Nothing Better [OPEN]

[Zack Fall]

Chance had never been kind to Zack. The boy never understood why.

As he walked down the hall, he felt like he wasn't really... walking. He felt like he was floating. Everything seemed so unreal. His headache had only gotten worse as the morning had progressed. The one day he hadn't brought his painkillers with him, his headache had decided to lurk over him like a dreary cloud.

Gritting his teeth, Zack turned a corner and came to a very quiet room. There were a few people sitting in their own corners, mostly keeping to themselves. They didn't look up when Zack entered. He sighed and strode to a vacant armchair, flopping down on it. He laid his books down on the floor at his feet, and leaned back so that his head rested against the top of the chair. Licking his lips like he did so often. They were dry again.

He closed his eyes, and rested his arms against the armrests. Hands balling into pale fists as he felt the throb in his head expand.

It was his first day at this school. So far it hadn't gone the way he would have liked. He'd been snapped at by a teacher in his first lesson for not paying attention. Then, when he'd tried to speak to the boy who sat next to him, he'd turned around and indulged himself into conversation with the person on his other side.

Zack had given up. He grunted in pain as the ache seemed to stab at his temples, and grit his teeth again.
Nothing better than screwing up your first day at a new school...

He had yet to meet his dorm partner as well. That would be interesting.
He was also looking forward to visiting the dream world. He'd only been told about it, and had yet to have his own turn at actually visiting the place. So, he'd started to look forward to turning in for the day, but, that had inevitably made his day drag on for longer.

Zack let out another sigh, and one hand went to rub the bridge of his nose.
He wanted those painkillers...

[sarahj512]

Sarah groaned at the end of the class, as her final teacher piled on forty pages of reading, as well as two worksheets that promised to be difficult, which added to the other four hours worth of homework she already had. She pressed her fingers to her temple, and sighed softly. She wasn't going to get any sleep that night if her teachers had anything to do about it.

The girl ran her fingers through her hair, and heard the bell, signaling the end of the classes. She packed her stuff away, and started to head back towards her dorm, to see if she could tackle some of the homework awaiting her. She could have sworn the teachers were in a bad mood that week, the way they were adding to the workload. She just shrugged her back up farther on her shoulder, and started the trek back to the dorm wing.

As she walked along, she tried to make conversation with some of the people around her, but that ended up failing. She was new to the school, had only been there a week, and she was still mostly friendless. There were a few girls who talked to her, and there was a boy and a girl who loved to pick fights with her. She did her best to avoid them, since they made fun of her religion. She was a Christian, but she felt her connection starting to fade, since her parents had sent her to a school that taught a different religion, and a different way of life.

Sarah walked into the Rec room, and looked around quickly. There were people in little groups of two or three, huddled in the corners, but they were deep in conversation, or in kissing, and didn't look up. There was a boy sitting in the middle of the room, by himself, with his hand pressed to his nose with a look of pain on his face. She smiled slightly, understanding the feeling, and she took his image in.

Sarah knew the look, and walked through the room, and upstairs to her dorm. She still had a dorm to herself, and she threw her bag onto her bed, and dug through her bedside table drawers, and found a small white bottle, ibuprofen labeled across the top. She had been smart enough to bring a healthy supply of the little life savers, since she got headaches a lot. They didn't really get rid of it, but they tended to dull the pain for a while at least.

She found a glass, and got some water, and pocketed the bottle. She walked back downstairs, and pulled the medicine from her pocket. Sarah walked over to the boy, and set the glass of water down in front of him. She wasn't sure if he'd seen her there or not, but she spoke up. "You look like you need some of these. Keep the bottle, I have more in my room."

Sarah sat down in a chair close to him, and smiled softly, hoping he would trust her and keep the pills to remove his headaches.

[Zack Fall]

One of his eyes had flicked open when he'd felt another presence at the rec room door, but whomever it was had gone before Zack could catch a look at them, so he merely dismissed the thought. Closing said eye again, the boy shifted slightly, dropping the hand from his nose back down to the arm chair. Breathing deeply.

Zack practically jumped from his seat as a voice addressed him. "You look like you need some of these. Keep the bottle, I have more in my room." She had put out a bottle of those godsend pills down along with a glass of water.

Jumping like that when she had spoken had only made the ache in Zack's head hurt more, he regretted the action almost instantly and raised his left hand to his temple. He looked from the painkillers to the girl whom had now taken a seat opposite him, and merely blinked.

He took the bottle from the table, and removed two of the tablets, flashing the girl a grin, "Yeah. They have a habit of attacking me when I got no pills on me." he chuckled once, and threw the tablets into his mouth, drinking from the glass.

Once that was done, he sighed and placed the glass back on the table, pushing the bottle of pills back to the girl again, "I have plenty.. In my bags." he said, blinking again, and looking down at his other hand, he was still worried about what was going on with his dorm..

Unfortunately the painkillers hadn't taken effect yet, but Zack was doing his best to ignore it. He looked to the girl and smiled, "Thank you, for that." He held out a hand for her to shake, "I'm Zack. Zack Fall."

Her looks didn't seem to be so odd, rich brown hair... gentle features... A lot more comforting than the boy with electric blue hair had been, that was for sure. She looked to be the same age as Zack. Did that mean she was in his year as well.. ? At least she was being kinder to him than his classmates were. Mentally, Zack flicked through the classes that had already passed by. She wasn't familiar.. Or in any of his classes.

He sighed internally. At least she's not openly mocking you. he smirked slightly at that thought.

[sarahj512]

Sarah giggled softly as the boy jumped when she spoke. It hurt his head, from the look in his eyes, and that sobered her, but it was funny to think about, at least a little. She watched him pick up the bottle, and extract two pills.

"I know how that goes, too. I started carrying a bottle around with me just in case, but then I ran out, and forgot to pack a new bottle. Looks like I might need to carry them with me again, in case I see you around." Sarah grinned warmly and felt a very soft blush rise to her cheeks. She was being braver than she normally is, and it was going to start hindering her capability to speak. She was still shy at the new school. While he took the pills, it gave her a chance to compose herself.

"Don't worry, they take a little bit. They're generic, but they usually work eventually." Sarah assured him, and then she took his offered hand. "I'm Sarah Jackson." She looked over the boy across from her. He seemed nice. His features were a bit harder, but there was a glow in his green eyes that seemed to say, I'm a nice guy, give me a chance. He had black hair, but pale skin, and she wondered for a second if he dyed his hair, but it didn't look dyed. He had a necklace on, and stud in his ear, and those were new sights to her, but she wouldn't put it past anyone. She thought they gave him a little bit of elegance, if you could say that about a boy.

"What year are you, Zack? I'm new here, so I'm getting to know people. I'm in the 13th year." She admitted quietly, She continued to look him over, settling mainly on his face as a focal point, and she smiled softly, reassuring him, or herself.

[Zack Fall]

Zack chuckled lightly as she spoke, and he nodded to her, "Yes, I take it you're prone to headaches as well? Annoying things, aren't they." He tapped his head with a finger, smiling ruefully at her.

He nodded again at her mention about the pills. It didn't matter to him much, the ones he usually carried were the cheapest he could get his hands on, probably cheaper than the ones he had just taken.

Sarah Jackson? Nope, the name didn't ring any bells either, she wasn't in his class list either. Zack pressed his lips together in a little disappointment at the thought.
But he could feel her eyes on him, flicking over his frame and landing on his necklace and piercing. but the boy didn't move, nor did he care. He was used to that, and at the same time, he was grateful that Yuna had talked him out of getting both pierced, for that would have only made things worse.

but, his eyes filled with surprise as she said she was new too, surprise that was almost dulled once she stated that she was in year 13. Zack sighed, "I'm new too. Today's my first day. I'm in year 12." he admitted, meeting her... blue-steel gaze.
Her eyes stood out as well, the tanned colour of her skin and hair made them so much more pronounced, Zack found himself wondering how he'd missed them.

Absently, he reached back and rubbed the back of his neck, "But, I'm beginning to regret moving. The kids here don't seem to be the most accepting people, hey?" he smirked once. Like her, he was doing his best to acquaint himself with other students, "'Making friends' is easier said than done." he moved his gaze from hers to his hands, as the throb in his head lessened a little more.

[sarahj512]

(OOC: I was almost done responding and my internet crashed... Lame!)

Sarah giggled as he tapped his head. "Yeah, they frequent me a lot. If you ever run out of these magical pills, I have plenty in my room." She looked him over again, and smiled. She took in his clothing, and the wrist bands on his wrist, and she looked up back at his face.

She loved the accessories he was wearing. They didn't make him seem feminine at all, not in her eyes. Instead, they made him appear more confidant, and mature, and sure of himself. She wasn't about to tell him that, but she knew she could feel a slight hint of what she was thinking sparkle in her eyes.

She watched the expression in his face as he thought about who she was and his response to her offered information. It seemed almost like he was disappointed, and that made her blush a little. She smiled when she caught his eye, and she spoke softly. "How was your first day? Confusing, I bet. I know how that goes. I've been here for about a week, and I'm still not used to it." She held his green gaze with her own steel-blue one, and she smiled weakly.

When he was done speaking, she thought for a second. How much should she tell him? She figured she would risk it, because he was turning out to be a nice guy. "I didn't have a choice. My parents moved here, and forced me into this school. I had a few... Issues... Back home, and Mom freaked and decided to up and move the entire family right away. And I've met a few kids, who are okay. There are two however, who aren't very nice at all. I'm being attacked for my religion, since most people here don't accept it." She decided she'd said too much, and she shut up, biting her lip gently and looking at a speck on the floor.

[Zack Fall]

Yet again, her eyes lingered on his accessories, and, Zack still didn't mind it. Her smile was contagious, and it inevitably made Zack return it just about every time she grinned. "I'll take you up on that," he laughed once, "Same goes for you, once my dorm gets figured out, that is."

He looked up when she spoke, Sarah had been here longer than Zack, but not by much. He nodded in response, "Very confusing, but I guess places like this take a long time to get used to." Before he'd come to the school, Zack had never believed a word of the supernatural junk his sister had told him about, that had changed about three days ago.

He grinned at the reoccurring pink tinge that coloured Sarah's cheeks, smiling softly at her, that colour suited her well.

But when she was done speaking, Zack's smile had basically gone. She'd been through a fair bit then, he tilted his head to the side slightly, "I'm an atheist, but I respect peoples beliefs. I've heard a bit about that, not many kids here believe in that stuff. Kind of sad really." He sighed, "Same goes for me, after my sister moved, I really only had one friend who I was close to, I did some pretty weird things, like you, my mum freaked and moved the whole family too." he shook his head slightly, then leaned forward and placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder, "But if those two give you any trouble, come find me. I'd give you my dorm number, but I don't know it yet." he laughed once.

He had forgotten what 'Making Friends' was like, having Yuna was all he'd really needed, but, he'd known coming in that he'd have to meet more people, he hated doing it, but his father always told him that he had good people skills, so maybe that was why it had felt a bit easier than he'd remembered.

[sarahj512]

"I doubt I'll run out, but I'll take you up on that, if I ever really need to." Sarah continued to smile, feeling the warmth flow from her heart to the rest of her body. It had been a long time since she had gotten to sit down with someone like this and just talk. She still had to be careful with what she let slip, but she had this gentle feeling pulling at her in her mind, that they would be really good friends, and maybe more beyond that. She wasn't sure about the last part, but this school did some wonderful things, and it had just given her a wonderful friend.

"It'll get a little less confusing after a bit. Maybe if you find me after classes tomorrow, I can show some parts of the school I know. I frequent the library, so I know where that is. Other than that, we could explore together?" Sarah grinned and felt the famous blush cover her cheeks a little more than softly. She giggled and looked at the table between them momentarily, and then looked back up, the smile still in her eye.

She listened to his own story of how he made it here, and she felt like crying afterwords. She'd had more than one friend, but they were all doing the stuff that she was doing, None of their parents freaked out though, they figured it would happen sooner or later. She figured on the atheist part, since it was harder to find Christians here than trying to find a needle in a hay pile, but she didn't really care. She respected people's beliefs, or lack there of, as long as they respected hers. Well, she respected people's beliefs no matter what.

"I've always had a pack of friends around me, so this new lack of closeness is weird to me. I don't have anyone to talk to really, because I never see the two girls I've become friends with, if only good friends. I miss being home, in Iowa, where it was colder more of the year, but friends were always there to warm you up." (god that sounded cheesy) Sarah almost whispered that, her voice full of raw emotion. She loved her hometown.

Sarah touched a hand to Zack's hand when he spoke to her, with his hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, Zack. I'll take you up on that offer too, once you figure out the dorm situation." She had forgotten how to make friends, since she never really had to try, but it was coming easier with this boy. She grinned at him, her eyes sparkling, as she thought about it.

[Zack Fall]

Zack nodded, still slightly put off that he was a year below her, "That sounds good. I'll come find you." He gave her a slight grin, lifting his thumb, by habit, to his lips, and chewing lightly on the strap of the band-aid he wore strapped to that thumb. He had a habit of tearing off loose skin when it occurred.

He could relate to her words about missing home.
He missed Australia more than anything... and Yuna...

He smiled slightly, lowering the thumb from his mouth, "Iowa was cold, huh?" he cast a sidelong grin at Sarah, "Colder than England? This place is drop dead freezing. Back home, this kind of weather is unnatural." that was true, Zack was having a hard time adjusting to the climate, he was glad he'd not get anymore sunburn, but that didn't change the fact that he missed the heat.

"Everything is easier if you have friends with you. They're like mini lifesavers." he said, with a light chuckle, though he'd only had one, he had been very close to her, "In time, we'll find more." he cast her an encouraging smile. But he believed he'd already found one, even if she had yet to count Zack as a friend, he didn't mind it. "As for your old friends, they're still a part of you. It's just what's in here that counts." he patted his chest, as he said that, meaning his heart. He believed that, your friends were always in your heart.

Then, he took a deep breath, and balled one hand into a fist, using the other to rub the back of his neck, a nervous habit, if you will, "Have... have you visited the dream world yet?" he asked.

That was a topic he'd been dying to learn more about. Sarah had been here for a week, so she must have had a chance to visit it, did she know what her form was? Maybe Zack could look out for her while he was there, even if he had yet to discover his own form. The teacher that had informed him about it had been pretty brief, basically saying that you didn't visit it every night, and that you had a distinct form that represented something about you.

[sarahj512]

(OOC: haha Iowa, not Lowa. Capital i)

"Good. I'd like to explore more of this school." Sarah grinned and watched his motions, smiling kindly. He had a lot of little quirky habits that she found adorable. She usually bit on her thumbnail without actually chewing it off when she was nervous or bored. She felt a strong connection with Zack, and was looking forward to spending some time with him, and getting to know him more. She didn't know how quickly she'd open up, but she knew she would eventually.

"I miss a lot of my friends. My mom had my phone completely reset, so I can't get in contact with them. She doesn't want my bad habits to follow me here. It makes me really upset. Iowa isn't quite as cold as here, but it was close." Sarah looked around, and still seeing no one new in the room, she turned her full attention back to Zack. She had a tendency to space off like that when she was talking to people. She'd stop and look out a window, or look around to see who else was in the area. "I like temperatures in the 60's. Neither England nor Iowa would give me that special temperature..." She complained with a smile.

She listened as he spoke about friends, and she grinned. "I believe I've already found a few friends here. One closer than the others." She flashed a full smile his way, and blushed... again. She figured she'd have to stop soon or her face would be red permanently. Sarah watched him as he talked, because he seemed to use his arms a lot. She thought about his statements, but then froze when he asked if she'd visited the dream world.

"I've been there once. I haven't slept very well this week, so maybe that's why I haven't gone more. It's really cool, and there's so many places you can go. Maybe when you finally get to visit, you can look for me. My form is that of a fairy. I've not had the time to look around there and see everything. So maybe we could do that too." Sarah grinned, and watched him. She wondered if he would think about how her form represented her, since the form one takes in the dream world personifies a trait from that person's human life.

[Zack Fall]

(OoC_ my bad >.> lol)

Zack raised his eyebrows as she said that her mother had reset her phone entirely. He had to wonder what bad habits she was talking about, couldn't be as bad as Zack's had been, Sarah didn't seem the type to go on a rampage and smash in the windows of her school with a cricket bat... Zack didn't even remember doing that though, he'd merely jolted from what he'd thought was a nap, and found himself at the end of the corridor with a bat in his hand, glass all over the floor...

He shook his head once, shaking himself from the memory, and running a hand through his black spikes anxiously. Wondering where that trail of thought had come from.
"Bad habits?" he asked, he was curious after all..

Then when she had stated the temperature she liked, Zack's brow furrowed in confusion, "Isn't that a little too hot? Sixty degrees?" then he realized, "Oh.. sorry." he laughed once, his cheeks turning slightly pink, not as dark as Sarah's frequent colour, "That takes some getting used to as well, m'not used to the way you guys measure weight... and temperature." Things seemed so simple back home. That was another thing he'd been looked at for, when he spoke, he had the accent of an australian. He gritted his teeth slightly as he remembered what one of the girls in his class had mocked him about when he'd stated his name, 'g'day Zack!' The boy only shook his head.

At her next comment, it was Zack's face that heated to a similar shade to Sarah's, but he nodded, "I think so too," he agreed, grinning despite the warm feeling in his stomach. Well, he was glad that she at least thought him decent enough to befriend.

Then when she spoke of the dream world, Zack's interest was piqued, she was a fairy? He tried visualizing her with those wings... it didn't come. He chuckled instead, "That sounds good! ..though.. I have no idea what my form is... so bear with me." he laughed again.

[sarahj512]

Sarah knew she'd said too much. Now she'd have to end up explaining herself. "Maybe I'll tell you some other time, when we're more alone. It's not something I want going around school, and you know how fast gossip travels." Sarah winked, making it a promise for him to hold onto. She grinned at his next statements, realizing he came from somewhere where celsius was the common measurement. To him, 60 degrees meant very hot..

"It's okay. I've taken classes where we have to use the metric systems at all times, and I like it more. Don't hope for me to use it now, since I don't remember how to convert, but trust me, I liked it a lot more." Sarah giggled softly, continuing to watch him as he spoke. Her smile faded when he looked pained and shook his head.

"What's wrong? Are the pills not working? Dang pills, I thought they usually did a better job of that." She picked up the bottle and looked at it, concern written across her face. She checked the expiration date, hoping she didn't give him out dated pills, though she didn't think they would be old yet, since she just got them before she came here. "I don't understand." She muttered to herself, and then looked up.

He was blushing, and she grinned again. He'd picked up on that he was the friend closer than the others she's made, and his response sent her face into a blush like his. She was happy that he liked her enough to become friends with her. "Thank you." She managed to get past her ear-to-ear smile.

"Can't see the fairy huh?" Sarah loved his smile, it was so contagious. She didn't think she'd stop smiling for ages. "It's because I'm loyal, and bubbly." She grinned and pretended she was flying through the air like Superman. "It's okay. You'll find out soon enough. No rush, you'll see me sometime, I'm here all year." The last part came out like a comedian ending a show on stage, and that made her laugh fully. "Sorry... Today's just a really good day."

[Zack Fall]

Zack nodded in understanding, casting a glance around the room again. The couples were still kissing, the small group of girls were still bitching in their corner, and the others all seemed absorbed in what they were doing.

He grinned at her next comment, "Yeah. Compared to here, Australia almost seemed simple. It's like learning to read all over again." he laughed once, and raised a hand to his hair again. Brushing at one of the invisible out-of-place spikes.

Then as she voiced her query about the pills, Zack placed a hand over hers, "No.. it's not that. The ache's pretty much gone." He smiled, and removed his hand from hers, "Its... probably a bit like your bad habits... I'll save it for when we're alone." and he returned that wink, with a light chuckle to cover up the slight quiver in his voice.

He just had to hope that no-one handed him any cricket bats, he hadn't touched one since what had happened, it was kind of annoying for him, especially seeing as he'd loved the game. Now he was reduced to simply watching it.

He nodded, and laughed once as she moved her arms like that, "Bubbly and loyal, huh? I wonder what I'll be..." He balled his hand into a fist and rested it beneath his chin. As Sarah laughed, Zack did too, though a little softer, as to not disturb the other people that shared the rec room with them, a boy looked up from his book and shot Zack a glare, that the darker-haired boy promptly returned.

He turned back to Sarah, "Pretty good day? Yeah, same for me really," he grinned and leaned back a little in his chair, one hand going to his necklace, grabbing the 'Z' at the end and sliding it up and down the chain, as he spoke, "Started off pretty badly, but... S'all good now though." he dropped the 'Z' and grinned at Sarah.

[sarahj512]

Sarah nodded when Zack spoke about Australia. She had never been there, but it sounded amazing, from what she heard. "I don't know what other people think, nor do I particularly care, but I love your accent. I like talking to people who sound foreign. It makes the conversation... entertaining?" She struggled to find the last word, and it seemed to come out as a question, but she grinned, and blushed a little.

When his hand rested on hers, she ignored the urge to turn her hand and hold his for a second. She blushed a little, and smiled at the first part, but the second half made her nod solemnly. She understood a little of what he was going through then. He had something bad happen in his past that uprooted his entire family.

Sarah's mother had chosen this school specifically for one reason. She didn't know about the magical dream world that appeared when you slept, she didn't know that people here would hate her for her religion and make Sarah wish she was back in Des Moines. Her mother chose the school because it was a boarding school, and she wouldn't have to see her daughter for a year. That was the fact that made the deal in her mom's mind. Sarah had embarrassed her family, shamed her parents, and destroyed their reputation. They had all but disowned her. Sarah bit back the tears and fought past the sad truth, and turned her head to the floor.

"I'm looking forward to seeing your form, when you finally arrive in the dream world." Sarah spoke once she'd collected her composure, and she looked up at Zack. She watched his eyes shift from her to another figure in the room, a boy in the corner, and a glare appear on his usually calm face. "Eh, just ignore them. If they really wanted quiet, they'd go up to the rooms. Oh, and so you know, as long as the door stays open, guys can go up into the girls dorms, and vice versa. I overheard someone talking about it the other day."

"I'm glad your day is going a bit more smoothly now." Sarah smiled, and watched the 'Z' settle back at the bottom of the chain. Zack seemed to either be nervous, or maybe now, in such a good mood that he just couldn't sit still. "I'm assuming that is for your name?" Sarah asked, knowing it wasn't very smart for her to ask, but she just wanted to find a way to continue the conversation.

[Zack Fall]

Zack couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips at her words, but he nodded, "You like it?" he chuckled, "It's weird, just about every time I opened my mouth earlier today, half the class went quiet." he smirked slightly, before tilting his head so that his cheek brushed his shoulder, "Hopefully I'll loose it soon though, being mocked can only be handled for so long, eh?" he grinned again.

He noticed that she had fallen silent, probably dwelling on whatever it was that had brought her here, and Zack chewed on his lower lip, "Hey," he said gently, "It doesn't matter whatever crap you had in your past, clearly it can't be all bad, it brought me and you together!" he cast another one of those infectious smiles at Sarah, hoping it would dry some of those tears Zack could see.

He nodded in agreement, as she looked up again, "I am too, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you look like as a fairy." he grinned. "Oh, well, I'll be sure to visit you then." he rested one if his hands on the arm of the chair, his left leg bouncing up and down.
The feeling of new friendship had given Zack something else to be happy about, and that had only increased his fidgeting, he was always restless, in fact, he was surprised he'd managed to stay seated for as long as he had.

He chuckled at her next comment, "With help from you." he stated, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand, then his hand fell down to the necklace, and he nodded, "Yeah, it was a goodbye gift from my friend, she thought I needed one so people could remember my name." he shrugged and grinned. Yuna was odd in that respect.

Zack had to think about his next question, but he asked it anyway, "Will you be staying here over christmas?" he asked. Some company would be nice.

[sarahj512]

"Who cares what they think? They don't understand that it's better to have a quirk about you, than to be the same. Personally, I hope you keep the accent, I hope they grow to accept it. I'm just weird like that though. I try to find the best in others, no matter how hard they try to be not good." Sarah grinned, and bobbed her head back and forth a little, being cheesy to get him to smile and not dwell on the people in his classes.

Zack's smile seemed to work wonders on her, it cheered her right up, or at least kept her from crying. "I guess you're right. A good friend is always worth the pain in the end, right? Thanks, Zack." She touched his hand gently, before drawing back to listen to what he had to say.

He was looking forward to seeing her in the dream world, now she just hoped they would be able to find each other. He knew what she looked like, so he'd have to find her, so she hoped they visited the magical world on the same night. As for the visits, Sarah had the room by herself, for now, so she didn't have to worry about a roommate not wanting people up in the room. "I'm by myself for now, it's 333, where the other 13th years are." She gave him the information, so if he ever decided to show up, he wouldn't be lost.

"My day started out pretty good, but it's gotten better in the past hour or so, thanks to you." She watched his hand travel up behind his neck then fall to his necklace. Sarah grinned, and commented, "I totally understand. Zack has to be the hardest name on earth to remember." She made sure to wink, so he would understand she was kidding, and it was only a joke. "You know, I'd like to have a friend like that someday, like she is to you. I'd also love to hear about her, if you're ever willing to talk about her." She grinned and touched his arm gently, warmly.

She pulled her arm back after his question. "Of course. Mother... isn't thrilled right now..." She kept the thoughts of her mother's new hatred at bay, and continued. "Christmas is coming up here soon, isn't it? I guess I'll be going shopping here soon. But yes, I'll be here. And you? What are your plans for the 'fabulous' holiday?" She exaggerated the word 'fabulous for dramatic, sarcastic effect.

[Zack Fall]

He nodded, but that was easier said than done. But he'd try. But as she went on, Zack realized why he had taken a liking to her so fast. She was so similar to Yune, not just in looks but in personality as well. He smiled for a moment, before a jab at his stomach saw him looking down again, he missed her.

"That's what I do best," he grinned and winked, glad that he'd been able to keep those tears at bay.
He nodded, "333, that's easy enough to remember."

He laughed with her on her comment about his name, "It is true, I kept getting called Jax at my old school," he laughed once.

Then his lips parted slightly, as she expressed an interest in Yuna, he smiled to himself slightly, before he nodded, "Her name is Yuna. I've... known her since I was nine, and she eight. She's from Brazil, so... I had to teach her a lot of english." he smiled at the memory, "We went to the same high-school as well... but.. after my rampage, mum moved us away from there... I'm still worried about her y'know?" he shook his head, the emotions hanging over him seemed to make his shoulders heavy, and he didn't like it.

He leaned back again, "Well, I'll have some company then. M'not welcome at home either, dad still hasn't thrown out the cricket bats yet I don't think." he added in that second part softly, tucking a finger under the hard band of his watch as he spoke,"Well thats good then I suppose, I've never been good at shopping, it'll be handy to have someone helping me to buy for my 'loved ones'." he mimed quotation marks in the air as he spoke, he only really had one 'loved one' anyway.

[sarahj512]

Sarah nodded what he decided that her room number would be easy enough to remember. She grinned, and paid attention to his next comment. "Jax Fall... It's got a ring to it, don't you think?" She winked and giggled softly.

She listened to him talk about his friend, Yuna, his voice filled with something akin to reverence for the girl."I wish I had a friend like that. Maybe I'll find one some day." She whispered to him, her own emotions filling her voice too. "She'll be okay. I bet she knows she's still got you as a friend, and that'd make anyone happy." Sarah grinned and rubbed Zack's shoulder gently, smiling encouragingly at him. She wanted to hug the boy so much, and let him know everything would be okay, but she didn't think that would be okay at the moment. She just smiled, and watched him carefully.

"Yeah... To say the least, Mom would scream and send me back out into the snow. You'll understand why sometime." She grinned a little, watching him play with his watch. "It's a good thing I'm a girl then huh? I can shop, and well at that. You can just tag along with me. I can pick out the perfect gift." Sarah smiled and held a finger to her chin, wondering who she would buy for this year. She knew she'd have to get something for her brother. Her parents would send back whatever she sent them, so she'd skip them. Maybe Raine, or Leyah, or maybe even Zack, though his would have to be purchased at a different time. She shook the thoughts from her mind, deciding to worry about them later.

(ooc: sorry this post sucked)

[Zack Fall]

A snort and Zack nodded, "At first it was funny, don't get me wrong," he laughed once, and looked back at Sarah, she really was something else. He was beginning to think that getting that headache was a very... very good thing. He looked away, realizing that he was staring. If only they were in the same grade, then things would be so much easier for the both of them.

Once he'd finished with his rant about Yuna, he smiled at Sarah's comment, still looking at the floor, when she said that she hoped she'd find one someday, Zack licked his lips slightly, he'd try to make her feel that way, he'd try. It was good though, he and Sarah could relate to one another, both having something bad happen in their past that brought them here, and they both knew what it was like to leave loved ones behind.

He smiled slightly at the brunette's next words, "You flatter me." he grinned and winked at her.
Zack nodded, "Well good. I was never good at shopping, that's what I get for being a guy, though." he ran a hand through his hair again, grinning slightly, "Say, I heard some of the other kids talking about the garden in this place." he paused, and threw a glance at the window, the sun had almost set, so the outdoors would most likely be out of bounds by now, that only made him want to go more. He grinned at Sarah, his emerald eyes sparkling with mischief, "Want to pay it a visit? I bet it'd look really good after sunset." he chuckled once, and moved to stand.

He looked to the door, and scooped up his books, looking back at Sarah, and offering her his hand to help her to her feet, "C'mon, it'll be fun."

[sarahj512]

Sarah took his hand gently, and stood up. "I've been through the gardens once. They closed a while ago, but the gardens are absolutely beautiful. My friend taught me the secret way in, but we have to go around through the courtyards over to the other side of the garden." She released his hand, realizing she had been holding it throughout her entire statement. "If you don't have a place to put your stuff, you can throw it up in my room for now. Well, actually the sun is going down, which means you aren't allowed up there, but I can put it in my room for you. I need to grab a jacket anyway, it's bound to be freezing."

Sarah grinned and winked at him, then cast a gaze towards the window. Night was setting, which meant the temperature was dropping rapidly. The two wouldn't be able to be outside long. "Go grab your jacket, we won't be out long. I'll take your books upstairs to my room, and grab my jacket." She took his things from him, and headed up the stairs quickly. Once in the room, she set his books on her bed, grabbed her cell phone and pulled on a jacket. She figured her jeans would protect her well enough, and she pocketed her red cell phone, hoping the heat from her leg would keep it warm.

She made her way back downstairs, and found Zack again. "We just head downstairs and go out the exit towards the courtyard. If anyone asks, we'll say we're looking for your iPod, okay?" Sarah grinned. She didn't like lying, but she was very crafty if she needed to be. She found his eyes, and blushed, looking away again. If they were in the same grade, they might have had a chance, but she didn't think he would try anything since she was older. She saw how disappointed he looked when he found out she a year older.

She would figure out soon enough what he felt though. She realized they'd be spending a lot of time together the next couple days. Maybe if she was lucky, they'd find some mistletoe tonight. At least if she couldn't be with him, she'd get a chance to kiss him before she found out they wouldn't be together. She smiled, and prepared to follow him into the cold English night.

(hope you don't mind that she just takes his books up?)

[Zack Fall]

A childish smile spread across Zack's face as Sarah agreed so swiftly, she did echo Yuna in so many ways. When the brunette stated that it would be cold, Zack sighed a little, another stab of homesickness stole through him, but he covered it up again with that smile... it hid everything.

He let her take his books, and watched her leave, room 333... he wouldn't forget that...
Zack then turned to pick up his jumper, he'd taken it off earlier, it was all he had, the majority of his clothing still in his bags, and he didn't know where his room was just yet. He slid it on, the beige colour contrasting with his pale skin. He remembered when he sued to be tanned, permanently gold, in summer back home... England had drained his colour within weeks, it saddened him a little, watching it fade was like watching all that he had left of Australia go away, pretty much the only reminder he had of his old home was his accent.

That was one thing he wouldn't mind loosing. The teasing was very annoying. It was odd that Sarah had been so swift to accept that. Still, at least people could understand him, not like they had with Yuna when she first moved. Now the girl only had remnants of her accent left, but enough for people to know she was foreign.

When Sarah returned again, Zack was adjusting the collar of his undershirt, and he smiled at her, a smile that turned into a laugh when she said what their excuse would be, "Better than what I normally come up with." he grinned.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, eyes sparkling a little when she blushed and looked away, he chuckled, and patted her arm, "Lead the way!" he said.

[sarahj512]

Sarah grinned as Zack admitted that her excuse was better than what he could think of. When he commanded smiling for her to lead, his arm resting on her shoulder, she smiled wide, still blushing. She started to walk forward, knowing he'd be behind her, and she headed out into the hallway. Looking around and seeing no one, she moved down the hallway, and towards the staircase.

She moved sort of slowly, mainly keeping watch on if there was any adults roaming around, but also to make sure Zack kept up with her, because he didn't know the school as well as she did, even if she wasn't very accustomed to it either. There wasn't anyone one around, well no adults anyway. She knew how to maneuver through the hallways around the adults. She found the back entrance, the one that lead through the courtyard

Sarah turned to make sure Zack was still there, and she nodded towards the door. She felt like a soldier sneaking around in a war zone. She grinned at the thought, and pushed the door open, and stepping through. The night air bit at her skin, the temperature somewhere in the mid-20's, and still getting colder. "You sure you can handle the cold?" She grinned playfully at Zack, and closed the door after him.

Sarah pointed towards their destination. "This is the courtyard, one of them. We just walk over that bridge and through the courtyard there, and the gardens are on the other side. Are you ready, Mr. Rule-breaker?" Sarah grinned and took his elbow gently, and started to lead him towards the bridge.

[Zack Fall]

Following behind Sarah walking just as slowly as she was, Zack had to put effort into muffling his laughter. He was grateful that she at least, knew her way around the school better than he did, he still kept getting lost. Even as they rounded another corner he'd never been through, he had no idea where they were, he just kept his eyes on Sarah and followed after her.

When Sarah turned to make sure Zack was still following, the dark haired boy smiled back at her, a wide grin some of his laughter leaked into it, and he snickered softly.
Then Sarah paused by a door, nodding to it. Zack nodded back, figuring that it must be the one that led to the gardens. The brunette girl pushed the doors open and descended into the night, Zack following closely.

Upon her question about the weather, Zack smirked, "It twinges a bit," he shrugged, "I'm fine."

When Sarah pointed to the gardens and informed Zack of what they were, his emerald eyes scanned their surroundings, eyebrows lifting in mild surprise. It wasn't quite what he expected, slightly better in fact.

Before he could respond though, Sarah had taken his arm and pulled him toward it, Zack chuckled slightly, following her, "Oh please." he said, in mock flattery.

He twisted his arm, till he took her hand into his. Grinning down at her. Yuna wasn't here... for all he knew she could be with someone else by now, even if she had promised... Who was to say he couldn't do this? He was only doing this to comfort her, and himself... They were just friends... right?

[sarahj512]

Sarah nodded, "I'm rather chilly, and I'm used to this kind of weather. Remember it'll continue to drop in temperature." She shivered a little, and wrapped her arms around each other trying to contain as much body heat as possible. She did have an issue with always being cold though, so maybe that's why she was affected more by the chill of the weather.

"It's gorgeous out here all the time, but at night, it's absolutely breath-taking." She whispered, watching her breath swirl up in steam. She giggled and looked over at Zack, blushing a little. He was very handsome. If he caught her blushing, she could blame the cold, and she turned her eyes back towards where they were going. She heard him say "Oh please." It made her smile. His next action however, would really take her breath away.

His arm was moving, and his hand wrapped around hers. She felt heat instantly rise to the top of her cheeks, and she fought to keep walking. She wanted to stand still. She looked up at him, and his smile grew on her, and made her smile too. It was like he was assuring her that he wanted to do that, and she nodded slightly. She kept moving, and lead him, still blushing furiously, up over the wooden bridge, and towards the gardens. They weren't moving very quickly, either because of the freezing air, or because Sarah wanted to make the moment last for as long as possible.

She knew they couldn't be together, he had Yuna. Did he not think about what she would think if she ever found out? She hoped the girl never would. It was little comfort to Sarah, her thoughts now spinning wildly out of control. Her hopes were up and down and left and right as she thought about what him taking her hand could possibly mean.

After a few minutes of walking through the empty courtyard, they made it to the bridge that crossed over to the garden. "We're almost there." Sarah whispered, and lead him over the second bridge, and into the gardens. There weren't any flowers, or any greenery, since it was winter, but the gardens were still magnificent. The only green that could be seen is under some of the archways in the expanse of land, where some people had decided to celebrate the holiday cheer with mistletoe. Sarah both hoped they would, and hoped to avoid, walking under one of those fruity Christmas traditions. She looked up at Zack, smiling sweetly.

"What do you think? I bet it looks better in the spring and summer." She spoke softly, innocently, as they kept walking through the gardens, hands still connected in whatever kind of an embrace you could call it, friendship, more, she wasn't sure. She almost didn't want to find out.

[Zack Fall]

As the remnants of the garden rolled past them as they strolled through them, hands linked together, Zack smiled, an absent smile. It had been a while since he'd been able to do this, just have nothing on his mind to bother him.

As they walked, he cast a glance to the sky, there were a lot of stars... Yuna would like it here.
That thought caused a wave of guilt to pass over him, not just for Yuna... but for Sarah as well... she'd reminded him of his best friend, and he didn't want to make it seem like he was only using Sarah as a replacement...

He grit his teeth, why was he so weak all the time? He was always hurting ether himself or others, it got annoying after a while. Three times he nearly pulled his hand from Sarah's, but he stopped when he caught the small smile and blush on her face, it had brought her happiness so what was the harm... ?

He looked to his other side, biting his lip as his eyes lit up with anguish. But he removed the expression from his face a moment later, sighing heavily.

When they finally came to a stop, Zack took in their surroundings with a smile, all traces of his internal conflict all but gone.
"It's beautiful." he admitted, "It is sumer... back home." he chuckled once, homesickness thwacking him still.

He pulled his hand gently from hers to get a better look at what was left of the flowers, and he sighed again, he missed home.