Meeting Aphmau
Anyone else remember that old logo of hers? Okay, first day. Deep breaths. I think I’ve got this. I walked downstairs, already dressed in my uniform, and grabbed a slice of toast. Backpack slung over my shoulder, I walked out the door, still munching on breakfast. As I walked down the street, I noticed a girl leaving her house. She had striking black hair and eyes the color of burnt orange. As I got closer, I called out,
“Hi there!”
She jumped, spinning around. She looked at me, a flicker of apprehension in her eyes.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I-It’s okay,” she stammered.
“I’m Y/n,” I said, offering a friendly smile.
“I’m Aphmau. You can just call me Aph, though.”
“Nice to meet you, Aph. Heading to school?”
“Yeah. I’m a freshman, and I was homeschooled all my life except for kindergarten. So this is… new.”
“What school are you going to?”
“Phoenix Drop High.”
“Really?!” I asked, surprised.
“Yeah. I’m going to be a freshman too.”
“Yay! I made a friend!” Aph exclaimed, her face lighting up.
“I actually just moved here,” I added.
“So it’s like we’re in the same boat.”
“Exactly!”
“Great! Let’s get to school before we’re late.”
I nodded, and we continued walking, chatting easily. On the way, I learned she lives with her mom and that her dad is often away on work. I told her my parents are on business trips most of the time, too. Before we knew it, we were standing in front of the high school. It was enormous.
“How much time do we have before the bell rings?” I asked.
“A few minutes,” Aph replied.
“Okay. Wanna sit by the fountain and talk?”
“Sure.”
We walked toward the fountain, settling on the cool stone edge. We continued our conversation, and I found myself relaxing quickly.
“Thanks for being my friend, by the way,” Aph said quietly.
“Thanks for being my friend too, Aph. We helped each other out.”
“Still, it means a lot to me.”
“Me too,” I echoed.
Suddenly, I felt a shove from behind, and I started to tumble towards the fountain. My eyes closed in preparation for a splash. But it didn’t come. Instead, strong arms wrapped around my waist, stopping my fall. I opened my eyes to see a boy holding me back, preventing me from falling into the water.
“I’m so sorry!” he said, his voice filled with concern.
He pulled me back onto the fountain ledge, and I took a moment to take him in. He had blonde hair and eyes the color of a clear sky.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hit you and make you fall into the water.”
“It’s fine. You saved me in the end. I didn’t get wet.”
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“Positive. Thanks for helping me.”
“My pleasure. I’m Garroth Ro'Meave,” he said, extending his hand.
I took his hand, shaking it firmly.
“F/n L/n. This is my friend Aphmau.”
“Nice to meet you both. Say, I haven’t seen you two around before. Are you new?”
“Yeah. I just moved here. I’ll be a freshman.”
“I was homeschooled, and I’ll be a freshman too,” Aph added.
“Well, that’s great.” He smiled brightly.
Then the bell rang, interrupting our conversation.
“Well, I gotta go. I’ll see you, ladies, later.”
“Bye, Garroth.”
“See ya.”
He turned and walked inside, disappearing into the crowd.
A new notification popped up on my mind: *New path unlocked: Garroth Ro'Meave.*
I turned back to Aphmau.
“Ready to go inside?”
“Yeah. Let’s do this!”
I nodded, and we walked into the school. We wandered around, eventually finding the office. We walked inside.
“How may I help you, girls?” the woman behind the counter asked.
“We’re new, and we came to get our schedules.”
“Names?”
“I’m Aphmau Phoenix.”
“Okay. Let me look for yours first.”
The woman disappeared behind the counter for a moment, then returned.
“You’re a freshman?”
“Yes.”
“Here you go.”
Aph thanked her and walked out of the office. The woman turned to me.
“And you, dear?”
“I’m F/n L/n. I’m a freshman.”
She nodded and disappeared behind her desk again. When she came back, she handed me my schedule. I thanked her and took a look.
Homeroom - Mr. Kane Advanced Math - Mr. Snuffleupldoo Potion Making - Mrs. Lilly Advanced English - Mrs. Applegate 1st Lunch Werewolf Class - Mr. Wolfine Gym - Mr. Alan
Wait, potions and werewolf class? I don’t even *have* werewolf or witch blood. Oh well. I started walking towards my homeroom. When I got there, I sat beside a girl with vibrant blue hair. The bell rang. The teacher came in through the door and called roll. When he got to my name, he asked if I would like to introduce myself to the class. I shook my head, and he finished calling roll. When he was finished, he sat at his desk and turned toward his computer.
“Hi, there!”
I turned to face the girl with blue hair.
“I’m Katlyn.”
“Hi, Katlyn. I’m Y/n.”
“So new kid, huh?”
“Yeah. I just moved here.”
“Well, welcome to Phoenix Drop High.”
“Thanks.”
We talked after that until the teacher stood up and escorted us to the gym. I walked with Katlyn, chatting as we went. When we entered the gym, I saw Aphmau with another kid beside her.
“Well, I gotta go. I have a club booth to get to.”
I nodded, and walked over to Aphmau.
“Hey, Aph.”
“Y/n!”
She smiled as she saw me.
“Y/n, this is my not alone buddy, Travis. Travis, this is the girl I was talking about this morning.”
“H-Hi, I’m Travis Valkrum.”
“F/n L/n. Nice to meet you, Travis.”
He smiled at me and we shook hands. We started walking around, eventually stopping and just talking.
“Watch out!”