All Quiet For Now

A single leaf clung stubbornly onto the bare branch of a tree as a fierce wind blew through the courtyard. Evelyn nestled deeper into her jacket with a sigh, peeking at the leaf from over her coat collar. Maybe it was childish, but the girl felt as if she was rooting for it in its struggle against the seasons. She was the kind of person that watched raindrops stream down a window pane and pretended that they were racing to the bottom. It was something Evelyn thought she would have grown out of by now. Old habits, I guess.

The leaf's fight turned out to be futile. Another wind swept in and finished it off, tearing it away from its branch and carrying it off into the overcast sky. Evelyn sighed and reclined back on the bench. The courtyard had lost its luster and magical appeal somewhat when autumn arrived, killing off many of the plants and trees. At least that means I get this place to myself. She needed somewhere to relax, and the cold weather was preferable to the crowded Lounge.

Evelyn looked up at the blanket of clouds overhead. They seemed so tantalizingly close to the ground... She found herself staring in a mystified daze. It was funny how one could forget and fail to notice their surroundings. How many days had she walked around campus just staring at the ground? The girl cocked her head with a small smile spreading across her face, getting lost in her own little world. The whole courtyard was so serene, with no noisy classmates to bug her. Let me enjoy this, just for a few more minutes...

Well, it her peace didn't really last a whole lot longer as Penny came walking her way. It was kind of strange to see Evelyn once again, but whatever. The past was the past and it wasn't like the girl was really that weird or anything. Besides, Evelyn was the only one that Penny actually knew. After watching Evelyn stare at the sky for just a few seconds, Penny walked up next to her and sat down on the nice soft, dying grass. Yeah, it was dying, but it was still comfortable. "Hey there," she said after a moment of moving around to get real comfortable. While waiting for a response, she kind of hoped that her first and previous impression wasn't enough to scare Evelyn away. After all, under all the stuttering and nervousness, she seemed pretty cool.

Evelyn had sensed somebody's presence long before Penny said anything, but had continued staring up with the hope that they would just move along. Just leave me alone... She inwardly cursed as the girl spoke up, instantly recognizing the voice. Of course, it was her. Now, Evelyn didn't exactly resent her, but their previous meeting had been so awkward... And now was the second time that Penny had decided to come in and force her into some kind of conversation. It could only end badly.

Trying to suppress her building irritation, she smiled politely and turned her attention to the girl beside her. Smile, eyes level, speak up, don't stutter... Evelyn repeated in her head. She'd coached herself for these moments. "Um... h-hey." she said, trying her hardest to remove the uncertainty from her tone. Nice going. I sound like a jerk. Why was talking normally such a trial for her? How hard could it be to just... speak?