School.

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"This is Autumn. Please make her feel welcome!" My homeroom teacher announces to the class as I stand by her desk, cheeks beet red. A few students smile at me, but others just stare at their desks.

I sit next to Fabian at the back, and pull out my spiral book and read until the bell goes for first period.

"What've you got?" Fabian asks as I pack away my book into my satchel.

"Umm.." I have to check my timetable. "Double English." I sigh. Only I could get double English on my first day.

"Me too!" He smiles, and I fake a smile back.

I've decided not to stand out, and to keep my head down and try to blend in. It's easier that way, so no one will miss me when I'm gone. Apart from Fabian, that is.

My English teacher is a sixty year old man called Mr. Li, and I think he's either Japanese or Chinese, I can never tell the difference. Fabian goes to sit at his table as I dither by Mr. Li's desk, fiddling with the strap of my bag and eyeing my classmates. They seem okay, and nobody is giving me the evil eye or a look that can kill. I wouldn't mind if they did, to be honest. If looks could kill I'd be happily dead.

Thankfully, Mr. Li doesn't introduce me to the class. "Hi, Autumn," is all he says, and hands me a textbook and points me towards an empty seat next to a blond boy with his eyes glued to the page of his textbook.

"Hi," I say as I pull out the chair, making everybody stare as it scrapes noisily across the glazed wooden floor. I cringe slightly and plop down in the chair, setting down my bag and new textbook, opening it to the page we're working on. Romeo and Juliet. I've already done this, in my school before the accident.

"Your task is to work with the person next to you on Act Three of Romeo and Juliet. You have one hour, and then I would like each of you to perform." Perform...I have stage fright, and whenever I have to perform in front of more than a few people I start to hyperventilate, and nine times out of ten I pass out.

My vision starts to go blurry and I start to shake. Blonde finally looks up from his book and glances at me with concerned eyes.

"Are you okay??" I try to nod, but I feel myself slipping out of the plastic chair and onto the cold floor below.

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A/N
Short but snappy.

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