It was a beautiful day. Or, at least, it was for Ivory.
But then again, nearly everyday seemed to be a good day for Ivory. Her bad days were times she wouldn't even check in to school and call herself in sick, since bad days meant some heavy tears. But normally, it was a great day for the optimistic little lady. It was more than likely that everybody else surrounding her wasn't enjoying their day, solely because they were in school. But as Ivory passed by, each person surrounding her seemed to lift somewhat, their gaze following her as she passed, her sweet, positive aura seeming somewhat infectious, even if only briefly.

The day was rather pretty as well; the clouds seemed to want to put on a show, and had formed themselves into intricate patterns and thick puffs, all surrounding the bright sun hanging among them. There was a light breeze in the air, wafting through the high school gently, caressing each surface it passed with it's cool, light touch. The grassy field centered within the square formation of buildings containing classrooms was bustling with students, some hanging in their huddled groups, others wandering about with their friends, and some even wandering alone. There seemed to be a positive vibe in the air as loud laughs echoed along, and a generally enjoyable feel had settled over the main field area.
It was lunchtime at Pinecrest High School, the time of leisure and fun for most students. But among all of this confusion and laughter and groups, where was Ivory? Well, she was placed in her usual spot, of course!

The young woman could be found cross-legged on a spot of the grass, her messenger bag placed by her side, a couple of contents removed from it's confines. She wore simple clothing; mini shorts, a soft cotton T-shirt which hung off of one of her shoulders, and some flip flops on her feet. She never seemed to be noticed wearing them, for the longest time, in fact, and continues wearing them to this day because of this. Her bright blue eyes were focused on a leather-bound sketchbook in her lap, one of her hands holding down a page while the other held a fountain pen between her deft fingers. A rough sketch of a dragon was on the page, though a skilled sketch nonetheless, and her expression seemed wistful as she occasionally glanced towards the sky and let her gaze wander.

Ivory was usually called out by people for a greeting, where she'd simply wave back with a smile. Many in Pinecrest knew who Ivory was, and she was disliked by very little, if not anybody in the school. Nobody ever had a reason to dislike her, in all honesty. She had always been a lovely soul, and seemed to adore everybody and welcome them in willingly. She liked the feeling of friendship. It always seemed to soothe her.
She chuckled lightly at her aimless thoughts and glanced down at her sketchbook again, adding some more lines to the sketch as she did so.

Alex was sat at the edge of the field, the edge opposite the school, where the field became a lightly wooded area. His back was propped against a tree, he had a book in hand. Yellowing pages, most folded or creased, obviously old. It was his favourite book. The book he read every time he was forced to move schools, sometimes he had to read it multiple times. He sat there, reading, trying to take his mind off the problems of making new friends and being normal when he happened to glance up. He noticed a girl, quite pretty, seemingly carefree, obviously well-liked, who seemed to almost float across the grass and fold, elegantly, into a sitting position.

He watched as she removed her sketch-book from her bag and began drawing with a fountain pen, which was no easy feat by any standards. It seemed to almost glide across the page, he assumed, leaving very faint, but very effective lines.

He had never been very artistic. It was a talent that he, unfortunately, did not possess, and could never quite learn. He had tried, many a time, to learn the basics of drawing, but had never quite cracked it. Origami was more his style, that and the academic subjects. Sciences, mathematics and psychology were his forte. And that was unlikely to ever change.

Nevertheless, he was intrigued by this girl, who seemed to lack any sense of self-doubt, which was something he could never relate to. He was confused by her, and rather the idea of finding out how she managed to seem so confident yet quiet, appealed to him.

Only a minute passed before Ivory felt someone staring at her. Though it wasn't uncommon for peoples' gazes to fall onto her, it was uncommon for people to stare for longer than a few seconds. The pen drifting across her paper came to a stop, and her gaze, focused down onto the sketchbook, lifted forward. Her gaze swept to her right, only to find nothing but empty space, and then turned to her left to accidentally lock with the gaze of a young man sitting a little ways away from her. He seemed to be the culprit of the stare, but once she caught his gaze, she felt her breath suck in and stop.

She wasn't used to finding such a deep sense of intrigue within the eyes of others, especially when they were looking at silly little her. She found the curiosity flashing in the eyes she had caught as intriguing, and flattering as all get-out. Her eyes remained there for a few seconds, examining the emotions swimming about, before she ripped it away, back to the paper covered in sketchy lines. She had been staring for longer than intended. Though she felt a bit rude just turning her gaze away so suddenly like that, and allowed her gaze to flicker back up to him, quietly sweeping over his figure sat on the grass of the field.

With a small, courteous, and slightly timid smile, she allowed the hand with her pen twirled in between her fingers rise into a small wave towards him. She didn't know why he had been staring so curiously at her, but from what she had picked up, it wasn't in a negative manner. He just seemed . . . inquisitive. And that was never necessarily a bad thing. She still felt her gut fluttering with butterflies at how flattered she was, and found a sense of relief in the fact that he hadn't been staring at her butt or breasts. It was a silly thought, but it was something that many of the teenage boys in the school liked to do. It was refreshing seeing one of the boys, one of the more attractive boys no less, was different. Less rude.

Alex watched as Ivory looked up, and rather than averting his gaze, his eyes locked with hers. His breath caught in his throat a little, and his heart rate increased slightly. After a while, Ivory turned away from him, back to her page. He wasn't sure what to think about it. He watched as she fixated on her drawing. He wasn't sure what she had drawn, but, from what he had observed of her movements, it was probably some sort of animal. From what he had seen of the way she moved across the page, it wasn't going to be a landscape. It was definitely something living.

He watched as she looked back up at him, and offered him a small wave. He raised a hand in return, not feeling particularly brave enough to approach, or start a conversation. Perhaps, some other time, he would do it, but as for now, a wave was a good start.