#bergen_county

She tries to listen to which name the girl responds to.

"Gretchen McGillicuddy?"

Gretchen holds up a hand

very low, but it's up

folks snicker at the 'Gretchen' part

Sylvi frowns at looks at the snicker-ers.

"I hear too many snickers at anyone's name at the class I'm going to start which girl names literally mean 'son of' and see how it goes from there, Madison, Addison.." He looks at two of the girls that had been the most snide.

THAT quiets at least some girls down.

Sylvi grins at that. I mean, heck, she's safe with Davidson either way.

If Gretchen is grateful to the teacher, it doesn't show. Her blank canvas of a face has withdrawn into the hoodie

Sylvi makes a resolution that she's going to sit next to Gretchen at the next opportunity.

The first period passes for everyone fairly quickly, even if it doesn't feel like it. Ms Carver offends everyone by giving a small dose of homework on the FIRST DAY. Sure, the answers are all in the first chapter and easy to find, but it's the principle of the thing// Mr. Storm is easier going and mostly lets folks know what to expect in his classes in the first month..

Sylvi tries to follow Gretchen after class to see where her locker might be.

Huzzah, the Dreaming has provided. Her locker is only 3 spots away from Sylvi's

Okay...don't rush it, Davidson... She just stops at her locker, switches some stuff around, and gives Gretchen a smile. "Storm is pretty no-nonsense, but fair, I think."

Mutter mumbe sense of humor

something the guy having a sense of humor

"Sorry, what?"

"he's got a sense of humor kind of" she shrugs "Did... did you want something?" Suspicious.

"Want something? Uh...no." Lightly baffled but not offended. She closes her locker. "See ya." Smile, turn, go. Brief, non-stressful social interaction...good first impression as non-threatening. At least, that's the goal. She heads to second period, where she expects to see a certain French teacher.

........

"Sam!" May hugs her friend

"May!"

Trig is better with friends!

"How are you?"

"Okay, I guess." A smile - though the hoodie is drawn close about, a security blanket that had started falling off in frequency over the summer.

"Ready for tryouts tomorrow?"

"So nervous" She says but nods "you?

"We got this. Sophomore Starters!"

"I Hope so.. lately I worry... but I always worry" A laugh "You see Lupe yet?"

"She's in Chem with me! And Spanish after lunch! We can compare schedules..."

"Oh we've got to" She agrees, "One of my electives was closed. I should be able to get into spanish too as long no one else grabs it"

(Narrator voice: But he had)

"Oh, great! Tres Amigias!"

"Si" A grin

Sam may notice her friend looks a bit different.

Different how?

"Oh, we have gym together! Yes!"

"Yeah" they compare notes. May has always been a stringbean of a girl. Knobby knees, flat..like she had stretched out too fast ...

"I've got Shop and English with Symon... History with Sylvi..."

but now.. well, she seems unaware that she is ah..blooming just a bit

"So you get to be with folks you know for almost every class. Cool" May says happy for her

"Right? Yeah." A smile. But a self-conscious tug on her hoodie.

"What's with the hoodie again? I mean, it's cool but I thought it was still too warm"

"Dunno. Cooler today."

May looks at her friend, "If you say so I just... hey, if something's wrong, you know lupita and I are here right?"

She nods. "Yeah, I know. M'glad I got you guys."

"Cool Now.. do I have something on my nose or something? "she rubs at her face "Folks have been looking weird at me"

"Um."