Welcome to Gaia! ::

Mae blushed, looking to the floor. Her fingers felt her cheek, which was burning hot by the way, feeling the warmth of his lips as they brushed against the soft skin of her cheek. She heard the door close with a soft click as she stood in the hall, still staring at the floor. A soft smile appeared on her lips. That long awaited kiss to the cheek was finally recieved. She turned around on her heel, looking at the couch they were just sitting at moments earlier and gave another smile.
This very moment, she decided, was to be called her beginning.

Classes the next day were again filled with exams and the heat of summer finally made its appearance. The classroom windows were opened to circulate air and the uniforms no longer bore the black blazer and sweaters but of white collared shirts and ties, short sleeved and crisp. Yet the heat did not effect Mae, she still wore a long cardigan over her uniform, and as she tested, she took no water breaks. The bell rang for lunch, calling for the meeting of her three beloved friends. Faint memories of yesterday still filled her mind, making her smile softly when people weren't looking. She'd meet them in the cafeteria today with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich today and whatever Luce couldn't finish in her own meal.
Mae silently descended upon the stairs, headed to the cafeteria, until many hooligans decided to push her from above, grabbing her shoulders and shoving her foward. Mae did not scream, she did not even have time to make any expression as she fell...into the arms of a person.
She looked up into the eyes of a familiar face, Aaron, who looked rather angrily, the first time she's seen such an expression on him, at the girls who committed the crime. Yet he said nothing, giving them the glare for they were not worth his words and scolding. He then looked down at the shocked Mae in his arms before he let her stand, taking a step back down so that he was eye level with her.
"Thank you," she whispered, eyes widening slightly. It was the first anyone has helped her from being bullied. She looked away, a small blush on her cheeks. Aaron said nothing at first other than a nod.
"I was bullied a lot in middle school. So much that I had to change schools. I wanted...to get stronger so I could literally smash their faces into the concrete. I worked out for countless hours, times wasted on trying to be physically better than them. All that for nothing because in the end, I couldn't see it in myself to punch them in their throats. And now, when I see people getting bullied, it gets me so...angry." He paused, looking down for a split second. "But then it goes away. I just don't want to see people get hurt is all," he added kindly. Mae nodded as well, offering a rather forced smile.
She then noticed he was going up the stairs. "You're not eating lunch?" Aaron shook his head. "I don't fit in well here," he murmured in a low voice, playing with one of his piercings on his ear. Mae instantly felt a connection with him, lighting up. "Ah, um, if you want, you can eat lunch with me and my friends," she offered. Aaron was a bit taken back yet liked the prospect and followed her down the stairs to the usual table. Luce was already chatting it up with Jeffery and Mae could easily tell what Luce was going to give her to eat. Mae stood at the edge of the table, her usual expression on her face, as she looked at Luce who looked up and then over her shoulder to Aaron, a tad shocked. She said nothing yet looked at Mae seriously for a second before shrugging. Mae turned around to look at Aaron before proceeding to sit across from Luce, taking her juice and sweet bun.