First Evening-Dinner

Serenity, distracted by what Rachel was saying, looked at the boy's braces and giggled. "Oh, he does, doesn't he?" She remarked to the other girl- Millie or something- sitting next to her. "Gosh."

This only served to make him feel even more self-conscious than he'd felt before. He turned away from the girl without answering, trying to tug out the green strands from the wire.

Rachel got up from her seat, and went to sit down next to this strange, pale boy. "Do you need some help with that?" she offered.

Serenity tried to control her giggling by stuffing a roll into her mouth. And that only served to make her choke.

"No," he said, turning in the other direction again.

Millie/Mindy/Amanda sat there staring at the scene in utter confusion. First, the two were fighting, and now they're giggling and bugging the other boy together? It doesn't make any sense!

"Why are you so pale?" asked Rachel, demanding to know.

"Albino," was his one-word answer, fettered slightly by the fingertips struggling against the wires of his headgear.

"WHOAH!" This had definitely caught Rachel's attention now, and she ran over to stare at him, as if he was an animal at a zoo display. She leaned into his face, staring at his red eyes. "I didn't know that albinos were REAL in people. I thought it just came in animals."

The boy seemed awfully flustered. There was a conspicuous, reddish tinge to his cheeks. He wished this girl would leave him be. "Humans are of the animal kingdom, so..."

"Oh... I suppose your right." Rachel grabbed the boy's hand, and shook it up and down, as she introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Rachel Moreno and I'm a first year here, so today was my first day! What's your name? Are you a first year too? Do you like school? Do you always have to wear your headgear thing in public places?"

The boy stared at his hand shortly after. "Uhm... I'm One," he sputtered. "I'm a second year..." He hadn't caught anything else of her introduction.

"One... is that REALLY your name?" she asked, looking very surprised. She wouldn't think that ANY parent would be cruel enough to do that to their child.

Unfortunately, they were. "I-It's a family thing..."

Amanda finally woke back up out of her trance of confusion. "Well it's definitely... er... unique?" She suggested.

"What's your middle name?" she demanded to know. "I'd rather call you by it then just One."

"Tiberius..." This was nearly inaudible.

"...Tiberius, huh." she paused to consider that strange name. "I like it, actually! I'll just call you Toby for short for now on."

From now on? Would this be recurring? "O-o-okay..."

Amanda smiled, trying to be kind. "So, Toby, how was your day?"

"Good." One hoped that not returning the question might aid the conversation's end.

"Really?" Rachel butted back in. "Well, it must be nice because you're a second year so you know your way around the place. Do you have many friends Toby?"

In the meantime, he had taken another serving of the spinach pasta dish. "A few."

Rachel crossed her arms. "Hmm... really now." she tilted her head at him, smiling. "I'll be your friend, anyway! You can add one more to your list. But, what's the point of eating that spinach if it's going to stick in your braces again?"

One, having been raised in a very strict household, knew better than to speak with his mouth full. So, he chewed and chewed some more.