Troy glanced around and found that mostly everyone had gone, or was on their way, outside. The boys were gathering and yelling about playing Man Hunt and Mike took most of them away to do just that. Everyone else, being him, Brooke, Haru, Arron, Mark, and Sophie stayed out of it.

They all gathered at a picnic table. Troy sat next to Haru, with Sophie on the other side of her. Brooke sat across from him next to Arron with Mark on her other side. Troy noticed briefly that Arron and Mark were holding hands as they talked to one another without really including or excluding the rest of them, and couldn't help but wonder if they were dating.

As if she had read his thoughts, Brooke motioned to the two with her head, smirking slightly while jabbing Arron in the side with her elbow, who was ignoring her. "Those two have been courting for two months now."

Troy gave a look. "Courting?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "They're dating."

He turned back to Brooke. "Why didn't you just say that?"

She shrugged. "I find that the word 'Courting' fits them better."

He still didn't get it. What was the difference? But whatever, he already came to terms with the fact that Brooke was weird.

He glanced down at Haru, who looked a bit tired, almost sleepy. "You okay?"

She blinked up at him, snapping out of whatever trance she may have been in and smiled. "Yeah, just sleepy."

Sophie gave a face. "You finished the mural, so you got some sleep last night, right?"

She nodded and turned to her, laughing nervously. "Yes, but I think it's going to take more than one night's sleep to get me back on my regular schedule. Haha."

Sophie nodded and then pulled out her iPod, starting to type away and showing things to Haru as they laughed. Troy found his gaze going around the table. Starting with the two girls giggling over who knows what, then going to the obvious couple who weren't exactly being lovey-dovey, but out of the loop all the same, until he finally met Brooke's gaze.

She was munching on a brownie and he blinked at the sight. He mentally checked on his way out of the building and saw that there wasn't any left. Where had she gotten it? Not to mention he didn't see her get up to leave and get one. "Where'd you get that?"

She smiled and it slowly turned into a grin as she swallowed the last bite. "I have my ways."

Arron turned her head slightly to meet his eyes and cupped her hand around the left side of her face as she spoke, as if doing so would keep Brooke from hearing. "She sneaks extras in her bag."

The short girl gave a fake gasp. "Whatever gave you that idea?!"

Arron smirked as she turned to her short friend. "Maybe the crumpled up napkin poking out of your bag pocket?"

Brooke waved her hand, clearly just going along with the gag. "That's just a tissue."

The taller one laughed. "Did your boogers turn brown then? Because I'm pretty sure those are crumbs."

Brooke was trying very hard not to laugh by now. "I d-don't know what you're talking about."

Mark looked over at Troy. "What are they talking about..?"

Troy met his gaze with one of confusion. "Your guess is as good as mine dude..." He realized that he didn't feel the same frustration as he did before with Mark, he wasn't sure why, but he was relieved, he seemed like a cool guy.

The two girls burst out laughing, making Haru and Sophie stop what they were doing to look over at them. The latter raised a brow, turning to her brother. "We miss something?"

Mark looked over at his sister. "Well, apparently Brooke sneezes brownies?" The comment only made them laugh harder and Troy was just amazed it took them a solid five minutes to be able to talk normally again. How could they sincerely laugh like that in front of other people? When was the last time he had laughed in front of another person, if at all?

Haru smiled at them and Troy couldn't help but ask her. "Does this happen often with those two?" He thought that Brooke was the only crazy one, but it turns out that even the quiet and cool Arron could match her weirdness.

She nodded. "They've known each over since they were two. They're closer than best friends or sisters."

He nodded, but the concept was hard for him to understand. He neither had a best friend or a sibling to call close. He had never questioned not having either until now.

It looked like fun.

"So Troy," He turned his gaze to Sophie, who had called him out of his thoughts. "Are you from around here?"

He blinked, wondering where the sudden question came from. "No...I just moved here from New York."

They all made sounds of awe until Arron asked. "My Mom's from up there. Did you live in the city?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I lived in the Big Apple. I guess it had good views, but mostly it's just crowded." He decided to skip all of the 'did you like living there' questions.

Brooke winced, as if she understood clearly. "That must have been a long trip..."

He nodded, wondering why she seemed to be talking from experience. "We flew though, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

Sophie sighed in a daze. "I've always wanted to go to New York City and shop!"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "You'd like to go anywhere and shop."

Sophie pointed to her. "One of these days, you're going to come with me."

The short girl made a grim face. "I'd rather not...More clothes means less room. I only have so much space and not enough money."

Arron's glint made it's way to her best friend. "Oh, this is a great idea Soph, you make her buy clothes and I'll make her wear makeup! We'll turn you into a real girl yet!"

Brooke's violent side decided to show again as she made a disgusted look of disapproval while punching Arron in the arm. "You wouldn't dare! And what am I? The girl version of Pinocchio?"

Mark and Haru laughed as Arron and Sophie fake pouted, speaking at the same time. "One of these days..."

Brooke still had the same face, making a "Blah!" sound and then grumbling about her best friends ganging up on her.

Troy blinked at her a moment. What girl didn't wear makeup or like shopping? Troy couldn't think of a time he actually saw a girl reject either so bluntly, or at all for that matter. As the time went by, he was realizing that out of all of these weirdos, Brooke was the one he least understood. First she was violent and just didn't make sense, then she was chill but cracked up laughing at the strangest of things, now she was a girl that refused to go shopping and wear makeup.

Sure the other kids were strange, but he could say that they were still pretty normal for being teenagers. Brooke however, just basically threw everything he thought he knew about girls out the window.

Troy glanced from person to person. Haru had been his first friend while here, she wasn't shy, but she seemed a bit innocent for her age, which he found to be a nice change. She was caring and obviously loved these strange people surrounding her, making him wonder if that was proof enough to make her one of them.

Sophie may dress like the popular girls at his old school, but she didn't act anything like them. They were mean and self-centered, whereas Sophie was cool and obviously enjoyed being around people in general, not just those of the 'same status'.

Mark turned out pretty cool to hang out with. If anything, he was quiet but also commented when he thought it was needed. He was comfortable to be around, really, which surprised Troy greatly, as only a few hours ago he was weary of the guy.

Arron, at Mark's side, which if Troy thought back, was pretty constant, was trickier to figure out than he first would have thought. She seemed quiet at first, but as he watched her interact with the others, she was more a bundle of teasing and energy than he would have ever thought, especially if her and Brooke were in the same space together.

Speaking of Brooke, his gaze found her last from across the table. She was the one that puzzled him the most. He sighed as he pulled a hand through his hair. And she was probably full of more surprises to perplex him, he was sure.

"Do we bore you?" Asked the center of his confusion: A short amused girl.

He fought back the twitch of a smile. "Just the opposite, actually. You all are..." They all glanced at him as he struggled a moment, finding the right word.

"Entertaining."