Third person pov~
Lyra was given an empty seat next to the window. She noticed her classmates staring at her as she walked to her seat but she just assumed it was because they were surprised to see a new face.
"It's fine," she whispered, trying to reassure herself. "Just smile. Dad said, smile."
She started to feel nervous, even more so because Eva wasn't next to her.
The girl seated next to her suddenly turned to her in the middle of class.
"Hi," she whispered. "I'm Mara."
Lyra blinked, excited that someone was talking to her, but also nervous. "Hi."
The girl grinned. "Your hair is so pretty. Actually, you're so pretty. Where are you from?"
Lyra hesitated. "The woods."
She didn't hesitate because she thought it was a weird answer, she hesitated because she was shy.
Mara didn't respond for the rest of the lesson. Lyra glanced at her multiple times but Mara's eyes were glued to the teacher. So Lyra also chose to focus on the lesson.
When break time arrived, the classroom suddenly burst with energy as everyone rushed into the hallway. Lyra was watching everyone scramble out of the class, wondering what she should do when she felt someone tug at her sleeve.
It was Mara.
"Come on," Mara said with a smile. "We sit outside sometimes. Do you want to come with me?"
Lyra smiled and agreed.
They walked toward the courtyard. Lyra spotted Eva on the opposite side of the yard. Her younger sister was seated between two girls, chatting happily. When Eva saw Lyra, she waved so hard that her entire body moved.
Lyra giggled and waved back.
"Your little sister?" Mara asked, looking between the two girls.
"Yes," Lyra said proudly. "Eva."
"She's cute."
Eva excused herself from her friends and ran to her sister. The two embraced each other, so much that one would think they've not seen each other in days. When they finally let go of each other, they were beaming with smiles.
"Go," Lyra nudged. "Go be with your friends."
Eva smiled at her sister, gave her a small kiss on the cheek and went back to her friends.
"I can't believe she made friends so fast," Lyra whispered with a proud smile.
"Come on," Mara said, her tone had shifted. "Let's go to the cafeteria and get our food."
Lyra followed Mara through the noisy hallway, she was still smiling faintly after seeing Eva so happy. Her little sister had already made friends, and two of them. Lyra felt warm inside thinking about it, and it seemed to strengthen her resolve to also make friends.
They soon reached the cafeteria and joined the line of hungry children. As they reached the cafeteria counter, Mara picked up her tray and gestured to the food options.
"You can take whatever," she said. "But maybe don't get the chicken nuggets. They're kind of… too basic?" She tilted her head. "You don't want people to think you're weird or anything."
Lyra blinked. "Weird? For chicken nuggets?"
"Yeah, but like, not in a bad way. You grew up away from civilization, right? You don't want people to look at you weirdly if you want friends. But don't worry, you have me." Mara said in a reassuring way.
Lyra relaxed. "Okay. I'll take something else."
Mara nodded approvingly, even though she herself took chicken nuggets.
They carried their trays outside to a sunny spot near the courtyard where Mara scanned for her other friends. When she eventually found them, she led Lyra to the table where they were all seated.
"Sit here," Mara said as she tapped the empty space next to her.
Lyra sat and noticed the two girls staring at her.
"Wow, Mara was right. You're insanely pretty," one of the girls said.
"I bet your parents are so proud," the other said.
Lyra blinked. She was confused as to how Mara could've communicated with her two friends if she had been with Lyra the whole time. She chose not to dwell on it.
"Thank you," Lyra said shyly.
"I'm Karen," the first girl introduced with a smile.
"Taylor," the other girl said.
"My name is Lyra. Nice to meet you both." Lyra smiled and the two girls melted.
"Wow," Karen whispered.
"I definitely see why he stared," Taylor said, but she was looking straight at Mara, who wasn't smiling.
Mara turned to Lyra with a smile that almost looked forced. "Lyra, huh? Is it short for something?"
"No," Lyra said. "Just Lyra."
"Oh."
"Heard you grew up away from civilization. You know, with bears and everything. Like Tarzan." Taylor said.
Lyra frowned slightly. "Bears?"
"Don't mind her," Mara said as she took a chicken nugget and put it in her mouth. "She's just not used to meeting forest-y people."
"Forest-y?" Lyra asked, confused.
"Yeah," Mara said with a light tone. "You know, people who grew up far away from everything. No malls, no phones, no anything."
Lyra stirred her juice nervously. "We had things…"
"Of course," Mara smiled sweetly and continued eating her meal.
The other girls didn't say anything. They just ate their food with a grin on their faces.
Lyra felt… out of place. She remembered Eva, chatting sweetly with her friends. Meanwhile, here Lyra was, a bundle of nervousness.
Were friends supposed to make each other uncomfortable?
Lyra lifted her fork to eat, but Mara suddenly gasped.
"Wait, don't eat yet."
Lyra froze. "Why?"
Mara gently reached over and adjusted the way Lyra held her fork.
"People hold it like this here," she said with a small laugh. "I don't want anyone thinking you're not used to things."
Lyra looked down at the fork in her hand, then looked at the way the girls around her held theirs. Mara and her friends were holding the handle of the fork but Mara had adjusted hers in such a way that she was holding the fork side.
Lyra looked at Mara, not seeming to understand why Mara had adjusted the fork but Mara cut her off.
"I'm just helping," Mara smiled. "Only the pretty kids hold their forks this way."
"It feels wrong," Lyra said.
Mara's lips twitched and she brought out her phone. "Just wait. I want to keep this memory. Our first meal together."
Lyra stared at the fork, her brows knitting together. She felt strange.
"Go on," Mara chirped as she brought the phone to her face, recording Lyra. "Eat."
Lyra didn't move, her brows were still knitted together. She knew there was no way she would be able to pick up a strand of spaghetti with the handle of the fork, but she didn't want to say anything that would offend her newly found friends.
After all, they were just trying to help.
"You can adjust the fork however you wish after taking a bite," Mara added.
Lyra sighed and tried picking up the spaghetti, but it was to no avail. Out of frustration, she grunted and picked up a strand with her hand and ate it.
The girls snorted and stifled a laugh.
"That's one way to do it," Taylor whispered to Karen.
Mara retracted her phone and looked at the video she'd made with a satisfied smile. Lyra immediately held the handle of her fork and continued eating her food in silence.
At least she had made a friend. Or three.