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I walk into the room and take a seat at the front of the class. I look around at all the faces, some holding dreamy expressions and others impatient. One of these faces, though it tried to blend into the crowd, catches my eye.
A boy positioned near the back of the classroom sits with his feet leaning on his desk desk whilst subtly jutting his head to the beat coming out of his earphones. His bright purple hair lies softly on his forehead, covering his light brown eyes. He quickly moves to position himself in a more presentable way, reminding me where I am. I quickly divert my gaze to the front of the room as the teacher walks in and takes her spot at the front of the classroom, standing with her hands clasping her belongings and her back straight.
She strides forward elegantly and gently rests her belongings down onto the desk. Her eyes scan the room before they rest on me. She smiles comfortingly before she addresses the rest of the class. Without hesitation she states, "Welcome back, everyone! Many of you know me already as Ms Grey, but for those who don't," she smiles once again, flashing her perfectly straight teeth, "my name is Ms Grey. I'm sure some of you have noticed an unfamiliar face here, and I'd like all of you to wish her a warm welcome to our school."
Ms Grey nods towards me politely. I take that as a cue to stand, holding my hands to keep myself from shaking. "I'm Daisy," I manage to choke out, giving a small wave. Some of them smile reassuringly, assuaging my nerves, whilst others stare at me with blank expressions. I sit down, and everyone looks back towards Ms Grey. She nods, and the introduction is over. It's up to me now, to navigate the rough waters of high school. I try and focus on our geography curriculum and what we're covering for the semester, but my mind is buzzing. My hands hovers over my paper, reluctant to write anything down.
I somehow manage to cope through the entire lesson, scrambling two pages behind everyone else. Everything is fast-paced, something I'm not used to. The bell rings shrilly, vibrating inside my head. I stand up along with everyone else and shove all my belongings into my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I lick my lips and head towards the door, my stomach growling for some food. I feel someone place their hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see who it is, expecting to see Ms Grey, but end up crashing into them instead. I mumble an apology, daring myself to raise my gaze from the floor. Once I do, I see a pretty brunette with a kind face. Her wavy hair bounces off her shoulders, and her even browner eyes sparkle, giving off a cheerful and caring aura that follows her with every move. She smiles at me widely, extending her hand. I give her a small smile in return as shake it.
"Hi," she adjusts the strap of her bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm Vienna. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Daisy," I reply, even though she heard me introduce myself at the beginning of the period. "Nice to meet you too."
She guides me out of the classroom, walking beside me to the cafeteria. All the while, we exchange small talk, learning little things about each other. We soon reach the cafeteria without getting lost. Vienna immediately makes a beeline for her regular table, with me trailing behind her. As I take a seat beside her, I take note of how they all have the same aura as Vienna: bright and cheerful. I like it.
