Our Classic Christmas Story

Chapter one: I'm the new kid (Bennet)

Great. This is just what I need. What a great idea, dads! Lets move to a new city in a whole different state, and in a whole new country in the middle of winter. Not to mention the middle of the school year.

"Almost. Oh hey, look! There's the school you're going to, Bennet!" Father says. I look out the window. And sure enough, I see my soon to be school.

"Oh... I forgot to tell you," Dad says. "I have to drop you off at the school so you can shadow and get to know the school before you start tomorrow."

"Seriously?! We just got here and I already have so much to do! I have to shadow today, go to school tomorrow, and start tutoring for maths. Oh! And I still have to unpack, in case you forgot," I exclaim.

"Hey! Lighten up! It's Christmas time!" my older brother Cameron explains. "This is a time for joy! Not for being down and depressed!"

"Easy for you to say" I mumble. We pull up to the parking lot and there is this lady, about in her 30's with long black hair and is wearing a cobalt blue suit. I open the door and she comes right up to me.

"Hi! You must be Bennet Clarke! I'm Principal Cho! Are you ready to shadow today?" I blink in surprise. I don't think I will be ready with your voice so loud and happy. She leads me to the class I will be shadowing.

"This will be your ELA class!" Principal Cho exclaims. I look in to see people talking with their friends and finding their seats. Then I see this group of girls, the popular girls no doubt, glaring at everybody who passes them as though to pass a warning not to sit next to them.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I have this name tag for you to wear so that people know your name!" the Principal practically shouts. I walk in and find a seat. I sit right next to one of the girls, not caring that she might not want me to sit next to her. I notice her staring at me and I realise that I'm being impolite.

"Hi," I say, finally getting a good look at her. She has long blond hair with pink bangs and hazel eyes. She continues to look but doesn't say anything.

"Nice vest, nerd," the girl next to her says.

"Thanks, idiot," I cringe inside as I think about my mom and why we moved here from England. One of the other girls gets up and comes up to me.

"You better watch your tongue or you'll have a real enemy, dickface," I start to say something in response, but then an image of my mom comes to mind and I shut my mouth. The girl in the pink bangs starts to scribble something down and looks at me so I glare at her, like I'm trying to tell her to back off with my eyes. She looks back down at her paper and crumbles it up and throws it away.

"Okay class before we start with today's lesson, we have a new student! Today he is shadowing around the school before he attends tomorrow. Bennet? Would you like to stand up and tell the class some things about yourself?" The teacher announces.

"Umm, I guess," I stand up. "My name is Bennet Clarke, I moved here from England, and I play the piano."

"Okay, that's nice. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Have you met Queen Elizabeth? Or live next to Big Ben?" one girl from the back asks.

"Have you met Beyonce? And no I haven't seen a great landmark in my neighbourhood," I spat back, getting defensive. I guess I wasn't ready for the stereotypical questions everyone has about England.

"That's enough," the teacher orders. I sit down, disappointed in myself for losing control. I sound like my mom. I look up to see the teacher writing something on the board:

Partners list!

- Aiko and Bennet

- Makenzi and Kalhi