Chapter Six: First Day at School:

I sat with Miranda on the middle seat on the bus. She would whisper in my ear and I would break into giggling. The other kids would glance over at us. I didn’t care at the time. I was going to have a good day at my new school with my new friend. Miranda put her arm around my shoulders.

“Let’s have a good day,” she said.

“Okay,” I said. I looked up to see a boy my age staring at me. I remember him so well. His curly red hair looked like a bird’s nest. Brown freckles covered his face. He was so pale that I wondered if he got out in the sun often.

“What?” I asked.

“Who are you talking to?” he asked.

“My friend,” I said.

“Where?” the boy asked, wrinkling his nose.

“Right here,” I said, pointing next me.

“There’s no one there,” he said.

“Yes there is,” I said. “She’s right there.”

“Are you funny in the head?”

“No…”

The boy rolled his eyes. “You’re weird.” He sat back into his seat. Miranda pressed her check against mine.

“He’s stupid anyway,” she whispered. I stared at her wide-eyed. Mama said this word before, but I was never allowed to use that word.

“What’s the matter?” Miranda asked. I smiled and shook my head.

“Nothing,” I lied. “It’s nothing.” I rode the rest of the way to school in silence.

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The school in the area was brightly-colored. I had never seen a building painted yellow. The first thing I noticed was the playground. From a distance, they looked like a giant zoo animals standing in the grass looking out over the hills near the school. The animals in the woods couldn’t compare to such an amazing site. The students looked so amazed to see the shiny colors reflected in the morning sunlight.

“Look, Miranda,” I whispered. She had her eyes glued to the window just like I did. The bus pulled into the parking lot. A teacher stood waiting as the doors swung open. The children all walked off the bus one by one. I held onto Miranda’s hand as we walked.

“I like it here,” I whispered. The teacher oversaw us walking into the bright yellow building. Once we walked through the red-painted doors, the day began. My class was in room 118 at the end of the “ocean” hall. I really did feel like I had walked into the ocean with my new friend. The walls and the ceiling were all painted blue. I could barely reach the waves above my head. Some of the fish were painted on while the others were made of paper colored in crayons. They all looked like were all playing around in the ocean. I wanted to reach and touch one them. There was even a mermaid painted near my classroom. She smiled and walked as Miranda and I walked up to the classroom with the sea green door frame. I thought that she was winking at me at one point.

“She’s pretty,” I said.

“Isn’t she?” a woman asked me. I turned to see a pretty lady with long dark brown hair that came down to her shoulders. She didn’t look too comfortable in her light pink blouse and purple skirt. This woman smiled at me.

“I painted her myself,” she said.

“Wow!” I said. This lady held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “My name is Miss Caroline.”