01.
[ H E R M I O N E ]

I'm officially freaking out. This is it; I'm here. I'm finally here-I made it past eighth grade and now all my hard work was paying off.

"Get lost, suckers," I whoop as a few elementary students stop to stare longingly at the throng of people streaming into the heavy metal doors of the building.

A huge banner with the words "WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL" printed in gigantic block letters is the first thing that greets me as I begin my ascent up the steps leading to the entrance of Brook High.

I can already picture it; instrument in hand, bowing as the audience applauds ferociously. The concert last semester was amazing-I reckon this year's will be even better. After all, Brook High's band's conductor, Mr. Parker, is simply amazing.

Too stuck in my daydream, I don't notice when someone shoulders past me and knocks my books right out of my grip.

Sitting on my butt, I see the back of a girl's head. Blonde hair stuffed into a bun sits on top of her skull and a crop top hugs the upper part of her fifteen-year-old body.

If it isn't Jessalyn, the devil herself.

She's wearing booty shorts paired with-am I seeing things?-high heels, proudly strutting into school.

"What the heck?!" I yell after the blonde devil, face red. I hear a few snickers behind me as I gather my materials from the floor before turning on my heel and sprinting into the entrance.

"My first day as a ninth-grader sure got off to a great start," I mutter under my breath as I follow the crowd blindly through the many twists and turns. I'm glad the hallways are packed with senior students today-I have no idea where to go, and we all have our lockers stationed in the same section of school. In a way, the massive swarm of people are guiding me.

A boy in a blue button-down shirt and loose jeans stands to one side, guiding people to their destinations. A badge rests proudly on his chest; one glance at him and I already know that he's Kyle, president of the student council. I contemplate whether or not I should approach him. Maybe later, I mentally shrug.

As I near a classroom with a flag sticking out of the wall that says '3A', a mop of curly, dyed ombre hair catches my eye.

"Katey!" I exclaim, glad to see a familiar face. Excitement pumps through my body as I take in the scene and see her engaging in a standoff with none other than Satania Lee.

That name suits her right. Body the size of a pear, Satania's eyes remind me of raisins that have been framed by a pair of ugly glasses. She's wearing a tight white sweater with the Nike logo on it that hugs her in all the wrong places. Her jeans are ripped as a result of the combusting cellulite beneath the many layers, an obvious sign that she's anything but fit.

Katey smirks, stepping up until she's face to face with her sworn enemy. Her crew, Amelia and Ron, appear beside her. As the 'cool kids' of Brook High, they make an intimidating trio.

Satania doesn't waver. The girl has guts; I've got to give her that. She's also alone, as always.

Suddenly, the crowd gathered around them suddenly stops chattering as Satania tries to speak in a composed manner-or as composed as a normal girl can be when faced with the most intimidating trio in school.

By now, everyone in the hallway is staring. It's quiet. Way too quiet. Satania's mouth is moving, but no words come out of it.

Someone seizes this as a chance, "Beat her ass up, Katey!" the unmistakable voice of Maximus, our local sports car enthusiast, resonates through the atmosphere.

It's enough to rouse everyone back from their daze. People begin to cheer, jeer and even scream. It's utter chaos, but I can't help but enjoy it.

Katey's known for her brutality and savageness when dealing with her enemies. She folds her arms and grins even wider while Amelia and Ron bare their teeth threateningly.

A brief silence ensues before Satania manages to find her voice.

"I challenge you to a battle of the bands."

What. The. Fuck.

"You're way out of her league," I mouth to Katey as she looks back at me. Eyebrows raised in amusement, she pretends to consider Satania's request.

"Sure thing, honey," she sneers back.

I shake my head in disbelief as the students erupt in noise. With the ruckus everyone is causing, I'm surprised no teacher has shown up yet. I hold back a laugh as Satania dashes out of the spot and turns a corner, cheeks scarlet.

Katey places a hand on my shoulder and chuckles. "Hope to see you there," she says. I know what she's referring to, of course. I nod at Katey before acknowledging Amelia and Ron with a smile.

Heading over to my classroom, I wave at Katey, expecting her to follow me.

My initial joy soon fades as she waves back and disappears into the classroom across mine. I groan, disappointed.

"Oh well," I enter my assigned homeroom reluctantly, "a fresh start, I guess."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Old is an understatement to describe the classroom. The once shiny, clean walls are now reduced to a rotting yellow. A few scribbles containing offensive words decorate the room here and there; cracks seem to appear everywhere.

I see a head resting on a desk not too far from where I'm standing. The girl's hair is dark and short, curling at the ends naturally. I decide to sit near her. All my friends are either not here yet or in another class. Might as well as start finding some company so I don't appear too pathetic before other people's eyes.

I sit down with a plop, and the door opens. Instantly, the chatter dies down. It's the start of a new school year.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Author's note:

Hey! Hermione here. This chapter was intended to be a pilot, so therefore, I have not written a lot. However, I promise I will increase the length of my chapters as I go on. Until then, see you in the next chapter, where Grace takes the reins!

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬