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[color=gray]Aella glanced at the simple candy bar dangling in front of her face from the younger girl’s fingers. She couldn’t have been too much younger than Aella, perhaps a fourth or fifth year, and had an unfamiliar face. However, Aella never noticed too many students, preferring to keep to herself over the years. The brunette didn’t think she could stomach a chocolate bar, considering her delicate mental state was causing inner turmoil in the form of acid, but at the same time, she had the option of making a friend. Of course, Aella had friends…just not friends that were around often. It was probably this thought that drove Aella to accept the candy bar from this near-stranger, popping a small chocolate piece into her mouth.

[color=7ea7d8]“Thanks.”[/color] Aella muttered, even as she felt the sugar dissolve into sick acerbic liquid in her gut. At least it tasted good momentarily. 

Aella closed her Sudoku book and placed it to the side next to her, gently setting her pencil on top of it, hoping it wouldn’t roll away like every other pencil she owned. [color=7ea7d8]“Um, hi. I’m Aella Strand. Puzzle extraordinaire.”[/color] She thoughtlessly picked up the Sudoku book again and waved it, the soft pages waving in the air and creating a flopping noise. When she threw it back down, she belatedly realized that her pencil was nowhere to be seen. 

[color=7ea7d8]“Anyways, what brings you here?”[/color] Aella asked innocently, and then almost smacked herself in the forehead. [color=7ea7d8]“I mean, duh, school – but, err, why are you up this early?”[/color]

Out of nervousness of social interaction, or maybe just the thought of upcoming school days, Aella felt her mouth dry up. She licked her lips slightly, but felt herself blush at how stupid she must have looked. Part of her wanted to get up and walk to the kid-friendly bar to get water, but an irrational – or maybe not-so-irrational – fear of tripping in front of everybody stopped her. Aella wondered distantly if others could sense her anxiousness and soon after the thought crossed her mind, it became a dominate worry. Did she look like a neurotic freak? Would this potential-friend notice her awkwardness? Would she laugh at Aella or, worse, openly mock her? 

Aella could imagine the situation now:

[i][color=white]“What’s the matter,  Aella?”[/color] She would say, a fake concern gleaming in her eyes.

Then, Aella would say, [color=7ea7d8]“Nothing, stranger!”[/color]

The stranger’s eyes would then crinkle and her mouth would become a sinister grin as she would crow, [color=white]“Are you sure about that, basket case?”[/color]

And then the whole room would laugh at her![/i]

Aella pinched her leg, telling herself that she was just creating a scenario that would never happen. This girl was probably nice, sweet, yet the brunette was waiting for the other shoe to drop.[/color]