• Calone dashed, clutching a stitch in his side, desperate to get to the source of the screams. Another screech came forth, much closer this time. A second later, Calone crashed through the brush to find a girl around his age, cowering on the ground.
    "Are you okay?!" he cried, swiveling his head back and forth, trying to catch sight of whatever had made the girl so terrified. "Why were you screaming? What happened?"
    The girl lifted her head slowly and said shakily, "There was a huge spider crawling on me!" She gave a horified shudder and stood up.
    "That's it?" asked Calone, disbelief filling him, "Just a stupid spider?"
    "A huge one," repeated the girl, spreading her fingers about an inch apart. She gave another shudder. "And it was crawling on me! Do you know how gross that is?!"
    Calone replied angrily, "I thought someone was attacking you or something! You shouldn't scream so loudly for something as stupid as that!"
    "Who said you had to come help me?" retorted the girl.
    Calone couldn't think of a good reply to that, so he asked instead, "What's your name?"
    "Kaylee," she replied curtly, "And you?"
    "Calone," he said.
    They stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
    "Haven't I seen you at school before?" asked Kaylee finally, looking at him curiously.
    "Probably. But I don't pay much attention to other people so don't expect me to have recognized you," Calone responded, still not looking at her.
    "Oh."
    "Yea..."
    Kaylee glanced at him, "Well... I had better get home...Homework you know..."
    Calone grunted and turned towards home
    "Bye," said Kaylee.
    He gave her a weak wave and slouched away. Kaylee watched him for a bit, then shaking her head, began to walk home. Perhaps, she thought to herself, they could be friends, though his attitude said otherwise. She, however, was quite unaware that Calone, though against his will, was wondering the same thing.