I Just Want To Be Normal

Xander entered a little distractedly, balancing a cup of vending-machine coffee on his notebook while he slid his backpack off the other arm and dumped it on his desk. "Hey there," he said when he'd looked up at Isabel. "Working on more campaign propaganda?"

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"Just a few more tonight. Tomorrow night I'm going to be working with at least one of the other sophomores and possibly a third for a full ticket." She stretched her arms over her head and twisted, trying to ease the tightness in her back. Sitting on the floor was not the most comfortable position long term.

Isabel eyed Xander's coffee cup. "What is shop class too early for you? Need the coffee to get through the rest of the day?"

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Xander, on the other hand, eyed his roommate, a little strangely. "Possibly. It's early enough that either I'm not awake yet when I hit it, or I'm hallucinating somebody in it who said she wasn't taking it because it was too early."

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"Xander I'm starting to think you should got to the clinic about those hallucinations," Isabel smiled. "Who are you hallucinating about this time?"

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Sam waved to Isabel and Xander as she passed by the door to their room. Wow, wonder how that's going over... "Hey guys. How's the first couple of days of classes going? Oh, and watch out for the gremlin bit. Phoebe Halliwell thinks she's a dog."

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He raised an eyebrow and pointed at her. "Still the same one. Unless you happen to have a wacky twin sister who goes around pretending to be you?"

After a half-second pause he added, "Also you make the second person to tell me I need to go to the clinic in the last week. Though I'm pretty sure the one on my voicemail was suffering from a case of really mistaken identity."

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"Hi! Sam, right? I don't think we were introduced last night." Isabel waved Sam into the room. "Someone thinks they're a dog?"

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Isabel laughed. "Oh, so you've met my doppelganger? I haven't yet, but Janet told me about her. And look at me not freaking out about this. Even though it's just bizarre."

But then she frowned, patting his leg she said, "I take back what I said about the clinic. It's early enough that you have the right to be confused."

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"Hi." Sam came into the room and looked around. "Is the frog supposed to be purple? Oh, yeah, Phoebe Halliwell was bitten by a gremlin and thinks she's a dog. It'll wear off and her ~~emodemon~~ boyfriend is on the case. Nothing fatal, unless you count embarrassment."

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"Oh my," Isabel said. "I hope she doesn't do anything to embarrassing although I guess that's the purpose of the support group."

"Classes are going well. The teachers seem really interesting. I have the Geoff Chaucer teaching my Lit class. How about you?"

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"I guess it is. But usually there's twelve people and a pirate around when something like this happens, so the humiliation is pretty consistent."

"My classes are going well, so far. Quantum Physics made me work for it today." She grinned. "Chaucer, huh? What's he like?"

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"Oh, the radio. Yeah, I could see where having your actions announced over the airwaves would make your humiliation complete."

Remembering the essay she had to write, as well as the phone message she recieved, Isabel laughed. "He's very charming and he must have a good sense of humor. We had to write a 100 word essay describing him. It had to include words like articulate, and intelligent, as well as devastatingly handsome and charming. He's looking for a TA, I actually applied for it. I haven't heard from him so I don't know if I got it or not. ~~I want to be able to go into the TA lounge and play!~~"

She paused, "Quantum Physics? What do you cover in that class?"

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Xander tilted his head. "Is it still early enough now to be confused? You do have a CamJohnAerynVala thing going on - but she has the same name as you too?"

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Still patting his leg, Isabel explained, "Actually no, she Isobel, I-S-O-B-E-L. Where I spell it I-S-A. She's also only a freshman. But I suppose if you don't know better and you're still half-asleep in a ridiculously early classs, it can really mess up your mind."

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"Just wait until they start on your private life. I made one date, and it was out over the airwaves that same night. That guy's better than the CIA, I swear."

Sam laughed. "Nice to know he's a humble guy. Good luck on the TA thing. I TA for Shop Class and it's a good time. We've unearthed a lounge and everything. I think it's even safe to go into it now."

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Xander looked interested. "We have a lounge? Here I thought the only perk of being crazy enough to say yes when Ms. Calendar offered me a TA position was going to be not getting the 'think of your future - where I will be showing you college websites for the rest of your life' speech again."

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Isabel shrugged at Sam, "So far I'm not too worried about my love life hitting the air waves. It's pretty much non-existant at the moment. But I will keep that in mind."

"And a TA lounge? That has to be nice, a place to retreat to when you need to get away from the gremlin bite victims." She frowned again. "Well I hope get it. Otherwise, I'm sure there'll be other opportunities at some point."

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Xander snorted. "Well, I'm pretty sure she thinks I need to hit the clinic now, anyway."

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"It's pretty darn embarrassing," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "We wandered across the lounge and spent a good chunk of the break excavating and fumigating. I think there's a lock on the door now, though. Angel broke the first one, but I'm pretty sure it was replaced."

She glanced at Xander. "What class are you TAing for Ms. Calendar?"

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"Magical Theory," Xander answered. "Which even aside from the brain-breakage of me as a TA, has the funny side that I don't have a magic bone in my body."

He blinked.

And then again.

"Could we pretend I said something that wasn't that?"

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Isabel tried really hard not to snicker.

But then, just to be merciful to her roommate, she asked Sam "So where are you from?"

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"Happily," Sam said, amused. Xander struck her very much as a young Jack O'Neill. "Colorado Springs, Colorado," she answered Isabel.

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