Troubled Child

First Day Of School

Lucas Friar smiled as he wrote Mr. Friar on the whiteboard with a blue marker, his favorite color. He turned around to face his class, eager for his first day of being an English teacher.

"Okay class, I'm Mr. Friar, your 7th grade English teacher-"

"You mean you're the old guy who is going to annoy us everyday?" A blonde in the back smirked at him.

The entire class started laughing until Lucas cleared his thought. "Miss-" He looked down at the seating chart. "Minkus? That's not possible."

"I'm over here, Uncle Lucas." A little brunette girl raised her hand.

Lucas smiled at her. "I know Sweets. I saw you when I walked in."

"She was sitting in my seat and didn't want to move so I sat here, but I was in Victoria's seat so she sat in Danny's seat and he sat in Eli's seat and he-"

"Okay!" Lucas chuckled holding up his hand. "I get the idea. No one is in their assigned seats so everybody get up."

All his students stood up from their desks, except the young blonde girl.

"I'm not sitting up front." She said with a shrug. "You can't make me."

Lucas frowned. "Well, actually, I am the teacher so I can make you. Up, up, up." He motioned for her to get out of her seat, but she didn't stand. He sighed. "Listen, you really don't want to get a detention on your first day."

"Maybe I do." She shrugged again.

Lucas smirked. "Well, if that's what you want then I won't give it to you. Instead, if you don't get into your assigned seat the whole class will get homework on their first day of school." Everyone groaned except for the daughter of Farkle and Smackle Minkus. "You have three minutes."

"Come on, Teach. You're really gonna punish everyone because I don't want to sit up front. Why can't we just sit where we want?" She argued.

"You know what, you make a good point." Lucas stated. "I can just take roll. I don't need the seating chart." He looked around to his students that were standing. "Everyone sit where you want." The whole class cheered. "Except for you." He said pointing to the small blonde in the back. "You have earned yourself a permanent spot, right up here, where I can keep an eye on you. Move it, or I will be sending you to the principal on your first day of school." He said sternly.

The class erupted in a chorus of the "Ooooh" noise as she rose from her spot in the back and made her way up front, sitting down in front of mister Friar with a glare on her face.

Lucas leaned down so only she could hear him. "I'm not the bad guy here. When you respect my classroom then you can sit where you want to."

She huffed and turned away from him. "Stupid adults and their rules."

"Alright class. Now, I guess since I can't use the seating chart anymore we'll just throw it out." He crinkled the paper on his desk and threw it into the trashcan at the back of his classroom making his students cheer.

By time the bell rang the only thing he accomplished was learning his students names, but he figured that was enough for the first day of school.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Duncan." Lucas said as the blonde gathered her books. "Hopefully, you'll bring a new attitude to class on your second day."

"Don't count on it." She rolled her eyes. "And don't call me Duncan. My name is Emily." She snapped.

Lucas frowned. "Emily Duncan. I have your name right here in my papers."

"Well it should just say Emily." She stormed out of his classroom before he could question what she meant.

His phone went off so he answered it as he gathered up his stuff. "Hey.. It was an interesting first day.. Dinner sounds great! Will the Minkus family be there? I got Holly in my class so I could give her a ride. Sounds good. I'll go tell Holly before she gets on the bus." Lucas turned and saw Holly Minkus standing in his doorway. "Or she'll find me because she's scared of the bus. Yeah, I'll see you tonight Riley." Lucas sighed and hung up.

"Uncle Lucas, I am kind of scared of the bus. Can I come to Aunt Riley's?"

Lucas nodded. "Of course, I was just coming to find you, Sweets. Riley invited everyone for dinner. I think she's excited to hear about our first days. How was your first day? I was a little too preoccupied to ask earlier."

"It was average." She shrugged. "I kinda wish you and Aunt Riley had a kid my age so I'd have a friend."

Lucas chuckled. "Well, uh, th-that- You have a friend! Cami Babineaux is your best friend." He told her nicely.

Holly Minkus pouted. "Cami moved away before we got to junior high. I'm a loser with no friends in school."

Lucas sighed. "Sweets, you'll make some new friends, but Cami is still your best friend just like Zay is still mine. Moving doesn't change that."

"I thought Dad was your best friend."

Lucas chuckled as he locked his door. "They are both my best friends."

They walked down the hall and out to the parking lot where Lucas saw the girl who made his first day less than pleasant waiting on the steps.

"Sweets, go to the car." He handed her his car keys. "I'll be a minute."

Holly nodded and took the keys before running off, her pink swirled backpack clapping against her back.

Lucas walked over to the young girl. "Emily? Did you miss the bus?"

She glanced up at him then looked away. "I'm waiting for someone."

Lucas looked down at his watch. "School's been over for an hour now."

"She's coming. She's running late."

He sighed. "Your mother?"

He saw Emily's frown deepen. "Beth."

"Oh.. Older sister?"

Before she could answer his question an old beat up beige sedan pulled up to the curb with a woman who looked about late 40s or early 50s driving it.

"Let's go! I don't have all day!" The woman yelled at the girl rudely.

"I'm coming!" Emily grabbed her studded purple backpack. "Later Teach!" She shouted back to him hopping in the car before it sped off.

Lucas gave a little wave and frowned. "Something doesn't feel right." He mused as he walked back up the steps and over to his car where Holly was.