I trudge to school, carrying my dark blue backpack and wearing my preppy little school uniform. It consists of a button-down white shirt, a navy blazer, a short plaid skirt, and saddle shoes, of all things.

I was considering wearing bright pink socks but I figured I’d be pushing it.

It's a beautiful September day. Colorful leaves swirl in the wind, and the Sun is beaming down pleasantly. I heave a sigh, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. 

Hopefully, if I work really hard, I’ll be able to graduate from this place into a good college. When I secure a good job- maybe something in the medical field- I’ll come back for Millie and Lyna and Naomi and Joanne. Some may consider it strange that a 16-year-old has her entire life planned out, just for her sisters. 

But then again, I was never a normal 16-year-old anyway. 

A dark green sign on my right catches my eye. Webster Academy, quarter of a mile, it reads. I gulp nervously. I'm almost at my new school. After a few more minutes of walking, I spot a large building in the horizon. Every step I take gets me closer and closer, until I can fully see the school. 

“Whoa,” I whisper. The building's walls are all made of glass, making the interior fully transparent. Several sidewalk pathways lead up to the sleek, silver door, and colorful pansies and tall trees are planted everywhere. Main Office, a shiny silver sign on the building reads.

Behind the building I can see several other buildings, all of varying sizes. The buildings are arranged around a beautiful blue pond, its water rippling in the slight wind. Surrounding the circle of buildings is a thick grove of trees- similar to a forest.

And in front of it all is a large rectangular plaque that reads, Webster Academy. 

There's no one in sight, so I figure I must be very early. 

I stride into the Main Office, where a thin blonde receptionist taps away on a thin white computer. The interior of the glass building is as pretty as its exterior. 

“Um, excuse me,” I squeak. The receptionist doesn’t reply. “Excuse me,” I repeat, raising my voice.

“Yes?” the lady asks, still facing her computer. Clearly her keyboard must be more important than I am.

“I was wondering if you could give me a copy of my schedule,” I say. “I didn’t receive it-,”

“What’s your ID number?” she asks briskly. I hastily pull out my orange orientation envelope and ruffle through its papers until I locate a bright pink slip that reads a 5-digit ID number. I hand the slip to her and within seconds, she’s printed out a copy of my schedule for me.

“Thank you!” I exclaim, and hurry away, grabbing a copy of a school map on my way out.

“She seemed incredibly friendly,” I mutter, studying the map and attempting to locate the Bernard M. Coony building, where my first class- Advanced English Literature- is located. Why are so many buildings necessary anyway? It's been 5 minutes and I'm already disliking this school. 

Finally, after 15 minutes of aimless wandering and backtracking, I find the Advanced English Literature classroom, which is located on the 3^rd floor and down the 2^nd hallway of the Coony building. When I push open the door I discover that the classroom is completely empty. 

I exhale slowly. So I am the first one here. 

It’s a large room, containing 3 Smart Boards, 2 whiteboards, a few projector screens, and an actual teacher’s office at the back of the classroom. Strangely, however, there are barely any desks: only about 15, with separate black rolling chairs sit in the middle of the room.

I let out a long, low whistle. This school is loaded.

Walking over to a desk in the middle of the classroom, I put down my bag and pull back the chair.

But when I take a seat, there's a loud yelp.  

A/N: The first 3 chapters are going to be pretty slow. But it'll pick up the pace soon enough. Thank you for reading! :)