(Heather's pov)

It was the first day of high school. The ending of summer brought trepidation; freshman year had felt so distant a moment ago. Still, it was incredibly difficult to avoid the latter when Heather was, in fact, standing stiffly at a public bus stop with a heavy backpack drooping from her shoulders. The previous year hadn't been absolutely dreadful, but average with a life as simple and quiet as her own. She had no desire to pursue any activity, her life seemingly unable to become less drab. She accepted her own friendless and talentless existence with vigor, however, because she was able to acknowledge the factors that forced her into reluctant silence and isolation.

The sun had not yet risen to the top of the sky, yet the light bordered on blinding as it teetered on the precipices of the houses around her. The light pierced her olive eyes in an uncomfortable manner, and she raised her hand to block out the harmful rays. It was quiet, except for the occasional noise of birds, awakened by the early morning sun. The peaceful aura felt nice; a comforting distraction to the haphazard thoughts that raced through her mind at the concept of a new school.

Heather lived on Berk; a quiet, cozy city nestled against the edge of St. Johns. It wasn't as familiar as one would hope, for she had only recently found herself in Newfoundland and Labrador. Heather and her older brother, Dagur, had originated from Berserker Island, an equally isolated and desolate yet less prominent in schooling. Heather, just reaching her first year of high school, was indifferent to the topic and complied without resistance. Dagur, after all, wasn't simply her brother. He was also her guardian and caretaker. Still, with her willing support, she still began to feel tendrils of regret creeping along the edges of her mind. Every decision seemed to be a good, rightly justified one when it is first made.

A great noise of grating steel interrupted the welcome silence as the bus heaved to a stop a little farther past the bus sign. Heather sighed in relief, and made her way to the bus silently, her backpack and phone in tow. She pulled out a bus pass and flashed it casually to the bus driver, who nodded absentmindedly, not bothering to glance at it. The bus was nearly empty; a couple people scattered between seats. None of them looked up as Heather made her way to an inviting window seat near the back of the bus.

Whilst making her way to the seat, a mildly tantalizingly flash of a goldish yellow colour caught her eye. She turned her head to look at a girl who was sitting a couple seats in front of the seat she desired. The girl was beautiful; all thin and blue eyes and blonde hair. Heather continued to admire her as she passed, careful to glance back in an inconspicuous manner before sitting down in the seat in an awestruck manner. Distantly, the girl flashed in her mind once again, icy eyes shining with the light of the sun and golden hair tied in a perfect braid that ran down her back. Heather blinked twice, and pulled out her earbuds. Now was not the time to be fantasizing over a girl she would most likely never see again.

Heather allowed a breathy sigh to pass her lips, and turned to look outside, watching the trees pass by. Her mind was casually reminded of the backpack that had been situated next to the girl, and yearned for an interaction with the girl who had peaked her interest. Although she knew the girl could be going anywhere, Heather did like to believe she would see the girl in one of her classes.