Nadine listened to the ruckus she caused in the classroom. She was smiling ear to ear. It’s good to push one’s boundaries once in a while, then the smile faded realizing that bit was pure Jack. As Nadine, she had spent a lot of effort trying to be somewhat normal.

Crap, she was so dead. Did she really just stand up in front of everyone and reveal that she knew much more than your typical average sixteen-year-old did. Trembling, Nadine leaned against the wall then slid down as flashbacks of Jack’s childhood and the prison in which he lived fueled her fears.

Nadine’s parents were different; they were loving and caring and would do everything for their girls. She continued to tell herself that when Maggie burst through the doorway to throw herself on top of her sister with a squeal. “That was totally awesome! Half the guys want to date you, and I think some of the girls do too.” She grinned. “That was quite the kiss, baby sister.”

“I’m so dead.”

Maggie laughed and brushed the hair from her sister’s face. “Of course, you are, but you seemed to have a lot of fun.”

Nadine rolled her eyes and watched as her parents exited the classroom. “Oh, and I am so grounded.”

“Nadine Adora Augereau” Her parents stood a few feet from their child, giving her a look of consternation, frustration, and amusement.

“I can…err…explain.” She stood up, brushed herself off, and faced her parents. Nadine opened her mouth then began to wail throwing herself into her mother’s arms. The Jack part of her said she was ridiculous, Nadine told him to shut the hell up. It didn’t last long, especially when Maggie joined in the hug.

“Simone, I think we need to…” Nadine’s father didn’t look particularly happy.

“Hush Roger, give it a second.” Nadine’s Mama smiled at her daughter, the girl still hadn’t gotten a coherent word out of her mouth yet. “Better? So it seems that you are well good at math.”

“She is awesome. Mama, didn’t you see.” Maggie said. “She does this all the time.”

“With your help, of course.” Her father asked.

“Well, of course, I don’t do the math thing, though.” Maggie smiled, then her face fell realizing she was not going to escape punishment either.

Simone looked at her husband. “Roger, what do you mean by help?”

“It seems, my love, our two children have been roaming these halls for the last few years writing on chalkboards.”

“I haven’t been writing,” Maggie said, then withered under her father’s gaze. “I just keep watch.”

“Don’t blame Maggie, Papa, it’s my fault.” Nadine then went on to explain what the two girls had been doing. She didn’t think it was going to be a big deal. It’s not like they were writing on the walls or anything. It was just a bit of fun while waiting for their Papa to finish up with his classes.

“I doubt I’ll lose my job, Nadine, but it was highly inappropriate. You have disturbed quite a number of professors.”

Nadine couldn’t help but snort arrogant bastards.

“Roger, we can deal with that later.” Simone sighed and turned to her daughter. “You’re so good at math, why didn’t you tell us? We would have been supportive, maybe one of the Imperial schools?”

“I didn’t want to be separated from Maggie.” Nadine shook her head. She knew that if she displayed her particular gifts, there was a good chance that she would not have led a normal life these past six years.

“Figured that out all by yourself; well, you know that we would have never have separated you two. Your father and I would have done everything to make sure you still lived a normal life.”

Nadine looked stunned, then with a satisfied smile, she leaned her head on her Mama.

“She’s an exhibitionist just like your sister,” Roger complained. “Remember that incident with the Horse Guards.”

“Jenny is not; well, OK, maybe she is, but it’s hardly the same thing.”

“What did Aunt Jenny do with the Horse Guards?” Maggie inquired with a half-smile on her face.

“Can we go home now, please?” Nadine didn’t think standing around here was a good idea.

Her father smiled, “I don’t think we can, my math princess, we’ll have to wait.”

A moment later Josephine and scores of other students came pouring out of the classroom. Nadine had become a bit of a celebrity, surrounded by a crowd of admirers.

Josephine pushed through the crowd hooking her arms with Nadine’s. The crowd didn’t remain too long, most having to go back to class and a number shying away from Nadine’s father’s irritated look. After a few minutes only Josephine remained.

“Nadine dear, why don’t you introduce us to your friend.” Simone frowned a little remembering her daughter’s kiss with this girl. She was hoping that it was a phase, but she did admit this girl was pretty.

Nadine smiled and made the introductions. They spoke for a few minutes before Josephine dragged her daughter off to the side, went into her purse and wrote down what appeared to be a phone number. The kiss that the girl gave her daughter before she left made both her parents a little uncomfortable.

“And you complained when I kissed Marcel.” Maggie accused Nadine, of course.

Nadine blushed but couldn’t help but smile. She looked at the paper in her hand. This world was so in need of cell phones and email.

“Who’s Marcel, dear?” Maggie’s mother asked.

Before Maggie had to answer, several professors walked out of the classroom. “Ahh, Nadine. I see you have not departed.”

Nadine looked up Professor Max Jaeger was standing there with a number of his colleagues. She could tell that he was not terribly pleased, but he was putting a good effort into a fake smile. “You put on quite the show there, my colleague and I were impressed.”

“What type of punishment is the Dean looking at for my daughter’s little adventures?”

“Madam, the school is not interested in troubling a gifted mind such as your daughter’s with such trivial things.” There was that fake smile again. Nadine concluded that whoever placed the equations on the board was pulling strings.

“Professor Jaeger, how did you know that I was the Mathematics Ghost?” Both girls were always sure to use a secluded classroom.

“I see, well, one of our professors is having family issues. It seems that he spent the night a few days ago in his office. While getting ready for bed he saw two young women cross the University commons. He recognized you right away.”

“Getting ready for bed, what time was it?”

“I believe it was a little past midnight, Madam.”

Nadine’s mother looked shocked. “What were you girls doing out so late?”

“Nadine?” Maggie looked at her sister.

“Maggie wasn’t with me, Mama, it was someone else. She was asleep.” Nadine made a face this was unexpected.

After all, those years trying not to be noticed the one night she goes out late she gets nabbed. The school might not be punishing her, but she was in so much trouble with her parents. Next time she will take Alice up on her offer to have the discussion in another dimension.

“Who was with you, Nadine?”

“I’d rather not say, Papa.”

“Nadine.” Her mother barked.

“It was Alice.”

“You dragged that poor girl into this mess too?”

“I knew I liked her, Nadine, I bet she thought it was scads of fun.” Maggie giggled.

“Don’t think just because you weren't with your sister breaking and entering during the night it lets you off the hook.”

“Mama, it was hardly breaking and entering, we just opened the door and walked in.”

That was enough for their mother, she pointed to the wall at the side of the hallway. “Stand over there, don’t move, don’t talk, we will deal with both of you later.”

Nadine listened to her parents apologize for the umpteenth time. The professor just nodded with the fake smile plastered on his face. Obviously, something was going on, but Nadine would be sure to thank her unknown benefactor.

The professors were, of course, being ridiculous, sure, it might have hurt their ego a little that a sixteen-year-old girl surpassed them, but if it made everyone excited about math, it was a good thing. She remembered the faces of the young people who used to attend his symposiums when she was Jack. They were enthralled at the ideas expressed, the new frontiers that were opened.

“Well, that was fun,” Nadine whispered.

“You have a weird definition of fun as usual, but I still think you were cool,” Maggie whispered.

The math princess couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.” Still, there was going to be a price, and she hoped it wasn’t too dear.

--0--

Nadine sat in the middle of class, drawing little hearts in and around some fractional calculus formulas. There was an agreement with her parents that her math classes would change, so she now sat in the middle of a bunch of seniors in honors calculus.

The class at least was an improvement over the basic geometry class that she had been forced to take. Madam Wadia was a good teacher, as well. It wasn’t her fault that to Nadine the class was pretty basic.

Grounded until she was at least thirty seemed a bit excessive, but at least this winters break family vacation to Switzerland hadn’t been canceled. She never learned to ski as Jack, but Nadine enjoyed it very much. The young girl figured in a couple of months she would be allowed out of the house, then she would be able to have her first real date with Josephine.

“Mademoiselle Augereau, if you can stop your daydreaming, please complete the equations on the board.” Nadine looked up then realized that she had missed most of class with her musing.

The other students laughed, they expected her to be embarrassed. Nadine, on the other hand, stood up, crossed the classroom and finished the calculations.

“Sorry, Madam Wadia, I was just daydreaming.” Nadine stood in front of the math teacher’s desk after school.

“Nadine, do you find the work not challenging enough?” The teacher had heard rumors from a friend of hers that worked at the University of Paris. She could understand why this young girl was placed in her class, but what surprised her even this level of math didn’t challenge the girl.

On her first day of class Nadine insisted on taking a test that the other students had been studying for all month. Without any preparation, she took the top grade. “I have a question and a request for you.”

Nadine looked surprised, then nodded.

“I heard some rumors about you from a friend that works at the University of Paris.”

Nadine blushed. “Yes, well, if it’s something about the Mathematics’ Ghost then yes that was me.”

“I see, then well, Nadine how would you like to be my assistant in class?”

Nadine’s eyes opened wide. “You mean like help you teach?”

“Yes, I’ll see about getting you some other credit for it as well. You seem to have already grasped all of the basics. Well, beyond that, really. Plus, I think it would engage you more in class rather than sitting in the back doodling in your notebook.”

“Sorry.” Nadine cringed then perked up. “Yes, I would love to help.”

--0--

The girls sat up in their room, painting their toenails and finishing their homework. It had been over two weeks since Nadine’s outing as the Mathematical Ghost, and beyond having to change classes her life didn’t seem to change all that much.

She was told under no certain terms that she would be allowed to walk around the University without proper supervision. Nadine could live with that. The fun was when no one knew what she was doing; once caught it wasn’t as exciting anymore.

“I can’t believe that you’re teaching a math class, that’s so weird.”

“It’s fun, the other kids don’t seem to mind.” She half expected that some of them to be jerks about it, but overall everyone was cool.

“Well it’s an honors class, you don’t normally get the troublemakers in calculus classes.”

“Besides myself.” Nadine giggled.

A loud knock at the door interrupted the conversation. “Girls put on your robes and come on downstairs.”

“Odd,” Maggie said as the two dressed to find that their parents and a half a dozen men and women occupied the foyer.

Nadine smiled, now this is what she was expecting all along, but it would have been nice if she was dressed. She looked around and found the white-haired man in the expensive Neapolitan suit. Everyone but the man seemed to be casually dressed.

It didn’t fool her one bit, but it was somewhat disappointing, she expected something like big guys in dark suits and sunglasses. Well maybe, it’s not like she was working on the Manhattan project upstairs, but this wasn’t a group of scientists.

“Nadine, it seems you have several visitors.” Nadine’s father looked up as the girls descended the staircase. He seemed more confused than worried, but both parents appeared to be a little bit frazzled.

“Good evening, Mademoiselle Augereau, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally. My name is Doctor Joseph Prins.” The white-haired man stepped forward smiling.

“Good evening Doctor, you were at the university a few weeks ago correct?” The name sounded really familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

He nodded. “You’re very observant, but yes.”

“You sort of stood out.”

The Doctor laughed. “I guess I do. Well, if you have the time I would love it if you would answer some questions?” He motioned towards the dining room. Maggie moved next to her sister clutching her arm quite painfully.

“Nadine, you don’t have to.” Simone looked unhappily at the group. She didn’t understand why interrupting the family’s evening was necessary.

“I’m done with my homework Mama, so I see no reason why not.” Nadine dragged Maggie along. “You’re cutting off the circulation to my arm.”

“Sorry, who are these guys?”

“Government types, I’m guessing he is a scientist may be the ISA.” Maggie relaxed; scientists from the Imperial Space Administration weren’t really all that threatening.

Nadine took her normal seat off to the side. Maggie took the one next to her and pushed the two chairs together. “Would you like some tea or coffee, Doctor?”

“Yes, Madam, coffee would be quite lovely.”

She nodded, heading into the kitchen. Nadine noticed that three of the others were missing.

“I’m guessing you work for the ISA?” Nadine looked at the Doctor. The others she didn’t know. Jack worked with the military quite a bit, and Nadine figured she had a few of the others pegged as military types.

“You are correct, Nadine. I am currently part of the research team on the Ney project.”

Nadine smiled, the Ney project was the group that was currently working on getting the French into space. Of course, she had been following it closely. It was very exciting to see humans take their first steps off the planet.

Jack had been to the NASA moon base a half a dozen times himself running one experiment or another. She then realized she was probably the only one from this earth that has been beyond the earth’s orbit.

“I’m sorry to hear that your current math class isn’t too challenging, but teaching seems to agree with you.”

It’s not like it was a secret and she expected after her little show a few weeks ago that someone was watching her. Like Jack, she often had a handler, especially when the projects dealt with certain government agencies.

Nadine just put on her best smile; she can play this game as well. “Yes, I do, and the other kids seem not to mind too much.”

“That’s good; perhaps you will be a teacher one day, maybe at a University.” He smiled as Nadine’s mother brought him a cup of coffee. He took a sip. “Thank you, Madam, excellent. So Nadine, who was this other girl who helped you? You said her name was Alice?”

“You mean the other night; yes, it was my friend Alice.”

“Do you have a last name, perhaps?”

Nadine thought for a moment. “Carroll.” Off to the corner, she could see one of the other taking notes. She suppressed a giggle. Finding Alice was going to prove difficult.

The Professor smiled. “So she is English perhaps?”

“She never said.”

One of the tall military types entered the room and set down a folder. He also placed on the dining room table Nadine’s school notebook, both the girl’s diaries and a bunch of other school notebooks.

“Doctor, was it necessary to go through my daughter’s room?” Nadine's mother objected.

They were already overrun with government types now for them to search the house. She was also terribly concerned for her daughter what had she done to get all of these people's attention?

“I apologize, Madam, orders. That notebook here has calculations in it.”

“I told him it looked like her math homework, Sergeant. In fact, all of it looks like their school work.” A second person, an older woman entered the room. She looked disgusted and gave the Sergeant an unhappy look. “I object, this is ridiculous; are we really here to read through these young girls’ diaries?”

“I object, too,” Maggie yelled visibly upset. Nadine looked around they were still missing the third person. Obviously, they were looking for more of her writings and notes.

Too bad if they came into the house a few weeks ago they would have found the bottom of her closet full of them. Now all but one was beyond their reach. The one left in her room was just something she had been working on during the past week.

Finally, the missing third person entered the room. He had one of her experiment notebooks in his hand. He passed it to the doctor.

“Do you mind, Nadine?”

“Not at all.” Her parents came from the back of the dining room, trying to get a glimpse of what exactly gotten these people’s interest. Maggie just rolled her eyes, more of Nadine’s scribbling. Leaning over she grabbed her diary. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind.

“Astronomical observations; very good Nadine, I see you’re very precise in your work. You have been making some planetary observations as well.” Doctor Prins leafed through the notebook, stopping apparently finding something more of interest. “So you have been keeping an eye on Explorateur II. You have the makings of a good scientist one day. This lovely woman is my colleague Doctor Carina Moretti, do you mind if she looks through this as well.”

“Oh, not at all, most of the book is my extra credit for science class.”

“Why would this girl be viewing our satellite.” Another man asked.

“Oh relax, Kristophe, Explorateur II’s location in the night sky had been a well-published fact.” Doctor Moretti turned to Nadine. She spoke French in a heavy Italian accent. “You do excellent work dear. I wouldn’t mind having you as one of my students.”

“I am sure it’s all very impressive, enough of her school work Doctor, that is not why we are here. Show her the photos.”

Nadine looked up at Kristophe, she was now curious about the photos herself. The white-haired doctor nodded and motioned to one of the others who came forward and dropped a thick envelope in front of her. Nadine curiosity piqued pulled out photos of Alice, and her equations from the other night.

“So Mademoiselle, can you please explain these equations?”

Merde.