Girl, Fearless.

*1*

The kids were all buzzing with excitement as they stepped into the Jeffersonian institute- either their parents had them come, they just wanted to look at bodies, or they were genuinely interested in the science side of things. For Michelle Johnson, it was a pure mixture of the reasons. Michelle was the youngest, young an the minimum age requirement. You were supposed to at least be 12, and she was a year behind. She hoped it wasn't noticeable. All the kids had been given a navy blue lab coat, latex gloves, and goggles when they walked through the door. The coats had a nametag with your last name only, which Michelle thought was odd. She was used to being addressed by her first name, or her nickname, Shelly. She hadn't realized that the second she walked in the doors she'd be considered a doctor and have colleagues who referred to her as Dr. Johnson. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. 

                There were a multitude of important looking people scattered throughout the laboratory, all of which should've appeared intimidating to such young children. Michelle simply saw them as people that could help her further her studies, people that she would be working with. Friends. Her eyes landed on one specific group of scientists, as well as a man in a professional looking suit. A police officer, she thought to herself. He was the only adult there who slightly intimidated her-she had her reasoning for that, and she planned on keeping it to herself. She heard approaching footsteps, and she looked ahead. There was a rather serious looking woman walking towards the group of teenagers, a soft smile on her face despite her businesslike demeanor. Her hair was up in a neat bun, and she had what seemed to be a false friendly expression. She took a shallow breath before speaking, a warm, crackly voice emerging. "Hi. I'm Camille Saroyan, I'm the leading anthropologist here." 

                           There was awkward silence for an incredibly brief moment before Michelle stepped forward, her deep brown ponytail bouncing slightly. "I'm Michelle Johnson. I'm a, uh, forensic anthropologist in training." The young girl felt a bit amateurish when she realized that such introductions weren't necessary, and she found herself having to hope that it paid off. She was young, and incredibly nervous for her first day here, but she knew what she wanted out of this program. She didn't care if any of the other kids thought she was a dork, or a suck-up, or anythign along the lines of such cruel nicknames. She already dealt with that every day at school, it wouldn't be much different here. She wanted to be recognized for her mental abilities, for the lasting impact she was sure she could make on everyone she came in contact with. The world around her was constantly changing, and she watched as other kids ew up and turned away from the paths which they had been previously set on. She was terrified she would meet the same god-awful fate. 

            Camille looked at her briefly, and Michelle tried to read the emotions flashing through her eyes. She wasn't sure if the doctor in front of her was proud, annoyed, or simply confused. She hoped it was the first option. Camille's words after didn't provide the young girl much explanation, either. "Right," She looked back to the group. "So, we have several important figures working here at the Jeffersonian. Each of you will go with a specific scientist, two or three of you will go with each. We also have an FBI agent that you will each get to meet, but due to the dangerous aspects of his job, nobody will constantly be with him." Michelle felt a mix of emotions when she was given that information. On one hand, she had slight trust issues with law enforcement, but on the other hand, she was intrigued by the more wild side of things. Dr. Saroyann. "You will all get to know every aspect of the job. If everyone will stand in a straight line, I'll assign you an adult." 

                          Everyone moved into a line, mumbling amongst themselves in an excited, intrigued manner. "Alright, everyone. Quiet down," all the teens did as they were told before looking up expectantly at their superior. "I'm gonna give you all a number, make sure to remember it. Your number will determine what adult you're with for the day." Michelle was starting to become a bit anxious at the thought of having to find a scientist, the idea of actually being here. She had dreamed about this day ever since she found out it might happen- she had even had to sneak in here. What if someone found out that she did? What if someone knew that she was a year younger than the minimum age requirement, what if they guessed that she wasn't ready to be here? What if she wasn't ready to be here? "1,2,3,4." Dr. Saroyan assigned everybody a number by touching the top of their heads. "1,2,3,4." She repeated. Michelle guessed that she would be a 4. It was basic math, as she was counting down the line. "1,2,3,4." She looked confused as her head was about to be touched. She was standing next to the four? "One." 

      If she couldn't even do basic math, counting properly, how could she ever be expected to help with homicide cases? She didn't deserve to be here. She tried to hide the fear and timidness bubbling up inside of her, tried not to cry in front of the most important people she had ever met. She felt the anxiety infiltrate her mind and attempt to convince her that she wouldn't be able to make it here. "Ones, go with Agent Booth. Twos, go with Doctor Hodgins. Threes, go with Ms. Montenegro. Fours, go with Doctor Brennan." Oh, how wonderful. As if she wasn't already terrified enough, now she had to go with the scary police officer. She just had to put more effort than everyone else into keeping her composure. She had to keep going. 

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Word count: 1,021 Words. 

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I don't own Bones.