In southern California, there is a sunny and verdant town, with one bowling alley, one movie theater, and one high school.
There's also one cemetery.
Is there any convenient way to introduce herself to her neighbour without seeming like a complete weirdo? Like, is he next to his car or anything?
She heads over, stretching as she does so. "Morning, Danny," she greets with a nod.
"Good," she says. "Homework was boring, but I ran into the swim coach and got invited to try out for the team. How was yours?"
"Hi. Jackson Whittemore. Captain of the lacrosse team, mediocre student, great kisser."
"How would you know? Coach Lahey was pretty good in his time, but not as much lately. Maybe you can turn it around."
She blinks a couple of times. "Hi. Jay Carson, new girl, grades...kind of up in the air, never had any complaints about my kissing skills."
"He seems to think I'm at least good enough to join the team. ...Unless that was a comment on his kissing skills, in which case I'm totally out, and have some serious questions about your taste?" The last part is said lightly, very obviously meant to be teasing.
"I'll take that under advisement," she smirks at him. Then frowns as though this has just occurred to her. "Warn me if this is creepy, but I think me and Si moved in on your street, Jackson?"
"Yeah, that would've been us," Jay confirms. "Seems alright, I mean, I heard some yelling last night, but nothing like some of the other places I've lived..."
She is...pretty sure he isn't telling the truth there. "Well, so long as it isn't gunshots and sirens, I won't complain. I should probably get to my locker before class anyway."
So she heads for her own locker, and sorts out her books and stuff for the day so she's not lugging everything around all day. She'll loiter near her locker until the bell rings unless something more interesting catches her eye.
There's Jackson, rushing off to the bathroom, clutching his face.
Well, she'd argue the 'not very interesting' given everything that's been going on. And Jackson rushing off to the bathroom, clutching his face.
She looks around, and then follows him, not sure if she's going to offer assistance, or just to see what's happening.
Jackson is bleeding some sort of black fluid from his facial orfices!
He stares at her silently when the door opens.
"Wrong bathroom?" she says, not sounding at all lost or apologetic. "Straighten up, tilt your head slightly forward and pinch your nose shut." She heads for a sink gathering a handful of paper towels on route and holding them under the cold tap. "You play a contact sport and you don't know how to stem a...kind of bloody nose?" She holds the soaked paper towels out. "Over the nose. Not as cold as I would like. Black is not a normal blood colour." She does not sound as confused or worried about that as perhaps a normal person should.