Hypercity High. A normal high school in most aspects. It wasn't very large or very imposing. Though it did have a great football team, it was mediocre in several aspects.
Rose: Really?
The girl's eyes shone in excitement.
Max: Yeah. I'm new there.
Rose: Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Really?
Max: Yeah. (thinking: Well, she really is something.)
Rose: That's so amazing. That means I'll get to see you again.
Max: Yeah. I guess so.
Rose: And we'll go to the same classes, and we'll go to the same mess hall...
Max: Uhhh... sure.
Rose: And then...
She had a huge gasp as if she had just realised something.
Rose: Would you like to meet my friends? I'd absolutely love to introduce you! I'm sure they'd love to meet you!
It was at that point that Rose had begun to realise that she was making Max uncomfortable.
Rose: Oh. I... I'm sorry. Am I getting carried away?
Max: Oh, no, no. It's fine.
Max was perplexed by this girl. She was softer than most girls he'd met. Far more modest and far kinder.
She was the kind of girl to make sure she wasn't harming anyone. But more than that, Max could sense how earnest she was being whenever she spoke.
Not a hint of manipulation behind her words, at least as far as he could tell.
Rose: Oh. Great.
She was quite relieved to hear that.
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Rose: It's just that... well...
Her face turned red yet again, and she remained silent, looking towards the ground.
Max: R... right...
Max got on his skateboard.
Max: In any case, I'll meet ya there.
Rose: Oh. Ummm. Ok.
Max: Hmm? Something wrong.
Rose: Well, I was just wondering if...
She turned her head to the ground again and nervously played with her hair.
Rose: ... if you.. if you would like to walk with me to school....
She stopped abruptly.
Rose: N... not that I'm stopping you or anything... It's just... well...
Max didn't feel the slightest bit strange about this girl. She seemed nice. Almost inhumanly nice. And she also seemed genuine.
It was unlikely that yet another car would come and try to get her killed. But he figured it wouldn't hurt. After all, he promised his mom he would try to make friends.
Max: Sure.
Rose: Really?
Max: Yeah.
He got off his skateboard.
Max: Lead the way, m'lady.
He said that as a lame joke and bowed, but was surprised when she started laughing.
Rose: Such a gentleman!
As he looked up and saw her laughing face, what he saw was a girl who was smiling quite brightly.
A part of him thought she may have been laughing as, after all, he did just save her life. But in this case, she was genuinely amused.
He smiled back.
Max: Hmph. Ok then. Let's get going.
Rose: Right.
The pair went on their way to school.
It was a ten minute walk all the way to school.
During this period of time, they spoke of what they liked to do. Max spoke of how much he liked video games as she listened oddly attentively. More attentively than anyone he'd met in a long time.
Max: And Warring Dimensia 3 is coming out soon. That's what I'm really looking forward to.
Rose: Oh, really?
Rose spoke of how much she enjoyed trying rare cuisine such as shrimp, snail, and even insects or pufferfish.
She explained in great detail how much she liked to eat each of them, as well as their taste, much to Max's disgust.
Max: (laughing) Oh man. You are so gross!
She became visibly saddened at his response after he said that.
Max: I mean, really. How do you even eat snails?
Max hadn't noticed her face just until he'd made that comment.
Max: Oh. Sorry. It was just a joke.
Her saddened face immediately changed to a happier one again.
Rose: Oh. It's ok. It's just... well....
She became quiet and red again.
Max: You really are a weirdo.
Rose: Oh?
This time, she didn't become saddened. She simply smiled at him, and Max simply smiled back. In her mind, she had decided that Max was a decent and kind person.
After all, what kind of person would save someone else's life and then refuse any form of payment.
Max: Anyway...
Max had decided that if he had any shot of making a real friend. Rose was definitely an option. She was so nice and attentive.
He was starting to think that it may have been too good to be true. But hey, what if it wasn't? What if she was exactly who she seemed to be? Hoping seemed crazy. But why not?