August 8th

Day 1

It can't be him, can it?

Could it?

The first say of school, and I've already lost my backpack.

Welp, maybe I can retrace my steps! Yeah! That always helps.

First period I went to choir. Arrow, White, and Alvin were there with me. Also, my baby sitter, Ruby. Did I have my backpack then? I'm not sure. I mean, I must have...

My next class, and my pathway choice, was mining. It doesn't count as a period, because it's only used for credit in college. None of my friends are in there with me, which sucks. Oh well.

I do remember they gave me a stone pickaxe I put in my backpack, so I had it then.

Second period was English. All we did in there was get our HUGE text book and our first literary reading assignment: To Kill a Mockingbird. I put both books in my backpack, so yes, I must have had my backpack than.

Third period was enchanting. They didn't give me any books for the first day of school, which surprised me. But they did have everyone in the class line up in front of the white board. Our teacher, Sorcerer Chapman, dumped dozens of dazzling medallion style necklaces from a pull string bag onto his desk. Some were stars, rainbows, suns, you name it. Some were red and orange, some were green and yellow, some were pink and blue. he put them all in his left hand, and gave one to each kid as he walked down the line.

For me, Sorcerer Chapman handed me a silver moon, with a purple, blue, and pink circular pendant attached to it. The way it was colored made it look like a miniature universe dangling beside my silver moon.

"These are yours to keep. These medallions will store all your experience and enchantments you have gained in this class and must be used responsibly outside of class. Do not loose these. Each one of these necklaces was specifically made for you. They are irreplaceable. I suggest you put these on and never take them off. You can shower with them on and sleep with them on. They are made with a metal stronger than diamond, so there is no way you can break the chain. Do. Not. Loose. Them."

When Chapman passed me, I latched the necklace around my neck and vowed to myself never to take it off. Not until the end of the school year, that is. Well, maybe not. I really, REALLY like mine.

Fourth period was biology. I didn't put my text book in my backpack though; I just put it in my locker. And I haven't seen my backpack since then...

So that means the last place I had it was...

Was...

...Was...

Alright, I'm screwed.

At least it's lunch time. Now I can ask around if people have seen it.

I mean, come on! Who could miss a Spongebob Squarepants backpack? It's actually blinding.

With my lunch tray in hand, I left the cafeteria and walked into the August sun. The courtyard is where my friends always sit whenever they can. It's been like that since sixth grade.

I must say, besides loosing my backpack, the first day of high school hasn't been as terrifying as I thought it would be.

I walked down the sidewalk to where my friends usually sit when I saw something leaning against the wall of the school.

A sticker name tag.

It said: "Hello! My name is..."

I leaned down and picked up the curled, stick on tag, bits of gravel and dirt sticking to the back.

Written in caps, in what I can only assume to be sharpie, read, "NATE".

Nate. Someone here is missing their name tag, and their name is Nate.

Nate.

Nate.

I loved that name. Why?

Once, I had a dear friend named Nate.

I looked over to my left. A trashcan was only feet away from me.

Holding my tray in my left hand and the name tag in my right, I did what any normal person would do.

I slapped the name tag on my chest.

I continue on my way down the sidewalk, looking for the little table hidden in the mists of shrubs and little trees.

Found it.

And there, sitting at our little lunch table, was all my dear friends; some I've known as early as the beginning of elementary school.

And, of course, there were some unwelcome guests sitting at our table as well.

Well, unwelcome by ME, at least.

ToxicArrow, or Arrow, is my best friend in the whole wide world. We had a little bit of a rough start in the fifth grade, but ever since sixth grade, we have been closer than sisters. And I HAVE a sister, so that says a lot.

Arrow has black hair, with green in her bangs and all hair growing past her head. Today she wore her combat suite. Combat in Mincraftia is equivalent to JROTC in your world. She is also in her second year of band, verses some of my friends who have been in band since sixth grade, like me. Only, I quite this year, but that's not the point. She plays the Clarinet.

Sitting beside Arrow was Alvin.

Oh boy...

Alvin, or EpicChaos, came here in sixth grade. He tries to get people to call him Chaos, and I'm all for it. Because where ever he goes, chaos an destruction follows.

For the first year and a half of middle school, I had had a HUGE crush on him. That was until I began to see what kind of a person he really was...

But, I, I thought it came back in eighth grade. I thought we once had a moment. I thought he changed. I thought he and I really had a connection that day. I thought...

I thought he would be my first kiss.

Sadly, he hasn't changed. At all. He's only used the connection I had with him that day to push himself deeper into my circle of friends and is now trying to push me out. He's still the egotistical bigheaded pig he's always been. He'll never change.

Today he wore his usual attire: blue and black head set, a brown Skyrim style jacket (In this heat? Really??), a diamond sword on his back (he is an advanced combat tutor. Like seriously, he's at college level. That's what I call dedicated), artichoke green pants, and black shoes. The shoes were as dark as his hair. He, like Arrow, was also in band. Since the sixth grade. He plays the saxophone.

Beside Alvin sat my friend, Mary, or MZGaming. I've known her since first grade. I don't have as much in common with her as Arrow and some of my other friends, but she's a dear friend, none the less. She has waist long brown hair, a yellow dress, a pink belt, and blue jeans. She is a hardcore band geek. And like Alvin, she also plays saxophone, along with percussion, piano, guitar; you name it, she plays it.

Sitting across from Mary was, ug.

Megan.

Megan is pretty shut in when it comes to things like superheroes, movies, fandoms, and video games. Heck, she didn't know what STAR WARS was when she came to school here, which Alvin flipped out over.

Back in middle school when I thought Mary and I were closer friends than we actually were, Megan kind of became my, "replacement" to Mary when it comes to friend. I no longer walk to classes with Mary. Megan does. That wouldn't be such a problem except Megan makes it so I don't feel welcome if I walk with both of them.

Whenever I try to be friendly to Megan, my perky happiness always puts her in a sour mood. Like I do with Alvin, I argue a lot with her. She will make the most irrational statements, and, I know I should just let it go, but I just can't. Be always just end up head bunting about the most stupid things that should automatically be proven by logic and/or science.

For instance, she once told me that EVERY dinosaur that ever existed ALL had same size the brain: The size of a walnut.

A WALNUT.

I am a die hard Jurassic Park nerd all the way, and I tend to get really defensive about things that I'm passionate about.

I mean, come on, I know SOME dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus had the brain the size of a walnut, but there are some dinosaurs that have heads SMALLER than that of a walnut. And dinosaurs with the heads the size of Volkswagens are automatically going to have LARGER brains (even if it's only a little larger) than one with the head of a golfball. It's proportions. It's just logic.

But somehow, I always end up in an argument with her because she refuses to see to that logic.

Just... Just...UG!

For the first day of school, Megan wore holely shorts and a blue cut top, showing her belly button. The shirt was strapless, and showed, let me tell you, a LOT of flesh. Like, how do you get away with that at school?

Oh right. High schoolers can do anything they want; dress code or not.

Megan had chocolate brown hair, a blue flower bow, and green eyes. She also wore blue Elsa style gloves the color of her shirt. The gloves were so long, they almost reached her armpits.

Beside Megan sat my good friend White, or Whiteandblacky. True to her name, White had white and black stripped hair, a white blouse, and a black skirt. She also wore knee-high black and white stripped socks and black polished shoes.

"Hey guys!" I said.

"Hi Becky! How has your first day of high school been?" Arrow said.

"Good, thank you! But I've lost my backpack. Have you guys seen it?"

"The Spongebob one? How have you ALREADY lost it?" Alvin asked, not looking up from his sandwich. "I'm not surprised."

I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry Becky, we haven't seen it. But don't worry, we'll find it. Besides, it's only the first day of school! The teachers couldn't possibly be THAT upset about it if it comes to the worst." White said. That made me feel better.

A little better.

Beside White was an empty seat, one I could only assume they had saved for me.

I was touched. No one, not even my friends, saved seats for me. I'm always either late to lunch, or really early. Today I was late, so I thought for sure I would have to sit on the ground... Again...

"Why are you wearing that name tag?" Alvin said, in that tone of voice meaning he is SO much better than me.

"Rebel without a cause, bruh. Got noth'en on me."

I plopped my tray on the table, and was about to rest my rear on the seat when Megan spoke up.

"That seat's saved."

I stopped, my butt mid air. I looked at my companions, betrayed.

"Who else could POSSIBLY be sitting with us?" I wined, playfully resentful. I took my tray, and stood back up.

I turned around to walked around to where I normally sit (on the ground beside Arrow) when I bumped into someone.

My heart stopped.

Could it possibly? No, it couldn't be.

From his teal headset and matching Assassin's Creed style scarf; to his blue, sleeve ripped jacket and white undershirt; from his teal cut gloves to his piercing red eyes and jet black hair; there was simply no denying it.

It was Nate.

My childhood playmate and best friend, Nate moved out of the region before middle school started.

Once, I thought I had feelings for him. But when he moved, I was forced to let them go.

But now that he's back...

"Becky!" He yelled, and hugged me.

"Nate, my man! Its been so long!" I managed to squeeze out of my lungs.

Nate let go of me. "Oh, uh, and I found this in English." He pulled off his backpack, reveling it to actually be MINE.

"Oh, thank you so much! You're a life savor." I took the backpack with my free hand. "How did you know it was mine?"

"Who else owns a Spongebob backpack in high school? Plus, your name tag is on it."

"Oh! Right." I said, wanting to face palm. The "I belong to..." tag on the zipper had "PossiblyAwesome" written on it.

"And speaking of name tags..." Nate said, looking down at my chest.

I almost slapped him when I realized he was just looking at the name tag I was wearing.

NATE.

"I was wondering where that went..." He trailed off.

"Oh yeah!" I giggled. "I found this on the ground. You want it back?"

"No no, you keep it." He laughed with me. "That will be so fun to confuse the teachers."

I grinned. "It's good to have you back, Nate."

"It's good to be back, Becky."

This is going to be a wonderful year.