[A/N: This is for #FBWeek2019 Day 4: Alternate Universe. Also, enjoy the super rough sketch I did really fast]

Newt had barely walked through the school doors when he ran into someone. It was a typical Monday. "Sorry!" he said quickly to the girl he had jostled, then looked back at her as he continued down the hall. He didn't recognize her. He hardly interacted with anyone at school, but he observed everyone from day to day from beneath his fringe of thatch-colored hair, and  had grown familiar with everyone's faces. Maybe the girl had gotten a haircut; her dark hair was lobbed short a few inches above her shoulders--but then she looked back at him and he was certain he'd never seen her before.

By lunch everyone was whispering about something. Jacob plopped down next to Newt at their usual table in the corner. He was Newt's only friend beside Leta, who had been spending a lot of time talking to Newt's older brother lately. ("Why do you hang out with Theseus?" Newt always asked, "he's an adult!")

"Hey, did you hear about the new girls?" Jacob said. "They're New Yorkers too! Had the blonde in my history class." Jacob had grown up in New York, and when his dad died a few years ago, he and his mother came to live with her parents in London.

Newt craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the two girls, who were sitting alone a few tables over. There was the girl from this morning--tall, short dark hair, her peaked face bent quietly and diligently over her food. Her sister sat across from her, her curly blonde hair also in a bob, which bounced as she spoke with far more energy than her sister.

"Hey, Newt." Leta slid into the seat next to him, poking him in the arm.

"Ow," he said, pouting.

"Watcha staring at?" she asked. Newt turned back to his lunch without answering. Jacob inclined his fork towards the girls. "New kids," he said, "from New York!"

Leta surveyed them curiously, twisting towards Newt to look over her shoulder. "They're pretty," she said, almost resentfully.

Newt, still focused intently on his plate, said, "maybe we should go sit with them."

Leta glared at him, thinking he said so in regards to her last comment.

"I meant because they're all alone," he quickly clarified, and Jacob said, "yeah, let's," and clambered out of seat. The other two gathered up their things and followed him over.

"Hey, it's Queenie, right?" he said to the blonde girl. "Can we sit with you?"

"Oh!" said Queenie, quickly sliding down to make room for him. "Of course!"

"I'm Jacob," he said, taking the seat and putting out his hand. Queenie shook it and indicated her sister. "This is Tina." Tina smiled a little and shifted her things over for Newt and Leta. Newt offered his hand to her, saying, "I'm Newt," and she shook it tentatively.

"Sorry about this morning," he said, and she said quickly, "oh, it's fine."

Leta leaned over Newt to shake Tina's hand as well. "Leta," she said, with a brilliant smile. Tina said quietly, "it's nice to meet you."

"Don't mind her," Queenie said abruptly, "she's still adjusting." Tina glared at her and Newt smiled. "Did you just move here?"

Queenie nodded, her curls bouncing. "We were stayin' with some foster parents for awhile back in New York, but then this English couple comes all interested in us for some reason and a couple months later they adopts us, outta the blue! And now here we are, livin' in London, of all places!"

Tina snapped her plastic fork and flinched.

"You alright?" Newt asked, and she nodded.

"She's just not used to it," Queenie said. "I mean, we lived with our foster parents for ten years--don't get me wrong, our new parents are wonderful, it's just a bit of a sudden change, y'know?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

Newt stood up. "I'll get you a new fork," he said to Tina, who had sat staring at her food in silence since she broke hers. "Oh," she said, looking up, "you don't have to--" but Newt was already bounding over to the counter with his hands in his pockets.

"You okay, Teen?" Queenie asked her sister. Tina raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but I'd be better if you actually let me speak for myself."

"Sorry," Queenie said, and bit her lip. "It's just that you don't."

Jacob laughed a little and Leta glanced at Tina. "She doesn't have to," she said, and Tina jerked her head towards her in surprise, and then smiled. Leta smiled back and then Newt slipped back into his seat between them and handed Tina her fork.

"Thanks," she said with a soft smile, and Newt gave her a smile that wrinkled all the freckles on his nose. Jacob put his chin in his hands and grinned at all of them. "We're gonna be the best pals."

[A/N: I have no idea how public school works & I'm American so please excuse any inaccuracies 😂]