"Hey, just breathe. Everythings going to be fine."
I played with my hair and glanced over at my Aunt Stephanie, who was holding my packed lunch out for me.
"This school is so BIG." I said worriedly. This was my first day at McMichael Highschool. My aunt had been relocated for her job to a town nearly 5 hours away from our previous one.
"I know you can handle this. The first days the hardest! You can do it! Just go out there, make some friends, and impress your teachers!" She smiled softly at me and handed over my lunch.
I slid out of the car and called back to her, "Thank you. See you at 4! Love you!"
"Love you too!" She said, and with that, she left. I took a deep, nervous breath and pulled on my jacket over my brown blousy shirt. It was the middle of the semester and the weather was beginning to get chilly. I started to walk towards the building with the "Office" sign above it. I entered and spotted a lady with short brown hair and glasses behind a large desk. She looked up at me and offered a small smile asking "What can I do for you?"
"I'm a new student...and um...is this where I get my schedule?" I asked. She said "Oh!" and nodded while grabbing a folder from an organizer on her desk.
"Madeline Patton?" She confirmed. I nodded and she handed me a piece of paper that was my schedule.
"I'll send an office runner to help you find your first class. Jeremy? Come-" She started to call to a boy in another room, but I immediatley cut her off.
"No, no! It's fine I think I can find it no problem." I said. I watched the boy named Jeremy enter the room, and I gave him a small smile before starting out the door.
"Thank you!" I called back and let out a deep breath as I entered a random hallway that was swormed with students. The building was two storied and, thankfully, had signs pointing me in the right direction of my first period class. I entered the large science room that had lab tables on each side and desks coming up the middle. The room was mostly full and I found a desk right in the middle of class that was empty. A girl with long, black hair sat beside the vacant desk, and I approached her with timid steps.
"Is this seat taken?" I asked her quietly. She looked up at me suprised and smiled.
"I'm sorry, it is taken, but the one over here to my left isn't." I smiled at here greatfully and took the seat she pointed out.
"I'm Cori, by the way." She said, "You're new I assume?"
"Yes. And I'm Madeline."
"Well Madeline, welcome to McMichael High." She said as the tardy bell rang. An extremely thin woman walked into the classroom and shut the door. Students began pulling out sprial notebooks and writting utensils. The teacher spotted me and her eyes lit up.
"Oh yes!" The teacher said with a hint of....a Russian accent?
She grabbed a piece of paper and walked over to my desk. "This is a safety contract for the lab that you need to get your parents to read over and sign. What is your name?"
I could feel eyes on me and I began to blush. "Madeline." I answered her.
"Wonderful. I am Mrs. Minich and all you will need a spiral notebook for my classroom. For now you can take notes on a sheet of paper." She walked back to the front of the class and thats when I realizd that everyones eyes WERE on me. I kept my eyes on my backpack as I pulled out some paper and a pen. The teacher cleared her throat to get everyones attention, and then began her lesson.
***
After first period, Cori helped me find my next class. Curious eyes would follow me throughout the hallways and I did my best to ignore them.
