Wonderful Unknown

Chapter 1- Something new

Maura Isles sat in her Anatomy class with her forehead resting in the palm of her hand. She attempted to read through her notes but quickly realized that there was too much going on around her. It was becoming a steady buzz in her brain. At this point, concentration was out of the question. Annoyed by all the adolescent chatter that surrounded her, she could feel the start of a headache beginning in her temples with a dull throb.

She let out a long, slow breath which caused her hair to flutter up and away from her face before falling back into her tired eyes. It tickled her nose, causing her to let out another puff of air in a feeble attempt to blow it out of her eyes. Without much thought she used her fingers to tuck the offending strand of blonde hair behind an ear.

Closing her eyes against the onslaught of constant stimulation, Maura tried to focus on anything except the noise that filled her ears. She knew it was her own fault she was in this place. She had begged her parents to let her spend her senior year at a public high school, thinking that the education in social interaction before she started college might be useful. Knowing that it had been her own choice didn't make it any easier however, especially since she hadn't spoken a word to anyone her own age since her arrival.

From across the room, Jane watched the new girl, Maura Isles, with interest. The blonde head was bowed in concentration and her eyes were closed. The early morning sun was streaming in through the window, highlighting the occasional burst of copper weaved within the golden locks that fell in gentle curls around bent shoulders. Jane couldn't force herself to look away. Deciding to indulge her curiosity, she took this opportunity to study the new girl unnoticed.

There was something different about this girl that had piqued Jane's interest. The way she dressed, the way she carried herself, and the way she spoke when addressed by their teacher were all unlike anything Jane had ever seen or heard before from her other classmates.

Jane knew that Maura was smart, like wicked smart. She had seen on many occasions the annoyed look that had crossed Maura's face when someone answered a question wrong, only to have the teacher turn to her for the right one.

Jane couldn't help but notice how lonely Maura looked though and for some reason it tugged at her heart. As she sat there quietly observing from across the room, she made the decision to get to know the lonesome girl.

With the flip of her wrist, Maura closed her notebook. Suddenly she felt a shiver move through her causing her look up. She had this funny feeling that she was being watched but it wasn't an uneasy sensation. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw a girl from two rows over watching her carefully.

Dark brown eyes studied Maura's movements with an intense curiosity. Maura gazed back with the same intensity and then smiled shyly at the other girl. Although her face was partly obscured by the long, dark hair that hung around her broad shoulders in soft waves, Maura could see the small smile aimed in her direction.

The quiet moment was unexpectedly interrupted when the girl was accosted by a tall, lanky boy who had the same eyes and dark hair as her. It had happened so fast that Maura almost didn't feel the slight flutter in the pit of her stomach the instant their eyes met.

"Come on Jane…you gotta talk to Cindy for me." The dark haired boy bounced around his sister's desk.

"Jesus Frankie, go to class before you get detention and Ma finds some way to blame it on me." Jane reluctantly turned her attention away from Maura and towards her brother.

"Janie…you said you'd ask her if she wants to go out with me." Frankie leaned over Jane's desk. He looked over his sister's shoulder catching Maura's eye before giving her a wink and a smile. It caused Maura to blush a furious red at having been caught watching.

"Okay, okay Frankie." Jane said waving her hands in the air in defeat. "I'll talk to her this afternoon. Now get outta here!" She shoved him towards the door in an attempt to get him to leave. For some reason it pissed her off that he had focused his attention on the new girl. Something had shifted deep within Jane the minute her eyes had come into contact with Maura's.

She tried to casually look over at Maura and saw the blush that had colored the other girls face. She gave Maura a reassuring smile as she tried to shrug off the strange feeling that was fluttering around in her chest before turning back to Frankie.

"Yes, Mr. Rizzoli. Now that we have your love life in order, maybe, if it is alright with you, I can begin my class, minus one Rizzoli." Mr. Dennison, the teacher, stood at the front of the room with his hands on his hips. He gave Frankie his best glare, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. It was hard not to like the Rizzoli's and like most, he wasn't immune to theirs charms either.

Frankie looked wounded, then looked at Jane expectantly.

"Oh, you mean me, Mr. Dennison." He grinned broadly as he dramatically pointed to his own chest.

Everyone laughed except Jane and Maura.

"You're lucky that you're Jane's brother young man or I'd give you detention for a week." Mr. Dennison tried his best to smirk at Frankie, but failed miserably.

"Alright… alright." Frankie conceded. "Remember Jane…" he said as he gave an exaggerated bow as he backed out the door.

"Really…?" Jane muttered under her breath as she watched her brother finally leave. She sank lower in her chair trying to make herself less visible to everyone in the room allowing her long, dark hair to cover her face.

Mr. Dennison closed the door behind Frankie before proceeding towards the front of the room. As he passed Jane, he gave her a consoling pat on the back. "Brothers…gotta love them." He said with sympathy.

Jane rolled her eyes before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Can't live with them and Mom won't let me lose him in an enchanted forest." She said running her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face.

"Face it Jane, he would just charm the wicked witch into letting him go." Mr. Dennison laughed.

Watching the exchange with the utmost interest, Maura never took her eyes off of Jane. In the two weeks since school had started, she had caught glimpses of the dark haired girl she now knew was Jane Rizzoli, the Jane Rizzoli. She had heard that name spoken with respect and sometimes reverence as she walked the halls to her next class, but she had yet to understand why. Today was the first time she had been acknowledged by Jane. The feeling of excitement it had caused surprised her.

When class had finally started, Maura found it difficult to concentrate because her eyes kept going back to Jane. She didn't know why, but she felt as if they might have had a connection. Maybe this was someone she could be friends with, but how? She had no experience in initiating a casual conversation. She reminded herself that this was why she had wanted to go to public school in the first place. She wanted to make friends and have a social life like most kids her own age.

As Maura's thoughts wandered, the hour quickly came to an end. She was startled out of her reverie when Mr. Dennison placed her graded test down on the desk in front of her.

"Perfect score… nice job Miss Isles." He smiled down at her.

"Um, thank you sir." She managed to mumble as she slipped the test into her folder and started to put her things away in her bag.

"Jane, I need you to stay after. We need to talk." Mr. Dennison said standing over Jane's desk.

Maura was watching intently, trying to hear what was being said without it being obvious as she took her time gathering her things. She had hoped to maybe run into Jane and try to talk to her, but the more Jane talked to Mr. Dennison, the more upset she seemed to be getting.

"Come on Mr. Dennison. Help me out here!" Jane's anger was evident as her voice got louder.

"Like I told you before Jane…," he began, and then noticed Maura was still in the room. "Did you need something Miss Isles?"

"Um…," she stammered. "No sir." Jane was still looking down at her paper with a furrowed brow. Maura willed her to look up, but she didn't. "Sorry," she said turning to leave as quickly as her feet would carry her.

"Have a good rest of the afternoon then." Mr. Dennison said, turning his attention back to a very irate Jane.

Surrounded by four empty chairs, Maura sat at a small round lunch table feeling rather small in the large cafeteria. Eating her salad alone as she had every day since the first day of school, she couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with her. She knew she was different. It was something that had been pointed out to her on a daily basis while she attended boarding school. Even her parents had, on more than one occasion, declared she needed to find a way to fit in. But fitting in wasn't something that came easy to Maura. It was much easier to find solace in her solitude then to try to pretend to be like everyone else.

As Jane entered the cafeteria, her eyes fell upon the lone figure of Maura. For some reason, her heart broke at the sight of the new girl eating her lunch alone.

She stood in the doorway contemplating whether she should do something, but was interrupted by strong arms wrapping themselves around her waist. As she felt herself being lifted off of the ground, all thoughts of Maura escaped her mind.

Twisting around to see who was suicidal enough to hug her, let alone touch her, she was greeted by twinkling blue eyes. She smiled as a tall, blonde haired boy set her down, hugging her tightly.

"Steve! You're back!" Jane shouted as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, good as new…" He smiled at her as he let go to show her his wrist, flexing it from left to right. "I just wanted to say 'hi' on my way to class. See you this afternoon?"

"You bet!" Jane beamed at him as he turned to leave, waving at her as he headed down the hall. She watched as he disappeared in the crowded hallway as the second bell rang. The ringing of the bell drew her attention back to the cafeteria and to the person she had been thinking of before being interrupted.

As she scanned the room trying to locate Maura, she was disappointed to find the table that was once occupied was now empty.

"Damn…" She muttered under breath. "Next time..."

When the final bell rang releasing a crowd of teenagers into the halls, Maura was glad to see that she only had a few more feet to go before she was outside, away from the rush.

As she made her way past the throngs of people pressed together at their lockers, her mind began to wander. She wondered how she could feel so lonely when she was surrounded by so many people. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she felt less alone when she was by herself in her room at night.

Just as she was several steps from freedom, she felt something hard hit her in the back, knocking her into something else hard before she found herself on the ground.

"Damn…watch where the hell you're going." An angry voice said from above Maura, causing her to wince at the tone.

"Um…I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." She said in a quiet voice as she gathered her books and book bag without looking up to see who the angry voice belonged to.

"Hey…," the angry voice seemed to soften. "I'm sorry…,"

Maura saw a hand extended towards her and tentatively took it. With strength she didn't expect, she was pulled to her feet and then she found herself face to face with Jane Rizzoli.

Maura didn't release the soft, warm hand that had helped her up as an unexpected heat radiated up her arm and right to the bottom of her stomach. She had to look up to meet the dark brown eyes that seemed to soften in an instant.

With a small gasp of surprise, Maura fumbled to let go of the hand that still held hers. Suddenly, she began to struggle with her books as well as her words.

"I think…maybe…someone bumped into me…causing me to bump into…you." She stuttered nervously.

"It's okay…I'm sorry I snapped at you." Jane smiled at Maura. She could see that Maura was flustered and wondered if Maura could see that she was too. "No harm, no foul."

They stood there looking at each other expectantly, each not knowing what to say next when Frankie rushed past them.

"Hey Frankie…," Jane shouted towards her brother. "I need to talk to you."

"Can't…gonna be late for practice…," he shouted back over his shoulder as he hurried by.

"Damn…sorry, I gotta go." Jane said as she pushed past a stunned Maura and ran after Frankie.

Maura stood stock still, blinking a few times before shaking her head. Jane's abrupt departure had left her felling empty all of a sudden. She wasn't quite sure how to process what had just happened, or if it had even happened at all.

When she finally came to her senses, she looked over her shoulder to see a fast moving Jane as she disappeared through the door at the end of the hall. As if on cue, another body slammed into her, knocking her into some lockers and thoughts of Jane flew from her mind. Pulling herself together, she took a deep breath and headed towards the freedom that awaited her outside the school walls.

"The guidance counselor called today." Constance, Maura's mother, stated as they sat down to dinner at the large dining room table.

"What did she want?" Maura asked taking a bite of her salmon without looking up.

"She wanted to know if you would be interested in doing some after school tutoring, and I would appreciate it you would look at me when I am speaking to you." Constance said with a sharp tone.

"Did she mention anyone in particular?" Maura looked up, curiosity clouding her hazel eyes. She tried to smile at her mother, but couldn't find it in herself.

"Apparently the star quarter back isn't doing so well in Anatomy and needs some help. Someone by the name of Rizzoli I believe she said." Constance didn't look at her as she waved her hand in a dismissive way as if she was trying to push the name away. She had noticed Maura's reclusive mood and it annoyed her.

Maura paused before she could take another bite of her salmon and stared at her mother. Her heart gave a small jolt at the mention of that name. Rizzoli was Jane's last name, but then the word 'quarterback' sank in. With a heavy sigh, Maura realized that it couldn't be Jane; therefore it must be her brother that needed help. Constance noticed a sudden flash of light behind Maura's hazel eyes before it was quickly extinguished. With a puzzled expression, she looked expectantly at Maura.

"A football player?" was all Maura could manage to say as she looked away towards the window and thought for a moment. An image of Frankie flashed before her eyes before being quickly replaced by Jane's dimpled smile.

"Well, I think it would be a good thing for you to do Maura. Maybe you'll make some friends." Her mother watched her with curiosity, wondering what the faraway look Maura had on her face was all about.

"Okay mother, if you think I should, then I will." Maura sighed resigning herself to the fact that she would do anything that her mother told her to.

"Good. The counselor said you should meet this Rizzoli person at the football field at 4:00 tomorrow."

"You already told her I would do it didn't you." Maura gave her mother a wary look. Her mother had already committed her to doing it; Maura realized that asking was merely a formality.

"Of course I did. I knew you would make the right choice dear." Her mother gave her small smile.

Maura sighed before she turned her attention back to her meal and continued eating her meal in silence.

"Maura…," Constance paused waiting for Maura to look up at her. "I hope that this will help you open up a little, maybe make some friends."

There was sincerity in the words that Maura was unaccustomed to, so she tried to smile as she silently nodded her head. There was only one person she wanted to get to know better and that was Jane Rizzoli. It was that thought that brought a genuine smile to her face for the first time that evening as she went back to eating her dinner under her mother's concerned gaze.

Maura sat on the bleachers watching the players run back and forth on the football field. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the band practicing on the other side of the field. Their brass instruments were shinning in the sun as they marched in formation, side by side in several long lines. The drums were loud and rhythmic and she didn't recognize the song they were playing.

She looked down at her watch and noted the time. It was already 4:30 and they didn't look like they were getting close to finishing. She fidgeted with her notebook hoping to make the time go by faster.

As she sat there thinking about her day, she felt disappointment well up inside of her. It seemed that any chance she had to speak to Jane had slipped past her all day. Jane hadn't looked her way in class at all and for some reason it had caused a knot to form in Maura's stomach. Lunch was the same, as she sat alone lost in her own thoughts.

She didn't see Jane any more the rest of the day and she sighed as she sat there on the bleachers watching the sun fall lower in the sky. She tried to bring her thoughts to the here and now, forcing herself to show interest in what was going on around her.

Her eyes scanned the field trying to find the quarterback, but to no avail. She couldn't tell the difference between any of them. They all looked the same. White pants, red jersey, red helmets and pads everywhere.

Maura's senses were being assaulted by too many sounds and smells. The band in the background, the coach shouting plays, the players shouting at each other. The smell of dirt and fresh cut grass hung heavy in the air. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was different. She wasn't used to this much going on at once. She was much more comfortable in a museum, surrounded by the quiet of patrons silently observing.

The bleachers were dotted with groups of girls that were there to watch their boyfriends or secret crushes practice out on the field of expansive green before her. She began to feel uncomfortable and out of place as she wondered exactly why she was out there. Just as she was about to give up, she heard someone shout out 'Rizzoli'. She looked up to see who she presumed to be Frankie about to take his place on the field.

Her reaction took her by surprise. She hadn't really thought much of Frankie when she saw him in class earlier. He was tall, lean, and she could see the muscles in his forearms as he gripped the football. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to remember him being that much taller than anyone else.

She watched as strong hands held the ball tightly before releasing it in a straight line right into the hands of another player. It caused Maura to shiver with a new found excitement. She didn't know much about this game, but she knew Frankie was good, really good.

On the next play, Maura's eyes followed Frankie as he took the ball and pushed through an armored clad wall of red jerseys. She watched silently as play after play, Frankie passed or handed the ball off to someone. He took hit after hit, shaking each one off as if it were nothing. There was quiet strength, a grace even, about the way Frankie moved. Maura watched on with admiration, not being able to tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched the tall, slender form walking across the field towards her. Other players were slapping him on the back and playfully shoving him. Maura felt her mouth suddenly go dry watching his long legs stride towards her with all the confidence of a star-quarter back, which he was. He had a swagger that commanded the attention of everyone. Watching his approach, she felt a flutter of anticipation in her stomach.

Maura's eyes lingered over Frankie's uniform, slim waist, and broad shoulders. There was something mesmerizing about the way he stood there in front of her, head cocked to the side as if to see her better through the helmet he was still wearing. As he unbuckled the chin strap and pulled off his helmet, Maura watched as thick, long, black hair cascaded down a strong back. With wide eyes, Maura recognized the dimpled smile of Jane Rizzoli.