“Excuse me, Miss Barns?” Principal Yamamoto asks sticking his head in the classroom. Miss Barns turns to him from behind her desk. She smiles then stands.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt…” He says stepping in to the classroom, a teenage girl following him.

“It’s fine. They are just working on their assignments.” She replies shaking her head and waving a hand as if swatting a fly away. “Can I help you with something?”

“Uh, yes.” He turns to the class preparing to get their attention. It is not necessary. All eyes are already on him. He clears his throat. “Class this is our new student, Jillian.”

Jillian smiles shyly at all the staring students wishing she was somewhere else. Then she remembers her promise to herself to be brave. To no longer be that shy timid girl she once was.

“Hi,” She says before she can chicken out. Not miraculous but still something. She tries not to look intimidated by the empty faces gawking up at her. A girl toward the back smiles at her and she smiles back encouraged by the kind expression.

“Be nice to her and help her find her way around.” Yamamoto continues. He steps aside with Miss Barns and she gestures for Jillian to find a seat. Jillian nods and heads through the aisles of desks toward the smiling girl. The girl’s smile widens and she pats the empty desk next to her. Jillian slides into the seat dropping her well used bag to the ground.

“Jillian,” She introduces again extending her hand awkwardly. The red headed girl smiles at her ignoring the gesture.

“Eva.” She says staring at the hand. Jillian lowers it and both girls laugh quietly. Eva manages to talk through her laughter, “Let me see your schedule.”

Jillian hands over the sheet she still holds in her hand. Her old school hadn’t sent her information and the principal had to call for it. They had barely signed her up for classes ten minutes ago and even she isn’t sure what is printed there.

“We have next period together after lunch.” She says staring at the contents of the page. As if on cue the bell rings and everyone jumps up. “Let’s go.”

Jillian follows Eva out of the classroom and down the hall. Eva grabs Jillian’s arm as they are almost separated by a crowd of guys laughing loudly. Eva snorts at them then looks at Jillian.

“Lucky for you I have a friendship opening.” She says. Not sure if she is joking or not Jillian goes along with it.

“Good thing I came when I did then.” She responds smoothly. Eva glances at her then smiles. Jillian reaches out and pretends to push a button while making a clicking noise with her mouth. “That was easy.”

Eva stares at her then bursts into laughter so loud they earn a few looks. Jillian glances around nervously then joins in. They are in the lunchroom now standing in a long line.

“Elgh.” Eva bursts making a face. “Salad bar or hamburgers.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Jillian replies trying to see how she knows what they are serving.

“Yeah well… You’ve never had their hamburgers.” Eva mutters. Jillian sees the small white board as someone shouts.

“Eva!”

Eva turns with Jillian trying to find the source of the shout. It is a kid with sandy brown hair hanging almost too long and wearing baggy clothes.

“Don’t shout young man.” A teacher near him scolds.

“If I don’t shout how will they hear me?” He asks in return. The teacher gives him a look but he is smiling a crooked grin and soon the teacher smiles too and walks away. He is still smiling as he approaches shoving through the crowd seemingly oblivious to the glares and he continues to do so when he reaches them. He is taller than Jillian but shorter than Eva.

“We ordered a pizza,” He says glancing at Jillian. “Let’s go.”

“Sweet.” Eva answers leaving the line. Jillian follows the two to a back corner table. The pizza is already there three boxes sitting in the middle of the table. The table is crowded with kids. A dark haired one reaches forward but a blond girl slaps his hand.

“Ow,” He complains scowling at her. She laughs with another girl and then leans forward planting the boy, still rubbing the top of his hand, with a kiss. Ooh’s rise from the others and the kiss quickly breaks off with giggles and laughter.

“Hey, shut up all.” Eva interrupts. All eyes turn to the newcomers. “This is Jillian. She is new.”

Jillian waves awkwardly at the group surprised to have found so many potential friends on the first day. Everyone stares at her then smiles break out and soon a space is cleared of backpacks and everyone sits down ripping the pizza apart like wild animals. Jillian takes a slice folding it in half and shoving it in her mouth.

Lunch goes by too quickly and pretty soon she is laughing so hard she can’t keep her eyes open. The bell rings and the group splits up with promises to hang out over the weekend. Jillian is invited over and over. They make her promise she with join them before they let the two girls head to class.

They arrive almost late stepping into the room just as the bell rings and quickly find a seat side by side. Mr. Barnes - no relation to Miss Barns - stands up as another student walks in. He is in a red hoodie with the hood pulled up to hide is face and a pair of worn jeans. He is skinny, almost too skinny and his jeans are almost falling off of his thin frame. Everyone stares at him as he moves to a seat next to the window. The seat is left vacant as if the others in the class knew he would be here and left it open for him.

Whispers break out but Mr. Barnes silences them with a fierce look. The boy doesn’t seem to notice. He stares out the window completely oblivious to the stares and the class starting around him. Jillian wants to ask Eva who he is but the class is starting and the opportunity passes. The small group went over how bad it is to even whisper in Mr. Barnes’s class at lunch.

“The guy has like supersonic hearing.” Jake had said. Jillian smiles as she remembers Jessica slapping his hand away from the pizza box as he reaches for a fifth slice.

The class is gruelingly slow and she can’t seem to stop staring at the boy in a hoodie next to the window. He doesn’t take notes or answer questions. In fact he doesn’t even move. He just stares out the window. Even though she can’t see his eyes she imagines he doesn’t even blink.

Mr. Barns yells at a kid to take his hat off and eventually confiscates it but he doesn’t talk to the boy, doesn’t even look at him. It’s as though he’s not even there. Jillian would wonder if she was the only one who could see him if not for the reaction the whole class had when he entered the room.

Barnes finishes his lecture and scribbles the assignment on the board. Jillian already knows she is going to need serious help. Good thing Eva made a point of saying how good she is at math. Not surprisingly she finishes the assignment early and tucks the sheet in the math book closing it.

There is a little talking since the lecture is over as students help each other with the pile of problems. The classroom slowly builds with noise. Satisfied that no one will overhear, Jillian leans toward Eva.

“Need help already?” She asks glancing over from a book she is reading - something about a maze. Jillian shakes her head despite her obvious need of it.

“Who is that?” She asks jabbing her chin in the direction of the hooded kid next to the window who still hadn’t moved. There is a bulge in his hoodie pocket and not from his hands buried there. He is staring blankly out the window slouching low in his chair.

“That’s Austin.” The girl answers somberly sadness touching her eyes. “He keeps to himself.”

“He looks so sad.” Jillian says though she can’t see much of his face, she knows what sadness looks like, how still it can be. She smiles then climbs to her feet.

“No,” Eva gasps grabbing her arm. “Hey, it’s not a good idea.”

Jillian smiles feeling overly confidant, “that’s the perfect reason to do it.”

She heads to the back of the classroom circling to the far side trying to avoid extra attention. The desk in front of his is now open and she sits down spinning to face him. He doesn’t seem to notice her. His dark eyes are focused on the window. There are dark circles under them and his cheeks are gaunt. His square jawline and chin are almost hidden in the shadow of the hood and he looks dead at first glance but Jillian sees evidence of life in the twitch of his almond shaped eyes as he looks at things far too distant for her to see, the flare of his nostrils on his sharp straight nose as he breaths and the jump of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. His dark hair is long and unkempt hanging in his eyes in clumped strands.

Jillian stares at him for several minutes expecting him to turn to her. When he doesn’t move she reaches forward tapping on the desk. He still doesn’t move and she realizes she can hear his music from her seat. Finally she waves gently in front of his face. He jumps flinching and turns to her with distant eyes.

“Sorry,” She apologizes then realizes he probably still can’t hear her. She gestures for him to pull out a headphone. He stares at her for several seconds before reaching up slowly and removing a bud from his ear.

“Sorry,” She apologizes again. “I’m new so I thought I would introduce myself. I’m Jillian.”

He stares into her eyes and she resists the urge to look away. The rest of the class has gone silent, she realizes with a start, watching the exchange.

“Okay,” He says finally. His voice is softer than she thought it would be, more gentle, but empty. “Thanks.”

He returns the bud to his ear and turns back to the window but she sees his eyes glance at her several times. He gets up walking past her toward the door and a second later the bell rings. Before he disappears and her vision is blocked by the heard of students she sees him pull a spherical object from his hoodie pouch shake it and look, then he is gone.

She stares after him until Eva puts a hand on her shoulder.

“What did he say to you?’ She asks. Jillian shrugs climbing up from the chair.

“Nothing.” She says still staring at the door.

“No, he said something to you. What was it?” Eva insists staring at the girl.

“Nothing really. He just thanked me for introducing myself. Why?”

“Because he doesn't talk. To anyone. Ever.” She replies staring in awe at Jillian. She shakes her head. “Come on we need to get to our next class.”

“Wait, what do you mean he doesn’t talk to anyone?” Jillian asks jumping over seats to grab her stuff in a pile scrambling to follow Eva out of the classroom and down the hall. She can’t help but look around for Austin as she walks.

“Just what I said,” she answers. She is speed walking and Jillian has to jog to keep up with her pace. She suddenly stops turning back. Jillian almost bumps into her. “There was an accident a few months ago. Both his parents died. That was the last time I ever heard him speak. I was actually surprised to see him. He barely ever shows up.”

The bell rings and Jillian jumps. Eva’s eyes go wide.

“Crap!” She bursts. “I can’t be tardy again.”

She rushes off and Jillian watches her go. Then she realizes that was the warning bell. She has one minute to get to class and she had been going the wrong way. Getting her bearings she rushes off in the direction she hopes her class is in.