that you know the outcome to?" There was some drawing at his school, a paid trip to an unknown university. They get the same scholarship we do. He wasn't even there, and thousands applied. He goes to school the next day and he finds out he won. Neither care that they're here. Either that or this is conveinient for them both."

Were riveted.

"Lapidus was flying a plane for his aviator lisence when he recieves a fax with the letter saying he's been transferred. Turns out he was flying around our school and the plane goes haywire and almost crashes. He manages to save both himself and the plane, and lands safely. He thinks he's on some deserted island when a guy in a dark suit comes out of the shadows, says that he made it, and leads him to the Door. He's been here about a month. He says the guy had dark skin, leading me to believe it was Abbadon. He heard Abbadon say to Hanso that "if Jacob wants to choose more people, or decide he missed people, then what's the school going to come to?"

He pauses to get up and go to his kitchen. We are stunned. Jacob is choosing them? This isn't random?
We are still wondering when Charlie sleepily walks out of Claire's room. He blinks a few times when he sees us, and looks at the clock to see what time it is.

We look at him like he's got three noses. What was he doing in Claire's room? We knew they liked each other, but Jack's pretty protective of his little sister, considering they just found out they were related two years ago.

He looks at us like we're crazy, then understands. "She has bad dreams. She wakes up and gets me. She says I make her feel better." Here he tries to stifle a small smile, which he does quite well. We exchange a knowing glance. They might be together soon, and we can collect on our bet with Kate and Juliet. They don't think they'll ever tell each other.

Desmond walks back in and sees Charlie.
"Hey, is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine now. They're getting worse though. This time she was practically crying." he said sadly. Wow, he really does care.

Desmond plunges us bac into the story. "Anyway, Sawyer, Sayid, where was I? Oh yeah, Daniel. His story's the craziest. He kept getting mail to his dorm at Boston saying he'd been accepted, dating back to before even the pilot. so he goes to his dean and asks what's going on. They have no idea, and they don't help, so he just sends a declination letter. He told them no. Like a month later they give him another letter saying thank you for accepting our aacceptance and you won't regret your desicion to attend NOU. So he's here for the term while he figures out a way back to Boston. He really wants to go back, although I'm not sure what's there for him."

"That's nuts." I say simply.
"Yeah." Charlie agrees.

Sawyer's still processing everything. "We may be in a lot of trouble."
"Why?"
"Because the school stopped at nothing to find all of us and keep us here no matter what. Us, them, everyone, were all pawns. And we don't know what they're going to do with us."
We sit there, silent, the four of us. What are we really doing here?