You are a normal person looking for normal friends

=> Ask them how to make friends

"Hey, uh," you begin, "do you guys know how to make friends?"

Leah shrugs. "I've been figuring that out too. Are you popular, Drake?"

"Hells naw, but you don't need friends, dudes," says Drake. "I mean, look at me. I got no friends and I'm doing just fine!"

She raises an eyebrow. "Are you though? You eat ketchup for lunch."

"I was born like this, aight? Damn, let a man live."

You look down. "I dont know...I've always been alone, and I don't really feel happy about it."

Leah pats your shoulder. "Aww, hang in there, ghost boy. You and I can be partners in this journey of getting friends!"

Your eyes light up. "Partners?! I'll take it!" you say as you put your hand on her shoulder to mirror her.

Drake grumbles a bit while closing his eyes in thought. "Hmmrrng..." his eyes suddenly shoot open with determination. "...alright, fine! Tell you what dudes, I'm gonna get y'all some friends as a favor, aight? We're gonna be allies in this friendship shit!"

Your eyes sparkle more. "Whoa...I just got a partner and an ally in the same day."

He puffs his chest out. "Alright bros, let's do this--"

The lunch bell rings.

"...Alright bros, we'll do this tomorrow!" he says as he struts off to the classrooms.

Leah also starts walking away, waving at you. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow lunch, Lee."

Your face is still dumbfounded and in awe at the progress you've made today.

...

You walk into your English classroom very early and find the nearest seat to the door. Since there isn't any assigned seating and no one's really here yet, you find the option of being able to escape easily very appealing.

Before you arrived, however, there was already another girl sitting in the corner just across from you. She slouches in her seat with a lollipop in her mouth, intensely focused on playing her Nintendo Switch.

Other students begin to arrive and scatter to find a seat.

Strangely enough, whenever someone comes that lollipop girl's seat, they seem to just turn away from it and find someplace else to seat, not even acknowledging that girl's existence.

Everyone must just be really polite as to not disturb her!

The bell rings again as the teacher walks in, marking the beginning of class.

"Alright everyone, let's give it up for day 2," he says.

Cricket noises.

"I can really feel the excitement, guys," he says with a sigh. "Anyways, you're all freshmen now. Hope that's sinking in, because you'll be doing more work than in middle school. As in, right now. A group project."

Everyone groans.

"Yes yes, hold your applause. You'll pair up with somebody and present a narrative essay about each other at the end of the year." He then waves at everyone. "Alright now, shoo, have fun and find somebody."

Within a second of hearing that, everyone gets up and gets with their friends. All the cliques have their pairs ready; middle school buddies are already together, and even the people who seemed quiet managed to find somebody.

The only people that haven't gotten up are you and the lollipop girl.

The teacher looks at you, at a piece of paper which seems to be the class register, then back at you. "Lee. Looks like you're the odd one out here. Do you want an alternative solo project?"

You tilt your head. "Uh, Mr. Fisch, what about the girl over there?" you say, pointing at the lollipop girl.

He raises his eyebrow. "Whom? That seat is empty, Lee." He glosses over the register again. "Ah, we do have a who's been absent since yesterday. That's where she'd be sitting. Did you want to try being partners with her?"

You look at her again. She's clearly right there.

But then again, nobody in this room seems to think she is there.

...She must be really good at concealing her presence! Probably essential to having uninterrupted gaming time.