Disclaimer: Of course I don't own any of the Little Miss Sunshine charters or plot. Enjoy.

It was a sunny Monday in Albuquerque, and the bus pulled up at its usual second to last stop, about one block away from the Hoover residence. Dwayne sighed as the bus pulled up in front of him. The start of another dreadful week, he thought to himself as the yellow death trap screeched to a halt in front of him and with a puff the doors slid open.

Dwayne was the first one at his stop to get on, like always, because he was always the first one at his stop. He would sometimes get there 20 minutes before anyone else. He didn't care about waiting so long, just as long as he didn't have to endure any more of Richards 9 steps babble.

All the kids gawked at him as he mindlessly sobered to the back of the bus. They all thought he was a freak. But that didn't really matter to him that no one liked him. He hated them all anyway.

It had been about two weeks since he took his vow of silence. But no one at school even noticed. It had been even longer than two weeks that he had stopped talking at school. The teachers didn't call on him anymore, or expect him to do any oral reports or even group assignments. After at least 10 referrals for insubordination, they all learned there lesion. All the kids at school avoided him. Which was what he wanted. Because what attention meant before was getting bullied and beat up. But that stopped awhile ago also when he started working out and winning fights. He was used to the quiet life now. Staying on the fringe, not really interacting with anyone unless he absolutely had to.

He reached the back of the bus, and his usual seat, which was empty, like always. He sat down by the window and gazed out at the green flamingo covered lawns. He didn't know when the bus started moving again. Time didn't really matter to him anymore. He was only aware of the fact that time moved too slowly.

The bus screeched to a halt again, he was only aware of this because his backpack fell onto the floor in the process. He reached down to get it and positioned it this time between his feet.

He watched the familiar faces pile on the bus, only for lack of anything better to do. After everyone had taken there usual seats, the bus still didn't move.

'Come on…' he thought. Everyone was already on the bus, why weren't they moving! Even though he hated school, he did still like to be on time. Then he noticed an unfamiliar face bob onto the bus. A new kid… wow. He was surprised he hadn't heard anything about her. Usually at Tinstone High School, rumors started about the kids before they even arrived in town. Not that he purposefully overheard peoples gossip. What he overheard usually came in accidentally when he was trying to block it out.

The girl looked extremely nervous as she passed row after row of crowded seats. She was averaged height. Her long brown hair was braided on each side of her head. Her clothes looked normal enough, although they weren't some high profile mall brand. So she wouldn't be fitting in with the preps then.

There was a little game he liked to play whenever there was a new student. He decided what social group they would fit in before they even talked to anyone. His calculations were usually correct.

For this new prey of Tinstone High, he figured she would get to know the artsy kids pretty well, but also have a good variety of other friends.

As she neared the back of the bus, unable to find an empty seat or a friendly face, Dwayne became painfully aware that the only open seat was next to him.

He immediately started hyperventilating. What would he do? He just hoped she was one of those shy kids, too afraid to talk to strangers. But before another thought crossed his mind, she stopped in the aisle, right at the end of his seat and looked at him.

Her eyes were bright blue, her kind face painted with the fear or rejection.

"Is this seat taken?" She asked in a wobbly voice. Dwayne just shook his head no. She promptly sat down next to him setting her brown canvas bag on the floor.

The bus began moving again, and Dwayne gazed out the window. He felt her gaze burning the back of his neck. It made him uncomfortable. But he didn't want to be rude either. He didn't want to become what he hated in someone else's eyes. Especially when she hadn't done anything wrong.

He turned sitting in his seat looking forward. He could see her in his peripheral vision. She was a very pretty girl. The only thing that really meant to him was that all the jocks would be hanging all over her by the end of the day.

He inhaled deeply and looked at her. He was almost positive his expression was a mix of disgruntled and annoyance.

"I'm Hannah." She said, this time her voice didn't crack with fear. She stared deeply into his eyes waiting for a reply.

He sat up and yanked his notepad from his back pocket. He pulled the pen out of the spiral and flipped the cover up. He quickly scribed Dwayne on it and held it out for her to see.

"Nice to meet you Dwayne." She said smiling. "So, you don't talk?" He shook his head no. "Why?"

He wrote on his notepad Because I took a vow of silence until I join the air force academy.

"So you want to be a pilot?" He nodded again. "That's cool."

Her reaction took him aback. That was a reaction he hadn't gotten yet. Richard was mad. Sheryl tried to talk him out of it. Olive was confused, and when they went to see Richards's dad, he just thought he was an idiot. But understanding it. That was a new one.

He was starting to like this girl.

"What grade are you in?"

10th

"Me to! I wonder if we'll have any classes together."

Can I see your schedule?

"Sure." She said reaching into her back pocket and retrieving the folded white piece of paper.Dwayne took it and quickly scanned it. He noticed a few similarities between hers and his memorized one. They would have Gym together along with Health, Art, and History.

He took his pen and marked next to each corresponding class. He also noticed they would have the same lunch, so he marked down that they she would have A lunch.

"Wow look at all the classes we have together," she brimmed with excitement. He nodded in agreement, but other than that didn't show any other signs of amusement.

He hadn't notice the time fly by, but they were pulling into the school's parking lot. They didn't say anything else to each other as the bus pulled to a stop and all the kids stood before the doors even opened.

He stuffed his notepad into his pocket again and heaved his bag off the floor. He and Hannah were the last ones off the bus. They walked into the school building together and he absentmindedly started walking towards his first hour, forgetting he had picked up a stray.

"Dwayne!" She called after him. He jumped in surprise at how quickly he had already forgotten about her. He turned and saw the sad and confused look on her face and he felt bad. "Can you help me find my class?" She asked him in her shaky voice again, as if she was afraid of him. She held out her schedule to him.

He walked back to her and took her schedule. He scanned the first line and started walking towards her first class, which happened to be Geometry, on the second floor. He stopped at the door to her room and motioned with his arm that they were there.

"Thank you for helping me find my class." She said. He nodded with an emotionless expression. "So, is Albuquerque everything they say it is?" She asked smiling. She was so hopeful.

Dwayne pulled out his pad again. Only if they've said it's the most boring town on earth.

"That bad, huh." Dwayne nodded sadly. A loud bell sounded threw out the school signaling 6 minutes until class started. "Well, I guess I'll see you next period then. That is if I can find it."

Just go straight down this hall till you reach the first staircase and take it to the third floor. Every room and the name of the teacher above it, and a number by the door. Shouldn't be that hard to find.

"Yeah, it sounds easy enough. But this school is a lot bigger than my last one." Dwayne nodded once but didn't 'write' any response. "I guess I'll see you next period then."

Hannah went silently into her classroom and Dwayne wondered back to his computer technology class. The class flew by faster than he had anticipated. He made it to History in good time and noticed Hannah wasn't there yet.

But, as soon as he took his seat, in the very back, there she was standing in the door way, with that unsure expression of hers. Her eyes soon found him, and her face lit up. She hurried to the front of the room, and down the row next to his and paused at the seat beside him.

"Is this seat taken?" Dwayne shook his head no. No one ever sat next to him if they could help it. He was glad for his classes without seating charts, or over crowding. That way he didn't have to endure hate filled stares, like it was his fault.

It took him a few moments to realize she hadn't started talking again. He felt like he should start a conversation with the only one in Tinstone High School that would give him the time of day. He pulled out his pad and scribbled the only way he knew to start a conversation with someone he didn't really know.

How was you last class?

"It was okay. The teacher loves to talk. I accidentally sat in some girl's seat." She didn't have to say anymore. Dwayne knew how she felt, he had seen these types of scenes play out for years. "I don't think anyone likes me here." So that's why she was so sad.

That's not true. I think your okay.

"Really?" She asked. He could see the gleam of hope in her eyes. He merely nodded his head. "So, is this teacher easy?"

Only Heck Yes! It's okay. Just a lot of busy work.

"That's the work I like the best. I hate giving presentations. When everyone just stares at you. I get so nervous."

Me too.

"So, what do you like to do, Dwayne?" He raised an eyebrow at her question. "In your spare time. You know, for fun."

Read Exercise Think

"Exercise huh? Well, you do look strong." Dwayne couldn't help but smile, pleased that someone could notice things about him. He felt his cheeks burn a little, and he sqwermed in his seat. A new feeling was washing over him. Something he had suppressed for years. He folded his arms over his chest, trying to suppress what he was feeling as he tried to pay attention to what she was saying.

"Well, then again everyone looks strong to me. I'm such a weakling. I'm surprised I can even lift my pencil." Hannah lifted her pencil off the desk and waved in the air before dropping it onto the desk again. "Woo! What a workout!"

Dwayne laughed at her silliness. She had a sense of humor, which was good.

"So, please tell me the gym teacher here is easy." He shook his head no, sadly. "Ugh! Don't tell me, how bad is it?"

He's a drill sergeant. Brutal. I personally don't think he's that bad, but then again, I'm stronger than you weaklings.

Dwayne laughed as he wrote the last bit, but Hannah didn't smile as she read his words. She pretended to sob and laid her head on the desk. But she looked up at him when she asked, "So how many fatalities so far this year?"

Let's just say they drop like flies.

Hannah laughed. "Let's talk about something else. So, what do you like to read?"

Nietzsche

"Right, Nietzsche! Of course! Who's Nietzscheagain?"

Only the greatest writer ever

"Well, you don't need to tell me his life story."

A Philosopher. His out looks on life intrigue me

"Thinking deep, interesting." That's when class started. Dwayne hadn't heard the bell ring, then again he wasn't really listening for it.

The lecture today was over the beginning of the Civil War. He quietly paid attention, but he found it wasn't undivided like every other day. Today was different. That was for sure. Maybe he could be wrong. Maybe he couldn't predict people personalities. Maybe there was more to people. Some people. Maybe…