{{Charr}} struggles to find her class room for first period and ends up wandering around the hallways lost and scared.

She turns to look at the person who addressed her, recognizing him as someone from the track team. "Y-yeah, I'm new. Can you help me find my first period class? My locker number is 175," she asks timidly.

She hesitates slightly, not wanting to seem ungrateful, but unsure about following someone she doesn't really know. "I-it's okay, I can find it... I probably just missed it..." Her voice trails off as she tries to hide her uncertainty.

Mohammed, you seem to know your way around here... If it's no trouble at all, could you please help me find my class? I really don't want to keep anyone waiting or get lost again." Her eyes flicker nervously in the direction she was headed before he approached her.

She hesitates briefly, feeling relieved that he isn't trying anything weird, and falls into step beside him. "Thanks so much for helping me," she says softly, not wanting to bother anyone else with her confusion.

She blushes deeply and looks away, feeling uncomfortable with the sudden attention. "Um... some people have said that I'm pretty or cute, but I don't know about beautiful." Her voice trails off as she searches for something else to say before glancing back at him briefly.

She looks away again, her cheeks flaming even brighter. "It's... it's okay," she manages to mumble. "Thanks for the compliment." She wants to say something else, to make him feel better, but she isn't quite sure what that would be. High school can be so awkward sometimes.

She blushes even deeper and nods, quickly opening her locker and pulling out her things before awkwardly looking back at him. "Thank you for helping me find my way," she manages to whisper, feeling incredibly grateful but also really embarrassed by how shy she's being.

Abby nods and falls into step beside Mohammed once again. "S-sorry if I'm being weird," she says softly, trying to sound more confident than she feels. "I just... I wasn't expecting anyone to help me." Her cheeks are still red from his compliments but she's starting to relax a little now that they're going somewhere.

Her eyes widen at his words, feeling both flattered and slightly uncomfortable all over again. She glances away from him as they walk down the hall, not sure what to say in response. Finally, she settles on a small chuckle that sounds more nervous than amused. "Well... I don't know about all that," she mutters under her breath before looking back at him again.

Her cheeks flame even brighter at his comment, and she ducks her head to hide the telltale blush. "I-I... I just don't usually talk to people like that," she mumbles, trying not to sound as inexperienced as she feels. In truth, most of her interactions up until now have been with track teammates or teachers. High school is a whole new world for her, and she's not sure how to navigate the social minefield just yet.

She hesitates briefly before saying quietly, "Um... I guess next to you would be okay." A slight smile tugs at the corner of her lips as she glances at him nervously, wondering if he'll think she's weird for agreeing so quickly. High school is hard enough without having to worry about who you sit by in class too.

She nods and takes a seat next to him, carefully setting her things down on the desk. She glances around the room, taking in the other students who are already settled into their seats before looking back at Mohammed again. "So... um... what's your favorite subject?" she asks with another small smile, trying to make conversation and not feel so awkward anymore.

She giggles and shakes her head. "I can't even imagine playing football," she says honestly. Her hand drifts up to twirl a lock of hair around her finger as she looks at him curiously, wondering what else they could possibly talk about that wouldn't make her feel like such an awkward newbie. "What are you planning on doing after high school?"

She listens to his answer with a frown, not really sure what to make of it. "I'm sorry you're going through that," she says quietly. "And I don't mean to pry, but if she doesn't agree with your schedule now... won't that still be an issue later on?" She bites her lip nervously, wondering if she should have even brought it up in the first place.

She forces herself to smile and looks around the room once more before asking, "So what do you like to do for fun outside of school? Do you have any hobbies or anything?" Her hands find their way into her lap as she waits for his response, hoping that this will be a subject they can both talk about easily.

She gives him an understanding smile before nodding slowly. "That's good to hear," she says softly, not wanting to press the issue further if it makes him uncomfortable. She takes a deep breath and then says, "Well, I like to run track and hang out with my friends when we have free time. And I guess I also enjoy reading and watching movies." Her cheeks flush slightly at the admission; she's not really the type to reveal her inner geek so easily. "What about you? Do you like any specific kinds of movies or books?" She asks, hoping that they can maybe find some common ground through their shared interests.

She nods slowly, considering his reply. "Oh, I used to love horror movies when I was younger," she confesses with a small laugh. "But nowadays, they just give me nightmares. Maybe it's because I watch them before going to sleep." She shudders slightly at the memory of one particularly terrifying flick that had kept her awake for days. "As for books... well, I mostly read young adult fiction. But every now and then, I'll pick up something completely different just to mix things up. What about you?"

That's an interesting approach to reading, she thinks, filing it away as something to discuss further with him later on. For now, though, the teacher finally arrives and the class begins. Throughout the lesson, they continue to chat quietly when they can, finding themselves sharing more and more about their interests and backgrounds. She feels herself starting to relax around Mohammed, even though there's still an undeniable air of mystery surrounding him that makes her cautious at times.

As the bell rings for lunch, she gathers her things quickly, not wanting to seem too eager or nervous as she prepares to join him for their meal together. "Um... well," she begins hesitantly, "I-if you don't have any other plans, would you like to get something to eat with me?" She flashes him a slightly shy smile, hoping he won't think she's being too forward

She smiles shyly at his reply and nods, feeling relief wash over her. "Great, I'd like that," she murmurs as they stand up from their desks. She glances around the room, wondering where everyone else is heading for lunch today before deciding to follow Mohammed's lead and fall into step beside him.

As they make their way through the crowded hallways toward the cafeteria, she can't help but feel a bit giddy about spending time with him like this. High school was already proving to be so much different than what she'd expected... and in some ways, more exciting too. She wonders what else the future might have in store for her in this strange new world.

She glances up at him warily, sensing that this is going to be one of those kinds of questions. "I... uh... I guess," she manages, taking a sip of her drink to buy herself some time before she answers. Part of her wants to know what he's thinking; another part is nervous about where the conversation might lead.

She swallows hard and nods slowly. "Okay... what do you want to know?" Her heart is racing now as she awaits his question, her eyes fixed on him nervously. Part of her hopes that it'll be something easy and harmless; another part dreads the possibility that he might try asking about her feelings or anything equally uncomfortable.

Her cheeks flush bright red as she realizes that he's finally gone and asked the question she was dreading. She tries to stammer out an answer, but words fail her for a moment; all she can do is stare down at her food, trying to hide how embarrassed she feels. Finally, she manages to force out a quiet "n-no..." before looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

Part of her wants to change the subject, but another part wants to know why he asked... and if it really matters that much to him. She decides to press for more information, hoping that it might ease some of her discomfort. "So... uh... do you?" she asks cautiously, not wanting to sound too forward or pushy.

She nods slowly, digesting his answer as she takes another sip of her drink. On the one hand, it's nice to know that he doesn't have a girlfriend either; on the other, there's still something about his story that doesn't sit quite right with her. Maybe it's just because they don't seem all that similar or compatible in some ways... but she can't help wondering if there might be more to it than meets the eye. "Well," she says hesitantly, "I guess we could always hang out as friends or something. If you want, I mean." She pauses, waiting for his reaction to her offer; a part of her hopes that he'll say yes while another part wonders if maybe she's pushing too hard already.

She smiles tentatively and nods. "I'd like that," she says softly. The idea of spending more time with him outside the confines of school and class feels oddly comforting. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, she thinks to herself as they finish up their lunch and make their way back to class.

As the day progresses, they continue to chat during breaks or whenever they happen to cross paths in between classes. Their conversations feel easy and natural now; they seem to understand each other's humor and can talk about a variety of topics without any awkwardness. In fact, she starts to enjoy their time together more than anything else that's been happening at school so far.

Later on, as they head out for the park after class is dismissed, she can't help but feel a flutter in her stomach every time he looks her way or says something even remot

Her heart skips a beat as his warm fingers curl around hers. The sensation sends shivers down her spine and causes heat to rise in her cheeks. She glances up at him, trying to read his expression; it's difficult to tell what he's thinking right now. But for some reason, this tiny gesture feels significant... like maybe they're crossing a line that was never meant to be crossed quite yet.

She blushes harder and looks down at the ground. "I-It's okay... I understand." She tries to sound nonchalant but her voice betrays her. A part of her wants to tell him that it's perfectly fine if they don't hold hands, another part wishes he hadn't said anything at all. The silence between them grows awkward as they walk through the park together, not quite knowing how to act around each other now.

After a few moments, she clears her throat and asks, "So... what do you usually do for fun when you're not in school?" hoping the change in subject will help break the tension.

Her cheeks burn even brighter at his comment and she tries to pretend it doesn't bother her. "I-I'm not nervous... I just want to get to know you better." Her voice comes out sounding a little more defensive than she intended. This conversation feels like it's spiraling out of control, and she wishes there was an easy way to fix it.

She looks around the park, hoping something will distract her from how uncomfortable she suddenly feels with Mohammed. Maybe if they found something fun to do together, the tension would ease up a bit. "Do you like sports or anything?" she asks, searching for common ground.

She bites her lip and looks down at the ground. "I'm sorry... I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that..." She trails off, unsure of how to explain herself without making things worse. "I think maybe we should talk about something else," she finally mumbles.

Her cheeks are still burning, and she wishes more than anything that they could just go back to the way things were before, when they didn't feel so awkward around each other. But it seems like that ship has sailed already.

She blushes even harder as he hands her the flower and stammers out a quiet "thanks." Taking the bloom gently, she inhales deeply, the sweet scent filling her senses and calming her nerves. She glances back up at Mohammed, wishing she could take back all of the awkward things she'd said and just enjoy spending time with him like they had before.

"I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she manages, still struggling to find the right words. "It's just that... I don't really know anyone else at this school yet."