A Day Off

[akane]

Date: May, 8, 2003, Thursday?
Time: 3:00ish? (After school?)

"Sometimes you just need a day off from life, you know?"

It was a rarity. It was unheard of. Was that Uesugi Akane sitting in the courtyard, not at a club or practice?

Why yes. Yes it was.

The second year girl was actually outside for once after school, aimlessly walking around. She really never had time to do this since moving to Hikarizaka. Once she moved to the city she didn't want to be at home, so she plunged herself into as many activities as she could and still took private lessons on over three different instruments. She was in cooking club, the school orchestra, book club and script-writer's club. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Akane was really over her head in all of these activities. She didn't want to stop, and her love of trying new things worsened her guilt of quitting.

So she had to set aside days to refresh herself and her mind; she didn't want to go insane. Days where she didn't attend anything after school and just...loafed around. Days where she could just sit and make sure she wasn't too over her head. So after school, instead of rushing to a rehersal or practice and trying to pick a solo for her tenor sax, Akane simply grabbed her school work and met with Masumi before heading out to the courtyard. Masumi had a after school art thing to attend, so they couldn't chat long before the sisters had to depart. Akane had been looking forward to just chatting with her sister about nonsensical things in the courtyard, but she could go at it alone...

Right?

So there Akane was, walking around before she found herself a tree to sit underneath. She didn't have any instruments to play, which was sad indeed since she loved to play outdoors in the nice weather. There was something about playing a slow jazz ballad in the open air that would bring a smile even to a cold blooded killer's face...or at least Akane liked to think so. Who could be sad when an orchestra was ripping into the grand maestoso of a long and arduous piece symbolizing the grief of tragedy, especially when the end sounds so hopeful, like maybe it wasn't the end? No musician could at least.


So she didn't have an instrument to calm herself with. What could she do? I would sing, but I'm in too public of a place. All of these students wasting their lives away in the courtyard. No. No singing. I could do some homework...but it's too nice outside to do homework. Akane walked around, looking up at the sky and her surroundings. It really was a good day to be outside. Despite the bothersome glances of other students, the weather brought a small smile out of Akane's face. She'd been cooped up for far too long.

Akane was daydreaming about what the weather was like for Eri, who has studying abroad this semester to the country of France. Eri seemed like the type of girl who'd want to go to France, always so adventurous and good-mannered. She was so friendly she killed people with kindness sometimes. France seemed like a good fit for the budding pre-med student. She'd learn a lot about culture. Akane, while not as close to Eri as she was to Kei and Masumi, still missed her eldest sister more now that she was so far away. Who was going to protect her petite frame and trusting ways?

It was in this mindset that she actually walked into someone. Akane dropped her bag from the shock of actually being non-cognizant enough to realize that she walked into someone. Letting out a small noise at the impact, her mind immediately started to think negative thoughts about the person, trying to place blame on the student she had just walked into. It took a long time to break that mindset of blaming others inside her mind; she seemed not to be free from that shackle just yet.

"Ah...I..I....I ran into you. Sorry." Akane exclaimed as she urged herself not to blame the person out loud. Picking up her bag, Akane slung it back onto her shoulder and looked up at the student she ran into. He was taller than her, but she sure didn't recognize him. She usually had a good memory when it came to faces in the school, due to all of the activities she took part in. He didn't fit the bill of anyone who didn't have a face paired with their name though, so after her not-so-graceful apology, Akane stuck her small hand out to the student and introduced herself. She hoped she could channel her inner Eri for once, since meeting a new person would provide a distraction from impending boredom of her relax day.

"I don't believe I've seen you around. I'd know, since I'm over-my-head involved. So it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Uesugi Akane, second year student." Akane exclaimed as her hand extended out towards the student. Hopefully he didn't find her...well...strange. Outer-Akane wouldn't seem to care, but the one inside was a different story.

[kyogia]

Hikaru was deep in thought. It was his first week, and he didn't know his way around the school without a map yet. He was exploring the school, and found himself at a courtyard. He stopped, and looked around to see so many students; some were doing homework, some were studying, and others were just hanging out.

It just seemed so peaceful here, and Hikaru enjoyed the atmosphere. He looked up and saw a blue, cloudy sky. He loved seeing this kind of weather, it usually meant that the day would turn out great.

Hikaru continued walking until he felt a thud. He immediately stopped thinking, and in front of him he saw a girl and a dropped bag. Hikaru got himself together and thought, "(Huh? What just happened? Did I walk into her?)"

The girl apologized to Hikaru, and she then held out her hand... she introduced herself? Now that's something he wasn't used to seeing.

"Erm... Yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Shimizu Hikaru, a third year. This is my first week at this school. I'm sorry for bumping into you, I wasn't paying attention. Are you okay?"

[akane]

Did I really just run into someone? Jeez Akane, watch where you're going. Why don't you just mow everyone over in the courtyard and save the trouble of daydreaming before you trample them. The voice in her head was unusually snarky to her...maybe it had been cooped up to long underneath the nicer thoughts she had been having recently. She did seem to have a good week, especially after Yeagura had told her he finally picked out a solo for her district bassoon audition - a ballad piece that settled into 6/8 time. She absolutely loved that time signature, so naturally she was eager to practice the solo. Yeagura knew how to make her excited about things that usually frightened her.

"Erm... Yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Shimizu Hikaru, a third year. This is my first week at this school. I'm sorry for bumping into you, I wasn't paying attention. Are you okay?" The older student was a third year! She should've known, looking at the crest on his shirt. Somehow she seemed to be completely unaware of mundane things after her run in with this Shimizu student. Why is that? She wondered as she replied to him. He seemed to be nice, albeit maybe a little bit shy. Perhaps that was because he was a new student. Akane used to be new, but since got used to the school and the students around. And he apologized even though I ran into him?

"First week? Well, let me be the first...or possibly second/third depending on who all you've met...to welcome you to Hikarizaka High! I hope you'll like it here, I know I did when I transfered a bit ago." Akane said as she shook his hand. Readjusting her bag again, she looked around the courtyard before getting a brilliant, somewhat insane idea. Akane, Kei would be proud of you. Kei usually fueled the crazy ideas Akane had, and this would be no different.

"Oh, no need to apologize, it was I who ran into you, Shimizu-san. But listen, since you are new and all...have you seen all of the buildings? I'd be happy to show you around...since it is my day off from just about everything. It'll be fun, I promise...or at least not as... boring as just hanging in the courtyard. " Akane was eager to try and give a tour, since it was a test to see if she really knew the buildings as well as she thought. If he refused, then she'd just sit and talk to him. Beats wandering around alone and running literally into people. Sometimes her 'off' days had this quality about them. She'd get bored if she didn't have something to do besides contemplate her situation on life.

[kyogia]

"First week? Well, let me be the first...or possibly second/third depending on who all you've met...to welcome you to Hikarizaka High! I hope you'll like it here, I know I did when I transfered a bit ago." Well, this person seemed nice. No one had ever welcomed him to Hikarizaka High, except for the teachers, so he had a warm feeling from hearing this. And it seemed like this person enjoys the school, too. That was a good sign.

"Oh, no need to apologize, it was I who ran into you, Shimizu-san. But listen, since you are new and all...have you seen all of the buildings? I'd be happy to show you around...since it is my day off from just about everything. It'll be fun, I promise...or at least not as... boring as just hanging in the courtyard. " It was me who wasn't paying attention, though... Oh well. A tour of the school? That'd actually be nice, instead of just mindlessly exploring the school himself. He'd actually have company, and that was a good thing. He made sure he had everything, and then made up his mind.

"Oh, um... I'd very much appreciate it if you could, so I guess I'll accept that offer." This should turn out interesting. Hopefully I'll remember where everything is after this, but I'll have to rely on my memory, although it can fail me at times...

[akane]

I've been around this building so many times, you'd think I'd know where everything is! So this shouldn't be a problem....right? Akane was a part of so many groups and clubs that it was a reasonable guess that she should be able to give a simple tour. She wasn't that forgetful...was she? Of course not! Akane would do this, and also past her self test of knowing where everything is. It was a perfect plan! Besides, she could maybe get to know Shimizu-senpai more. He seemed like he could use a friend, being new and all. If he just accepted....

"Oh, um... I'd very much appreciate it if you could, so I guess I'll accept that offer." Shimizu-senpai accepted her offer, and Akane's slight smile blew out into a grin for a moment before clapping her hands together. It was time to get things started. But where should I start? Akane wondered as she looked around. Was she going to give him a tour of just the buildings...or were they going inside so he could see certain facilities? Akane couldn't decide, so she figured she'd like him do the deciding.

"Shimizu-senpai, do you want to see just the campus and all the buildings/facilities, or would you prefer to go inside and I can show you the library and reference room and others like that?" Akane asked as she paced back and forth for a bit. She didn't know how much time he wanted to spend looking at buildings, but at the same time, she didn't want to deny him anything during this tour in the way of information.

"I mean, I didn't know what all you wanted to see...so... I thought I'd let you decide! I have more than enough time to spend, so don't be hesitant." It was true, she really did have a lot of time considering she was skipping out on everything today in the way of clubs and practices and such. She didn't even have a lesson with Yeagura! If we go inside, those clubs might see me....what should I do? Akane was a tad bit hesitant to try and explain to them why she wasn't attending, but decided she'd cross that bridge when and if they came to it.

[kyogia]

After Hikaru answered, he started wondering about where she would take him for the tour. "Shimizu-senpai, do you want to see just the campus and all the buildings/facilities, or would you prefer to go inside and I can show you the library and reference room and others like that?" So he was given an option. He thought for a bit.

While he was thinking about where to go, Akane-san added, "I mean, I didn't know what all you wanted to see...so... I thought I'd let you decide! I have more than enough time to spend, so don't be hesitant." Honestly, Hikaru was fine with wherever she'd take him, but he was given a choice. It wouldn't be right if he asked it back at her...

"Maybe we can go inside, would you be fine with that? I have no clue where the library or reference room are, so there's probably even more inside that I don't know." Hikaru also thought to himself that he would probably find out where the facilities and buildings were after a few days or weeks. He started thinking about where'd they go first.

[akane]

How can I avoid all of those clubs that I told I was taking a 'leave/sick' day from if I'm giving a tour inside the school? I need to show him club rooms, and I'm pretty sure there are meetings in the library about right now... Akane knew that she couldn't go back on her word now that she already asked Shimizu-senpai the question. It would be bad for both her image and personal moral if she were to break an assumption like that. Yes, she'd even feel guilty.

"Maybe we can go inside, would you be fine with that? I have no clue where the library or reference room are, so there's probably even more inside that I don't know." Shimizu-senpai exclaimed, not seeming as sure of himself, but polite enough that it would be rude of her to refuse now that she had extended the offer out. I can't skip the library and reference room obviously...I guess it's time to pray that I don't have a lot of explaining to do. Maybe going with Masumi wherever she decided to go was a better choice than wandering around the courtyards, if only for a bit. She wouldn't have met Shimizu and his quiet politeness, but she wouldn't have this 'guilt' sitting in her stomach from taking a day off from activities.

Giving a tiny, almost unnoticeable sigh, Akane clapped her hands together and wore a smile on her face. If she had to keep up an act to make sure Shimizu was pleased and to get this tour through, she would. Akane was genuinely happy that she had the privilege to show him around, but at what cost?

"Alright, Shimizu-senpai! Inside we go! Akane turned a bit to start to lead him back into the building holding the reference room and library. So... Akane drew out the word, trying to find a means of starting a conversation with Shimizu. New students piqued her interest a bit more since she herself had transfered, so she at least had a feeling of how coming to a new school could be, for any age. You said that this is your first week here, correct? Where did you go to school before?"

He didn't seem familiar, but there was a chance, a small chance, that the two were from around the same area. His name didn't have a ring to it, but a lot of things changed for Akane and the rest of the Uesugi clan since the move and more than one thing was lost in the process. Memories included. So it was very well possible that she had met Shimizu-senpai before and had just forgotten it in the hubbub of moving. She was a great student, but she didn't have the strongest memory. Probably not near the top. Akane constantly forgot assignments until the last minute or call Yeagura to reschedule meetings. It was a wonder she got through the school day at all.

[kyogia]

"Alright, Shimizu-senpai! Inside we go!"Alright, it looks like the tour's about to start, but... where are we going? Hikaru also couldn't help but notice that she seemed a little uncomfortable for some reason, but paid it no mind. Hikaru started following Akane into the building, and she asked him a question.

"You said that this is your first week here, correct? Where did you go to school before?" Okay, here's where it gets difficult. How am I supposed to answer this?... Hikaru stayed silent for a few moments, gathering his thoughts together. What should I do... I can't really answer her question. Should I seriously say I forgot what the name was? I have bad memory, but no matter how I would say that, it would seem weird and it's only half correct... but what other choice do I have? I can't just interrupt her, that'd be rude.

In the end, he finally decided to endure it and answer her, no matter what kind of response he'd get. "... I'm not quite sure. This may sound strange, but... I think I forgot the name of the school." As soon as he said that, he wished he hadn't. He felt embarrassed by saying that for some reason, and the feeling made him uncomfortable, so he started to try ignoring it. "Um, anyway, where are we going?"

[akane]

What was I thinking?! I would remember if I knew him, yes? I can't write this off as bad memory. Either I know him or not! right? Akane thought to herself as she awaited Shimizu-senpai's answer. He was a quiet and polite sort of person. You'd think that Akane would've remembered that had they met before. So it was obvious that they hadn't. Statistically, one of them would've remembered, and though he was shy, Akane figured that he would've spoken up had they already known each other. Most people did.

So she didn't know him. That glimmer of hope that maybe she could've had just one link to her former life was gone, robbed by logic and basic human instinct. Sometimes she hated that part of herself that robbed her mental fantasies of their dream-like quality by ripping them to shreds with the claws of logic and knowledge. For once, she wished she could have a fanciful dream without her damn mind deciding to interrupt it every ten seconds or so.

"... I'm not quite sure. This may sound strange, but... I think I forgot the name of the school." Akane tried not to stare at Shimizu-senpai after he exclaimed that he didn't remember the name of the school he last attended. He was right, it did sound strange. She had moved, but she didn't forget the name of her last school. His move seemed to be recent, because she was giving him a tour. Walking slightly ahead of him, Akane turned on her heels and started to walk backwards as she responded.

"I'm not gonna lie, it sounds pretty weird. I also know that moves can be stressful and taking in so much information about the new place, you're bound to forget about the old one, right? Akane trilled as they entered deep into the building. After a turn and a walk down the next hallway of homeroom classes, Akane was going to show him the library. The biggest target first.

"Um, anyway, where are we going?" Shimizu-senpai asked in that quieter voice of his that made Akane want to listen. Slowing down, she turned back around and walked the normal way next to him.

"Well.... Akane exclaimed, stretching it out subconsciously to stall. "I thought we'd start off with the library since if you study at all, you'll be going there frequently. Next some rooms around it, like the music room and reference room. Does that sound okay with you? I hope so, since the library is right there." Akane said witha smile as she stopped in front of the doors to the library. Gingerly turning the knob, Akane opened the door to SHimizu-senpai.

"This is our library, epicenter of kids trying to increase their grades. Akane exclaimed as she walked further in the library.

[kyogia]

Hikaru braced himself for the response he'd get. He knew that what he said was strange, so he wondered what she would reply. "I'm not gonna lie, it sounds pretty weird. I also know that moves can be stressful and taking in so much information about the new place, you're bound to forget about the old one, right?"

I guess... A mediocre reply, but in his head. He wasn't sure if he forgot due to moving, due to an information overload, or for some other reason, but it was bugging him a lot. No matter what he thought, he couldn't remember at all. Well, so far everything seems fine... maybe I should just try to leave that subject alone.

"I thought we'd start off with the library since if you study at all, you'll be going there frequently. Next some rooms around it, like the music room and reference room. Does that sound okay with you? I hope so, since the library is right there." The library, huh? A useful place, but Hikaru preferred not to study there; he'd just get books from there. Hikaru made a mental note to try to remember the paths they took to get there. Hikaru would have to go there every once in a while, so he had something to do in his spare time.

Hikaru followed Akane-san into the library. Wow, this library is huge... Hikaru looked at the library. Much bigger than the library at my old school. I'll have to check this place out later. It even seems like a place with good hiding spots...

"This is our library, epicenter of kids trying to increase their grades." Hikaru looked around the library once more, and noticed kids everywhere. Some were studying, some were reading...

"I see. I think I can remember this place now, unless my memory fails me again. Is there anything here worth noting?"

[jackie]

---

Study, study, study! Ashynna was an A student, and she liked being that way. But that doesn't just come to her. She has to study during most of her free time, and the library practically is a second home to her as a result. She could tell you where to find any book in the library, or at least the subject matters. 'Surprising, now that I think of it,' thought Ashynna as she turned the pages of her textbook. 'I'm just a second year, but this is my first year at this school, and I already know the library so excellently! Smart people can be cute, right?'

It was a typical thought process of Ashynna's to go off on a tangent of if things made her cute. She loved cute things, very much so. In fact, she wanted to be one of the cutest things on the planet. She always had striven for that. Especially when it came to clothing she was wearing. She remembered thinking to herself the first time she put on the school's uniform 'Hikarizaka High School's uniforms are kind of cute looking! I might enjoy wearing this!'

But she needn't think about cute things right now. She got a B+ on her last mathematics exam. Calculus was a chore for her. She needed to study, study, study! She couldn't live with her average going below an A-! Sure, it was just an A- now, but if she let it go, she could lose it all. 'The integral from a to b of f-of-x with respect to x...is equal to...the function of B minus the function of A...C'mon, Ashynna! Study, study, st-'

That was the point at which two individuals entered the library. A perfect excuse to get away from Calculus. There was a boy and a girl. Were they dating or something? She wouldn't really know, since this is her first year. But she didn't really know at all who they were. The guy was blond, and had blue eyes. The typical blond hair, blue eyes person she'd expect. He had a humble and kind expression on his face, or so it seemed to her. The girl had black hair in twin tails. Her eyes intrigued Ashynna. They were some brown, but lighter and yellow. Amber coloured, if you will.

"This is our library, epicenter of kids trying to increase their grades." spoke the girl to him. So they weren't dating, which was somewhat of a relief to Ashynna. It wasn't that she wanted to date this boy, but she felt bad about herself seeing couples all about. But apparently, they were merely touring it seems.

"That settles it!" Ashynna spoke aloud, a little louder than anticipated. She closed her textbook, and stood up. She gathered her notebooks in her arms and stood up to meet the two. That was when she stopped herself. She was shy, not outgoing. "Wait, I can't do this. I don't want to embarrass myself. I could be called a fool for the rest of my life. I...don't want that." With a sigh, she sat back down. She put her hands on her face for a few moments before reopening her calculus book and notebook. "Study, study, study..."

---

Hmpf! How dare that girl cower in my presence?! Does she not know who I am? Although, I suppose it's just another example of my grip on this school. Every time they see me, they always look and stare! Ohohoho! I'm becoming quite popular, aren't I?

More often than not, Avery, self-entitled "Queen of Hikarizaka", was wrong or at least had the habit of being wrong. However, her thoughts had proven her right (another pump to her already-inflated ego) in that even as she walked down the sunlit-hallway, several students turned away from her while some simply glared and whispered. This bothered her little; quite confident in herself in every regard, Avery had her nose turned slightly upwards with her eyes closed. She didn't bother with seeing as of right now, as she was sure her peers would move from out of her direction.

Avery Vanderbilt is a foreign-exchange student from the United States of America. She is practically a walking embodiment of the negative stereotype associated with her home country. She's rude, stuck-up, loud, obnoxious, ignorant, snobby, and incredibly harsh. To top it all off, she comes from an excessively wealthy family and isn't afraid to remind everybody every single day, albeit in different ways. Sometimes subtle to demonstrate her more sneaky side and some quite blatant, such as shoving a new scarf in someone's face, explaining it's origin and how it "Costed sooo much money!" only to snatch it back and exclaim how they could never afford it. Not only this, but she seems to completely mock and outright dislike Japanese culture. It wasn't exactly known why this was the case, but few people actually wanted to figure it out and were much more comfortable with ignoring her or hating her. When it came to sense with other people, Avery seemed to fall flat.

What she did have sense with though, was fashion. It was a creative past-time of hers and perhaps even a passionate hobby. She simply adored showing off her new accessories and trinkets at school (to her classmate's annoyance, as it was often done to brag) and delighted in being the most "fashionable girl in all of Hikarizaka", or so she believed. A good example was what she wearing currently. Despite the fact she was forced to wear the mandatory school-uniform (she complained to her father about this, and asked him to seek the school counsel and have them allow her to wear whatever she wished... however this was ineffective, as her father announced it would do no good; not even money would change their minds) she managed and compensated by adding little "touches" here and there.

Upon her crown (she would have preferred a real crown) was a simple but effective black headband that matched her silk-soft black stockings that trailed up to a bit above her knees. For shoes, she bedecked tan-colored 2" pumps that matched the pullover jacket that was apart of the dress-code for girls. The heel wasn't too frumpy or conservative to where she would deem it "Tasteless!" but also not too risky to where it would be banned. Said heels clicked against the hardwood flooring, echoing through the corridor that seemed to be like a warning that Avery Vanderbilt was approaching.

Flicking her honey-blonde hair back while giving a gentle but scornful laugh, she turned on her heel when she came to the library door. She had remembered to meet her "friend", Ashyanna, who studied there any chance she got.
"Hem hem. Ah, the library," she looked around to see if anyone was within earshot. "It's lovely my own MANSION has one sooo much larger and exquisite! A pity you're stuck with this one! Ohohoho!" With that, she threw her head up and opened the large wooden doors of the library, and entered.

Immediately, smells and scents of old books flooded her nostrils that seemed to be compacted all within a whish of air upon strutting herself in the room. She drew up her nose in disgust, with both arms on her hips. Throwing her hair over her shoulder once more and her eyes closed, she walked forward only to halt when she felt herself hit someone. Rather not someone but two people. As she threw open her blue eyes (that pierced with anger) she was met with a boy and girl. Both looked unfamiliar and she simply didn't care. Case in point,
"UGH! Who do you think you are? Just don't stand there! When I move YOU move! Got it?! Plebians!" After rudely announcing that in front of the whole library, she pushed them aside (or attempted to) and walked herself forward and across the room. (If unsuccessful in pushing, she would simply snarl at them and walk around them whilst throwing a rather... unfriendly look their way)

As she marched, she was met with the librarian's almost-equally loud "Shhh! This is a library! Keep your voice --" but the blonde only put her hand in the air towards the direction of them, almost to dismiss them like she'd do to one of her servants which was all the more rude.

Her destination was Ashyanna, the friend who seemed to "waste" all of her time reading and studying. As she approached her, Avery recomposed herself with another flip of her hair and gave her a sickeningly-sweet smile and gushed with an artificial tone. "Ashyanna! Dear, why do you insist on reading? I mean, I guess it's because you're not as SMART as me. Naturally and all, so you have to learn. But it's okay, I'm still your friend anyway." With that, she thrusted her pink-Chanel purse quite abruptly upon Ashyanna's book that she was currently reading. Now, to anyone else, this seemed like quite a dysfunctional friendship. Mostly because it was. Avery, apparently, could only call Ashyanna a friend, because the brunette French girl was quite passive and sweet-natured, so she simply couldn't bring herself to stand up to Avery. Besides, she only wanted to make the blonde feel happy, and thus did virtually whatever Avery requested.

Hoisting herself up on the table, Avery displayed her vanity by rummaging through the purse and pulling out a nail-file. Too focused on her appearance, she seemed to completely forget her friend's book was still entrapped by the purse and now part of Avery's thigh.

"Ugh, you wouldn't believe everyone today! I had to push people -- because they wouldn't move from my path! You know I simply dislike resorting to such behavior but Ashy! C'mon. Everyone should know me by now. I've been here for like, 3 days. It doesn't take THAT long to figure out how things should work." Averting her gaze for a second to look down upon Ashyanna, she raised a slender eyebrow to remark, "And dear? You really should fix up your nails and all. Some are starting to chip. We can't have that! Why... it's ALMOST like you're trying to bring attention to yourself!"

Ohohoho!

[jackie]

Ashynna now couldn’t even study. She hated calculus to begin with, but the fact that there were two people she hadn’t met coming into the library now made her feel like she should meet them. But she was really shy about such things. They deserved a hello, at least, because that would be polite. But she would be throwing herself out to their whim. She didn’t know if she could handle being humiliated for the rest of her life. What if they thought she was annoying? What if they thought she was ugly, or a weirdo?

"UGH! Who do you think you are? Just don't stand there! When I move YOU move! Got it?! Plebians!" Charging through the doors came a familiar sounding person, and they looked it too. A blond haired girl with large bust, walking in high heels shot through the door, pushing anybody in her way out of it. It made Ashynna happy to see Avery Vinderbilt. She was an American student, which made Ashynna not the only foreign student in the school. More so, Avery seemed to hang around Ashynna a lot. They were friends, right? At least, Ashynna thought they were. She’d do anything for Avery if she asked. Absolutely anything, just to see her smile. That’s what friends do, right?

“Good morning, Avery!” Ashynna smiled sweetly in response to Avery’s smile (if one could call it that). It made her happy to see Avery smiling so sweetly to her. "Ashyanna! Dear, why do you insist on reading? I mean, I guess it's because you're not as SMART as me. Naturally and all, so you have to learn. But it's okay, I'm still your friend anyway." And with that, Avery’s school bag slammed on the desk. More importantly, it slammed on Ashynna’s calculus book! A look of horror overcame her face as Avery spoke. She could be damaging the book! And Ashynna would have to pay for that! And more so, she needed that book to study!

But as Avery said, they were friends. Surely she didn’t mean any harm by any of this. She called herself smarter so that Ashynna would push to be smart like Avery. It warmed her heart to be called friends. She didn’t have many, but that was probably because she was the French girl. Who knows any French girls in Japan? Interrupting her thought process, Avery chimed in again. "Ugh, you wouldn't believe everyone today! I had to push people -- because they wouldn't move from my path! You know I simply dislike resorting to such behavior but Ashy! C'mon. Everyone should know me by now. I've been here for like, 3 days. It doesn't take THAT long to figure out how things should work."

Ashynna felt bad for her. She hated it when Avery talked about bad days. It wasn’t that the reasons seemed a tad crazy, but more so because her only friend is upset. This time, people were being inconvenient to Avery. They were probably pushing her around and getting in her way. Especially, as Avery said, she hates having to push people around. Three days wasn’t much, but perhaps people might be nice to a newcomer after a few days. Or so Ashynna had hoped. Though that seemed not to be the case at all. “I’m sorry things aren’t working out, Avery. Hopefully things will get better for you. That way we can enjoy ourselves! I’ll go with you next time, and make sure people don’t push you around, ‘kay?”

"And dear? You really should fix up your nails and all. Some are starting to chip. We can't have that! Why... it's ALMOST like you're trying to bring attention to yourself!" Bring…attention to herself? But…she was shy! She didn’t like flaunting anything! She didn’t mean to. She was a shy, cute, little French brunette! There was nothing about her to flaunt. She hated the idea of flaunting. She calmed down a moment, controlling her thoughts and breathing. Who knew thinking about upsetting things made you breathe faster? With a large exhale, she calmed down to speak. A smile appeared on her face as she looked up at Avery. ”I’m sorry, Avery. I promise I’ll do better next time. I’ll file my nails right now, and then you’ll be happier right? And…I’ll still look cute, I think…” Ashynna averted her eyes a minute thinking about it all. She still wanted to look cute. It was just a habit. She pulled out her nail filer and began fixing her nails.

Anything to make Avery happy.

[alexsh]

Alejandro was heading to the school library to return some books he barrowed last week for a test. Alejandro the book resting on his shoulder with his hand holding onto it lifting it up and down to try to get a knot out of his shoulder. Alejandro’s right shoulder had become rather tight that he had to switch to his left hand to shoot. Alejandro grumbled to himself remembering how bad his shot was on his left hand. Alejandro hated when things like this happen but it was his own fault. He should have stopped when he was in pain. Alejandro opened his blue eyes and blinked in surprise at what was in front of him.

Standing in front of the library front doors was Aken-chan and the new kid what was his name Shimmizu-kun. Alejandro took a few more steps forward before speaking up. ”What is going on here?” asked Alejandro was he walked over to the two of them. Alejandro tilted his head to the side smirking at the younger girl. ”Aken-chan konichiwa, what are you doing here. I am pretty sure you would be at one of your clubs,” asked Alejandro as he let his right hand fall to his side.

Alejandro then turned his attention to the new kid Shimizu-kun. Alejandro smiled at the other. ”You Shimizu-kun correct?” asked Alejandro as he combed his fingers through his hair. Alejandro was a new student at one time when he was much younger but he had never been approached by anyone but the teachers. His blond hair and blue eyes scared off most of the kids so he was left alone for most of his youth until he hit middle school. Alejandro shook his head mentally and put up another smile since he frowned when he was thinking about it.

[Iwashima Yuki]

All the text! Iwashima's RPer almost felt intimidated by it. The key word here was almost. Yes, Nietono was ready to carry on! And post he would, although whether it matched the lengths of the many longer posts before it was another thing entirely! But enough about Nietono and him posting now. NOW IT WAS TIME FOR HIS CHARACTER.

That book... That one too... That one looked great... Yuki was pointing out books to herself in her head left and right. The most noticeable of these were 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya', 'The Belgariad' and the 'Chronicles of Ancient Darkness'. The girl had also noticed 'Boy Soldier', a book by SAS hero Andy McNab. Andy McNab was amazing, she'd read his 'Operation Desert Storm' book back in England and it'd been one of the best books she'd ever read.

"What's that ruckus?" Yuki asked no-one in particular about Avery marching in and being very loud. Her voice was notably more posh than everyone else in the Library. Her refined tone had a couple of first-years look at her, wondering why her voice was different. She didn't see them looking.

Yuki had originally been here to have a look around the school herself, but had been caught up in all the books and found herself unable to leave. They were just so interesting! Romance ones, action ones, adventure ones, they were all so exciting!

Hearing Avery again, Yuki found herself unable to concentrate. She wasn't listening up what Avery was saying, but the voice just wouldn't go away from her ears. It was if she was subconsciously signalling out that voice and picking it up. Gosh, it was quite irritating to not be able to concentrate!

Yuki then decided that she wasn't just going to sit by. It was probably a big mistake, having read Avery's character sheet. Avery was exactly the kind of cocky person that could either get Yuki to challenge forever, or instantly be afraid of. Neither was a very good outcome.

Nonetheless, Yuki approached. As she caught up to the blonde girl, she saw another girl next to her. That girl looked on-edge, could it be that this blonde girl was bullying her?

"Excuse me, could you please keep it down? I'm trying to find a book..."

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