Unexpected Encounter...

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Serpentine

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Erin let out a long sigh as she rubbed her face. The school day had been going longer than she thought. She ran a hand through her short black hair before pressing her chin against her hand. Hearing a voice, she looked up and saw a few guys walking up to her. Sighing once more, Erin turned in her seat to face them, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, dude! You got a few pencils we can borrow?" one of them asked, a friendly smile on his face. Closing her eyes, Erin shook her head and grabbed two pencils from her bag. "Yeah, here. And I'm not a dude..." she said for probably the billionth time. The boy simply nodded and grabbed the pencils, ignoring her comment. Erin blew a short wisp of hair from her eyes before turning her blue orbs to look out the window. Putting a hand inside of her hoodie, she started to lose herself in her thoughts as her chin found it's way onto her other hand.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan seeemed deeply concentrated in his work, though, in reality, he was just doodling on a scratch piece of paper; he'd already finished the actual assignment, and, was just waiting for the bell to ring, feeling a little impatient. Suddenly, he caught sight of an exchange going on, it seemed normal, someone was asking another to borrow a few pencils, however, what struck him as odd was that he mistook the girl who had lent her classmate those pencils for a boy... Well, at first glance, she looked deceptively like one, but, upon closer inspection, it became clear that she was a girl, or at least that's what it seemed like to him. He turned his attention back to his pointless doodles; a bunch of cartoon characters whom almost resembled some knock-off Looney toons drawings or something, though, he couldn't keep his mind off that girl, confirmed by what he had barely heard her say about not being a dude...
 
Erin had already finished her work and she leaned her head back to glance up at the ceiling. Class was almost over, and she was counting the minutes down in her head. Finally, she heard the bell ring for lunch and stood from her chair, slipping her hands into her pockets. She slowly gathered her things and heard the familiar boy return, placing her pencils on her desk without another word. Shaking her head, she didn't let it bother her as she grabbed the pencils and stuck them in her bag. Allowing her eyes to wander, she glanced at a boy. He didn't seem to care about the people surrounding him and she raised an eyebrow. Instead of walking up to him and making conversation, Erin simply pulled her bag over he shoulder and moved her hair out of her eyes. "Hey, nice hoodie man!" someone commented as they walked past. Erin rolled her eyes and ignored the comment before starting to gather her papers. How hard was it to tell that she was a girl? Surely it couldn't be that hard. "Geez..." she muttered under her breath.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Right as the bell rang, Callan abruptly stood up, quickly clearing away his stuff as he prepared to head out to lunch, he was rushing a little more than usual; he couldn't miss his favorite dish again! Last time, he had arrived after everyone had already taken all the grilled cheese sandwiches, which was last week. Ever since then, he had planned out a considerable lot of his actions today in an effort to avoid that happening again, but, now, he had to figure out how he was going to go about it. What if there was already a line there? Maybe he- "Oof!" he uttered, untintentionally as the air was practically knocked out of him, nervously, he looked forwards, noticing the girl from earlier he had run into... She was easy to recognize, she dressed like a boy; something that was rare to see, and, her haircut didn't exactly fit the ones he usually saw the opposite gender with, though, he didn't seem to mind too much, especially since he was too busy being embarrassed about running into her just like that "S-sorry ma'am." he mumbled... Ma'am? He wasn't sure why he chose that specific term; perhaps in his panic, it was the first thing he had thought of saying?
 
Erin's eyes widened as somebody suddenly ran into her on the way out the door. She grunted and took a few steps back, raising eyes and a furrowed brow to... a boy. Her eyes widened at his apology. He didn't see her as a boy? She wasn't even affected by the fact that he had called "ma'am". She blinked and moved out of his way and shook her head slowly. "A-Ah, no, please don't be sorry. I should've looked where I was going as well." she stuttered, her blue eyes still wide before a small smile found its way to her lips. "Sorry if I was in your way. You seem like you're hurrying somewhere, I didn't mean to take up your time." she said with a small nervous laugh. He looked like he was in a hurry, and she felt bad for thinking that she was taking up his time.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan flushed a bit red, clearly embarrassed, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that a particularly large crowd had clumped into the hall by now, probably headed off to the cafeteria, his head bowed a little as he spoke "W-well... I-It's okay... I missed my opportunity anyhow..." he mumbled softly, a rather embarrassed expression was evident on his face. He figured he'd stop here for the time being and wait for the crowd in the hallway to dissipate, at least then, maybe he could figure out if there were any grilled cheese sandwiches left at all... Glancing closer at her, he noticed that she was smiling a little, and while seeming nervous, maybe a little guilty, it seemed to cause him to look away abruptly, looking a bit more bashfull than before.
 
At hearing the boy's mumbling, Erin's eyes widened a bit and she frowned. "Oh... sorry. You were going to try and get a grilled cheese, huh?" she asked, feeling more than a bit guilty. She followed his eyes down the hallway and watched as students pushed each other out of the way and tried to get the the cafeteria first. She kind of found it a bit funny and let out a light laugh. "Some people act so strange for just a bit of food. That's why I kind of wait behind. I feel like an embarrassed mess when I get caught in groups like that." she said, starting to blabber on. Erin then stopped herself, a light blush gracing her face. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to babble. My name's Erin, by the way. Erin Jacobs." she said, cringing inwardly at the extremely boyish name. Erin wanted to strike up some type of conversation to distract her mind from being embarrassed... she didn't want to look like a weirdo in front of the first person to actually see her as a girl.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan laughed a little, partially out of nervousness "Yeah... No Kidding... I hoped to get there before the others..." he mumbled sheepishly, he quickly realized that even if he hadn't run into this girl, he wouldn't have made it in time... When she introduced herself, he managed to crack a shy, but, friendly smile, or at least he hoped it would come off as such "Uh... I'm Callan... Hall." he said, stumbling over his words a little "I-it's nice to mee you... Erin." he said, managing to finish what he was trying to say, stuttering a little as he attempted to speak a bit more coherently that second time. It was embarrassing for him to do that sort of thing, but, yet, he couldn't help it... Whenever he felt nervous or something, he couldn't stop fumbling over his words, tripping over them more often than one could even imagine possible sometimes.
 
As the boy introduced himself, Erin's smile grew twice its original size. She giggled and leaned back against the wall, her hands behind her. "It's nice to meet you too, Callan." she said happily, testing his name. She looked over him for the first real time. He was taller than her, and he seemed really nervous. Erin raised an eyebrow and pulled her weight from the wall, moving to stand next to him. "Hey, if you're nervous about talking to me, then just treat me like 'one of the guys'. I'm used to it, so don't worry about it bothering me. It might help..." she said with a soft smile as she pulled her hands from her hoodie pocket. At the thought of Callan treating her like a guy, it actually made Erin a bit upset, but if it meant he'd be more comfortable, she wouldn't mind. All she wanted was for this boy to possibly be friends with her.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan returned Erin's smile, but, in a more shy manner still "I-It's okay... Well... I mean... U-uh.." he stopped, looking a bit more embarrassed for a moment before he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "I'm just not used to running into someone like this... Th-that's all." He said sheepishly, casting his eyes downwards a little as he spoke, but, he seemed to have calmed down upon realizing that Erin seemed relatively nice, though he couldn't help but be just a bit nervous anyways. It seemed that she was at least nice enough not to yell at him or something when he ran into her... Enough to allow him to relax a little, though, of course he wasn't quite as comfortable as he'd like to be here; encounters like this were a dime in a dozen to him.
 
As Callan stuttered, Erin raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, until a proper sentence left his mouth. He really was more nervous than she thought. Smiling once more, she laughed lightly and leaned back against the wall. "Don't worry about it. There's no reason to be so nervous... I mean, I kind of know what you're feeling. I always get kind of nervous when I talk to new people, so it leads to me talking way more than I'm used to... and I'm doing it again." Erin caught herself blabbering and stopped. Her nerves were starting to show, even though she seems calm and collected. She sighed and felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment as she tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear. Looking ahead, she then noticed that the group in the hallway had narrowed down quite a bit, and people were actually getting through the doors. "A-Ah, look! We can probably get through to the cafeteria now. I'm starving!" she said, her smile growing wider at the thought of food.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan smiled shyly, noticing Erin's observation as he glanced outside behind him, he sighed in relief a little seeing that there were spaces between the line into the cafeteria now, enough that he could probably maneuver his way in carefully. He looked up at Erin a little "H-heh... It's glad to have someone to relate to... But... Yeah, we should probably eat, I'm famished!" he said, sounding a bit enthusiastic for a change, his stomach let out a soft rumble to back him up, though this just made him blush a bit again. Clearing his throat softly, he turned to the door, starting to head out, but, then he stopped for a moment "Uh... Would you like to eat with me today?" he asked, a thoughtfull expression crossed his face, despite feeling shy about this entire conversation, it felt a little easier to talk with Erin than it did with most people. Though, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous again about how Erin might answer him, he did want to get to know her better, but, would that be too forward of him?
 
At the enthusiastic tone of Callan's voice, Erin grinned and nodded. She liked talking to the boy, and it seemed like they had a bit in common. She then watched as he cleared his throat and started to make his way to the door. An inaudible sigh escaped her lips as her smile fell, her shoulders slumping a bit. He was going to leave, like everybody else. At least, that's what she thought. At hearing his offer, Erin's eyes widened and she stared at him for a few seconds. Then, in an instant, she beamed and walked until she was next to him. "Y-Yeah! That would be great, actually. Thank you!" she said quickly, putting her hands behind her back as she smiled with joy. She laughed a bit before starting to walk forward, having a bit of spring in her step. For once, she was actually going to eat with somebody.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan looked relieved, a more relaxed sort of smile crossed his face "Heh... You're welcome I guess..." he mumbled, smiling more noticeably as he saw that Erin looked a little happier now. He walked next to her, trying his best to keep up with her as he walked... He was tempted to hold her hand or something, but, then again, that would probably end up being rather awkward... It was strange that he'd have thoughts like this, but, he tried not to may that too much mind, after all, it would probably be for the best that he didn't start brooding while in the company of another. He wasn't sure how long the line in the Cafeteria still was, but, he was certain there would be enough room to squeeze in with any luck... Perhaps there would be at least one grilled cheese sandwich left behind?
 
Seeing the group up ahead, Erin placed her hands in her pockets and made it to a small section that looked big enough to fit through. Seeing a few guys talking and joking around, she cleared her throat, getting their attention. "Hey, do you think me and my friend could squeeze past?" she asked, pulling a hand from her hoodie and rubbing the back of her neck. One of the boys raised an eyebrow before nodding, stepping out of the way. "Yeah, sure man." he said with a friendly smile. Erin let out a breath of slight irritation before looking at him. "Thanks..." she muttered before making her way through, waiting for Callan on the other side. She lifted her eyes to the lunch line and saw at least one grilled cheese left. Her eyes widening, she turned and smiled happily. "Callan, you better hurry! There's one left!" she said, loud enough for him to hear, but quiet so the others couldn't hear.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan looked a little surprised, but, relieved that Erin managed to find a way to get past them with a simple request, he couldn't have built up the courage for such an act himself, but, it works... That was all that mattered right now in his opinion. Though, he couldn't help but feel bad that Erin was constantly being mistaken for a male here, it definitely seemed to bug her, but, at the very least, it hadn't caused a massive problem as of yet, and he could only hope it would remain that way at least for the rest of lunch. "Th-thanks for the help..." He said politely, smiling at Erin softly, that was when he noticed there was one last grilled cheese sandwich left thanks to Erin's reminder "Uh... I'll be just a moment." he said, carefully judging the distance before rushing towards the last sandwich, quickly rushing towards it and grabbing it before heading back. He barely managed to balance it, but, he seemed relieved "Th-thanks again... Uh... D-do you have anything you want?" he asked, feeling a little guilty that he couldn't think of anything else to offer in return for her help.
 
Erin smiled and giggled as she watched Callan rush for the last grilled cheese. He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted one. When he had returned, she crossed her arms across her chest and couldn't help smiling at him. Then, realizing that she was staring, she blushed a light scarlet before averting her eyes, fiddling with her fingers. Then, as a question was tossed to her, Erin looked up at Callan and smiled a bit. "Well... yeah. But it's okay, I can go grab it real fast. I'll be right back, it'll only take a second." she said, eyes slightly widened as she held up a finger. She didn't want him to leave her behind while she was gone; he seemed like a really nice person to talk to. A potential friend. Quickly, Erin made her way to the food and looked at her options. She had been looking forward to grilled cheese as well, but she was perfectly fine with anything else. Making up her mind, she grabbed a slice of pizza and paid for it before heading back to Callan. "Okay! So, where do you want to eat?" she asked, eyes sparkling with joy.

@york
 
@Serpentine

Callan smiled back, nodding a little as he waited for Erin to grab what she had wanted... He felt a little bad that he had taken the last grilled chees sandwich available, so... Perhaps he could get one for her next time? Though, he wasn't completely sure how much she liked such things. However, they were quite popular with the entire school, so, perhaps she would like one as well? Seeing her come back with a slice of pizza, he smiled a little at her question "Well... Uh... How about there?" he asked, pointing towards an vacant looking table not too far from them, it seemed to be the able he had always ended up sitting at, the others were usually taken in one way or another. As per usual, he waited for Erin before he started to head over, eventually sitting down a little, as he prepared to eat, he couldn't help but notice there were two slices of grilled cheese on his plate, the standart serving method, but, it gave him an idea. "Um... Would you like a piece?" He asked politely.
 
Erin looked at the table Callan pointed to and smiled happily, nodding. She followed him before sitting in the seat facing him, giggling a bit. She was so happy; she was finally eating with somebody who acknowledged that she was a girl. It might not have seemed like much to others, but after years of being mistaken for a guy somehow, it was pure bliss to have someone recognize her as the girl she was. Erin was pulled from her happy thoughts when Callan asked if she wanted a piece of grilled cheese. Her eyes widened and she smiled shyly. "A-Ah sure! Would you like half of my pizza? It could be a fair trade~!" she giggled happily, looking at Callan with bright blue eyes. He was so nice!
 
Callan gazed at the pizza slice for a moment, as if he had just zoned out, smiling a little, then, he nodded "Sure... Uh... Thank you!" he said, he was speaking a little quietly still, but, the excited tone creeping into his voice conveyed that he was rally happy with this offer. It seemed he was quite pleased with having lunch with her, though, he was too embarrassed to actually admit such a thing, so, he started to eat, occasionally glancing up at Erin every now and then, wondering what she thought of him... Truth to be told, he wasn't sure himself really, and, was even less sure of why he was worrying about such simple things, it hadn't been as big of a problem as it had become now...
 
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