When her host family told her that there was no official school dress Natasha was over the moon, of course, she wished she had packed more clothes. She figured the Kennedy has always wanted a daughter because the first mention of clothes she offered to take Natasha shopping. And who would pass that up?

Until then she decided that she would wear her light blue ripped jeans with a white shirt tied in the back to show her waistline. The outfit was light which really made her head hair pop, something she wasn't too sure she wanted but right now the only thing she wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

Nick and Kennedy had taken her to school early because she needed to be there to get her schedule because she missed picking up a day due to her flight.
"Honey, I have someone who is coming to be your guide, your first friend maybe?" Kennedy smiled sweetly at the girl. Natasha hasn't been much of a talker to the couple but they thought it was just first day nerves. In reality who she was still harboring feelings about having to come overseas.

"Hey, boss lady!" A girl almost yelled into Natasha's ear as she walked into the school office.

"Darcy? What are you doing here so early?" She asked.

"Oh well you see since Jane is doing some boring student leadership class I have decided to bug Pepper in the mornings, she however needed to grab a textbook and since it's gonna get packed she wanted to get it now. She sent me to pick up the lost exchange student." She said Darcy was a bit...overly excited for seven am.

"Well I guess Darcy will show you around today," Kennedy smiled at Natasha, a look of apology is what it almost looked like, which concerned Natasha.

"Don't worry if Lewis gives you a hard time come find me," Nick who had just walked up said with a serious face, Natasha couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"Bossman!" Darcy said to Nick, "Hey I have been meaning to ask you, do you still have my iPod? It's been two years and I still haven't gotten it back from Mr. Coulson."

Nick only rolled his eyes and walked away, Darcy mumbled something about him being a thief. She and Natasha left the office and Natasha started to look for her locker.

"You know I like your hair, it's almost like blood. It's really interesting." Darcy started to babble on. Natasha wasn't listening, she was too busy looking down at her papers to the lockers to see where hers was. "You know I once had a great aunt who's name was Natasha. I am pretty sure she is dead now, no wait that was aunt Clare-"

"listen, Darcy, I appreciate your... help." Natasha started and the girl smiled as if she had completed a mission. "But I don't need your help, I got it. It's America how hard could it be?" She asked.

"Oh no you see since you are now in America, you should learn to appreciate it," Darcy started. "And I can't leave you alone, Pepper told me to keep an eye on you, and since Janey isn't around Pepper is the next most scary person."

"Why do you need someone to tell you what to do?" Natasha asked. "Why don't you tell other people what to do." That thought stuck to Darcy.

"You're right," She said. "Maybe I should get my own intern. As Jane/ Pepper's intern shouldn't I have one of my own?" She started to go in her own little world again.

Natasha was beginning to hate this school more and more. She finally located her locker as Darcy continued to talk her ear off. Why was she even still here? It wasn't like she was helping at all. In fact, as Natasha struggled to open her locker Darcy was going over ways to make broccoli illegal.

"hey new girl, Try pushing up," Someone said behind her. Natasha turned to see a girl with dark black hair and popping red standing up against the lockers across from her. "The lock, it's gets jammed sometimes you need to give it a push."

"Oh right," She said and it actually worked her locker finally opened. "Umm thank you."

"No problem new girl, you are new right?" the girl asked.

"That obvious?" She houghed.

"The fact that your still around Lewis and you are not Jane, Thor, or Pepper has a lot to do with it." She laughed. "Names Maria."

"Natasha."

"Think I'm gonna stick with New Girl," she laughed. "Suits your innocence."

"Apparently you don't know me very well." She laughed. Natasha looked over at Darcy who was talking to some guy who looked oddly like her but a guy.

"What's your first class New girl?"

"Oh um, English," She answered. "With umm Mr.Coulson."

"Sounds boring, but lucky for you I am heading that way. I have Physics but with Mrs. Pym," She smirked. "Come on, how about you say we ditch Lewis and I introduce you to someone who isn't hanging out with you because the principal said so." She smirked and Natasha nodded. The two left as Maria swung her bag over her shoulder.

"So tell me New Girl, where you from? California? Ohio? Or are you closer like from Manhattan? A lot of people are just from over the bridge. Transfer here for a 'new start' only to find that it's just the same." Maria laughed.

"No, actually I am from Russia. Just got in yesterday actually."

"Oh, so you're the new exchange student. Maybe don't go telling that around, Stark will have a field day with you." Natasha saw the girl roll her eyes.

"Who's Stark?" She asked.

"An annoying little ass hat." She answered. "Rich boy, nerd. The two really shouldn't mix. His brain and his money, but together it only makes him more annoying."

"I'll keep that in mind," Natasha answered. "Anyone else I should keep an eye out for?"

"Wilson's a flirt, James is a flirt, Brock's a jerk, Pepper is a sweet but don't get her mad," Maria could name a personality trait about everyone at the school.

"So basically everyone here has something to stay away from?" She asked.

"Pretty much, just stay away from Brock, you just want to punch him all the damn time." Maria sighed. "Biggest ass hat of them all."

"What about Wilson and James?" She asked.

"Wilson is a flirt but he's a nice enough guy, too cheery for me but whatever. Maybe you'll like him. And just stay away from James." She said simply.

"Why is he a jerk too?" She asked.

"No not like that. Him and his best friend Steve Rogers are connected at the hip, won't be surprised if they are gay." Maria stated bluntely.

"A bit rude don't you think?"

"Nah, you should see the way that those two stares at one another. Beside neither one has had so much of a girlfriend in two years, sure James flirts but it could just be a cover." Maria was surely gossip.

"Okay stay away from Brock, watch out for Sam, and just forget about Rogers and Barnes. How do you know about all this?" She asked.

"Don't tell anyone but I run the gossip collum about our school. It's anonymous of course, it's my job to know everything about everything." She said and noticed Natasha's shift in position. "Don't worry newbie, I won't be attacking you, wouldn't dare mess with the principal's host daughter. Great, the last thing she wanted was for that to get out into the world. "Don't worry I won't tell unless you give me a reason to speak."

"Good to know." She muttered.

"Don't be so uptight newbie." She smirked. "Well, there you are, your first class of hell. Tell you what, I have lunch in the lab, room F-2. Meet me there and I can tell you all the gossip for the day," She smirked.

"How much gossip could there be on the first day?" Natasha asked as the girl started to walk away. Maria only smirked and continued on her way. Where all Americans so weird?

Steve was aimlessly throwing books into his locker, a part of him wanted to start the year well and have an organized life, but how long was that even going to last? A week at most. Besides he wanted to get out of the hallway before-

"Well if it isn't puny Rogers," Steve sighed before turning around to see Gilmore Hodge. "Have a nice summer reaching for the top shelf?"

"I don't know Hodge, did you have a nice summer kissing Rumlows ass?" Steve answered, causing some of Gilmore's friends to laugh. Hodge sent them a glare before focusing on Steve.

"Might not have grown but your personality is just spiking through the roof," Hodge said. "Let's hope you have learned your lesson from last year, maybe you won't get as hurt."

"If I wanted to get hurt Hodge I'd just climb your ego and jump to your IQ." He said causing Hodge to grab him by his collared shirt.

"Is this really gonna be how we start off the new year Rogers?" He asked.

"Depends on how long I can distract you-"

"What?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

" Hodge, I see we have learned a lesson from last year," Peggy said walking into the hall. "Let the boy go,"

"You got lucky," Hodge whispered to Steve before dropping him to the floor. "Look Carter maybe you should mind your own business."

"How about you leave and you'll get away with no bruises." Hodge only huffed before walking away. Steve looked up at Peggy before standing up and dusting himself off. "You know Rogers I won't be here this year, can't be your bodyguard."

"So why are you here Peg? Doesn't college start too?" He asked.

"Next week actually, I was actually just showing my cousin around, she's new. Just dropped her off, though it was the least I could do before I leave, besides I wanted to say goodbye." She smiled.

"It's gonna be weird without you Peg," Steve sighed and was only interested by the sound of the loud bell.

"Looks like you should head to class," She smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you Peg," He says.

"I'll miss you too." She smiled. "Now head up and head to class, tell Buck I will see you both very soon. Goodbye Steve. " She smiled giving him a small hug before walking away. This year was surely gonna be different.

As Steve walked to class he couldn't help but feel a bit more confident compared to last year. He wasn't as small and he was sure he even grew an inch or two over the summer. His face wasn't as skinny as it has been before.

He looked down at his schedule to see that he had English first period with Mr. Coulson. He was actually excited to start the new year, even looked forward to what was to come. Yeah, he was getting bullied, but if it was going to continue going the way that they are, soon he will look exactly like every other high school students.

He was too busy putting away his schedule that he didn't see a redhead girl and ran completely into as she was reaching for a syllabus from the teacher.

"Hey watch it!" She said, her voice caught Steve's attention very quickly. Steve looked up to see the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Her eyes were a deep green and her hair was a bright red, she looked stunning. "Excuse me!" She said and only then did Steve realize that she was talking to him.

"Oh my god, I am sorry,"

"So you can't see and you can't listen either?" She asked and Steve could only stare blankly at the girl. "Americans," She mumbled before heading to her assigned seat, which was by the last name, and coincidently he had the seat right next to her.

Nervously he walked over and sat down taking out a pen before staring at the wall in front of him. He slightly turned his head to see the girl looking at her phone.

"Take a picture it will last longer," She mumbled.

"Oh, I umm," Steve said, not knowing exxactly what to say.

"Do you have a problem with me?" She asked. "If so, please do tell me to my face,"

"No, I uh," he couldn't get out the proper words. 

"Can you speak?" She asked again. Steve didn't answer. "Listen I don't want to make things awkward, we will have these seats for a while. My names Natasha, what about you,"

"Steve," He somehow managed out.

"Okay, Steve." She then turned her focus back to her phone. Steve tried to mind his own business but something about this girl interested him.

"Are you new? I haven't seen you around here before." this was his first actually sentence to her and he was kind of proud.

"Maybe you just haven't looked hard enough," No there was no way he would have missed her. She must have felt his gaze on her because she groaned in annoyance, "Listen buddy I am not interested in going out with you or any other guy for that matter, you mind your own business and I'll mind mine." She said before turning back on her phone.

"I uh... okay," He sighed. "But um if you need somewhere to sit during lunch, my table is open."

"Got plans." She muttered. Steve nodded silently.

"Offer still stands," he said.

"Good to know," She didn't sound too interested so Steve let her be, but a part of him felt really drawn to the girl. But it was only highschool, nothing would come from it.