Just Getting By [Nessie/Open]

[Zach Josanno]

It was a wonder that he had actually been in school early. Despite all the careful planning and preparation that Zach and his mother had conducted the week before, he still managed to wake up late. They all did, actually. It was quite embarrassing. When the red numbers of his digital alarm clock (which proved to be greatly unreliable this morning) read that he had to be ready in fifteen minutes, he felt a strong temptation to curse. It was really his main vice, and even though his mother understood it in those sorts of situations, he still felt guilty whenever he did. So he stumbled out of bed and practically did three things at once at any given moment as he woke Wyatt and Carmen, and managed to have them all pile into the car that took him to the front steps of the school.

He didn't like how rushed the goodbyes were, considering how close they all were. It didn't seem fitting. Still, considering the circumstances, Zach was going to have to suck it up. Before he walked into the school and his parents drove off, he double checked his backpack and paid extra attention to be sure he hadn't forgotten his violin. He knew that there was a definite chance he would have time to practice, even outside of the Orchestra class he was taking. He had gotten his schedule in the mail and it seemed that he'd at least have time during lunch, if he ate quickly enough or wasn't hungry. Truthfully, his desire to play was often much stronger than things like appetite and thirst. Perhaps it was messed up priorities, but he could live with that.

He was trying very hard to hide how frantic he was when it came to finding his locker, and thankfully, it was right on the first floor. He almost wished he had gone to the orientation that was reserved for freshmen. It probably would have helped his greatly. Pursing his lips as he tried his locker combination again and again, his frustration began to mount. He wasn't usually like this, of course. This was simply a result of a bad situation. Were all the lockers around here like this? Dear God, he was going to be pretty late if that was the case. A part of him wanted to hide the stupid piece of metal, but he was smart enough to know that wouldn't help at all. There were much better ways of expressing frustration, anyway.

All the same, he was all but ready to give up. Perhaps he could carry around all of his things today? That would be tricky, however...his backpack was going to be getting heavier as the day went on, and as for his violin, he was very protective of it and didn't like to leave it out in the open unless he was going to play it. Honestly, people were just as wrapped up in their own lives as he was. Who knew what would happen if someone was clumsy and distracted enough? And it'd really be his fault for being careless about where he put his beloved instrument. So he kept trying, refusing to give up. All the same, a little help would have been just great.

[Renesmee Cullen]

Nessie sighed as she entered the school, glad that enough time had passed that hopefully no one would remember her. She was going by her nickname this year, and had died her hair and gotten contacts, so she'd more than likely be able to evade discovery by her teachers. But what about the rest of the family? They'd gone here as well, from what she could remember. Why did they want to go back to school so soon? It wasn't likely that the teachers ahd forgotten the unbelievably intelligent Cullen children. What would be their excuse? In her opinion, it was far too risky.

Regardless, she was rather happy to be back at school. She'd found her niche in the tiny town, and enjoyed the social scenes as opposed to being at home. Perhpas this year she'd try chorus like she'd always wanted. After talkig to Carlisle, they decided it would probably be okay, so long as she didn't use too much chest. Definitely soprano for her, no alto, even if she could sing it. It'd be too much of a risk, if the supernatural resonance to her voice was detected.

As she headed to the freshman locker bay, she noticed a poor guy having some issues with his lock. Luckily for him, she was rather good at having her way with the things, and happened to have the locker next to his. Stepping beside him, she undid the lock quickly, tossing her books inside before turning to him. "Want some help? These things can be a pain in the neck sometimes, I know. I'm Nessie, by the way. Nessie Cullen."

[Zach Josanno]

Zach wasn't the type to give up on things, but that didn't mean he was about to say 'no' to some help. So the female voice that came from his side offering help was more than welcome. He turned his head, a smile growing on his face. "Oh thank you," he sighed before backing up a bit to give the girl some room. "I don't usually have this sort of problem, but I guess lockers work differently around here," he added, shrugging while still keeping that look of pure gratitude on his expression. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he was going to meet anyone nice on his first day, and then comes this young girl who was going to help the new guy. "It's nice to meet you Nessie. I'm Zach Josanno."

[Renesmee Cullen]

"No problem," Nessie replied as she shifted over, taking the boy's spot in front of the lock. His gratitude brought a small laugh from her, not condescending, only amused. It was as if she'd said she'd take the chemistry exam for him or something. "Yeah, these things are so old... I don't think they've been changed since the school was built." She popped the lock open as she spoke, steppnig aside with a flourish. "Tada! Nice to met you Zach. So, I take it you just moved here? This has gotta be a pretty big change. Where'd you live before? Italy?" The surname and the accent tipped her off. This has gotta be a slap in the face, Forks after Italy. Part of her cringed away from the thought of being in Italy, so close to the Volturi. It was terrifying.

[Zach Josanno]

Zach realized that, honestly, it wasn't that much to help someone with a locker, but he was the sort of person who didn't take anything for granted, especially not the kindness of strangers. Still, he couldn't help but smile sheepishly and blush a little when she laughed. He was sure she didn't mean anything by it, of course. She seemed much too friendly for that. As for him, he chuckled weakly at her mention of how old the lockers were. "Well, I suppose the budget can only afford so much." His smile broadened when she essentially showed his newly opened locker much like it was a fantastic magic trick. "Miss Nessie, you work miracles." After all, he could be cheerful, even if it was his first day of school.

Zach nodded at the question that he had been expecting to come up sooner or later. "Yeah, it actually is...and yes, I am from Italy. You've got a good ear for accents. Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll adjust well enough. It's not so bad here so far, anyway...I mean, it's a nice little place, Forks." He knew that most people would be feeling extremely depressed over the move, but Zach was able to look on the bright side; he had lived in Italy his whole life and it wasn't as if he was never going to see the people he knew again. That was what all this technology was for, after all. "I guess it'll take some getting used to, just the same. Anyway, enough about me. I'm guessing you're not anywhere near being new, hmm? You've already mastered the lockers, after all."