Quantum Leap: Mistaken Generation.

Chapter Seven

A/N PLEASE DONT HATE ME BUT IM CASTING SHAILENE WOODLEY AS LIZ BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE COULD BE BAKULA'S GRAND DAUGHTER. STILL LOKING FOR STOCKWELLS AS JO, BUT I SWEAR I'LL FIND HIM.

All eyes were on her, "Yes, Ma'am. I apologize."

The teacher looked flabbergasted and murmurs drowned the room in a painful and embarrassing tension, "See me after class, Stefani."

Stefani Germanotta? Who is that? Where is Jo? Where am I? Why would she be so confused when I said sorry? Is Stefani really that terrible? Why does she sound familiar?

Liz's thoughts are interrupted by the shrill voice of the professor calling her down to the front of the classroom as she is seated at her big, mahogany desk. "Do you know the embarrasment you have caused me today? I will not stand for it. How dare you appologize with such an attitude. I demand respect in my classroom. I also demand you sing in your music theory class and not this one. If I hear so much as one more hum or tap from that desk of yours, I will persoally make this class a living hell for you."

A venomous anger seeped all through her. But this anger differed from her own, it wasn't her own. Even the words she was about to speak weren't of her nature, "Oh, shut up. Like hell you will. So what, I apologized? You're really going to flunk me because of that? I'm surprised anyone shows you any respect. Be grateful I even took the time to speak with you." Where did that come from?

"Leave my classroom."

"Gladly. I have somewhere to be. In fact, I'll leave the damn school. School of the arts my ass. I need room to breathe. And do something about those bingo arms. You're gonna take out a goddamn head or two." Liz says as she spins on a heel to the door, only to be greeted by Jo.

"You let her have it! Way to stick it to the man, cupcake." he laughs as liz is left in a pool of confusion.

"I've never... that... that wasn't me. I never said those words. It was whoever I leaped into. Do you think when I switched conscientiousness, they mixed together? I thought we fixed ZIGGY to not do that anymore?"

"Well, I don't know. It looks that way. Want your mission?"

"Please. I'm too confused right now."

"You are Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. Better known within the year as you make your claim to fame as Lady Gaga." A puff of his cigar takes place as he pauses, "today is the day you drop out after playing a gig. You know how she died, right?"

"Heroin over dose, right?"

"Yup. Today is the day she gets hooked on it. Hides it really well within her career, but dies at the tender age of 45."

"All I have to do is say no, right?"

"Maybe. It could be worse."

Liz nods her head, "So, what now?"

"You leave the school. There's no getting around that part. Go pack your stuff, tell the enrollment councilor and leave. I'll see what else you have to do. And I'll tell your mom you say hi."

"Thank you." she laughed as she wrapped her arms around herself, " I can't wait until I come home."

"Miss your mom?"

"Of course, but, I'll get the time to get to know you too. I've never had a friend before, and I think we make a great team."

He smiles, but it seems forced. If only Liz knew, "Me too."

An hour passes, and Jo finds Liz in her dorm rather quickly, "You perform at eight at this park down the street and a few blocks over. When you're done performing, you get booed off the stage for the outfit you're wearing and run backstage where you bump into this guy who's dealing. Stefani then asks if he's got anything for her nerves, and hands her the sirenge."

"So, don't wear the outfit, don't run backstage?"

"Basically. And practice."

"Alright. I found this guitar in her room along with some really interesting items of clothing... find the chords for the songs and I imagine I can play it. Thank God my mom dragged me to all of those instrument classes, or I'd be having a heart attack." She laughed lightly

 He smiled, "Good luck, cupcake. I'll be back in five. Let me get those chords. Unless you have any songs from the 2000's that you'd like to share?"

"No, please. Get those ASAP." her eyes become bigger upon begging. Thoughts of being booed off a stage makes her nervous. I can't fail. If I fail my task, I am a failure. Mother didn't raise and train me to fail. I simply cannot.

The five minutes pass in agony as she tunes the guitar to her trained ear's liking. A few chords are strummed here and there so she can get used to the feel of the neck and string placement as Jo enters with holographic chord-sheets. "Here are the songs. I'll be here for feedback if it makes you feel better. It doesn't take a psycologist to know you're nervous."

Liz breathes a sigh of relief, "I quite seriously love you right now. I wish I could hug you, honestly."

"Wouldn't be complaining if you did." He chuckles followed by a wink.

Liz rolls her eyes, "Just let me see the chords. I go on in a couple hours."

For the next three hours, Liz practices with Jo always in tow. The last two hours are filled with her getting ready and going to the venue. Instead of wearing the costume labled "BIG GIG BABY!" that consisted of a leather crop-top, daisy dukes, seven or so inch heels, feather jewlery of unknown origins, a masqurade mask, bedazzled bubble vest, puke green hair extensions, and some awful hat that had what resembled a dead yellow bird with an abnormally large head in between two peices of toast atop it, she just went with a band tee she found while packing up with shorts and flats. Hopefully that's not boo worthy.

The venue was filled with over five hundred people easily, causing Liz to cringe internally. Stepping up to the microphone, the track starts, and she sees a sketchy looking kid who couldn't have been a day over twenty. His hair was dark and greasy, clad in a loose, stained hoodie. It was him, the dealer.

Liz sings with all that she's got, causing a standing ovation and a simple head nod from her partner. However, she didn't leap. She avoided the dealer, sang without flaw. Why is it she didn't leap?

"The dealer." Liz mutters to herself. She waves her hand and pops off stage, running back to where she saw the dealer run to, and eventually finding him. The poor kid was shaking, curled in a ball, knees tucked into his chest, muttering something over and over again as he picked at his pale and clammy skin. "Hey, I'm Stefani. What's your name?" she says quietly and approaches him slowly.

He looks sodden and defeated, "S-s-samuel. How much? I h-have everything."

Samuel. "Just a minute of your time."

"You're a nark, ain't you?! Oh, God. I can't get arrested again." he fiddles with something in his pocket

"No no no no! I'm not. I just think you need to talk. Everything will be okay."

"Shut up!" He aims a gun at Liz, the cold metal pressed against her brow. "Marcus sent you to get me, HUH?! Shut up! NOTHING WILL BE OKAY!" He screams, hands shaking, Liz unfazed.

"Okay, stop. Just... stop. You aren't going to shoot."

"How do you know?!"

Liz smiles, "Because, if you wanted to, you would have already shot. Just put it down."

Samuel drops the gun as he clings to Liz. "Help me." he whispers ever so slightly.

"I will."

And with that, she's glowing in a wash of blue as she realizes, she wasn't there for Stefani, but for Samuel. Two birds with one stone,what are you doing up there, God?