Ashlyn Banner

Ashlyn is the protagonist of School Bus Graveyard. She is introverted and a loner, rarely talking to people at school until meeting Aiden.

## Appearance

Ashlyn has long ginger hair, usually worn in two braids. In the alternate world, her hair is unevenly cut above shoulder length. She has green eyes, a pale complexion, long eyelashes, and freckles all around her body and face. She is often seen wearing earplugs in her ears to quiet the phantom noises she hears, though they are commonly mistaken for headphones. She usually wears greens and grays, as both her parents used to be in the military.

## Personality

Ashlyn doesn't like to talk to or interact with people outside her family. As noted by Taylor and her father, Ashlyn hasn't made any friends in her sixteen years (According to the author, she is actually 15) and prior to the events of the comic was always alone at school. Due to not having much social interaction, Ashlyn can be abrasive and blunt. She is quick to take action when necessary and is more than willing to stand up for herself.

## Relationships

### Aiden Clark

When she first meets Aiden in her school bus, Ashlyn has no interest in befriending him. Aiden continuously tries talking to her, resulting in Ashlyn attempting to avoid him.

Over the next two weeks, she is shown to be annoyed at Aiden’s desire to become closer to her, eventually snapping at him, and blaming him for making her go into to Sorrel Weed House, and therefore getting them stuck in the Phantom Realm. Over time, though, they both do genuinely befriend each other.

When the group needs to get the keys to her father's jeep, a phantom drags Ashlyn up he roof of her house and she hits her head. When Aiden witnesses this, he stops smiling, which is unusual considering he is known to always be smiling, no matter the situation. Ashlyn idly notes that he is shaking, and even though she is hesitant, they do end up hugging each other afterwards.

The next day, the two feel awkward around each other, and they don't speak with each other until Tyler brings up their behavior. They end up having a conversation, and Ashlyn first tries to postpone the talk because of her throbbing head. Aiden does stop her, explaining his situation and apologizing, and Ashlyn then realizes that they are both socially inept. Ashlyn then explains that he did push her boundaries, but says that it was her decision to go to the savannah trip and she didn't blame him for what happened on the porch.

It is implied several times that Aiden has harbored feelings for Ashlyn, as it is shown for him to occasionally blush around her and care severely for her well-being.

While it is currently unknown if Ashlyn has feelings for Aiden, she is shown to care for him and worries over his well-being, and she has become more comfortable with physical contact with him, as opposed to earlier, when she pinched him when he touched her hair. She eventually even initiates a hug with him after Aiden gets crushed by the ceiling in the phantom realm, and as he later notes, she was shaking.

### Mike Banner

Mike is Ashlyn’s father. He is the most outgoing of Ashlyn’s family, and encourages her to make friends. He was the one who pushed for Ashlyn to go on the school field trip to Savannah. Mike is shown to love his daughter very much and enjoys to tease her, as shown when he was greatly amused when he convinced her to eat pickled eggs. He was greatly surprised to see that Ashlyn was becoming very close with Aiden, Ben, Logan, Taylor and Tyler, to the point of asking whether or not they were bullying her or blackmailing her to be friends with them. He quickly warms up to Ashlyn’s friends, as he played cards with Ben and Aiden, made a snack platter with his wife when they heard Ashlyn wanted to invite her friends over, and was eager to teach Ashlyn and her friends self defence, especially when he learned that Ashlyn would take part in the lessons. Mike was quick to notice his daughter and her friend’s strange behaviour when asking to be taught self defence, showing concern. His daughter notes that he has terrible acting, and he, along with his wife, are one of the few people Ashlyn doesn’t mind being around.

### Emma Banner

Emma is Ashlyn’s mother. Ashlyn takes after her mother the most. She is shown to be every close with Ashlyn, as neither enjoy socializing, helping her daughter do her hair for ballet class, and Emma defends Ashlyn’s desire to be anti-social when her husband try’s to convince Ashlyn to make friends. Like her husband, she was surprised to see how close Ashlyn was becoming with her friends in such a short amount of time, to the point of believing that they were bullying or blackmailing Ashlyn to be with them. However, she warmed up to them, playing cards with Aiden and Ben, making a snack platter for Ashlyn and her friends with her husband, and agreeing to teach them self defense. She became excited when she found out that Ashlyn would also take part in the lessons. While she doesn’t enjoy socializing, based on her actions, it is implied that she is happy that Ashlyn is making friends. Emma shows concern for how Ashlyn and her friends were acting when asking to be taught self defense. Ashlyn notes that her mother’s acting skills are terrible, and her mother is one of the few people she doesn’t mind being around.