Jessica didn't think that she would talk to many people on the first day.  She was not a very social person.  Sure, she had friends but not a very large circle of them.  Certainly not a popular one.  Strangers always seemed difficult to approach and befriend to her because she was always cautious about what type of person they were.  And she was naturally an introvereted person.  It didn't help that none of her friends from her old school transferred to this one.  Still, she knew that the first day is one of the best days to make an impression on the people around her.  She knew she ought to.

 

She did not think that middle school would be that great at all.  Then again, she couldn't really judge it, she was only here for 3 minutes.  

 

The cafeteria that she was waiting in was very big, large crowds of students talking, doing their electronics, sleeping, staring into space, the usual.  It was hard to look for someone to talk to.  The lighting was great and the floor was clean and such, which isn't very common in her experience.  Yet, to her, there really wasn't anyone to distinguish.  They all blurred together in one huge crowd.

 

As she was about to go and talk to a dark haired girl reading a book, the loudspeaker .

 

 

After the announcement finished, students bolted to the lists.  A mob soon formed as kids tried to worm their way in and out of the crowd to get to their homeroom.  Jessica stood back from the kids and elbows and waited for the group to die down until she could easily make her way to the list and not get shoved in the process.

 

She peered at the names listed.  Skimming her finger over the text, she found her last name among the J's at the beginning of the third list.

 

"Jung Jessica," she murmured as she traced her hand over the series of dots that crossed the paper.  "Kwon, Room 103." 

 

Adjusting her blue backpack on her shoulder, she walked out of the cafeteria and to the classroom. She found the door and, before she could feel nervous, opened it and scurried inside.  The metal desks, aligned in neat rows and columns, were half occupied by chattering boys and girls, backpacks lying under the tables.  Spotting an empty one near the window, Jessica set down her bag on the desk and sat down in the chair, waiting for the class to start.

 

Watching the other students talk made her feel a bit lonely.  She didn't want to go up and talk to anyone but she didn't want anyone to think she was a weirdo loner either.  Reaching into her bag, she took out the book she was reading before, The Princess Bride.  

 

It really was a great book (As was the movie; she should know, she watched it 4 times).  She was taken with it immediately, escaping reality to a world of reading.  Right as Westley and Buttercup were about to walk into the Fire Swamp, a girl's voice interrupted her.  "You're reading the Princess Bride? Oh, I love that book, it's so romantic!". Startled, she turned around to the source of the interruption of her fantasy.

 

It was, as she expected, a girl.  But this person looked...kinder.  Easier to talk to.  At least, she didn't seem mean.  She had black about shoulder length hair, though it was hard to tell since it was up in a ponytail, with cresent eyes and a nice smile.  She was very cute.  Her height was definitely in the lower half of the majority but her slim figure made her look a bit taller.  Her clothes were brightly colored: an orange t shirt with a winking sun on it and green cargo pants with a pink backpack to match, slung over her left shoulder.  Jessica noticed that she was staring and quickly snapped back into reality.

 

"O-oh um yeah, i-it's really well written," she nervously stammered as a reply.

 

The girl stuck out her hand.  Smiling, she asked, "So what's your name?  Mine's Lee Soonkyu.  But that sounds so old and ancient and ugh," she made a face, "So you can just call me Sunny."

 

Jessica gave her a small grin and shook her hand.  "Jung Sooyeon.  But I prefer to go by Jessica."

 

Sunny plopped her backpack to the seat beside her across the aisle then turned to face her.  Just when she was about to say something, she yawned.  Combing back a few strands of her hair into her high ponytail, she laughed, "Sorry, just a little drowsy.  School starts so much earlier now,you know?"

 

Being a late sleeper Jessica nodded in agreement. "I could barely get out of bed myself.  It's horrible anytime but what's worse is that it's early!" Jessica could feel herself getting more relaxed.  Quickly, they struck up a conversation, dancing from one topic to the next.

 

"I really despise school lunches," Sunny went on, "But what's worse is that I have no one to sit with except for this one girl I met on the bus.  I'll introduce her to you if you sit with us, just meet me at the bulletin board in front of the doors of the cafeteria.  Oh, and the girl's name i-"

 

"Okay class, please quiet down, time to start!" the teacher clapped her hands, managing to quiet down the room.

 

Sunny winked and whispered, "I'll tell you later." Then she turned to face the teacher.

 

"My name is Mrs. Boa Kwon, but Mrs.Kwon will do, and I'll be your chorus teacher if you have chosen that elective on your form that you turned in to enroll in this school.  We welcome you to Scarlet Fox MS and hope that you enjoy it here.  Now, I'll be handing out your schedules, locker numbers, and lunch PIN numbers but they are all on the same sheet of paper. It is important that you do not lose this.  I will be taking attendence today by calling out your name and handing you your sheet.  Please come to the front when You hear your name." The teacher walked to her desk and grabbed a handful of papers.

 

"Rachel Anderson." An athletic looking brunette walked to the teacher and took the sheet of paper. "Holly Carlson.  Merry Chang. Ryan Chi..."

 

Jessica turned to Sunny.  She was about to ask who she met on the bus until she heard her  name being called.  She walked up the teacher.  It felt so weird.  It was as if everyone was staring at her, judging her, watching her every move for something to critisize.  She felt thankful when she made it to the teacher.  Mrs.Kwa- wait no, Mrs. Kwon smiled at her and Jessica gave a weak grin back.  Taking the sheet of paper, she heard Sunny's name called next.

 

When they both were seated, she stared at her schedule.  "Hey, Jessica!" Sunny whispered excitedly, "Let's compare schedules." They held their papers side by side, leaning into the middle of the aisle.  Just about to check their first period, a boy's voice said, "Um, excuse me? You're blocking the aisle." Quickly, they turned to see a korean looking boy.  He gave them a small grin.  He seemed cute enough, black hair,  average height unblemished skin, pretty eyes.  

 

"Oh, sorry," Jessica leaned back into her chair, blushing a bit at the sudden attention from the rest of the class.  She looked at Sunny who was flushed into a deep pink.  "Sorry!  Oh, um, yeah, sorry about that," she stuttered.  The boy gave smiled at her even more at her blush, making her even redder.  "It's okay."

 

"Jessica, Sunny, you'll have time in the breaks between classes to compare schedules," Mrs. Kwon said kindly, "But we have to finish handing them out first, okay?" They nodded hastily.  She smiled.  "Good.  Now, Sungmin, come to the front to get your agenda." He gave them a quick wave and walked up to the front.  Sunny shyly waved at his retreating back.

 

Jessica narrowed her eyes at her (who was still staring at Sungmin), then him, then her, then Sungmin.  A sly smile appeared on her face.  After he passed them to go back to his seat (which was two rows behind Sunny) Jessica leaned over.  

 

"You like him, don't you?" 

 

Sunny looked at her, ears burning up looking so red, Sica could almost feel the heat radiating off them.  "What? No! Shut up!" Jessica gave a soft chuckle and leaned back into her chair.  She handed Sunny her schedule.  

 

"Compare them for me please?"  Sunny nodded, visibly relieved that she let the subject drop. After a minute of eyes darting around from subject to subject, Sunny quickly whipped out a pencil from her backpack, flipped over Sica's paper and scribbled a quick note on the back of it, then dropped the sheet on her desk.  Jessica flipped it over.

 

'We have 2nd and 7th periods together (Language Arts and Music) :) :D ;)'

 

Jessica smiled and turned to the front of the class, listening to Mrs. Kwon once she finished off the attendence. 

 

"I am sure that many of you are unaquainted with each other," the chorus teacher said, "So to change that, I want all of you to take out a sheet of paper and a pencil." They did.  "Write your name, period, and date of the right hand corner of the page.  This is how each of the papers you hand into your teachers should look like.  Now number it 1-5, spreading out the numbers through the page."

 

Jessica saw Sunny out of the corner of her eye furiously erase her numbers.  They were spaced right underneath the other.  She let out a small giggle.  Sunny looked at her and stuck out her tongue playfully.

 

"After I tell you to, all of you will meet 5 people in this room and write down their name, and something interesting or unique about them.  Go."

 

The students were soon scrambling for partners and writing things down as soon as possible because, as all children know, activities like these you want to get done as soon as you can.  Sunny quickly went up to Jessica's desk and lay down her paper on it.

 

Quickly, they wrote each other's names down.

 

"Okay, so what is interesting about you?" Sunny asked.

 

"You say it as if I'm boring!" She whined.

 

"That's because you are."

 

"Hey!" Sunny laughed as Jessica playfully hit her.  

 

"Okay, seriously though, just say anything, it doesn't matter."

 

"Um...I like to sing?" Sunny's eyes immediately sparked up at this.  "Really? Sing something for me!"

 

"What? No!"

 

She pouted.  "Fine, later then. Just say that I like singing too." They jot that down and waved, then walked over to find someone else.  Sica watched as Sungmin approached Sunny with a friendly smile.  Sunny immediately blushed but tried to hide it.  He said something to her and she laughed, color fading from her face.  Jessica smiled softly as she walked over to Rachel to partner up with heer.

 

Maybe middle school won't be so bad after all.

 

 

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