Emma's Six- New Adventures

Returning to Park Vale

We finished the Easter holidays, and we're getting ready for our first day back at school. I'm sitting with Anne, Jane, and Luke at the kitchen table. Jane and Anne talk about what they think our new headmaster will be like, while Luke is sitting at his laptop. Maria sent an email earlier this morning, and Mum had to chase Luke back to bed as he wanted to read it at half five in the morning. Mum and Mummy walk in and start packing our packed lunches. After the incident with the Slitheen, none of us are willing to risk our lives in the canteen.
'How is she?' Mummy asks Luke. 'Does she like Washington?'
'She says it's awesome.'
'It sounds like Maria's going to fit in perfectly.'
'Sounds like it.' Luke sadly closes the computer.
'Luke, we know it's hard when a really good friend, someone you care about, moves out of your life. But you'll see Maria again. She's coming back for her mum's wedding. I'm sure we'll all meet up again then.'
'It won't be the same.'
'Maybe not,' Mum agrees. 'But it won't be so bad. One of the best things about life is that it's always surprising us.'

'Luke, you got a chance to say goodbye to Maria,' Anne says. 'Sometimes, you don't even get that.'
'Yeah, what happened with the ladies-in-waiting, it was so unfair. They shouldn't have died! If we carry weapons, then there's less chance that will happen.'
'No, that increases the chance,' Jane corrects. 'Most aliens are trigger-happy. Most of the people we know didn't make it. And with the lives we lead, by the twentieth century, hardly anyone wanted to have anything to do with us.'
'But most of you married and settled down.'
'Well, let's just say Emma gave our husbands and James a head's up.'

'Morning, people,' Clyde exclaims as he bounds into the room. 'This is Clyde Langer, reporting live from Bannerman Road, where at this precise moment, a family is moving in at number thirty-six.' We all jump up, gather our bags and head out of the door to see if we can see anyone.

On the opposite side of the road, we see a moving van. Two men walk out, carrying a frame between them, and they carry it into the house. 'Boy, they have no idea what they're moving in over the road from,' Catalina says when she, Anna, and Kitty join us.
'No, and they're not going to find out!' Mummy says.
'You understand?' Mum asks. 'You can't breathe a word about this to them.'
'Why would we?' Luke asks sadly as he walks down the road towards the school. 'It's not like it's Maria.'

'Don't worry, Mummy, we won't say anything,' I promise. 'But we better hope there's nothing alien over there.'
'I beg your pardon?'
'Let's face it; we don't have the most orthodox of contacts. Who knows what's gotten lost over the road?' The rest of us head off to school.

When we reach the playground, Anne fishes around inside her rucksack pocket and pulls out badges. 'What are these?' Jane asks.
'Pride badges,' Anne says, holding one out to Catalina, Jane, Anna, Kitty, and me. 'I made them yesterday.'
'These are awesome!' I grin as I attach mine to an inside pocket of my messenger bag. We start pinning them on our bags and walk into school. We catch up with Luke and Clyde in one of the corridors.

'I did not fancy Maria,' Luke insists again, and we groan. Why are Luke and Clyde having this conversation yet again? We already had it at least five times! Clyde opens his locker as the conversation ends, and someone collides with him.
'Oi! Watch it!' Clyde says as he turns to face the person.

The person is a teenager, around our age. She has shoulder-length, straight brown hair and warm brown eyes. She currently looks like a deer caught in the headlights. She bends down to pick up her scattered books and stands up again. 'Don't mention it. It's no problem.'
'Sorry,' she says. 'I'm looking for Mr Cunningham's form.'
'That's our form,' Catalina says.
'I start today.'
'And you happen to run into me?' Clyde asks. 'Now that's what I call a start.'
'Yeah, like starting the hundred metres and tripping over your laces.' She is staring down as she says that but looks up at Clyde at the last part. Clyde looks down to check his laces, and we laugh.
'This is Clyde,' Luke says. 'He thinks he's cool. I'm Luke.'
'Who isn't,' Clyde retorts. 'And I see you already met their esteemed majesties, Catalina, Anne, Jane, Anna, Kitty and Emma. They form the coolest clique in the school, which only they are part of.'
'Rani,' Rani chuckles. 'My family just moved into Bannerman Road.'
'Whoa, Sarah Jane and Ruby were right,' Anne says. 'The universe never stops weirding you out.'
'Sarah who?'
'Doesn't matter,' I say. 'Come on; we don't want you to be late on your first day.'