Quote:
Originally Posted by
Amira With a C 
Parke noticed the light flush that spread across her face and felt...triumphant? No, that wasn't right. Erm... well, he wasn't sure how to describe the strange pleasure he felt. He supposed it could have been a little bit of triumph. He'd never made anyone...well... do that before. And Relief. Yes. He was usually the one with redness spreading across his nose and cheeks.
"You're from America, you say?" He felt excitement well up inside of him. He hadn't met anyone from America yet. "Whereabouts? I grew up in New York myself. It's my first year here", he said a bit wistfully. It was strange. The people here, thus far at least, made for much better company, but alas, he was still homesick.
He watched her sit down next to him, pushing back the awkwardness he always felt when women were in close proximity to him. He kept as still as absolutely possible lest they brush shoulders or something and instead concentrated on their conversation. Which didn't help much. "Yes, well...", he mumbled lightly, a familiar blush creeping across his face. Dang! "I'm not really supposed to smile." He looked over at the swamp again, just so he wouldn't have to look at Trina. Oh, woe was him.
"So, um, when did you start here? Oh, and I'm sorry, which year is this for you?" That would be helpful information. "I'm in my 5th", he added as an afterthought.
Trina looked up, picking up on the excitement that was in his voice. "Yes, my Dad's from America," she explained. "My mom's from England. I've been staying with my Dad and going to school there... until now," she said with a grin, for the information was obvious. "Well, we travelled a lot when I was younger," she told him. "But once I started school, we settled in New Hampshire."
She blinked in surprise at the detail. "This is your first year?" she asked him, excitement bubbling within her. However, the conversation shifted and she forgot to continue. "Why can't you smile?" she asked, curious. She had never heard anyone say that before. She pretended not to see his blush, although she could tell she was in dangerous waters. "Does it hurt or did a mean witch put a curse on you?" she teased gently, hoping that it would help to take his mind off it.
Oh, that's what she had been about to say. "This is actually my first year too!" she told him, bouncing up and down gently before she realized that it hurt. She took a breath and stopped, grinning sheepishly. "I'm a..." she took a moment to count. "I'm a Fourth year," she told him with a smile. "The grades here are different here than in the U.S.- well, at least the name of them are," she said with a grin.