Trembling fingers fumbled the latch on the locker door. The cold dry air of the school irritated the inside of her nose as Monika tried to take a steadying breath. She released a shuddering sigh, running her trembling hands up and down her arms for a few moments. Was it cold in here or was it just her?

She had a sneaking suspicion that the school was turning down the heat to conserve the energy bill since it was supposed to be a slightly warmer day. The thought made her lip curl slightly.

It was uncomfortably quiet being at the school this early in the morning. Being ahead of her normal schedule by about an hour, the halls were nearly vacant, and only a few students had been in the lunchroom when she passed it, small groups dotting the tables nearest to the courtyard. A quick glance at her phone told her that she still had a few minutes until she was supposed to meet the new transfer by the front. She checked again, just to be sure. Yep. Still had time.

She shook her head at herself. What was wrong with her today? Everything was fine. The reassurance felt forced, and her hands refused to still as she tried her locker again. The door opened without issue and she busied herself with organizing the already tidy space.

It would come as no surprise to anyone that everything was meticulously ordered. Two wire shelves contained the majority of her textbooks and folder while the lower portion contained her gym bag and court shoes-which she eyed warily, remembering that she had P.E. later that afternoon.

Wrinkles formed on her forehead as her brows knit together in a pained grimace. While the prospect of doing something active wasn't completely off putting, she found she was nervous about it nonetheless. That was the only other class she shared with the student council VP.

Outside, the early morning rays were giving way to a gray, overcast sky full of dark clouds with the promise of rain. As Monika shut her locker and exited the bay, a group of students passed, their heads ducked together as they whispered to eachother. The moment they were behind her, one of them let out a bark of laughter that jolted the Class President to her core.

She tried to steady her racing heart and chase away the nagging insecurity that perhaps it had been her they were whispering about. Irrational as it may have been, the idea snagged on the rough edges of her mind like a loose thread just begging to be pulled, to allow her to unravel.

The ding of her phone made her jump, and she scrambled to silence it realizing she must have forgotten in the chaos of the morning. She shook her head, pressing a palm into her right eye. The changes in pressure were beginning to announce themselves in the form of a headache, and her vision wasn't as clear as usual. Her neck crunched as she tried to loosen the tension from her shoulders and straighten her posture. Glancing down again, she realized there was a notification. Sayori. Of course.

Say Heyhey! Just a heads up, but I think Nat is planning to come to the club this afternoon.

Another notification.

Say Also, don't forget we have tutoring again today at lunch.

Oh, and thanks for walking with me today! I had a nice time.

We should do it again sometime.

if you want.

okay, I'm gonna stop texting you now. See you later!

Her thumbs tapped a reply on the keypad.

Monika thx for the reminder. c u thn!

Say I'm sorry, the literature club president uses shorthand in texts? Remind me to make fun of you for this later.

Warmth bloomed in her chest at the simple interaction. Leave it to Sayori to break the tension she was feeling without even knowing how much it helped. Unfortunately, the relief was short lived when her eyes landed on the clock in the banner at the top of her phone. She'd lost track of time. Cursing under her breath, Monika broke into a fast walk. She strode briskly through the halls, her hair trailing behind her like a banner in a gentle wind.

More students were beginning to trickle in, and Monika noted that more than a few of them appeared to have been caught in the rain, their jackets dotted with dark, damp patches and their hair slick and dripping onto the floor. There was generally amicable conversation with a few grumbles of annoyance sprinkled in and the squeaking of wet sneakers pierced above the din.

Most of the newcomers were splitting off to head to their respective clubs–a majority of them the various athletic teams which usually practiced before school–but a few stragglers were milling about by the front doors. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be crowding around one person. As Monika approached, the line of heads divided just enough for her to catch a glimpse of purple hair.

"Yuri?" Her voice caught on the name, scraping over it jaggedly like a failed free solo attempt. As her mind hurtled down the cliff face of the sudden encounter, her stomach dropped faster than the rest of her.

It had been loud enough that she saw the girl straighten and a couple students parted to look in Monika's direction. For one horrible moment, her throat tightened painfully as she stared at the apparition before her, and the corner of her eyes burned with the threat of tears. She cleared her throat and offered a small wave. "The new transfer, right? I'm Monika, I'll be showing you around."

As she engaged the timid girl, the other students began to disperse sensing that the opportunity for reconnaissance had passed almost as swiftly as it had begun. Deep lavender eyes trained on her with an intensity that surprised her, and the taller girl took a small step backwards, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

The action stung a surprising amount, and she realized belatedly that she had begun to raise her arm to reach for the other girl. She carried the motion on to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Right, so, uh, follow me." She was sure the smile that had cracked her rigid features looked more like an unsettling grimace as she gestured vaguely over her shoulder for Yuri to follow.

The silence between them was deafening and Yuri was walking a pace or two behind her. Despite herself, she found herself attempting to strike up a conversation, though it could just as well have been to chase away the unsettling atmosphere. "So, a transfer, huh? Where are you from?"

"I-I just arrived here from o-overseas…" The response was so quiet, so hesitant, that Monika almost thought she may have imagined it, but then Yuri continued, "M-my f-family moves. Often…" There was an unfamiliar lilt to the words which seemed to swath them in a heavy velvet timber. While initially shocking, Monika found it to be a pleasant addition to the already warm resonance, one she very much wanted to hear more of.

"That must be tough, never really getting to settle down." There was an ache of familiarity to the situation, not unlike her own. She supposed, in a way, that she'd never gotten to plant roots of her own. "It couldn't have been all bad though, right?" Her voice took on a wistful tone. "I've lived here my whole life. I would love to travel sometime, you know? See the world." She gestured grandly as though she could encompass "the world" with a handwave. It was only a half-truth, but she wasn't sure she was comfortable with how easily it rolled off her tongue.

There was another stretch of silence before a demure, "I suppose" reached her ears. It came from closer than before, and Monika noticed with no small amount of pleasure that the distance between them had closed ever so slightly, and Yuri's posture had begun to relax. She also noted the familiar tone in the reply that indicated Yuri didn't quite agree with what Monika had said.

Something in her mind told her to let it pass. Doubtless, Yuri wouldn't take too well to being caught out so early in their interactions. The urge was still there, though, to act as though they had known each other for longer than just the past few minutes. How many hours had they spent together? How many eternities had they spent having the same conversations, again and again–so much so that Monika knew every intonation, every last inflection? She hung on every word, but refused to indulge herself in that unearned familiarity. This was not that Yuri. The girl behind her was a complete stranger.

Her heart stalled as she stole a glance to her right and caught the silhouette of elegant features and dazzling, silken hair that seemed to absorb the light that played through it depending on how one looked. She found it getting a little harder to breathe, and her hand found its way to her throat as if to tug on the invisible force clamping down on her airway.

A stranger.

"So… you were giving me the tour?" Yuri reminded her, politely.

That shook her out of her thoughts. "R-right!" It came out louder than intended in the vacant hallway, and she face-palmed internally. Her voice pitched higher, and she fell into her "class rep" voice. "So, if you'll follow me." She inclined her head in the direction of the main campus. "We'll start with the cafeteria, gym and science wing. You have your schedule with you, I assume?"

Yuri only nodded in confirmation.

"Mind if I take a look?"

Yuri hesitated for a moment before shrugging off her backpack and unzipping it. She pulled out a black, spiral bound planner and flipped to the front where a neat, laminated copy of her class schedule was tucked carefully between the monthly calendar and the notes section. As Monika stepped closer to get a better look, she found the page being thrust into her face as if to put a physical barrier between them.

Startled, she took a step back before leaning around the page to look at Yuri, puzzled.

"S-sorry… I p-prefer my p-personal space. N-no offense," she added as an afterthought.

The fact that Yuri found it difficult to even be in near proximity to her shook her confidence greatly. Monika smiled at her tersley despite the pang that lanced through her gut. "None taken." She gently plucked the page from Yuri's grasp, being careful to avoid any physical contact, and scanned the class names and rooms. She noted that they shared both Homeroom, Science and PE. It also appeared that Yuri was in the advanced placement classes for Calculus and Biology. While she wasn't particularly surprised, she did feel some measure of admiration. She knew Yuri was smart–though not often given the chance to shine in the context of a repetitive dating simulation–but the depth to the girl's intellect was something she looked forward to witnessing.

"Looks like we have a few classes together." She took a quick look at her phone, ignoring the smattering of texts from Sayori that had come in since she last looked. "We have plenty of time. We could do the tour and then walk your schedule once or twice so you get a feel for where everything is?" She received a brief nod in return. Assuming that was the only response forthcoming, Monika clapped her hands together in front of her chest. "Right, then. To the cafeteria."

As they walked, Monika tried several times to engage the girl in casual conversation, but each attempt ended with the same, disinterested tone.

"So to your right there is the auxiliary gym. That's where most of our athletes have practice. PE is in the main gym we saw earlier. I didn't know if you were interested in any sports or…"

"I'm… not particularly athletically inclined, no."

"Ah, okay…" As she trailed off for what felt like the hundredth time, she wished Sayori would appear and rescue her from her seeming social ineptitude. Nothing she was saying was landing, and she had yet to glean any meaningful information from the girl beside her other than what she didn't have an interest in. She was certain that the bubbly coral haired girl would break the tension with ease. So much for being the class president. She couldn't even talk to one person, let alone represent the entire school in a positive light. Surely by this point Yuri was regretting the fact that she had been transferred to this school in the first place.

As the long arm on the clock stretched ever closer to towards the top of the hour and the two were wrapping up a second round of Yuri's schedule, the halls began to bustle. With each new wave of students that filled the already crowded corridors and locker bays, Monika could see the tension filling Yuri's posture. Her hands, which had thus far hung limply by her sides, began to raise as she tucked her clenched fists to her chest. Her bottom lip pulled slightly between her teeth and her brows knit together slightly.

After the third student to "accidentally" brush a little too closely to the two of them, Monika gently pinched the edge of the taller girl's sleeve and tugged, gesturing for her to follow into the nearest room. While initially startled at the contact, she seemed inclined to follow.

The noise of the morning muffled as the door closed behind them. Monika flipped on the lights and cursed herself as she realized where they had ended up. "Sorry for grabbing you like that. I wasn't sure how else to get your attention discreetly. You seemed a bit overwhelmed, so I thought we could take a brief intermission." She forced the words out over her discomfort, drowning out her own thoughts with the explanation.

They moved further into the room and Monika could see Yuri's shoulders drop away from her ears, her fists uncurling slightly to fidget with her hair once more. While this seemed a slight improvement, the girl's demeanor still held an edge.

"You're very p-perceptive." The way she said it made Monika think that it wasn't entirely meant as a compliment.

The Class President grimaced slightly, but rolled with the punch. "Occupational hazard, I guess. A good friend of mine had severe social anxiety." Her voice took on a wistful tone and she found she couldn't meet the deep, heliotropic gaze as she finished the statement.

"Right," Yuri intoned tightly.

"I guess I just recognized the signs." As the silence stretched out behind her words, she realized what she had said. "Not that I'm implying you struggle socially!" she rushed out. "You both just have similar tells–er–mannerisms." Her voice pitched higher as she waffled, "I am so sorry, that came out wrong. I'm screwing this whole thing up. Sorry. God, I'm such an idiot. Sorry." She could feel her ears burning at her own insensitivity and subsequent yammering.

A snort reached her ears and she whipped her head around to catch Yuri mid guffaw. Her previously guarded eyes sparkled with mirth and the smallest of smiles creased the corners of her mouth even as she swiftly moved to cover it with a hand, feigning a cough.

She looked away, feeling fresh flush tingeing her cheeks, something that seemed to be happening with worrying frequency that morning. Desperate for something with which to distract herself, Monika strode over to the piano that dominated the space. Her fingers absently traced the keys. She could almost hear it, and the sound sent her heart skittering at an odd tempo.

"Do you play?" The question caught her off guard, an echoing refrain of her conversation with Sayori earlier that morning.

Even as her mouth formulated the same response she had given before, something deep inside tugged the reply into something completely different. The truth.

"I do. Well, what I mean is I used to. For a while. I uh…" she trailed off, unsure for a moment how to continue. Her eyes fled away from Yuri's intense gaze. What should she say? Something in her was clawing at her, trying to find a way to summon the words back to her, but they were escaping like water out of a cracked pitcher. "I haven't played in… a long time. Not since…"

Several memories flashed in her mind–piano recitals, a man with salt and pepper hair sitting on a piano bench playing something that left an ache in her, deep space swirling with galaxies billions of lightyears away–all in a matter of seconds. She shook her head. "I think I'm afraid to? I don't know." When she chanced a glance back up at Yuri from where her eyes had trained themselves on the floor, the girl was staring at her as though she had grown several heads.

Embarrassment flooded her again and she hugged her arms around herself self consciously, trying to collect the pieces of all the ways she felt broken. "Sorry, I don't know why I told you all of that, ahaha. I have a bad habit of oversharing." Yuri was still looking at her with a worrying frown. For once, Monika couldn't even begin to guess at what she was thinking.

She waved a hand dismissively, feeling a bit nauseous. "But anyway, this room is for the light music club here at school. They have a band that plays at most of the school's events…" She cleared her throat and turned away entirely and headed for the door. "If you're up for it," she began as her hand landed on the door handle, chancing a fleeting glance behind her, "shall we continue?" It was less of a question, and it came out flatly.

She was out the door before waiting for a response, unsure whether the other girl was even going to follow, and–for a few horrifying seconds–she didn't. Then, Yuri was beside her, mouth slightly open as if to say something, but getting caught on the words. Monika looked away, afraid of what might come next.

"I apologize." Her head whipped back around at that, fixing Yuri with a confused look. "I realize that I may have given you the wrong impression." Her eyes flicked down to her shoes, and she twirled a lock of hair around her finger anxiously. "Well, p-perhaps that's not ent-tirely accurate. What I mean to say is that… I misjudged you. I thought, well, that you were probably a bit… stuck up." The last couple words were so unexpected that Monika couldn't school the look of stupefaction off of her face.

"I realize that you have been nothing but k-kind and welcoming to me, and I have repaid you with… thinly veiled animosity." She paused briefly as if to let Monika digest her sudden outpouring before continuing. "I will endeavor to be… more open in our interactions going forward, so I would very much like to continue. If you are willing." She looked away, pressing the tips of her fingers together nervously.

The words soothed the swirling emotions rising in her throat–or perhaps it had just been bile–and Monika smiled. "I accept your apology. No harm done." Then, her face took on her signature, mischievous smirk. "I saved the best for last, anyway."

As the two traipsed through the crowded hallways, Monika positioned herself between Yuri and the throngs of students, acting as a buffer. Once they reached their destination, she turned to her audience of one, spreading her arms out, "The library." She couldn't help the knowing tone that slipped its way into her voice, but she needn't have worried. Yuri's attention was elsewhere, and Monika didn't have to second guess the way the purple haired girl's features lit up at the space. It was, for a highschool in an average town, impressive. "It's open to the students from six-thirty to four-thirty, but it's open later around midterms and finals. Oh, and before I forget," the rustling of paper brought Yuri's focus back to her.

"What's this?" she asked inquisitively as she took the neatly folded square of paper.

"Just an open invitation," Monika replied vaguely.

Yuri unfolded the paper hesitantly. As her deep, lilac eyes skimmed the words, Monika found herself wringing her hands anxiously. There was a long pause before the girl looked up, noticing the eyes on her before quickly averting her gaze. Slender fingers laced themselves through a long, silky lock of hair, curling the strands over and over again in an achingly familiar manner.

Finally, she spoke. "I will… take it into consideration."