Mer-Made Life

A New Place, A New People

After getting settled in after the moving truck arrived, personal belongings were getting organized for the family. Dosina was readying to take the kids to the school for enrollment. They needed to finish the school year and make up for a little lost time. All the transcripts were in order as she hurried them into the car.

Tulip spoke up as they headed for the car. "Mom? Why can't we finish school over the summer? I'm still liking NOT going to school a lot!"

"Me too!" Olive agreed and pouted as she climbed into the back seat of their car. They still had the rental. Their auto was somewhere in a boat on the pacific ocean.

"Yeah, right!" Pearl started in with them. She was hurt and upset.

"You two will probably find thirty or more kids at school just as unruly as you are. Instant friends will be easy for you to make. My chances of making another close friend again are probably zero." Pearl missed Christie. They chatted on the phone quite a bit, but it wasn't the same for either of them as they felt their separation.

"You're all going to be just fine. There are plenty of kids there, and you'll be very welcome. There's an island tradition of kindness to strangers, and I'm sure you'll quickly make many new friends. Anyway, here we are! Get your things ready," their mother said as the car pulled into one of the visitor parking spots.

They headed into the principal's office. She was waiting for them and had already made arrangements with the teachers about the new students they would have. It was close to the end of the school year, but there was no issue taking in a few more. The classrooms were only partially full this year. They went as a group to the classrooms to introduce the new students.

The principal knocked on the first classroom door and opened it. The teacher stopped speaking. The principal quickly introduced the twins and Pearl to the students. Each twin was in a different class to help them learn to be individuals. They were used to it but never liked that sense of separation from each other.

"Class, this is Tulip and Olive. They are twins from the mainland and will be joining us here. Tulip will be in this class. Their parents were from here originally, but this is their children's first time being back home. Oh, and this is their older sister, Pearl. Please welcome them all and show them our island hospitality. Thanks, and have a great class time."

The principal waited for everyone to finish their greetings, and then she nodded to the teacher to take over once again.

They went to the next classroom and went in like the first. Olive was in her homeroom, and the shrinking troupe moved on to the final classroom.

The principal directly introduced the teacher, Mr. Thomas, to Pearl. She then introduced Pearl to the class. Pearl smiled at the kids as they welcomed her, but she didn't hear a thing as their voices rang out. There he was, the cutest boy she had ever seen in her life, and he was in her class. Things just got wonderful and embarrassingly awkward. She almost didn't hear the teacher asking her to take her seat. All she could do was stare at him and blush.

"Pearl, did you hear? Please, take any open seat you like. We need to get the class started again. Thank you for letting us meet you."

Pearl was finding it difficult to focus, but she chose the empty chair directly behind the boy she couldn't stop staring at. She walked past him with her face down, feeling far more embarrassed than ever before, and took the seat. She was blushing, felt feverish, and couldn't stop smiling.

The teacher cleared his throat and said, "Pearl, that's Whelk sitting directly before you. He's my best student this year. Whelk, please help Pearl if she has any questions if I'm busy teaching the whole class. I'm sure she'll have many concerns that you can quietly address for me. Thank you for helping out."