AN: Hi! It's been a while. Here's the beginning of a Normero fanfic I have been working on for a little bit, with all the same characters, in a high school AU. How predictable - except not really. I promise it will get more complex/interesting in due time. I know Norma's maiden name isn't Bates, and Sam isn't in the story so it really shouldn't be, but for now let's pretend it is. Enjoy.

Prologue

Norma was still a girl when she had left all those years ago. She had walked right out of her school gates when the last bell of the year rang through the building. She marched on, her high school transcript in her backpack which was swung over her shoulder. She marched southbound to the end of the street determinedly, and she could hear someone calling her name from a distance – maybe it was that girl from her Chemistry class, maybe she had wanted Norma to sign her yearbook – but Norma pretended not to hear her, and to her relief, she was not pursued.

When Norma had reached the fork in the road, this time, instead of turning left like she had done for as long as she could remember, she made a right. It had taken her a lot of courage to take the first step, but when she had done so, the next few became easier, and the next ones easier still. Moments later, she had steadied her pace, and she kept walking, walking, walking, past the post office, past Patty's diner, past Mr. Johnson's house – he was mowing his lawn and he waved at her excitedly as she walked past. She remembered she had waved back, even though her hand was shaking. He didn't notice. She walked westbound for what seemed like forty minutes, and she stopped momentarily to retrieve her water bottle from her backpack before carrying on.

It was a shabby old thing, this blue plastic bottle she had been using for forever. She was sure there was some scientific research against using one bottle for years. Whatever it was, her parents would never know, and even if they did, they would not care. Because her family had never been able to afford any nice things. Growing up, Norma had always been aware they were always short of money. Anytime the welfare cheque came in, they were to spend it on necessities and necessities only - that was the phrase drilled into her head. The rest of the money went to their father, who squandered it and spent it on cigarettes and cheap booze. Sometimes he would come home shouting at the room and the furniture in it, drunk and angry about his life, and Norma remembered those moments. She couldn't forget them if she tried.

They were always the same, the way her father stormed in through the front door, which always slammed shut behind him in a loud, harsh bang. And they had always made her feel the same way, the same frustration, fear, and hopelessness pent up that engulfed her entire being slowly as the years passed. She remembered the protocol then – her brother Caleb and her must always sit side by side inside her closet, careful not to make a sound until they were absolutely sure their father had gone to sleep on the couch. Those moments were always spent enshrouded in the darkness, the two of them keenly aware of the sound of their own shallow breaths. She hated the darkness. Always had, always will. But she knew she had to hide, because it was better than crossing her father's path. Her being in his eye-line would trigger him to espouse abuse towards her, and she hated that more than anything.

Norma had used to think that having her brother by her side made things more bearable. At a young age, she had begun to believe that Caleb was her soulmate, because he had always seemed to notice when she was upset, and then he would manage to make her feel better. She had stopped caring for her classmates' gel pens and new planner books. She didn't think much of their crisply ironed clothes, and she didn't care that her own socks had holes in them where they should not be. In the place of envy for all the things she couldn't buy for herself, Caleb's protectiveness and care for her had caused her to adopt a carefree attitude towards material possessions. Norma knew that what she had with her brother – their deep connection and friendship – was better than any printed skirt and designer wallet her classmates used to tout around.

But all of that was before Caleb had betrayed her. Norma had to remind herself that whatever had happened had happened, and she would never forgive him for it. That was who she was. She felt things too deeply, too intensely, and her emotions often seemed to overwhelm her. But she knew she had a good reason this time. Being betrayed by a good friend was one thing. In fact, she had it happen to her before – she simply cried for a day. And then she moved on with prompt resolution. But being betrayed by a soulmate was another. It caused a bruising in her heart so severe she knew she could never recover from.

When the betrayal had started – that was when Norma knew she had to get away from it all. The abusive father. The disloyal brother. The broken image of her own mother who was never present. All of this was a cruel twist of fate that had bestowed upon her, and even though she didn't know much then, she knew she deserved better. She had seen her friends' parents pick them after school, and she had seen them in the audience in school plays and football games. There was a kindness and warmth that her family lacked, that she yearned for desperately from the outside world.

She had started saving money in secret then, offering to babysit for and tutor anyone she could. She scooped ice-cream at the mall on weekends and wiped down diner tables in the evenings. Sometimes she skipped the classes she didn't think she needed – gym, drama, art – to wash a few more cars and mow a few more lawns. It was all about earning an extra buck, and the best thing was that whatever she earned, it was her money. It was her own money, and she didn't have to share it anybody. Not her father, who was always too drunk to notice she had been out all afternoon again, and not Caleb either, who had transformed from caring brother to someone who only went to her when he needed her.

Norma didn't make that much in the end, about seven hundred dollars over the course of the few months of working odd jobs, which she kept in a box with a lock stashed in the bottom of her backpack that she carried with her every day. She had wanted to get to a thousand dollars before even considering leaving, when the summer holidays were quickly approaching and she knew she couldn't wait any longer. She couldn't spend the months cooped up in her house, and she couldn't stand the thought of being under the same roof as her family for hours on end. It was time for her to pack up and leave Ohio for good, whether she was ready or not. She was going to walk free, even if it meant she had to walk alone.

That was exactly what she did, and she had not looked back, not even once.

Looking up at the building, Norma Louise let out a shudder in her modest blue dress. She didn't know how she had ended up here. In the beginning, she didn't have a plan. She had only been trying to run away, and she didn't care what kind of life she would end up making for herself.

It was weird sensation, to find that her life was actually picking up and going somewhere. It took a lot of hard work and discipline, but ten years later, she had emerged victorious. She was far away from her family, and she felt secure in knowing that they would not bother looking for her. Not now, anyway, when so much time had passed.

She had those fears in the beginning when she was drifting, catching one night bus after another. She often woke up sweating, clutching her backpack to her chest in fear of it being snatched away, wondering when her father or Caleb would show up knocking on the door of a motel room she was staying in to send her home.

Those fears elapsed slightly when she settled into her first job as a housekeeper for a wealthy family in Washington. She was getting paid a decent amount, and she had a room to stay in. For the first time in her life, she had health insurance and her own bathroom. She worked there for three years, saving money and learning the ropes of adulthood, before quitting to go to community college so she could make something of her life. Directionless, she took a lot of courses then, ranging from Psychology to Economics to Politics. It took some time for her to find her footing, to find what she truly enjoyed, which she realised in the middle of her Literature class.

Norma liked that people didn't care that you were alone on graduation day when you went to community college. Back in high school, she had skipped graduation and prom because she didn't see the point of attending either.

There was a bespectacled boy who had asked her to go to prom with him. She had forgotten his name, but she didn't forget his face. He was tall and lanky, with a head of brown hair and a sprinkle of freckles, and she thought he was cute in a nerdy way. But she said no, because she would never have been able to afford a dress or a ticket. And he would have insisted on picking her up at her house. She couldn't have had that; she didn't want anyone knowing where or how she lived. She also figured that at graduation, she would have been surrounded by her classmates and their families, and the thought of being the only student who was there all by herself gnawed at her until she ripped up all three of the invitation slips.

The present day Norma had become accustomed to independence, and she was as self-sufficient as any twenty-eight-year-old woman could be, with her own apartment and a car. The latter was now parallel-parked on the side of the street across her. It was not anything fancy – it was a Mercedes from the 60s in light teal, the kind of vintage car that looked like it ought to have been put in a museum instead of being let outside to roam the streets.

But she liked it. She liked its robust frame and leather seats. The car was a bit shabby overall, which made it a little cheaper than the other modern cars that had been lined up nearby on display, which she also liked. She thought it gave her character. Not everybody in town would be driving around in a car like that, and she didn't mind being different.

Standing quite still, at the side of the entrance, Norma watched as teenagers flooded in through the tall white gates in clusters. She wondered which ones would end up in her class.

She hadn't intended on becoming a teacher at first. She had wanted to be a journalist at a major publication because she liked the challenge of what the position would entail. She liked the thought of writing, reporting. It seemed important and professional, something she had never been. And even though there was always talk around her of community college not being 'real college', she was only slightly ashamed of her education. Sure, she had told a couple of people she had gone to the University of Chicago before, when they had asked, but they were not important people anyway.

But she changed tactics when she realised that a career in journalism would result in her name being thrown around on the Internet. It was the very thought that scared her. She didn't know what Caleb had been up to after she had left. What if he managed to find her somehow, because he had spotted her name in the byline of an article or think-piece? She abandoned the idea quickly and decided to get a professional licence in education instead. She would still make a difference being an English teacher. She had wanted to make a splash, but she was content with making ripples too.

This was her first time as a high school teacher. She had taught elementary school for two years, before realising that she was not very good with young children after all, especially when they came in batches. She had good intentions, and she would never hurt any of them. But she also never seemed to be too patient with them, and with twenty children running around all day, she had ended up resigning from her post after one too many incidents of spilled paint all over her dress.

Norma had no idea what to expect, if she was being really honest. She knew teenagers could be snarky and downright nasty, but she thought she could really talk to them and bond with them. That was what mattered to her – communication. Elementary school kids were too young to have a proper conversation with. She was a cautious person, but she always knew when she met a like-minded person, and she enjoyed being intellectually stimulated.

She knew she was paranoid for even thinking about all of this when classes had not even begun, but she was really hoping to stay out of trouble at White Pine Bay High School.

In the midst of all the little heads bobbing around the entrance, Norma spotted a blonde with her hair tied up in a ponytail walking into school. The girl was whispering excitedly to her friends next to her as she showed them something on her phone. One of them said something and it rendered the group in peals of laughter.

Norma saw herself in the unsuspecting girl. She had an air of innocence about her, and Norma thought that could have been herself ten years ago, on a sunny September day. But she wouldn't have had a phone, she thought. Or many friends either, actually. So maybe that girl was not like her at all.

She was lost in her own thoughts when she heard a voice call out from behind her.

"Hi."

She turned around, startled, nearly dropping the tote bag she had been carrying on her shoulder. She saw an attractive man standing there with neatly combed hair and pale blue eyes. He couldn't have looked any older than twenty-five. Or, hell, she thought, maybe he was a student. Kids were eating all kinds of weird stuff now, stuff that spiked hormonal changes, weren't they? She wasn't sure. But then again, she noticed now as she looked at him, he was wearing a pastel purple dress shirt and corduroy trousers. And while she might not know all that much about teenager fashion, she knew enough to know that those were not it.

"Hi," she responded, a little uncertain. She adjusted her tote bag and gave him a weak smile.

"You should probably go in, or you're going to be late," said the man.

Norma discovered his voice was a little deeper than she had initially heard from his greeting, and could see now from his composure that he was friendly and meant no harm. She cleared her throat and laughed a little.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

The man picked up his pace to walk alongside her, and they walked towards the front gates together. She noticed he was carrying a thick binder that was tucked under his arm, with various slips of post-its sticking out from the top of random pages. So he was a teacher, she thought, and a novice at that, she assumed from his age.

"So," he said, walking slightly quicker than she was, for which she was grateful. She had no idea where she was going, or where she needed to be, and she was happy to tag along until she could figure everything out. "You're new around here?" He looked at her and flashed a smile, and she nodded, following him down a corridor.

"Yeah. I'm Norma Bates, by the way," she said, extending a hand for him to shake. He grabbed it with confidence with his free hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," the man said cheerfully, and then he paused midway through his thought. He looked a little flustered, and he said, "I meant that it's nice to meet you too. Not the part where my name's Norma Bates."

Norma chuckled. They began to climb up a flight of stairs and she was hit with an influx of students. She tried hard not to lose him in the wave by keeping an eye on his purple shirt.

"What? Your name's not Norma Bates too?" she feigned disappointment, catching up with him as he turned a corridor. It was suddenly much quieter, and she realised they were almost at the staffroom. He shook his head. "Oh, bummer," said Norma.

"A bummer indeed. My name's Zack Shelby," he said. "I teach Physics."

They had arrived at the staffroom, and he taught her to tap her ID card to unlock the door to get inside. He told her the sensor also had a way of recording when she showed up to work, so she must always make sure to tap it against the reader, even if someone in front of her was already holding the door open for her. She thanked him and they slid inside. When the door closed behind them, it sealed the room shut and she could no longer hear the sound of the students frolicking outside, which she found incredibly helpful and slightly magical.

"And what do you teach?" asked Zack. They were now hovering around his desk, trying to slip in a little more conversation before she had to find hers to sit down at.

"Well, I'm-" Norma began, but he raised up a hand playfully.

"No! Wait. Let me guess."

She shrugged and shot him a knowing smile. "If you can."

"Art?"

"No." She was never going near another paint set in a school setting.

"Math."

"Hm," she said. She was beginning to enjoy this. It felt good that she was less than twenty minutes into her first day and already having a laugh with someone she had just met. It was a good omen, she thought. It had to be. Today was going to be great. She needn't have worried at all.

"No?"

"No," she confirmed. "I was good at it, and I enjoyed it. But I just don't know how I could ever teach it! It's a whole different thing."

"Fair enough," he said. "Philosophy?"

"Tried growing a beard, but it didn't work, so no. Did not choose that career path."

He laughed, and she could see that there was a boyish charm about his features.

"I think," he said hopefully, "you're an English teacher. You have to be. I can see it in you. Your dress, your blonde hair, your bright blue eyes…"

The sincerity in Zack's eyes made her smile. "Bingo," she said. He smiled back at her.

"Well, I think that's fantastic."

"Me too. I do love stories. You know, you think about these great adventures these characters are going on…"

Norma was in a good mood as she chatted on. She leaned gently against the partition between Zack and the other person's desk, but she was careful to keep her centre on the balls of her feet. She noticed Zack was still holding his binder, even though, she thought, he must have been about to set it down onto his desk five minutes ago.

"So how come I've never seen you around town?" he asked. His words came out smooth like honey, and for once, she didn't react coldly, as she always did when she thought people were prying.

That was the way with Zack Shelby, and he knew it. He knew he had the power to charm people, and he did not use that power sparingly. He wasn't going to let such a gift go to waste, was he? Besides, it had always brought him a good time. And he was having a good time right now, getting to know Norma Bates, the new English teacher.

"Well, that's because I'm not from around here," said Norma. She saw the slightly confused look on his face and elaborated. "I saw an ad for an English teacher six months ago, and I decided to give it a shot. And then they called me to tell me I got the job, and I quickly packed all my things and moved here."

"Where from?"

"Jamestown? You know where that is? It's a little up north."

"Oh, yeah," he said knowingly. "My dad moved there five years ago. He says he prefers to live inland, rather than live so close to the sea. Says he gets sea-sick just looking out of his window sometimes."

Norma laughed. "Well, that's a perfectly valid reason to move."

"Is it? He's a funny old man," he said, and he had a smile on his face. He paused to let the moment pass, and struck up a new conversation topic. "Hey, since you're new, I just want to let you know how things operate here, cause I had my fair share of blunders last year. Social faux pas. So most of the teachers hang out with each other. But of course you have people from the same department being closer to each other. But everyone's nice, so if you don't know what to do, you can just ask anyone. Except that balding guy called Paul Wilson. He teaches Biology, and he's always cranky. No one even knows why."

"Avoid Biology teacher, always cranky" repeated Norma. "Got it." She had a laidback smile on her face, which she couldn't help from talking to this man who was so intent on helping her out on her first day.

"And also, if you can, you shouldn't use the pink mug in the cupboard, because that's Ms. Holloway's, and she gets really fussy about someone salivating all over her ceramics."

"That's one way to put it."

"Oh, believe me, there's-"

The door flung open before Zack had a chance to finish what he was saying, and the both of them turned to look at the person at the entrance. He was a tall, solemn man, with his hair trimmed short, almost military-style, and she saw that he didn't look pleased at all.

"Shelby, how many times have I told you-" the man began, but paused to study Norma as though she was an intruder. Then he focused on Zack. "How many times," he said again, and she could tell he was slightly distracted by her presence, "have I told you that you need to be at morning assembly as much as the rest of the world does?"

"Truth to be told, I've lost count," said Zack without a hint of sarcasm. He shrugged and set his binder down onto his desk before turning towards a confused Norma. "This is Alex Romero. Alex, this is Norma." He gestured at her, and turned to her again. "Romero's the tough guy around here. But he's really a softie, you'll see. And I feel like it may be worth mentioning that he's got an extensive knowledge of the Romanovs, if that gets you going."

"I'm a History teacher for God sake," said Alex.

"How's Rebecca?"

"It's none of your business."

"I'm just trying to be caring," said Zack, cracking a smile. Norma turned to Alex, who was standing a few feet from them with his arms crossed.

"If you want to know, you can ask her yourself," said Alex. "Now you two had better go. Hop along."

Zack shrugged nonchalantly. He sashayed his way to the door and Norma followed behind, taking a closer look at Alex as she walked past him. He did look tough, with his dark hair and brooding eyes, on top of an ever-frowning face. She didn't know why, but it was in that instant that she knew despite his appearances, he was not as he seemed. He was just guarded, and a little too closed off for his own good. So in a way, he was a little bit like her. She wondered what might get him talking.

"That's it," said Alex, ushering them out of the room, not taking so much of a second glance at either of them before exiting. "You'd better get there in two minutes," he said to Zack. He nodded at Norma as if to say that whatever he was saying to him applied to her too, and he hurried down the hallway.

"Well, that was Romero for you," said Zack, as soon as Alex was out of earshot. He led her down another corridor, this one lined with lockers. It was quieter now that the whole school was at morning assembly in the hall, and she could hear the sound of their footsteps across the hardwood floor.

"Is he always like this?" she asked.

"Yeah. But it's not a bad thing," he added quickly. "He's not a nice guy, but he's a good guy."

"I see."

They made their way to a large set of double doors, wooden, and Norma held her breath. She had always been slightly neurotic, but she was not normally nervous like this. She knew there were almost two hundred students on the other side of the wall, and that made her a little anxious. She could hear the sound of someone giving a speech on the microphone. Probably the principal telling everyone he was hoping to have another good year at White Pine Bay High, that kind of stuff.

"Are they going to make me introduce myself?" she asked, stopping short in front of the entrance. Zack looked surprised, with his hand already on the door, ready to push it open. He halted.

"Well, yeah. We all have to, because there are always new kids coming in." He saw the worried look on her face and gave her a little nudge at the elbow. "But it's going to be okay, you'll see."

Norma nodded. There was nothing she could do anyway, she thought, other than to trust him. He smiled and pushed open the door that led to the back of the hall, and the two of them slid in discretely. To Norma's relief, no one noticed. No one except Alex, who seemed to have a particularly sharp eye for anything out of the usual. It didn't surprise her. He appeared as though he was always on the lookout for something or someone. Now, he looked over from the end of the bleachers to give Zack a disapproving glance. His eyes moved onto Norma and they made eye contact, but he didn't look away, so she did. His gaze lingered on her for a while as though he was contemplating, before he looked away again.

Sorry this was so long! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not going to keep up this word count in the next chapters for obvious reasons like I may die. Please do leave a review if you like. :-)