Isla&Xanthe.

Picture from here.
Isla (left) Xanthe (right). 

Isla was a sweet and cheerful girl. She had a serene stillness and gentle nature, a quiet and calm approach. At a glance, Isla blended into the crowd, but her classmates spoke with warmth and admiration towards her. She was always one to notice when someone was upset, and the first to be confided in. She listened with ease, and comforted with empathy and wisdom. Isla enjoyed playing hopscotch with her best friend Xanthe, but she loved retreating to her dreamland even more. She had a particular fascination with drawing exquisite and beautiful garments that she hoped to be in fashion week one day. 

Although Isla said that she enjoyed school, her teacher thought her to be removed, sensitive and shy. Her reports often read, "Isla has plenty of potential, if only she contributed more". She found the class noisy, and too fast, often getting lost in discussions or explanations. Not because she wasn't bright, but because she was engrossed in a concept her teacher mentioned last Tuesday. She felt flustered when the teacher spontaneously altered the classroom timetable, or rearranged the desks.

Isla found herself lost in the playground at lunchtime. Her brow line furrowed as she battled the overwhelming nature with which her friends bounced from one activity to the next. When her mum collected her, at the end of the day, she would have a rather quiet and emotional disposition. But after retreating to her room and snuggling up with a book, she seemed to return to her usual chirpy self. 

Isla seemed to live a rich inner life, that made her different from other girls her age. Especially Xanthe. The large red bow upon the top of Xanthe's head summed up her character quite nicely. She was bold and outgoing, confident and assertive. She liked to talk, rather than think, and found staying still rather boring. Monday was a long and tedious day for her, because it was the only day she didn't have either ballet, brownies, gymnastics, hockey or any other one of her many extra curricular activities on. Xanthe was funny, charming, exuberant, and one of the most popular girls at school, and she liked it that way. Her school reports described her as "an obvious leader, full of energy and relational skills. Xanthe's confidence and 'let's do it attitude' prepares her for a bright and successful future". She was an ideal student. 

Note: Any descriptions of children within this blog are entirely fictional, unless otherwise stated. They are, however, informed by relevant and contemporary research.

Hodgson (2012), Cain (2012), Alcock (1998) and Silverman (1999) informed my introverted and  extroverted descriptions of Isla and Xanthe.