Chapter 3: A New Face

Shizuka and the bus driver were both looking at a girl running towards the bus in a very clumsy manner. Who the hell is that? I've never seen that girl around here a day of my life. The girl was wearing a similar uniform as Shizuka, black long sleeved seifuku with a skirt that was knee high. Unlike Shizuka's thigh high one. And the other difference in their uniforms was the red bow in her pink hair, which was tied in a ponytail.

Shizuka looked at the bus driver when she asked in slight desperation.

"Um excuse me, but have you seen that stundent before?"

The bus driver put on his glasses before blinking several times then he finally answered.

"Don't know, I've picked up a lot of kids in my career but I've never seen that one before."

The girl squealed before she suddenly tripped and fell face first into the grass where her bag dropped all of her school supplies. Ungh, she's such a clutz. Shizuka sighed as she hopped out the bus.

"I'll help her out."

Shizuka looked skeptical as she watched the girl recover from her face plant, rubbing her face repeatedly whispering.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

Shizuka squatted down in front of the girl who was sitting in the 'W' position, widening her eyes at the sight of her. Shizuka stacked a pile of fallen books while greeting.

"Hey, are you okay? That looked like it hurt like hell."

The girl began picking up colorful pencils as she replied.

"Yeah I'm okay. I'm prone to falling a lot, kinda like a clumsy person."

Shizuka's face was dumbfounded when she thought a smart remark to herself. Well yeah that's what prone to falling means, well not exactly but Ungh why am I arguing with myself?! Shizuka noticed out of all the things that fell out of the book bag, it was a small canvas. How could an airhead like her be into art?

Shizuka admired the canvas while alluding.

"You take an art class or is art like a hobby?"

The girl laughed while picking up the blank canvas, dusting off the few blades of grass.

"Me?! In an art class? No way heh heh, I can't handle criticism. But I do love to paint when I have alone time. I learned that art is more fun when people don't tell you their opinions."

Shizuka looked slightly offended by that statement making her ask.

"Well that's a bit much don't you think?"

The girl smiled when she answered in an innocent tone.

"Not really no, I just think it's better that way. I didn't offend you in anyway did I?"

Shizuka picked up the last pencil before replying as she stood up.

"Of course not, forget about it. What's your name anyway?"

Shizuka was looking away as she put out her hand which the girl grasped in order to let Shizuka help her up to her feet. Face to face, Shizuka's towering height could be shown clearly while the girl greeted.

"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Sabrina. Sabrina Reed. And your name?"

Shizuka was struggling to make solid eye contact when she introduced.

"The name is Shizuka, so are you a student at Sunny Coast High?"

Sabrina nodded her head eagerly before explaining.

"I sure am, I'm attending as a third year. I really like the school and all the clubs that are available. Even though I'm too shy to join one myself."

Shizuka gasped in utter shock.

"Wait you're a third year?! But the bus driver said he's never seen you a day of his life."

Sabrina chuckled while pointing behind her along with various other hand gestures.

"Of course he hasn't, the last two years I was a walker. But today when I woke up I heard the bus, and it never comes around my house because I live too far. So I was running to see if he'd let me on the bus."

Shizuka crossed her arms over her chest not believing the words coming out of the stranger's mouth. A walker, I don't go outside a lot but I think I would've noticed a girl with pink hair walking around. Wait a minute!

"Hold on, where the heck do you even live? Where you pointed was the woods." stated Shizuka in a very skeptical tone.

Sabrina laughed even harder this time before she informed in between soft giggles.

"Yeah, I live in a cabin house in the woods. Me and Dad, usually I take a shortcut through the woods. Instead of taking the main road."

Shizuka was pouting her lips in response to all her conspiracy theories being shot down. I'm off my rocker today, first I thought the bus driver was being weird. And now this Sabrina chick has been living behind my house all this time?

Shizuka turned around, starting to walk towards the bus causing Sabrina to follow behind happily. She seems harmless but I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something here.

Shizuka cleared her throat before announcing to the bus driver specifically.

"This is Sabrina who actually is a student, so from now on you'll pick us both up. So you might jot it down on a notepad or whatever."

The driver looked slightly confused as he watched Shizuka and Sabrina enter the bus, seeing as he was already planning on doing so. He shrugged his shoulders before pulling a lever which closed the doors to the bus which started driving after a short wait.

Shizuka sat down near the back, looking out the window when suddenly Sabrina sat in the same seat. Sabrina was taking off her book bag while Shizuka exclaimed with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Hey, hey, hey! What do ya think you're doing? Of all the seats on this empty bus, why sit with me?"

Sabrina replied.

"Well too be honest, I like following you. You see I don't have a lot of friends because I'm sorta clumsy. But that didn't stop you from getting to know me, I appreciate your kindness is all. I was wondering if we could be friends."

Shizuka quickly looked back out the window hiding her nervous expression when she coughed."

"Sure, I don't care. Just don't make a big deal out of it."

Sabrina's smile got bigger as she scooted a bit close to Shizuka who continued to stare at the window. Why the hell is it so hard to talk to people my age? With adults I'm more composed but this girl, it hurts to look her and that big smile.

Shizuka asked.

"You usually this happy?"

Sabrina was kicking her legs excitedly when she responses with a load of enthusiasm.

"Absolutely! This is my first time riding a bus and I've made my first friend! But I guess I am usually this happy but today I'm extra, extra happy. What about you? You look nervous."

Shizuka looked down at her lap as she objected.

"I am not nervous, just not used to talking to people my age."

Sabrina laughed.

"Oh, so you don't have any friends either?"

Shizuka exlaimed.

"That's not-! Eh who am I kidding, yeah I don't have friends. I was born in Japan and moved here actually, I was young during the move so I didn't have friends in Japan either."

Sabrina put a finger on her lip when she questioned.

"Well why didn't you make any friends here in the U.S.?"

Shizuka was now looking at the seat in front of her with a sad expression as she answered.

"There's a lot of answers to that question. I'm not really the girly type, I'm into what boys like to do. Play video games, goof around, workout and fight a lot. In case you didn't know girls usually don't act like that type of stuff."

"And I'm freakishly tall, but it makes no sense because I hate milk and they say if you drink milk you get taller but that's a load of bull-. Bull crap. What I'm trying to say is that I don't fit it enough to have friends." Shizuka concluded in a slightly frustrated tone.

Sabrina slowed down her leg kicking when she chuckled softly.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm not really a tomboy but I don't fit in at all. I try to hard to follow the social norm sometimes instead of being myself and it makes me look, well weird."

"I wouldn't say I'm a normal teenager but I at least think I could get an opportunity with the cool girls at school you know?" proposed a hopeful Sabrina.

Shizuka looked Sabrina directly in her eyes when she snapped.

"Don't say that! You're a normal teenager, it's everyone else who's weird. Don't let some assholes put a label on you, never try to fit in where you're not welcome. You create a place where you're surrounded by people who like you for you."

"Tsk, if we're being honest me and you together are way cooler than any cool Queen B any day of the week." scoffed Shizuka.

Sabrina's eyes slowly widened when she inquired with a face as bright as the sun.

"D-Do you really mean that?"

Shizuka started blushing badly again when she quickly turned back to the window while groaning.

"Of I do, just quit it with those puppy dog eyes. I'm gonna puke."

Sabrina began massaging her face when she squealed.

"Okay! I'll do my best!"

This girl is too much, but for some weird reason I feel a similar connection with her. It's identical to the one I share with Gwen, genuine trust for her. I guess Mom and Dad were right, eventually I would find real friends.

Shizuka cleared her throat in order to announce.

"Hey, sense we're friends now I guess I'll tell you my number one pet peeve. I hate names with more that 6 letters, don't ask why just know it. So from here on out, I'll call you Brina. Got it?"

Sabrina took a moment to respond.

"So in short, you like giving people nicknames. That's so cute!"

Shizuka grunted.

"It's not cute, it's cool. It means I trust you."

Sabrina gasped.

"Ohhh okay, so what should I call you?"

For a moment Shizuka was smiling when she informed.

"Shizu. Call me Shizu."

The End

Author's Note

Hey guys, sorry for the wait. A bit busy with life. I've noticed the reads are definitely going up, even if it's not by a lot I still love progress. So I'll definitely keep going, until next time.