Okay. Only the first day of school. I can do this.
Dan's mind raced, trying to make sense of his schedule. It was a bit hard, especially when his mind kept coming back to the thought that the only reason he was coming back to school after four weeks off was a tension-filled, life-threatening jaunt around the world with his distant cousins- cousins who'd tried to kill him many a time. But now he was back. And he needed to focus on his schedule.
"Hey, buddy!"
"Dan-O!"
"Bro! When'd you get back?"
Dan grinned, somewhat less disoriented. Four weeks off apparently didn't change his social status. His friends swarmed him, yelling his name and trying to peek at his schedule.
"Hey, Brad, John, Pete. Yeah, I'm back. 'Sup? Do we still have Butterscotch for English, or is it Pratt now?"
John sighed dramatically. "Still Butterscotch."
Dan and his Gang had nicknamed their English teacher Mr. Scots Butterscotch. Maybe Butterscotch is a Tomas. He's certainly buff enough and dumb enough for it, Dan thought, heading down the hallway to his first class, absentmindedly changing the subject whenever his friends asked where he'd been. He hated it, but he couldn't tell them the truth.
The Gang entered the room, tardy. Mr. Scots groaned when he saw who was back and the class snickered. Murmurs went through the kids when Dan winked at them, heading for a seat at the back near his friends.
"Brad Anderson?"
"Present, sir." Brad cracked his knuckles softly, arousing a few laughs.
"Tessie Anderson?"
"Present, sir." That would be Brad's twin sis, Dan thought, chuckling. She was the only girl who got along tolerably with the Gang. There she was, Brad's identical female counterpart, sitting in the front row with her red hair neatly in a ponytail as usual.
"Carly Bridgets?"
"Present, sir." Old Bridge? Dan made a mental note to prank her silly this year. She was a few seats down from Tess, adjusting her cokebottle glasses.
"Daniel Arthur Cahill?"
"Present, sir." Dan let a twinge of annoyance creep into his voice. Why did Butterscotch insist on using his full name?
"Sophie May Daniels?"
"Present, sir." The accent was British.
Dan turned to Pete. Who's Sophie? he mouthed.
New girl, Pete mouthed back. He gestured ahead at a girl with short, wavy blond hair, who was bent over her notes, apparently finishing off homework last-minute. Dan nodded thoughtfully. That was the first she's-alright sign any guy could look for in a girl, after all.
English dragged on as usual. Butterscotch's voice seemed to have gotten more boring over the four weeks. Dan stared at the clock and doodled in his notebook, trying to look like he was taking notes.
Until he heard his name. "Daniel."
"Yes, Butte-Mr. Scots?"
"Can you tell us what the past participle of 'to be' is?"
Dan floundered for a second, then realized the answer was on the board. "Have been or has been."
Butterscotch frowned, not realizing he'd just about given Dan his answer. "Very well." The class snickered, but Butterscotch's voice picked up again, and Dan resumed his clock-watching.
After class, he picked up his binder and walked up the aisle to the door, his friends following. He stopped when a pencil landed at his feet, and picked it up.
"That's mine, thank you." It was the new girl, Sophie.
Dan looked at her face for the first time. He had an impression of blue eyes, short, curly bangs, and slightly pink cheeks. Whoa, she's pretty.
She frowned. "Um, the penci-"
"Uh, here." He handed her the pencil and trudged on quickly, kicking himself for staring at her so long.
As soon as he was out of class, Pete looked at John. "Dan and Sophie?"
"You can't be serious," John said disbelievingly.
"The way he looked at her, though, guys," Brad chimed in.
Dan looked at them. "What?!"
All three broke into identical innocent grins.
"She's friends with Tess, dude, I could help you work out something," Brad said.
"I don't need to work out anything... What're you talking about?"
"Sure you don't."
"Maybe she dropped her pencil at his feet on purpose," Pete mused.
Dan opened his locker door and started hunting through his things, ignoring his friends. Then he slammed his locker door. "What do we have next?"