They decided ahead of time that Liam would do the talking. Rowan prefers to observe first, in an unfamiliar situation, and starting a new school in a new country certainly qualifies as that. So Liam is in the lead as they walk up from the bus stop to the entrance, Rowan pressing close behind him to avoid getting separated in the throng.

He scans the crowd, part of his mind reading the ebb and flow of social groups, finding the points around which the current moves in this school, while the rest looks for someone who might be inclined to help a couple of British transfer students figure out where they're supposed to be.