Closed Trying To Socialize

[Kiara Thompson]

Even though Kiara had set a goal for herself she hadn't actually done much to start achieving that yet. She had been pushing herself a little by trying to start conversations but it had been difficult and part of her just wanted to give up straight away. Keep being the shy girl. But that likely also meant keep being lonely and she was tired of being lonely. And she also certainly didn't want to bother her brothers around her. Sometimes she wondered how Elijah could like being on his own when it just made her feel slightly pitiful. Knowing there was no way she'd ever make a change if she didn't keep pushing herself Kiara had decided to step up to the first classmate she'd run into after lunch. Have a chat. See how they were doing. Anything really. And if she'd be shot down right away then at least she had tried, right? It didn't take long after her leaving the great hall before she spotted a classmate, although she wondered whether she had been lucky in who she had spotted or not. After all, Ngawaiata had never seemed like an incredibly social person to her either. Who knew? Perhaps it would be easier to strike up a conversation with her than with one of their more outgoing classmates like she had done before. Or perhaps it would be more of a challenge. Either way, Kiara tried her best to stick a confident smile onto her face before stepping over to the other girl. "Ngawaiata, hi! How're you?"

 

[Ngawaiata Martin]

Ngawaiata knew that returning to school shouldn't make her feel lonely, but it was what it was. After a holiday surrounded by whānau and the noise and chaos of people she loved, the noise and chaos of school felt unfamiliar and isolating. Having Manaia and Rāwhiti to hang out with was nice, not to mention Auntie Kahu and Hinemoa if she needed a bit of quiet, but... she didn't feel like a real part of Hogwarts life, like it was all drifting by around her. Cameron was still her only real friend, and she didn't know how to go about fixing that. She had just finished lunch, considering spending some time in the duelling chamber practicing for the next tournament when she heard her name. Looking over, she spotted Kiara, wondering what the girl wanted from her. She had seen Kiara in class plenty of times of course, but she didn't think they had ever actually spoken. "...Hi." She said slowly, fingers unconsciously curling in the hem of her robe. "Is... this about the yearbook? Was there something wrong with your photos?" She asked, figuring it was the only reason Kiara would be talking to her.

 

[Kiara Thompson]

As soon as Ngawaiata responded Kiara started to wonder whether she was the right person to strike up a conversation with. Still, it would be great practice she was sure of it. Maybe it'd even land her a new friend, one that was a little quieter than the other few she had made so far. That wouldn't hurt. "Oh, no.. Nothing like that." She replied when her classmate mentioned the yearbook, thinking back on what her photos had looked like. She was sure they had looked good. If they hadn't she would definitely remember them better. Ngawaiata mentioning the yearbook did offer her a little in on a possible conversation with the other girl though, one Kiara would gladly take. "What, uh.. What's that like though? Working for the yearbook..?" She questioned, a hint of curiousity in her voice. Whether she was curious about the yearbook or about her classmate was a question she couldn't confidently answer yet.

 

[Ngawaiata Martin]

Ngawaiata drew a blank as Kiara denied her question, wracking her brain for what this could be about. An assignment Kiara needed help with, maybe? The girl's next question helped answer the question though, and she shrugged. "It's nice, Eugene is a good leader, and it's fun designing pages and putting all the pictures together." She explained. "We have signups at the club fair so you've just missed it, but if you want to join, you could talk to Eugene, he's the one who makes decisions." She added, figuring that she was a bit young to be a club leader but it might be an easy mistake to make.

 

[Kiara Thompson]

Kiara nodded when Ngawaiata talked about the yearbook. She had never been any goof at more creative things so she was sure it wasn't for her but it did sound like a fun way to pass time. She was a little surprised when the other girl mentioned club sign ups and who to talk to though, wondering if Ngawaiata thought she was talking to her because she wanted to join the yearbook. "Oh, I'm not.. I'm not interested in joining." She replied. "I mean it definitely sounds fun, I just wouldn't be any good at it." Kiara quickly added, not wanting to make it sound like she wouldn't like the yearbook. "I was just, uh, looking for someone to chat with, really.. But I don't mean to bother you so I could, uh, I could move on if you're busy..?"

 

[Ngawaiata Martin]

The yearbook wasn't it either, and Ngawaiata was drawing a complete blank. “Oh...” She said uncertainly, looking Kiara over again. She spent so much time quiet and hidden in the back of classrooms, only ever trying to stand out during the duelling tournament. She didn't know what would make Kiara notice her, and as the girl continued she continued not to be able to figure it out. “Oh.” She said again, trying to figure out how to respond. “No, that's cool, we can chat...” She said hesitantly, drawing a total blank for conversation topics. “Uh... do you do any clubs?”

 

[Kiara Thompson]

Kiara was about to turn on her heel and quickly scurry off at Ngawaiata's initial response, already feeling the blood rush to her cheeks out of embarassment. There had always been the option that the other girl wasn't feeling like chatting to her at all and yet she had hoped that wouldn't happen. She stopped herself when Ngawaiata said something else though, beaming at her when she tried to make conversation. "I'm in the Wild Patch and Heta Omega." Kiara explained, almost feeling like she wanted to explain why but refraining from doing so since she didn't want to blabber on. "What about you.. Anything else besides the yearbook?" She asked curiously. In reality, the whole conversation felt unnatural to her. She was usually the quietest, let others lead the conversation, but right now it felt like that was up to her. Which was a good way to push herself but made her a little nervous as well.