Who We Are (Alexa & Rainjay)

[Rainjay]

She just couldn't believe it. How much bad luck did she need to have to get picked, of all the students in this school, to be chosen for new-student duty? Alice had no desire to spend her week leading whatever new student that had arrived to and fro his classes, but denying the headmaster would have dug herself into an even deeper hole. As a result, she was heading into the main office of the school building, twenty minutes early on a Monday morning, a scowl marring her features as she pushed open the door and walked in. She had her bag slung over her shoulder, and a manila folder in her hand, containing the new schedule of her charge.

Madison Jones. Same year as she, in a homeroom just down the hall. Oh, goody, she thought, sitting down in one of the hard plastic chairs against the wall. The office was brightly lit and decorated with an abundance of potted flowers and plants, some fake, some real. A small plastic Christmas tree was in the corner, decorated with hastily assembled lights and tinsel. Only one woman was manning the exterior of the office, and she was minding her own business, studiously ignoring Alice and her presence in the office. She didn't blame her.

It wasn't as though Alice Zatovich had anything else to do with her morning. Without the aforementioned arrangements, she'd probably still be in bed, and then she'd have gotten up and went to school all the same. It was just the fact that it was obligatory that she arrived early that bugged her. That, and the fact that whomever Madison Jones was, was someone she didn't necessarily care for meeting. Alice had never been, and never would be, good at introductions and small talk, and wasn't too eager to practice.

Complaining about it won't make it any better, she thought. Might as well shut up and get it over with. She shook her head before reaching into her bag, pulling out a small book that she propped open before she began to read, waiting for the mysterious Madison Jones to arrive in the main office.

@Alexa

--​

 

[Ray]

Beep! The silver intercom on the upper right side of the wall near the ticking clock rang through Madison's ears. She scowled internally at how loud it was, considering she was sitting in the front row, three chairs away from the door. "Ms. Harold?" Madison assumed that there was something important needed to be done, that perhaps something hadn't been made clear or finalized on her transcript, or whatever the school was up to this early in the morning. 7:37 am. A bummer school started so early. When she was at her old school, school started around 9:00 am. It's different here. Get used to it Maddie...

"Yes, Mr. Baker?"

"Madison Jones is needed in the office."

"Of course. I'll send her down right away."

Madison, a young girl with beautiful luscious blond hair and gray eyes glanced up from her bellwork. Ms. Harold, her World History teacher had allowed her students to begin working on the morning bellwork granted they arrived at classroom earlier than the starting bell that signified it was time to go to class. Madison had no problem doing such things. She was always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning, no dark circles lined under her eyes, and energy pumping through her veins. Ms. Harold, a middle aged woman who appeared to be in her older 20s, gave Madison a warm smile, her blue eyes and dimpled cheeks giving Madison the slightest notion that she belonged at Stone High School right from the start.

Madison shoved her things inside her bag, the paper that she'd begun to write on not too long ago no longer smooth. "Ms. Harold, I'm not finished with my bellwork. Can I finish and return it sometime during lunch or if earlier, perhaps when I get back from the office?" she questioned amiably. Ms. Harold nodded in acknowledgement. "Of course, Miss Jones. As long as it is returned before the end lunch, I will accept it." Madison stood up from her desk, beginning to walk towards the maple wood door. Madison hoped this wasn't too serious. Otherwise, it'd be a huge fiasco, considering her living circumstances. She stepped out into the hallway and took a left, her strides graceful and poise. It took everything not to let her thoughts wander too outside her comfort zone and into pessimism. She blinked as the light of the office came into view, seeking escape from the blinds that covered the windows.

Madison opened the door to the office and stepped inside as the door softly shut itself closed. Glancing around, she noticed not many were in the main area of the office, just three or four workers sitting at their desks and typing away, as well as an intriguing female who sat in the corner, her nose in a book. Madison's gaze faltered on the black-haired girl, wondering who she was, wondering why there was something ticking in the back of her brain, wondering why she looked somewhat familiar at a first glance. The blonde-haired girl tore her gaze away and approached the desk, leaning over slightly, hoping to capture the woman's attention in front of her. "Hello, ma'am. My name is Madison Jones. I was called down to the office?"

 

[Rainjay]

"Miss? Are you Alice Zatovich, perchance?" The lone secretary in the room had leaned up from her seat and was peering over the tall counter to look at the dark-haired student. She was frowning behind her large spectacles and her orangey-red hair was flopping over her face. Alice just peered up from her book, nodded, and then returned her gaze to the small words on the page. "Okay. Madison Jones' peer tutor, yes? I thought she would have been notified to be down here as soon as attendance was taken, but perhaps word didn't reach her. Madison... Madison... Ah. Here. Ms. Harold's room, World History. I'll give the room a ring, sweetie."

All those words flew right over Alice's head. She was too busy reading her book, and didn't really care where Madison Jones was. If she stayed home sick, all the better. But the secretary rose to her feet and hobbled off towards one of the offices in the back of the lobby, spoke to someone, and then left. She could hear Mr. Baker, one of the sub headmasters of the school, talking over the PA. Great. So she isn't absent.

Alice was still stuck in her book when the office door opened, and Madison Jones stepped into the room. She could hear the girl walk up to the desk, and the secretary's chair swivel as the older woman turned to greet her. "Ah, Madison Jones! Did Ms. Harold not tell you? All new students get a peer tutor for their first week, to help them around the building and to their classes. It helps particularly with making up classwork."

The secretary rose to her feet again, and hobbled over to Alice, who finally looked up from her book after dog-earing the page and stuffing it back into her bag. "This is Alice ..." The woman paused to look at a paper clutched in her hands. "Zatovich. Alice Zatovich. She's your peer tutor for the week. She's a senior, and will be able to help you with any questions you have. She has a copy of your schedule, so she can help you find your classes today." Then the secretary smiled at the two of them. "I'm sure you two will become great friends. Now, it seems Miss Jones has already located her first class of the day, so you two should return to your classes. Miss Zatovich will help you find your second class, alright?"

Then the secretary, with another fleeting smile, turned heel and returned to her computer. Alice sighed heavily and rose to her feet, hoisting her bag over her shoulder. She didn't offer a handshake, and instead kept her hands to herself, one holding the strap of her bag, the other onto the manila folder. She got her first good look at Madison since she arrived in the room; thick blonde hair and unusually gray eyes, standing straight backed and poised. Gosh, she looks like she came from some fancy private school or something.

Although, something looked familiar about the girl, something unnerving. Alice couldn't really pinpoint it. Maybe it was the eyes, how striking and beautiful they were, almost appearing silver in the light of the room instead of stormy and dull. Almost like her own. Maybe it was just the way she stood, most certainly not in the way of a nervous schoolgirl. She'd expected someone fidgety and lost on their first day, not confident and assured.

Alice made a minute shake of her head, clearing these thoughts away. "You know how to get back to your first class, right? Glad to hear it. I guess I'll be there for your next class." She spoke almost dismissively. She wouldn't- couldn't- make friends with this new girl. She didn't like the vibe that she was giving off. It'd get her in trouble, some way or another.​

 

[Ray]

Madison felt herself flinch slightly as the secretary turned around to face her. She took notice of her floppy orange-red hair and large round spectacles, her eyes staring at the abnormal hair color. Snapping back to reality when the woman spoke her name, her face contorted into one of confusion. "Um, no... I wasn't informed at all," Madison spoke slowly, stretching her right hand behind her neck and resting her palm there, feeling awkward. "I only just heard about this..." The young blonde's close set eyes followed the secretary, who she assumed was taller than her behind the desk, but actually a few inches shorter than her five feet and four inches.

Maybe she has some Filipino or Japanese in her...

Madison's abnormal gray eyes landed on the black-haired girl again. The senior dog-earred her place in the book she was reading to which Madison internally scolded her actions. Why would you do that? There's other ways you can save your spot without ruining the page stupid... "This is Alice," The woman paused to look at a paper clutched in the girl's hands. "Zatovich. Alice Zatovich. She's your peer tutor for the week. She's a senior, and will be able to help you with any questions you have. She has a copy of your schedule, so she can help you find your classes today." Madison nodded in acknowledgement, offering an awkward upturn of her lips.

The fact that Alice hadn't even stood up to greet her in any way wasn't leading off to a great start.

"I'm sure you two will become great friends. Now, it seems Miss Jones has already located her first class of the day, so you two should return to your classes. Miss Zatovich will help you find your second class, alright?" The secretary then left both girls alone. Madison straightened her back almost immediately when the girl stood up after stuffing her book in her backpack. Madison pushed a loose lock of blonde behind her ear, smoothed out her fitted black tank top, as well her blue folk-inspired skirt. Compared to Madison's bohemian-styled clothing, her senior seemed to be more interested in dressing in a casual-like manner. The secretary standing a few inches away from her introduced the girl as Alice Zatovich.

She must have Russian roots or something, Madison immediately assumed by the pronunciation of her last name.

Sticking her hand out with a friendly smile, Madison attempted to digress the tense atmosphere between her and Alice. When the black-haired girl sighed heavily as she rose up, Madison abruptly pulled her hand back without so much as a second thought and pursed her lips in scorn. She doesn't sound like she wants me here. Great. "You know how to get back to your first class, right? Glad to hear it. I guess I'll be there for your next class," Alice spoke almost dismissively. Madison was taken aback by her tone, to which she tensed again. The girl's condescending attitude threw the young blonde off and she wasn't exactly sure what to make of it. The gray-eyed teenager lazily set weight on one of her hips, clutching her intricate folk-styled bag in her right hand. "Right," she muttered, eyes tearing away from the girl and glancing at the floor. This would be a wonderful year...

 

[Rainjay]

Watching the girl straighten out her shirt and tidy up her hair before she stood almost made Alice laugh. For as confident as she had seemed, she was showing a bit of a nervous tic. And although it might have served to further Alice's sudden source of entertainment, she still declined to offer her hand, even though the other girl did before she stood. She tensed up as Alice spoke and her face twisted into a masked confusion. Madison seemed more than taken aback by Alice's reaction- she almost seemed hurt by it. Alice herself wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation, but her stupid brain and her stupid mouth decided to take over for her before she could think about it any further.

"Sorry. I'm not an early-bird. Or a socialite. I keep to myself. It's nothing personal." she said, attempting to wrap some warmth and honesty into her words. Then she shrugged, stuffing the manila folder into her bag before sweeping her own hair out of her eyes and face. "Really, after you've been in this place for long enough, it's almost hard not to become a recluse. But it doesn't matter. Few more months and I'm out. You, too, if you're a senior. If not... Good luck, I suppose."

It was clear her hatred of Stone High School, and maybe even of the people in it. Alice was certainly not a people person- a socialite- although she offered a quick smile to Madison, a genuine one, before she moved towards the lobby door. "I'll be waiting at the end of your class. Enjoy World History." she said, before she pushed open the door and left down the hall. Her boots made a light tap, tap, tap until she disappeared from view.

She was preoccupied throughout the duration of her Biology class, her thoughts swimming about that strange girl. No, not about the girl, but more precisely about what was so familiar about her. She felt like she'd seen her before, but that would be impossible. She's a new kid in the school, and gosh, when was the last time I ever went out? It's not like I ran into her at the supermarket. She doesn't seem like much for late night grocery shopping anyway.

She strained the push the thoughts out of her mind and to worry on her class. Whatever it was about the girl, she'd probably leave Alice be, especially if she heard any rumors. They were only stuck together for the one week, and then they'd never have to talk to each other again. End of story, end of conflict.

Even though the thought of Madison holding a bad impression of her was a sour thought.

If she hears rumors, she hears rumors. It's not my fault they call me a freak, Alice thought to herself, running her pencil idly along the margins of her page. The school knew her as the building's crazy psychic- ask her a question, and she could tell you anything. The rumors just weren't true- exactly, anyway. Alice had a habit of just knowing things. Touch a kids textbook, and she could tell you who ripped off the cover last Monday night and maybe even why. A dollar bill, and she could see whose wallet it was in the night before and how it passed along to the current owner. She didn't have a name for this strange ability- it had been there since she was a kid, and most of the time, she chose to ignore it.

Alice struggled against these thoughts for the majority of her Biology class, and was just about to reach some peace of mind when the bell rang and the class ended. She took her time gathering her things into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and trudged down the halls towards Madison's class. Time to play tour guide.​