I judge my reflection in the mirror. Is my skin tan enough? Definitely. I was tan before, but after all that time I spent at the beach over the summer, I'm even MORE tan.

Is my hair okay? I added some blond highlights at the last second to the dark brown.

My appearance on the first day of school is very important. I like to have good impressions on my classmates, just in case they've forgotten how I looked over the summer.

"Nice posing."

Austin, my brother, smirks from the doorway. He looks like he couldn't care less about what people think of his appearance. He's wearing an old camp shirt and shorts with a hole in one of the pockets.

Then again, who knows WHAT he thinks is fashionable.

I decide to ignore him, which usually works. He's one of those people who seek attention. I am not one, have never been one, and will never be one.

Sure enough, my strategy works and he leaves, probably to go annoy my dad. I feel guilty, but not guilty enough to stop him.

Once I'm satisfied with how I look, I hurry down the stairs, two at a time. This habit annoys Austin, which obviously makes me want to do it even more.

I quickly eat my breakfast. (Buttered toast. Yummy, but not good enough for a day like today.) I then say goodbye to my Dad, (After having to take way too many pictures of us), and start walking to the school, little brother by my side.

My house is actually pretty close to the school, which is convenient when the weather isn't great.

Austin is chatting it up, talking about all the new sports programs he'll be able to join now that he's in grade five.

That's right, he's in grade five. Surprising, huh? Based on his maturity, it's shocking he isn't in Kindergarten.

Anyways, I try to tune him out. 

It doesn't work.

So by the time we make it to the school, my ears are practically talked off. 

Austin isn't always this chatty. Only when he gets excited. Then he talks super fast and it's hard to understand him. This was one of those times.

I wish him good luck on his first day. He nods and runs off to join his friends. Was that completely rude of him? Yes. Am I used to him and his antics by now? Also yes.

Seeing him with his friends reminds me of my friends as well. Which makes me remember that all three of them are in a class together and I'm not. Which makes me remember that I was trying not to remember that.

So I try to forget once again and walk over to Ava and Nicole, who are already here, a big smile pasted on my face.

"Hi!"

Nicole sees me and runs over to give me a hug. I usually accept, even like her hugs. But I'm not in the mood today, so I step back. Nicole looks a bit hurt and I feel bad. But I don't have enough space in my mind left to pity her too much. At the moment, I'm using all the pity I have for myself.

It totally makes sense.

Ava walks over to greet me too. She smiles and I can tell she doesn't feel bad that I'm in a different class. Somehow, this makes me happy. I'm fine with pitying myself, but I hate when other people, especially my friends, do it.

"Where's Lillian?" I ask.

"She's late."

We all sigh simultaneously. Last year, Nicole was the one that was late every day. The year before, it was Ava. This year, I guess it will be Lillian. Am I next? I hope not. I hate being late for school.

"We should head to class soon." Ava looks at her watch. "Three minutes until the bell."

"Yeah." I agree. "Let's get going."

For a second, I almost follow them. But when they look at me weirdly, I realize my mistake.

"Right." I say, trying to feign enthusiasm. "Well, have a good day."

"You too!" Nicole calls out, but I almost don't hear it, since Ava has already dragged her away.

I turn around, and drag my feet as I head to MY teacher, Mrs. Perashi. She's one of the teachers that have been teaching here at the school a long time. She still looks pretty young to me though.

I tell her my name and she smiles and shakes my hand.

"With me as your teacher, you're going to come out this year as a genius."

I can't tell if she's being sarcastic or really self absorbed. Either way, I think it's funny, so I laugh.

But the laugh dies from my lips when I see the classmates I have this year. Kendric. Candice. Reggie. Why am I stuck with the bad kids?

I steal a glance at my friends. Their classmates seem just fine. And why wouldn't they be? They get every single thing they want, so why should today be any different?

Ok, I know I'm being petty. And I know it's not THEIR fault that I was separated from them. But I still feel bitter about it.

Lillian's caught up to them by now. I smirk at her appearance. Her glasses are askew and her black braid is a mess. Her green eyes are wide with panic and her dark skin shines with sweat. She looks like she just woke up and then ran as fast as possible to school. In fact, she probably DID just do that.

But before I can make a snide comment about it, (In my head of course), the bell rings. Mrs. Perashi tells everyone to follow her into the school, and everyone starts walking after her, conversing with their friends. A normal teacher would have made everyone stand in a straight line and be quiet. I decide I like Mrs. Perashi.

We climb up the stairs. It'll be my first time being in a classroom on the upper floor. I don't care HOW nerdy it is, but I'm excited about it.

We put our stuff in our lockers. I'm placed next to Rheana, a girl who kind of has a reputation of being a teacher's pet.

Now, some people call me a teacher's pet as well. But that's really not fair at all. Just because I get good grades doesn't mean I like the teachers THAT much. When I think of a teacher's pet, I imagine someone that hugs the teacher daily, always asking/pestering them with questions about the latest test and always volunteering to do extra things, like help the teacher organize some quizzes. I don't do that. Rheana does.

It sounds like a good thing to be. In most kids' minds though, it really isn't.

Rheana even looks the part, with her short hair always pushed back with a headband, her posture straight, showing off her shirts with inspiring words, like: Reach for the stars! Go for it! Believe in yourself!

Sometimes, me and my friends laugh at her a bit.

Once we're done with our lockers, (A kid already forgot what locker number he has), we head into our classroom.

We have a seating plan, which is a bit disappointing. I don't like seating plans. I always end up next to a jerk, a pest, or a really dumb kid. I think all the teachers hope that I'll have a good influence on them or something like that.

I end up next to Reggie, one of the 'bad' kids I saw earlier. (Out of the three options above, I think he's mostly a pest.)

Mrs. Perashi starts to speak.

"Hi everyone." She smirks, and it's cool that she doesn't have one of those fake shiny smiles teachers usually give, when they'd rather be anywhere on Earth other than in front of a class. I understand why they give those fake smiles. I would too.

Rheana raises her hand and the teacher nods in her direction.

"Will we be playing a game to get to know each other?"

That's always what we do on the first day of school, so I'm not surprised when a bunch of kids yawn at that.

"Well, I wasn't planning on it." Mrs. Perashi shrugs. "I'm sure you're all bored of doing that for the past few years. Why don't we do something different? I'll just let you all talk to each other for," She checks her watch. "Half an hour. Deal?"

"Deal." We all answer.

I decide I don't like her anymore. I'm going to look like SUCH a loser when no one wants to have a conversation with me.

I'm correct.

So instead, I just sit at my desk and wait, head down, occasionally glancing up to hear snippets of conversation.

"Hey, want to play basketball at recess?"

"And then she was like..."

"No way, that's SO weird."

Really, can't their conversations just be a tiny bit more entertaining for me? It's like they're being so supremely uninteresting on purpose. The only conversation that I was even MILDLY interested in was a debate between Owen and Arit about which cafeteria lunch was the best. Owen said the hamburgers. Arit said macaroni salad. I have to say, I think I agree with Owen on this one.

FINALLY, the half hour ends and everyone returns to their seats. But before Mrs. Perashi can even start speaking, the principal lets herself into the classroom. She always checks on each class during the first week of school. And when I say she "checks", I mean she gives some ultra boring speech about "kindness" and "making a difference."

When I say it like that, I don't mean that kindness and all that is not important. I just mean that it's not THE most important. 

Anyways, as she gives her speech, I think of my friends. What are they doing right now? Do they have a seating plan too? Are there any new kids in their class? There aren't any in mine. Will a new girl in their class replace ME?

I'm going to have to wait until lunch to get the answers to my questions.

Lunch and recess are now the only times I'm going to be able to see my friends. Oh, and maybe gym class too. But that's it. I won't be with them for the rest of each day. Not for science. Not for math. Not for anything else. I don't even realize how depressed I look until Reggie pokes me in the arm and points it out in that charming way of his.

"Why are you making that weird face?"

I immediately exit my mini trance.

"It's less weird than yours." I snap back at him.

In my head.

***

I wish I had eaten more breakfast, because by lunch, I'm famished. I'm literally the first one in line at the cafeteria. I take a long time deciding between the spaghetti and the chicken fingers, which makes the people behind me a bit grouchy.

Once I've chosen the spaghetti, milk, and a fruit cup, I turn to the wall and lean against it, waiting for everyone else. By everyone else, I mean Nicole, Ava, and Lillian. They make up my lunch table from last year.

But they're really taking a long time, and my food's getting cold. It's been ten minutes since the bell rang for lunch.

Where could they be?

My stomach growls, reminding me how hungry I am. I decide to just find a table and eat while I wait. I choose a smaller one in the back corner and take a seat. I look down at my food contemplating what to eat first. 

I sigh and look up. I'm surprised to come face to face with a boy in a hoodie, with reddish brown hair and glasses.

It's Owen. From my class, remember?

"I'm gonna sit here, okay?"

He makes it sound more like a statement than a request. For some reason, it annoys me.

"What are YOU doing here?"

Okay, fine. Maybe I can be a bit nicer than that. But come on, I'm known for my brains at this school, not for how nice I am.

Maybe this is some sort of dare or joke. If it is, then it's just not funny. At all. I steal a glance at the table where I expected Owen to sit, where all the "likeable" people go. They're not even looking at us.

This is weird.

Owen is looking at me, like he's expecting me to be HAPPY that he's come to sit here. Well...am I happy? I guess it IS better than sitting alone. I huff in frustration.

"Fine. You can sit."

"I was going to anyway, you know. Now scooch."

I glare at him and motion to the other side of the table where there's lots more room. He shrugs and slams his lunch tray down on the table, making a sound that echoes throughout the cafeteria, making people stare at us. Why did he do that? Is he not embarrassed? Is he not humiliated? As if he can read my mind, he turns to me and grins.

Boys.

For the next five minutes, we eat our lunch in silence. I know Owen will eventually break it. He likes the sound of his own voice. So I'm not surprised when, out of nowhere, he says:

"This spaghetti is dry."

"I bet you wish they were serving hamburgers."

It comes out before I can stop it. Shoot. Now he knows I was eavesdropping on his earlier conversation.

But he just laughs.

"You're not as innocent as everyone thinks you are." He leans back in his chair. "Right?"

"I guess." I mumble.

I decide to change the topic.  

"Why are you sitting here anyways?"

"The guys at my table were being annoying."

"More annoying than they usually are?"

Again, my mouth speaks before I can stop it. What's wrong with me today? I hope Owen will find this just as funny as the last thing I blurted out and won't take it personally.

Thankfully, he does, and we move on.

"How were they being annoying?"

"You know what they're like."

He shrugs nonchalantly. Wow. Girls are much more serious (and dramatic) about our arguments.

"And why are you sitting with me instead of someone else?"

"Because you're quiet."

"Thanks." I reply sarcastically, rolling my eyes to the ceiling.

Is that what everyone thinks? That I'm the quiet one? I'd much rather be the brainy one.

"I don't mean it in a bad way." He tells me.

And that's how we got into a whole conversation. It was fun. I laughed a lot. He did too. I never knew I was THAT funny. Or maybe boys just laugh a lot.

Nicole, Ava and Lillian didn't show up for the rest of Lunch.

And yet, I was fine.