Homestuck Fanfic

I - Laarai

   I flatten against the wall in the narrow hallway of my new school. An older boy glares at me as he shoulders his way past. "Watch where you're going," he snaps. I mumble my apologies and clutch my bag to my chest like a shield. I wait until he's out of sight before I continue walking.
   Making my way through the maze of hallways is difficult. Not only is it hard to navigate, but I have to dodge other trolls and humans going to their classes. I've gotten lost several times already, and nobody seems willing to help me find my homeroom. The most useful information I got was that it's "somewhere on the first floor". I sigh in defeat. There's no point in getting angry; people were probably in a hurry and had no time to waste in leading me across the school. I glance around, trying not to look as lost as I feel. Apparently I fail, because a sweet voice sounds in my ear.
  "Are you lost?" I spin around and back up at the same time, trying in vain to become invisible. A short, skinny troll in a long green coat looks up at me. I stand up a bit straighter when I realize that she's smiling. "Sorry." I blush a pale green. "You startled me." Her eyes widen. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?" I nod to reassure her.
   "Do you think you could show me where room 413 is?" My entire face feels hot, but I force myself to continue."I'm really, really sorry, but I'm new here and I don't know my way around yet."
   She nods enthusiastically. "It's right this way! I got Jane to show me. That's my homeroom too. Oh! And my name's Nepeta." She gives me an adorable, catlike smile and starts walking.
   When we arrive, there is a tall, muscular troll standing outside the door. My first instinct would be to duck my head and hope he didn't notice me, but Nepeta runs up and tackles him in a hug. "Equius! Where were you?" He gives her a rough pat on the back and she winces. "Ow, that hurt!"
   "I am sorry. I will try to be mindful of my own strength." He speaks with a remarkably soft voice, and he does seem to be genuinely sorry. I decide that maybe he isn't so bad after all.
   I thank Nepeta and watch as they walk into the room together, and then follow them.
   The first thing I notice when I walk through the door is the noise. My old school was much smaller, and my classroom was never this crowded. I wince and head towards the back of the room. There's an empty desk next to a girl with dark hair dyed green at the tips, so I sit there. She smiles at me and introduces herself as Tess. "Are you new as well?" I only nod. I would really like to talk to her, but the noise is deafening and I can't concentrate on our conversation.
  I huddle smaller in my chair and close my eyes. Maybe if I think about my drawings I will be less overwhelmed. I pull out my sketchbook and start looking through my pictures. They may not be anything noteworthy, but they do the trick. My heart starts beating at a more normal pace as I calm down.
   "So what's your name?" Tess asks. I glance up at her, and then quickly back down again. "Laarai," I mumble, almost too quietly to be heard.
   Just then, the bell rings. Everybody seems to be shouting over the scrape of chairs, trying to finish their conversations in the few seconds before they reach the door. I stay in my seat until after Tess and all the other students have left. Then, once it's safe, I get up and start the long, arduous process of finding my first class.