meet you halfway
prompt: day 1 -"goodbye"
"Goodbye," she says.
It wasn't like she had been trying to be rude or dismiss him. She supposed, as first impressions went, it was not exactly ideal to have their first meeting start with a farewell.
He had spotted her across the courtyard, coming out from the school's main office building and lingering to the side of its front doors, for a moment, to ponder the fastest path to her next destination. With her usual blank facial expression and firm resting stance, it was just as well he thought it a chance to quickly greet her and introduce himself ("Hi, my name's Tadashi Hamada and I'm a Robotics major-")
She had immediately seen his intentions, deciphered his friendly expression and mannerisms, as he jogged up towards her - but, unfortunately, had no time for it. She was just on her way out. Living in a perpetual fast lane, she always had places to go and things to do; with her busy schedule, most things had to be arranged a few days in advance - he didn't know that of course, he was too new.
And so she caught a glimpse of wide brown eyes, a firm jawline and a raised hand, long fingers curling into the palm as she passed.
A second peek was taken as she turned her head very briefly, tossing those words and her signature salute over her shoulder: she had that much manners, at least -
Even if she did doubt that they would meet each other very often.
Short online interactions had not, in any way, prepared him.
They had joined the same induction forum for an engineering class; superfluous introductions and pleasantries had been exchanged and that was all. He recognized her visage from Lab Six's roster, which had just been posted up.
She moved faster than he could register; he had barely opened his mouth when strands of purple-streaked black hair and a small, soft figure dressed in leather were brushing against his chest as she walked past him.
Her short, straightforward messages ("-Gogo Tomago, studying Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering") were suddenly rendered in full life: she was all angles and efficient movement - with a sharp flick of her wrist and two raised fingers, she had jogged down the front steps and disappeared.
He didn't take it personally: especially as, when she had turned, he got the impression that her lavender-shadowed eyes softened ever so slightly.
And he was not surprised, a week later, when they crossed paths at one of their class's mandatory induction events.
Their eyes met and he smiled at her.
"Hello," he says.
