One: Jon
It was Jon, her older brother, who first noticed that something was a little different about her. Despite the five year age difference, they'd always been very close, him being a bit of an outsider from actually being her half-brother, and Arya trying to seem like an outsider. She was always somewhat quick to judge, sarcastic, and generally apathetic about things that weren't her proclaimed passions - music, modern art, wrenching on her dad's latest classic car project - in that order. Obviously, Jon had never been a ninth grade girl, and figured maybe that was just how they were.
"Everything okay today, kid?" Jon asked. It was after dinner one night and he knew he needed to try to talk to her, especially after she didn't jump at the chance to go out for ice cream with everyone and stayed home instead. He found her in the rec room in the basement, curled up on the couch with a two year old issue of Rolling Stone.
"Huh? Why wouldn't it be?"
"Dunno," he replied, trying not to give too much away. He knew something was up, just was not too sure of how to get it out of her. He took the spot next to her on the couch and watched her fold the magazine in half the opposite way, saving her place, and set it down on the side table. "You just seem a little off. Catelyn mentioned going to your Aunt Lysa's for the long weekend and I thought you'd go ballistic, but you didn't make a peep. Just kept plowing through dinner."
"Oh, that... I probably just spaced out. 'sides, it's not really a big deal."
"Other things on your mind? School going alright?" As soon as he mentioned school, it was as if the floodgates had been opened.
"Ugh, the Others can take school for all I care. There's this new guy, Gendry or some dumb name like that, in my math class. Transfer from Kings Landing, but I wish he would've stayed there. He's so stubborn. Three years older and he's in my algebra class too, must not be too bright. And it's like he isn't even sure what he's doing. Miss Wilkins sat him next to me, all like 'Arya's a good student, she can help with this assignment' and he just plops down in the empty desk next to me and starts comparing our homework. Can you believe that shit?" Jon shook his head. Better to just let her vent, he thought. "Top it all off, his big dumb messenger bag man-purse whatever-you-call-it thing knocked my soda off my desk. He's like a bull in a china shop, a big dumb stubborn bull."
Jon smiled and ruffled Arya's hair, watching her shoot him a look that he knew the meaning of straight away. Oh, sweet summer child... you have no idea what's happening to you... and I'd bet that this big dumb stubborn bull has no idea what he's getting himself into.
Two: Sansa
Most people, Arya included, would've sworn to Mother, Maiden, and Crone that the last thing on Sansa's mind was what Arya got herself up to on a daily basis. That's where most everyone was wrong. The two sisters didn't talk to each other in school, or much at home, but Sansa felt an odd sense of protectiveness towards Arya. As such, Sansa was the next person to notice that something had changed.
It was fifth period lunch and, once again, Sansa noted that there was new person sitting with Arya at her normal lunch table. From her spot at the other side of the lunchroom, she could see Arya, tray filled everything unhealthy she could buy with the money their mother gave them, surrounded by her normal group of friends, Hot Pie, Lommy, and Mya Stone. Recently, there'd been another boy joining their lunch group. She recognized him, the new transfer student. They had a class together, Westerosi history, but she'd never talked to him. From across the lunch room, she watched as the normally reserved boy who sat quietly throughout their class and was nervous every time Mr. Luwin called on him for an answer, was anything but reserved and nervous. She saw him laugh at something stupid that Hot Pie must've said, then grab the giant chocolate chip cookie off of Arya's tray, her immediately getting angry and jumping up to grab it, only to have Gendry stand up as well and easily hold it out of her reach.
She smiled, watching Arya jump up quickly on her chair, grab the cookie before any of the lunch monitors saw her standing on the chair, and sit back down again. Sansa couldn't hear across the loud room, but she knew what Arya said next was not polite, as she fixed her eyes on him, punching his arm, just like she always did with Jon and Robb.
And then she saw it, the look he gave to Arya once she turned away and was focused on her cookie. His eyes were on her, gaze focused like this little ball of terror that was her sister was the only thing that mattered in the world. It was quick, but Sansa was excellent at reading people and caught the meaning right away.
She came out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly.
"Sansa! Westeros to Sansa!" She looked up to see her friend Jeyne reaching across the table, a questioning look on her face. "Oh, there you are. What had your attention that time, space cadet?"
"Nothing special. I guess I've just been thinking about fall play they just announced," Sansa lied. "I was thinking of trying out for Jonquil."
"Wow, Sans, really?" Jeyne began, and Sansa half listened to her friend prattle on about costume design, mostly thinking about how Gendry was looking at her sister and Arya was none the wiser. As per usual, Sansa thought. Arya will be the last to notice...
