[h2]Stella and Tobias 

6:45 AM Dining Hall [/h2]

[@Saltwater Thief]

So, once again Stella had bumped into an upper classman. Again. She had rotten luck sometimes. [color=007236]"Oh gosh! I am so sorry about that!"[/color] She said, a little bit flustered. She was embarrassed that she had just run into such a rather cute looking guy. However, she was a lowly freshman, so she expected a brush off or something.

"Hmm?" The upperclassman replied as he looked up from his scribblings and looked about to find the source of the impact. His eyes, resting over a foot above her own, swept right over her head at first. After a short time, however, he looked down and saw Stella, who had collided with him. [color=007236][i]"Here it comes,"[/i][/color] she thought, [color=007236][i]"he's about to brush me aside like nothing..."[/i][/color]

"Ah, there you are," he said in a noticeably heavy English accent, "Everything alright? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

Stella blinked and was silent. He wasn't giving her the brush off. [color=007236]"Ah... uh..."[/color] She stammered for a moment, pulling her thoughts together. He was cute, and had a lovely accent. [color=007236]"I'm fine, thanks. I didn't hurt you did I?"[/color] She said, looking up at him. He was considerably taller than her, since she was only five feet even, but he had taken the time to notice her. 

The older boy blinked a few times, like he was slightly perplexed by her response. "Not at all," he finally said, "you're the one that'd get any bumps or bruised from it. It's more my fault besides, should've watched where I was walking." He shook his head somewhat quickly, then folded his notebook closed and looked her in the eye. He smiled as he said "So, what's your name? Mine's Tobias."

[color=007236]"I'm Stella, Stella Herbalem. May I ask where you are from Tobias? I've never heard an accent quite like yours before. Also, I wasn't paying attention either. I was looking at my schedule,"[/color] she said, holding up the piece of paper. It had some notes on it, but Tobias didn't get to see it much longer before she tucked it in her notebook. [color=007236]"Also, have you been here at this school long? I haven't really met many upper classmen yet,"[/color] she said. 

"Oh, I'm from just 'cross the Pond," he answered very matter of factly, "Oh, uh, that's what we Brits call the Atlantic. My family lives near Manchester." He scratched his head as she asked about his length of attendance. "And actually, I just transferred in as a Junior this year, so I've met about as many of them as yourself, Stella. In fact..." he stopped talking for a moment as he looked about, "I, uh... I seem to be a tiny bit turned around. I don't suppose you've got an idea where the football field is around here?"

[color=007236]"I just got here yesterday... and uh I don't know where it is, sorry. But I do have the school map they gave with the packet, if that will help you,"[/color] she said, pulling an already well worn map out of her notebook. She traced over the map a bit, paused, and then pointed her finger to the soccer pitch. [color=007236]"Is this what you're looking for Tobias?"[/color] She asked. At that moment her stomach let out a small growl, reminding her she had not eaten yet. She blushed at that. [color=007236]"Excuse me for that."[/color]

"Sure is," he said as his eyes followed her finger across the surface of the map to the large green area off to one side of the campus. When the tiny rumbling sound came from her stomach, he rotated his head slightly to look at her again. He chuckled slightly at the noise, then gave her a light pat on the back. "Sounds like you need some breakfast. What do you say we go get you a plate, hmm? Some eggs and bacon maybe?"

[color=007236]"That sounds lovely,"[/color] she said, still red as a tomato. She was sure at this point he was going to wander off when she went to get food, however was pleasantly surprised as he joined her in getting breakfast. She paused for a moment. [color=007236]"Uh... would you like to sit together? I mean, since neither of us really knows any of our classmates yet,"[/color] she said, sort of fading away at then end. This wasn't like her. She was use to talking to all sorts of people but now she was stammering and whispering like a fool. Was it because he was older? Was it the accent? She didn't know.

"I think that'd be nice," he replied. In little time at all they were both walking toward a table and sitting down, with him sitting opposite her. "So, Stella," he began to ask after a short period of nothing but chewing and scrapping of utensils, "Where abouts are you from, then?"

[color=007236]"I'm from San Francisco, California. I'm just off the Pacific, way far from where you are,"[/color] she said between bites. She may have been hungry, but she knew it was rude to talk with her mouth full. [color=007236]"Its pretty different here... I mean I'm not use to wearing uniforms and stuff, but my parents thought this school would be worth it,"[/color] she said. [color=007236]"So what about you? England is a far away place to come for school. Something draw you here in particular?"[/color] She asked curiously. She sipped her juice, thinking to herself for a moment. Then she realized that her previous question could be a little rude. [color=007236]"Ah, sorry, I don't mean to pry. I'm just a curious kitty by nature. My parents keep saying I'll get into trouble because of it,"[/color] she said with a laugh. 

"Oh believe me, I know a thing or two about curiosity. In fact, that's basically why I'm here," he continued in between bites of eggs, "The school sent me a letter last spring inviting me here to 'expand upon my generous gifts from life' or something like that. I mean, yeah, I'm good at taking things apart and putting them back together, but I don't think that counts. But, I got curious as to what kind of a place this was. They were offering to pay the airfare and everything, so I figured; why not see what it's about? And, well, here I am." He shoveled another few bits of food into his mouth before he spoke again. "Anything like that for you, Stella? Things you're good at or just like to do, I mean?"

Stella paused eating for a moment. [color=007236][i]"Gifts?... Nah. He can't mean that."[/i] "I'm really into plants. I've been helping my parents with their business for a long time. They say I have a green thumb or something like it. I got a letter last spring as well, inviting me here, and telling me that they had a wonderful Horticulture club and greenhouses. I got pretty excited for a bit, but I almost didn't go. I didn't want to leave my parents. However, they convinced me otherwise. They were willing to put my happiness before everything."[/color] She went back to eating. [color=007236]"By taking things apart, you mean like machines?"[/color]

Tobias nodded as he finished swallowing a drink of milk. "Yep. I'm a mechanical kind of guy. I just... hmm. You know, it'll be better to show you." With that, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small pocket calculator and a tiny screwdriver. "Now, one of these guys, you normally can only track an equation of a certain size and only a small number of them. But, if I go into its backside like this," he said as he turned the calculator over and began pulling out the small screws that held it together. In no time at all the inner wiring was exposed and Tobias had begun fiddling with the bits and pieces inside. As he moved them around and connected some to others, he narrated himself much like a kid explaining the way to get to his house to a friend coming over. As he started winding down and putting it all back together, it looked as if the little device had never been touched. "But you see," He continued, "Now, you can have it do really big maths and it won't have a problem. Well... it might have some, they always seem to after I tinker with them. Ah, but listen to me, I've gone and talked your ear off, haven't I? Sorry, I wasn't trying to. I tend to get lost in me own head from time to time."

Stella had indeed gotten lost while Tobias was talking, but she blinked and then shook her head. [color=007236]"No not, its okay. I get the same way about plants. I could probably name all the plants in the greenhouse by their scientific name, but that would be a bit boring to you, I'm sure,"[/color] she said with a blush. She was embarrassed he had caught her not really listening to him. She realized she had finished breakfast and was a little disappointed. [color=007236]"I do believe I'm done with breakfast, and should head to class. I don't want to be late first day,"[/color] she said. [color=007236]"I do hope to see you later, maybe,"[/color] she said, getting a bit quiet. He had been very nice to her, and was rather interesting, even if he did use terms that went over her head. 

"I think I'd like that a lot. Maybe we'll see each other at lunch. Take care now!" he said as she walked away. A glance at his watch seemed to inform him that he had a similar concern for punctuality, and in short order he was also rising from his seat and speeding off toward the soccer field.

Stella smiled to herself at what he said and pulled out the map again. [color=007236]"Now, where is the Home EC room..."[/color] She muttered to herself and went off.