Quill's Declassified School Survival Guide [open]

After the incident that occurred in the lounge, Jeremy really just wanted to get away for a minute. As he exited the school and walked into the sun, he instantly regretted it due to the heat, but as he looked around, it seemed to be the emptiest place on campus. At least, for now. It was a whole lot better than dealing with undead animals. The spines on his extremities flexed and relaxed as he tried to ignore the heat while dressed in thick jeans and a hoodie which still felt alien as he carefully sat down on a bench in the shade. Hopefully he could take a second and relax before he continued on his independent tour of campus, despite the sun slowly falling towards the horizon.

She seemed to melt out of the shade, materializing next to him on the courtyard bench. "You look like you've seen a ghost." In reality, Esther had been sitting here the past ten or fifteen minutes, foot propped up on her knee, one earbud in, and a book in her lap, but that was the beauty of her gift. As long as she stayed still, stayed silent, she might as well have been part of the furniture. The moment she spoke, poof, the spell was broken. It made late afternoon people-watching a breeze. You wouldn't believe the kind of things people did when they thought they were alone.

Right now, she just had eyes for the hair-like spines poking out from his sleeves, but she was quick to avert her gaze toward the setting sun.

A sharp gasp combined with a near whiplash head turn nearly made Quill jump out of his seat. Where in the world had this girl come from? Had she always been there? He could have sworn that he picked an empty bench. "Jesus..." he breathed, trying to calm his nerves yet again. "How long have you been there?" he asked, unable to convince himself that maybe he had somehow missed her.

Esther clapped the book close, but didn't turn off her music. "Longer than you. But you don't have to worry. You can sit next to me. And I don't have anything contagious."

"Oh... well, okay," he muttered, turning his gaze away from her like he was trying to play it cool. "Thanks, I guess. Didnt mean to take your uh..." he looked back over for a second as if he had almost forgotten who he was talking to. "Didnt mean to interrupt your... study session?" He had no clue what she was doing.

You could call it that. Studying. If she noticed the faltering in his concentration, she didn't give any sign of it. "Oh, don't worry about that. You didn't interrupt a thing. This is just a little hobby of mine." Esther shifted her weight on the bench. "Do you like nature documentaries? It's a little like that. I just watch people go back and forth... All day. This place is better than the zoo." And sometimes, the show came to you. People would plop themselves right down next to her without even a glance in her direction, like she was just a dark imprint on the planked wood. "I'm Esther, by the way."

"People watching, huh?" He asked, not expecting an answer. It wasnt something he ever did. He didnt have the patience for it. However, the mention of a zoo brought his mind back to his own problem. Instinctively, Jeremy's leg started bouncing as a frown crossed his features. It didnt last long though and was gone before he even realized it happened, soon replaced with a faux-confident smirk. "They call me Quill," he told her, stretching out and resting his arm on the back of the bench.

"Exactly, Quill. Now I have a name for my file on you." Kidding, of course. But she just gave him an even look with no indication of laughter. It was less of a hobby and more of a nasty habit, but one she'd picked up innocently. She couldn't help it, even now, she tracked his restless movements. He was never still for long, in that thick hoodie of his.

"Wait, a what?" Retracting his arm, he raised his eyebrows at Esther, disbelief covering his face. "You're joking... right?" He really thought she couldn't have a file for him, but part of him wasnt so sure. He didnt know anything about this chick.

"Of course I'm joking. But if I'm not joking, well, obviously I wouldn't tell you the truth." Esther kept her expression level, shifting her weight on the bench. "If it did exist, it'd be filled with mostly good things, probably."