Coming Home | Scarlett Johansson's Daughter |

MALLORY

NEW YORK 2024 - HILLTOP PRIVATE SCHOOL - FIRST DAY OF CLASS AFTER BREAK

Alina was very excited to see her friends after break. The friend group had basically not spent any time together since their winter break started. She had flown to Russia to visit her father's family, Sora had flown to Japan, Lani had stayed in New York and Violet spent half her break in Canada and the other half in Denmark with her mother's family. They had all come back to New York around the same time, but jet lag and even more family time had made it very hard to get together.

The last time they had been together physically had been the very last day of school, and the sleepover they had right before everyone was on a flight to different parts of the world. They had texted and Facetimed, but Alina already felt weird after not seeing them for so long.

As she approached her homeroom, she spotted Kalani walking ahead. Kalani was already heading in the same direction, her backpack slung over one shoulder. Alina quickened her pace, her smile widening as she called out to her friend.

"Lani!" Alina's voice rang out, filled with genuine enthusiasm. "It's so good to see you!"

Kalani turned, her face lighting up as she saw Alina. "Alina! I missed you!" They rushed into a warm hug, both girls laughing with relief and happiness. The embrace was a comfort after their long separation.

As they walked towards their homeroom, Alina and Kalani chatted animatedly about their vacations, their voices mixing with the hum of the bustling school hallways. They turned a corner and came into view of the class list pinned on the wall, where students were starting to gather. Their conversation abruptly halted as their eyes fell on the list.

"Wait a second," Kalani said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Look at Violet's name."

Alina's eyes widened as she followed Kalani's gaze. "Violet Reynolds? I thought her name was still Thomas."

Kalani nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. "Yeah, it was. I wonder if she knows. I mean, it's a big deal for her, right? I remember how stressed she was about all the changes last year."

Alina bit her lip, her thoughts racing. "She was really worried about everyone finding out about her parents. I know she mentioned it on Facetime, but I didn't think it would get updated this quickly."

Kalani glanced around, making sure no one else was listening. "Do you think she's freaking out? I mean, it's pretty official now. Everyone will know who her parents are."

As Alina and Kalani entered their homeroom, their conversation about Violet's name change was interrupted by a sudden realization. They saw Violet already inside, deep in conversation with Mallory, a girl from their class whom they hadn't interacted with much.

"Hey, look," Kalani whispered, nodding towards Violet. "She's already here."

Alina and Kalani exchanged curious glances as they noticed Violet's relaxed demeanor. She was chatting animatedly with Mallory, her nervousness seemingly replaced by a bright smile.

"Hey, Violet!" Alina called out as they entered the room.

Violet looked up and waved, her face lighting up with excitement. "Hey, Alina! Lani! You're here!" She squealed. She hugged them both as they approached.

Alina greeted as they sat down. "How's it going?"

Violet gave a slightly relieved smile. "I'm doing okay. Just getting back into the swing of things."

Kalani noticed a hint of nervousness in Violet's eyes. "We saw the class list earlier and noticed your name has changed. Did you know about that?"

Violet nodded, her expression a mixture of resignation and apprehension. "Yeah, I saw it too. My parents mentioned it to me. I guess it's official now. I was a bit worried at first, but we had an early meeting with some teachers and coordinators, so so far everything's been normal."