Everyone knows there are strange things in this world. Things, we can't always explain. And I know that more than anyone. I'm Aiden. And when it comes to things you can't explain, I think I fit the bill.

But enough about me. I want to talk about the new girl. She only came a few weeks ago. She's strange. But there is something else, I get a strange vibe from her. Maybe she's hiding something, maybe she has supernatural powers like me....

*More coming soon!*

maidenroseheart: I hope I pinged you right. Ready for your skelly.

A new girl in town. Big news for any place with too much free time. Trinity wished there were more new girls around. Tying her blue hair so that half hung down and half was pulled back, she glared at her reflection in the window. There was a reason for the sprinkler system watering the drying lawns. Fall season was when most put them away but in the yard below they were on. It was necessary for her personally. She had to have water around. Without it, she felt insecure. Trinity's blue eyes were a dark hue, but that too showed in her reflection. It wasn't something she could control. There was a lot she couldn't control. But she could control what she wore. The exact opposite of her natural appearances would have been preferred but she stuck out enough as it was. So black. The one color that hides flaws. Flaws. How could she explain to anyone without becoming a science experiment? She had a flaw. A big one. One that she wasn't sure she could ever get fixed. It wasn't her anti-social behavior either. It was an ability, or power, or curse. Something that shouldn't exist in real life. And it involved water.

Aiden stood in front of the house where the new girl moved in. Big news here, and his parents nearly ordered him to go say hi. He had heard that there was a girl living in the house that would be going to the same highschool as him. Hopefully she was social, because everyone would want to talk to her. As he walked to the front door, he noticed the sprinkler system on. Strange, it was getting cold out. Soon it would be a frozen fountain instead of a sprinkler. Sprinklers aside, he knocked on the door. His mom had made some "Welcome to the neighborhood" cookies. He was also 'planning' (as in, parents told him to) on asking if the new girl wanted to walk with him to school, so she didn't get lost. Not like that was possible, you could see the top of the school from Aiden's house.

The sprinkler system outside allowed water to flow and fly freely. It was more alive and helped her feel more alive. In addition to that, small droplets hitting a living creature alerted her that a visitor was here. As her parent's were out, it was up to her to answer the door. Something she was rather nervous about, but not so shy that she wouldn't. Feet flying beneath her, she raced down the stairs and reached the front door. As she opened the door, Trinity realized too late that no one had yet knocked or rang the doorbell. Pushing the oversight out of her mind for the moment, she looked at the boy standing in front of her and stammered out a greeting with reasonable smoothness. "Uh hi, what can I do for you?"

Aiden smiled as the girl answered the door. "Hey, I live down the street." he started, "my mom made these." He handed her the gift wrapped cookies. "I'm also supposed to ask you if you want to walk with me to school. So you get a feel for the area I guess." His eyes darted away towards other areas, other than her. The porch, the yard. Everything. "You don't have to if ya don't wanna." he added.

Holding the pretty gift-wrapped package, she stared at him a bit bewildered. Sure, it was normal to have neighbors invite you to the community. Still, it wasn't something she had expected. "Um, thank you. Sure." Fumbling to a stop, she pulled herself together. "My name is Trinity, would you like to come in?" She side-stepped to let him know the invitation was genuine and not simple courtesy.

Aiden was completely shocked that she had agreed. He was even more so when she invited him in. "Uh, yeah. Um, thanks." he said before coming into her home.

But there was something bugging him. Something in the back of his mind, screaming that she wasn't normal. "Oh, by the way, I'm Aiden." he added while pondering his weird thoughts. What was it about this girl that made him hesitate? He normally didn't like people, but she was strange. He didn't feel like wanting to run for the hills, like normal socialization does to him. He felt like, something connected them. But what?

Leading the way into the livingroom, she stood awkwardly. There were plenty of places to sit, but she didn't want to seem forward by taking a place on the couch or anti-social by taking one of the recliners. To cover her uncertainty, Trinity decided to ask a question. Anything would be fine. Just as long as it got him talking and took the conversational ball out of her court. Looking at Aiden for a moment, she wondered at the strange expression that kept flitting in and out of his eyes.

"So you are from around here? Have you lived here your whole life?" Edging further into the room, she struggled to play hostess properly and keep some eye contact. "Your parents are thoughtful, that is, to consider the viewpoint of being the new kid."

Aiden plopped down on a recliner. "Nah" he started, "I've only been here two years. I guess that's probably why my parents were considerate." He stretched out a little. "They're real cool. I don't think either of them have a bed bone in their bodies." He chuckled a bit. "So how about your parents? What do they do?" Some of the nerves had subsided, knowing she was pretty friendly to let him in her house. Maybe a little to trusting, but he was a nice guy, so there wasn't anything to be worried about. He stretched out again like a cat, and yawned. "I hate mornings." he mumbled to himself.

Seeing Aiden relax made it easy for Trinity to relax too. Sweeping an imaginary strand of blue hair away from her eyes, she took the other recliner. "Oh my parents aren't that interesting. Dad is an accountant and works late. Mom is... easily bored. So she is always out and about. I don't know what she does with her time. How about your parents? What brought you all to this part of the world?" And, she added mentally, is there anything interesting about this town that doesn't involve being cooped up in old buildings.

Old buildings were the worst. Most schools were that way. Been built and kept around for years. Their piping was corroded and the water flowing through them wasn't actually flowing that easily. It made her sleepy and a bit off balance. The state of any and all nearby water was the state she often found herself in. Controlling the environment or choosing carefully where she was truly did determine how her day went. Something her parents couldn't understand. They didn't know - about her.

Aiden stretched his arms behind his back and crossed his legs. "Well, my dad is a doctor, but he isn't around too often. When he is, we watch baseball. My mom works at the local zoo. Mainly caring for the rare species of animals there." He smiled. "I get cool behind-the-scenes look at the animals if you ever wanna see.

Animals were Aiden's passion. He had a...connection with them if that's the word you want to use. He would probably follow in her footsteps.

While in his own little animal world, the sound of the local church rang out. Eight rings. "Oh crap! School starts in fifteen minutes! We better go soon. Luckily it's not too far." He stood up, a little worried he was rude, but he wasn't going to risk being tardy.

((Sorry it took me so long to respond o_o))

((No worries))

Jumping to her feet, she squeaked, "I'll grab my bag!" Racing up the stairs with lively energy, Trinity rushed into her room and came to a stressful pause in the middle. Glancing around she mentally screamed where is my bag, where is my bag?... until she paused long enough to process. There it was beside her desk as usual. Grabbing it and a jacket, she raced back down.

"Sorry... I'm ready." She hurried to the front door and held it open for him with her foot while she reached around desperately inside her bag for her house key. A thought tickled the back of her mind despite the sudden stress of possibly being late. What would it be like to be behind the scenes at the zoo?

Before he could stop her, Trinity was already up the stairs. Super energetic. He sighed, and slowly stood up and walked to the door calmly, as he came down the stairs. "I don't think I've ever seen someone move so fast this early in the morning." he pointed out. He chuckled at his own joke and adjusted his backpack on his shoulder.

"You really didn't need to rush, you know. The school isn't far." He shrugged. "Then again, you're new. How were you supposed to know that." He thought a second before adding, "I'll teach you which fences to jump in case you are ever really late. There are certain places which you'll want to avoid."

Grinning at him as they walked outside and locked the door, Trinity said, "I've never met someone so friendly to strangers either. So you, Aiden, are just as fun for me to meet too. Now about those fences..." she gave him a friendly wink. It wouldn't be hard to keep up this energetic persona outside. But she worried about the school and how old it might be.

Aiden gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I'm not usually so friendly, to be honest. But, you are real easy to talk to, you know." he replied. "Yes, the fences." He pointed to a house they were passing by. "Be careful not to cross that yard, the old loon who lives there will yell at ya." He pointed to one up the street. "That one, they don't really mind. It's the quickest way there."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Since it isn't too far, we'll take the scenic route. I don't like hopping fences when I don't have too."

((Figured out what his power is yet? [:3] heehee, my hints are kind of hard to decipher.))

((Oh man, I'm trying. It has to do with animals and empathy. But this last one just turned my theory upside down. Let's have an incident at school ^_^ I'm making this up as we go so if you ever want to jump forward a few minutes, hours, or into the next day, go for it. I can work with it. I tend to randomly throw challenges or twists into stories too ^_^))

Laughing with Aiden was so natural and easy for her that Trinity never thought about being anxious of her new life here. Cracking up another joke as they worked their way to school, Trinity felt her grin staying foolishly on her face. Suddenly ahead of them three tall figures detached themselves from the side to stand with arms crossed in front of them. Trinity felt the sudden tension and realized she didn't know the bully board yet.

((Heehee, you are close. With the animal part that is. I guess you'll just get details when Trinity does *cue evil laugh* And yes, an incident at school sounds great. Except I'm not very good with bully scenes O_O... Hopefully I don't screw it up.)

Aiden stopped laughing the moment the three boys stopped in front of them. "Crap. I should have warned you." He whispered nervously. "I don't really have a good reputation." He kept walking towards them. "Excuse me fellas, just showing the new girl around.." The guys didn't move. "Ahem. I said-" "Tryin' to get the new girl's attention before she hears what a freak you are, Aken?" The one in the middle stated.

Aiden's face started to turn red. "It's Aiden, not Aken. And I'm not a fr-" "Yeah sure. Of course you aren't. She'll learn." Another said. "Would you stop cutting me off?!" he said louder. "You're just jealous 'cause she's cute!" Oops. Did I just say that out loud? He looked over at Trinity. "Uhhh..."

Trinity frowned. Bullies? Aiden must be the kid who was not only weak but didn't stick up for himself to be picked on so easily. Well she would have to help him with that. Get his self-esteem up or something. He was a good guy and the first friend she had here. Tucking away the cute comment for later, she strolled up easily to them and flashed a smile. The fresh air outdoor fooling her spirit. "Hey guys. I just moved into the area. Name is Trinity." Brightening her smile, she added, "You three really make a girl feel welcome. Three. Trinity."

They stammered a little and then just sort of grinned back. One attempted flirtation, "That's right honey. We heard you were in the neighborhood and wanted to give you a welcome that suited your name." Trinity's grin widened more. They had water in their bloodstream. She was manipulating what little she could to calm them down and put them into as phlegmatic a mood as possible.

Time to get them out of here now that they were agreeable. "You three did that just for me? You're so sweet. Hey, would you do me a favor?" Amid their eager looks, she added, "I wouldn't want to run into trouble on my first day to school. Could you run ahead and check the rest of the way? Make sure it is safe?" They said in unison as they turned away, "Nothing going to bother you Trinity. We got this." Watching them take off was fun.

Turning to Aiden, she grinned, "The power of cute." Then she winked.

Aiden's jaw dropped as he watched the scene play out. After the bullies left, he turned to Trinity. "Man, I wish I was a girl. That was awesome." He blushed when she winked. "Heh, uh, yeah. Well, again, that was cool. We better get going though." He urged. She hadn't asked about the whole 'freak' thing. Which was good. He didn't want to explain it to her. At least, not yet.

"Hey, so, how did you do that? The only time I've ever seen that happen was when their mom called them for dinner." He asked, adding a little joke to lighten the mood. It was interesting how fast their mood switched. Almost like hypnotism. Could it be? "Are you like a magician or something?"

((He totally has the wrong idea.))

((lol, hey, that is fine by me... if you want to have fun with the story and have him misunderstand her, go for it ^_^))

"Oh yes, the cruelest kind." Trinity laughed. At least he hadn't thought it weird how that worked. Guys didn't really respond to her that way. At least not without help. " Being a guy would be nicer. Less expectations to act like I just did... ditzy." Seeing the school come into view, she gasped, "Is that it?"

((Okay, how should the school look? Old? New? Simple? Rich? However it is set up will decide the personality of Trinity. Also help me brainstorm situations to put Aiden through haha.))

((Hmm. I was thinking newer, but not rich. Just a more recently built school. Unless you wanted something different.))

Aiden laughed at her comment of guy living up to less expectations. "Well, not less. Just different expectations." The back of his mind was still questioning if she had some sort of hypnosis powers. He pushed the thought aside. It didn't help being paranoid. He looked up at the building ahead of them. "Yep. That's it. Our sweet little school." he said. He didn't really understand her gasping at it. It wasn't anything special. It was school.

But something was bugging him, other than her odd actions. He felt strange. He was still angry from the scuffle with the bullies. His skin was crawling and he wanted to explode. He was loosing control, and that didn't happen very often. He needed to cool down, before he changed into a beast.

((Hmm... I think we need to get Aiden angry. Like, really angry. Then we can see his real powers. *insert evil laugh*))

(Oh dear, getting an idea now what he is like.)

Looking over the relatively new school, Trinity felt such a rush a relief. It wasn't an old place with poor plumbing. The water wouldn't be that dull tap water and the bathrooms wouldn't be backed up. She would be able to learn and study in this place. That was a relief that she couldn't explain to Aiden.

Walking inside was like entering a familiar, but different, world. Lockers, classrooms, hangout spots, and offices littered the building. Among those were people. Plenty of people. Waving goodbye to Aiden as she entered the main office, Trinity went to get her class schedule and locker assignment. It was not going to be such a bad place after all.

(I think he may have multiple personalities.... maybe.)

After parting with Trinity, Aiden went to his class as usual. He wasn't sure whether they would share classes at all, since he forgot to ask hat grade she was in. He was able to cool off after his first class, focusing on his work and trying to forget about looking like a airhead. He nearly fell asleep during his English teacher's lecture. Afterwards at his locker, he thought about how he forgot to make sure she knew her way around. Hopefully she got the the office okay. If anything, she would have asked someone else for help.

Walking down the hall with a map in hand and an eye out for obstacles, Trinity almost passed by a familiar face when her brain registered who it was. Stopping, Trinity exclaimed, "Aiden! Good to see you!" Tucking her next class' book, social studies, under one arm, Trinity reached over and gave him a side hug. "You have a nifty school here. I absolutely love the library. Got a glimpse of it on my way through the halls..."

bump

A guy walking past carelessly knocked into Trinity. Surprised and caught off guard, she stumbled into Aiden and effectively bruising them both against the lockers. The guy kept going, oblivious to the trouble he caused. The locker beside Aiden's had been open and now banged closed from the impact of Aiden and Trinity. The owner of said locker stepped back to glare at them, his face having a neat scratch from the corner of his locker door slowly starting to dot with blood.

(Okay, what happens now?)

(Hmm. I dunno. I say let's wing it. Haha.)

The sound of Trinity's voice knocked Aiden back into reality. He turned to look at her but before he could get a word out, she was stumbling into him and knocking him into the locker. The back of his head ached quite a bit. "You alright Trinity?" He asked. He shot a dirty look to the guy who had bumped her, but it went useless since he was oblivious to the trouble he had caused. The other locker owner, however, would be a bigger issue.

"Hey, Aiden! Take your clumsy self somewhere away from my locker!" Aiden looked over at him. "Oh shut it, Allen. You know as well as I do it wasn't my, or Trinity's fault." The boy huffed and and walked off. He looked back to Trinity. "You alright?" he asked again. He rubbed his head. "You said something about the library?"