Grayscale

-Chapter 2-

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Hey guys sorry for not updating in a long time, but thanks to everyone who reads my story. Also, if you have any advice, negative or positive, please comment below. I'd love constructive criticism, if you have any. Let me know if you like it so far! Thanks guys!!

<3 Rowan

Update as of 4/15/15: Rowan was my pen name for Coral Augustine, if it gets confusing. I wasn't sure if I had wanted to show my name yet, but I did eventually :)

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A swarm of people crowd around the new kids like ants pile upon food left alone on the ground. They are buzzing with excitement, firing questions, handing out compliments, but most of all, they are looking to see which part of the social ladder the two new kids belong. Personally, I do not care much for popularity, but evidently, the kids in my school do not feel the same way. I stand rigid among the group of loquacious kids, questions pouring out of their mouth. I catch some questions like, "Where did you go to school before?" and "Do you do any sports?"

The girl answers stonily, "is it any of your business where I went to school, are you going to search me up? And no, I do not do any sports." She seems bored and uninterested in these kids who are dying to know more of her, inching their way up front like crazy fangirls at their favorite musician's concert.

The boy answers in a more friendly way, stating he went to school around here and did not feel comfortable answering the question because his sister didn't want him to. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when he mentioned sister.

Kaya, my best friend, pulls me out of the crowd. "Come on. Let's go to class. We don't want to be late," she urges. She glares at the new girl, but her eyes linger appreciatively on the new boy.

"There is plenty of time before first period." I protest, wanting to stay longer like everyone else and hoping to discover more information about the new-comers.

"That's not the point." Kaya rolls her eyes and stares pointedly at the girl.

"What's the point?" I ask innocently. "Don't you want to stay? That boy is eye-candy."

"He may be eye-candy, but his sister is a rotting apple core. She is hostile and unfriendly. She doesn't deserve to be pretty."

"Maybe she just needs some adjustment time and space. This is pretty overwhelming. Look at the people surrounding her," I argue.

"They have more people surrounding them than normal because they are good-looking. They should be grateful people are talking to them and not ignoring them. I would be grateful if people surrounded me." Kaya frowns.

I laugh and pull her away. "You would not. You'd complain about it twenty-four seven." Kaya and I walk past the teachers. Even they seem sucked into the whirlwind of questions, answers, and students, like the girl and the boy are a blackhole and everyone and everything is being sucked towards them. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I'm not the only one who's looking for change, who wants to change. Kaya and I walk past Jasper, our friend.

"Hey, have you seen the new girl?" Jasper whoops. "She's a babe."

Drake pops out of the crowd, grinning and nudging him in the shoulder. "You gonna get some?" He asks, laughing and slapping Jasper in the back. Jasper nods, and Drake laughs again. "Good luck, man. She's cold as ice." I hurry away from those two, dragging Kaya with me.

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks she's hostile and mean." Kaya says as soon as we're out of earshot.

"She's not mean, just adjusting."

"I know you always want to believe the best in people, but there are horrible people out there. Like Drake. I'm just saying, I don't want you to get your hopes up to ultimately become crushed when you finally realize that she's not as good as you hoped her to be." I shake my head at Kaya. The bell for first period rings, and Kaya shrugs. "We'll see, won't we?"

I enter English class, slumping into my seat. I am not looking forward to quizzes and homework, and more homework. I run my finger back and forth along the deep crack on my table. Tables are made by two joined together, but since there is an odd number of people in our class, I am the one who has no one sitting next to them. However, I am surprised to discover that the new girl is sitting in the seat adjacent to mine.

"Hi." She grins, a bit ominously.

"Hi..." I say uncertainly, shocked at her new attitude. "You seem a lot lighter and happier than this morning."

"Well after I escaped from the choking threshold of the crowd, I was able to clear my mind and refresh myself." She glances at the classroom, empty besides the teacher and us. "It seems like Ryan is still stuck in that crowd though." She laughs with ease. "Poor Ryan, but then again. I think he enjoys the attention. He is also more compatible with large groups of people than me, and his personality is more outgoing."

"So your personality is shy?" I ask. I keep the information of Ryan tucked in my head, assuming that he is her brother.

She smiles, her eyes going distant, as if she's answered this question a thousand times, or thinking of an inside joke. "No, not shy, but not magnetic, and what people are drawn too. Weird, perhaps, if you want to categorize me." The girl leans forward, her head resting on her hands.

"So, what is your name? You never told me," I ask, curious.

"What's your name? Wait, don't tell me I want to guess." She falls silent, surveying me. "Jess, maybe? Or Katie. Sarah!"

"No," I say. "It's Marley. Marley Aspen."

"Marley! That fits you perfectly, even better than Sarah. It's extremely important to have a name that fits you, your personality and character and looks. I cannot express the vitality of possessing an adequate name that fits your character. It is your second skin."

I grin, pleased. "So, are you going to tell me your name?"

The girl nods at the students swarming into the classroom. "You'll find out soon enough. And you can decide for yourself if my name fits me."

How would I decide if her name fit her if I didn't know her personality or anything about her? "Well," I start to say, "I agree with you in a way. If names fit the personality of the person, then it's all the better. But names mold the person, not vice versa. You can't name a person hoping it'd fit them, but the name you give the person will eventually become who they are."

She stares at me, shocked. "Well spoken, Aspen. I never expected that from you. But then again, I don't expect much from anybody."

The teacher stands up, waving her hands to quiet the noisy chatter of the students entering. Chairs clang against the wooden desks, and the screeching sound of the metal legs scraping against the cold tile floor filled the once quiet classroom. Finally, everything halts to a quiet hum. "Good morning! I hope all of you will warmly welcome our new student, Sierra Ryder."

She smiles politely. "Thank you."

Sierra. That name did fit her unusual character so far. I wonder if I will ever be able to know her well enough to actually decide whether the name fit her or not.