First days were always the worst, but had the best chances for some people. All the kids making friends around the building, plenty of chatter going on. Well not for Lydia, she was just sitting under a tree outside at recess, drawing in a little sketchbook whilst listening to music through earphones.

Shuffling through each song in her playlist as she drew designs, she was taking fashion courses, her new school wasn't one of those schools that let the new kid off. She had to catch up on all the work from the past few weeks.

Lydia was drawing more masculine styled outfits, but with a feminine turn to it. Having always been the sort of girl interested in gender neutral outfits she'd push the two fashions together to make it blend.

"Heya.." a sweet voice had said,

The mixed race girl looked up ever so slightly to see feet in front of her, looking up more to the person's face. There was a generous smile on the strangers lips, "hi, do you need something?" Lydia asked, her tone empty.

"Mm not really, can i sit with you?" they asked but still sat down anyway, Lydia couldn't have cared less. Well she cared more than she showed at least, shuffling a bit away from the brunette.

Lydia cleared her throat before speaking, "sure, just stay there though" she hadn't meant to sound rude, her voice just naturally was like that in general. What seemed to be a female just nodded, not offended in any way.

They glanced at the sketchbook in her lap, smiling brightly, "hey that's really good!" they spoke excitedly, Lydia tilting her head and raising a brow, "you think so?" she questioned. Lydia didn't think it was that good but the person's compliment made her think better of it.

"Mhm, I couldn't do that even if i traced," they laughed softly before holding their hand out, "Taylor lane, you are?"

Lydia stared at Taylor's hand for a moment before speaking, "Lydia wilder…" she didn't even shake hands with the person, she just went back to sketching.

Taylor was fine with it and just watched as Lydia started drawing again, it was fascinating how her hands just moved with ease and no worry about mistakes.

All mistakes got fixed with a new line, making it better each time.

Both of them stayed quiet for a few minutes, neither of them saying a single word to each other. After what felt like forever for Taylor, they spoke once again "do you mind me asking what your pronouns are?"

They were someone that was already out of the closet, they also had a habit of asking pronouns too.

Lydia looked up from her note book, looking at Taylor confused, "you want to know my pronouns?"

Taylor nodded in answer,

"Any.. Just I don't care what I get called, I've never thought about it" Lydia said calmly, shrugging slightly. Honestly starting to think about it now, she hadn't been called anything else before to know what she would prefer.

"Well I personally go by non binary terms like, they and them" Taylor said, being out for many years they were confident with who they were.

Lydia nodded as she took note of that, knowing very well that misgendering can hurt. Lydia's eyes dropped back to the sketch pad in her lap, flipping the cover to the front before shoving her stuff into her bag, "you should start heading to your class, i can walk you" she offered.

Amber leaves falling from trees that swayed in the chill wind, it may have been the fall but it was colder than normal.

Taylor thought for a moment on the offer, standing up "well my class is that way on campus" they pointed in the direction of one of the very many buildings in the area, it was a university campus so there were lots of classes and buildings for different majors.

Lydia reached up to push her two toned coloured hair back(green and black, split dyed) before standing up, giving Taylor a bit of a shock at how tall Lydia was. They felt short compared to Lydia.

Taylor cleared their throat, "wow you're tall" they mumbled.

Lydia just nodded, having heard what the shorter person said. Picking up her bag and swinging it over her shoulder, beginning to make her way to the direction Taylor had previously pointed, "come on then"

"coming!" Taylor quickly scurried to follow beside Lydia, smiling happily the entire time.

The two of them walked together, a small distance between them as they did, going across campus to get to Taylor's class. Interval minutes away from ending, hoping there was enough time for Lydia to get to her own class too.

— — — — — — —

Classes were boring, only full of the normal stuff, work, talking and people.

The touching, all the germs being spread was disgusting. Immediately after the bell had rang, Lydia was out of the class, speed walking to her next destination.

Lydia was the student nobody bothered to know about, to care she existed. That was how she liked it, being alone.

Worst thing to happen on her way to the next class, running into someone, slight fear and anger in her eyes as she fumbled to wipe herself off. Believing she could just rub the germs off herself, trying to act like it was just some dirt.

"Are you okay?" The person asked, raising their brow slightly. His tan skin making his eyes look brighter, the greens and orange? The two different coloured eyes the first noticeable thing on this guy, monochromatic, that's what they're called. One brownish orange like the fall, whilst the other a striking green.

"I'm fine," Lydia said, sounding a bit grumpy.

The guy nodded as he looked to the watch on his wrist, it looked expensive, "i've got to go, class is in a few minutes." he mumbled just loud enough for the freaked out Lydia to hear, still trying to subtly push germs off herself from the contact of bumping into him.

"Bye then," the girl said coldly.

He watched Lydia as she walked off, standing there frozen before he eventually walked after her "hey, miss?"

Lydia turned around, pausing in her steps, "what do you need now?"

"Your name, im Clyde Vell" he gave a generous smile.