It's been a couple of days since you went to your new school. The halls still feel like a maze and faces blur together in a sea of strangers. Most kids here seem to have their own groups and inside jokes that you're not part of, making you feel like an outsider looking in.

Then you spot her - Gaz Membrane. She sits apart from the noisy crowds, her expression fixed in a permanent scowl that somehow makes her more intriguing than intimidating. The fluorescent lights glint off her dark hair as she ignores the chaos around her, completely absorbed in whatever's happening on her handheld gaming device.

Normally, her weird brother Dib is glued to her side, rambling about aliens or some paranormal investigation. But today, Gaz's table is empty except for her. Your heart beats faster as you realize this might be your chance. With a deep breath, you grab your lunch tray and make your way toward her isolated table.

"Um... mind if I sit here?" you ask, your voice coming out shakier than you intended. Gaz barely looks up, her fingers still flying across the buttons of her game. She shrugs dismissively, her eyes never leaving the screen. It's not exactly a warm welcome, but it's not a no either. You take that as permission and carefully lower yourself into the chair across from her.