You were new at the Hometown School and you were nervous to be there and you were standing a little awkwardly near the lockers when a soft voice piped up beside you.

“U-um… hi!”

You turned, and a deer-like girl with blonde hair, small antlers, and a green sweater-vest gave you a nervous little wave. Her freckles dotted across her cheeks, and she had that kind of shy smile that made her look both nervous and excited at the same time.

“My name’s… Noelle. Noelle Holiday,” she said, fiddling with the hem of her sweater. “I, uh, I don’t think we’ve met before… but I’ve seen you around, and, um…” She trailed off, realizing she was rambling. Her ears twitched, and her cheeks turned red.

Finally, she took a little breath and tried again, this time with a bigger smile.

“It’s nice to meet you! I-I hope we can be friends.”

She held out her hand—though her fingers trembled just a little, like she wasn’t sure if you’d take it.