Where would she like to sit?

Hmmm.

She tries a friendly smile on the nail-biter, first.

A smile, probably.

It's somewhere between grateful and terrified.

That looks like a place to start. She goes that way.

"Hi! I'm Solvei."

"Hi. I'm Erica. You must be new. People don't talk to me."

"Everyone I've talked to so far has guessed that I'm new, and it always seems to be for a different reason!"

"You're not like the people around here."

"Is it the accent?"

She does have a barely-detectable vaguely-foreign thing going on.

"You haven't insulted me or made fun of me yet, that's a big hint."

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the whole 'high school as nest of painfully status-conscious vipers' thing."

"They're not all being petty. They just think epilepsy is contagious. Stupid, maybe, not pointlessly cruel."

"Fine line. I had this weird bone disorder as a kid, I remember falling down on the playground and breaking my arm and being surrounded by laughing children for way too long before somebody noticed I was seriously hurt and ran to get an adult. Hard to tell, in the moment, which ones didn't notice and which ones didn't care."

"I guess so. I don't need their sympathy, so it doesn't matter which. It is nice to have someone to talk to, though."

"Happy to help!" she says cheerfully. "Hmm. What's your opinion of cupcakes?"

"Positive, mostly. Sweets are really only for special occasions. My dad says that I have to be more careful than other girls because of my epilepsy."

"I'm thinking of picking up the habit of bringing sweet things to school and handing them out at lunch, to spread joy and goodwill and so everyone will have another reason to like me lined up for after the novelty wears off. Maybe I should start with something smaller than cupcakes, though. They're easy but bulky. Truffles maybe? Truffles are pretty compact."

"I like truffles. As long as you're sharing with everyone, I mean, I wouldn't mind having some."

"Yeah, sharing with everyone is the plan."

Erica doesn't talk much after that, but seems to appreciate the company, and will let Solvei draw her out if she wants.

Solvei recounts adorable childhood anecdotes involving snow forts and solicits suggestions for truffle flavours.

Erica's childhood anecdote is about a quiet night while her father was away on business and her mother baked gingersnaps.

She's not sure that counts as a flavor suggestions, but seems to be using it as one anyway.

Solvei is willing to accept it, anyway.

And then lunch is over and it is time to be institutionally educated some more.

Chemistry!

Lydia is trying to take notes, but also trying to turn her head back and forth for no reason, listening for noises that aren't there.

There's a boy standing in the middle of the classroom, taking money from another student who seems to be arguing with him about it.

The teacher hasn't arrived yet, though students are filing in steadily.

Solvei unobtrusively eavesdrops on this transaction while she finds herself a seat.