Disclaimer: Mentalist is not mine, no money from this

Author's Note: The school in this is made up as is the town as it's easier than picking a town to suit my story. And thank you to my brother for letting me use his computer to write this, not that he needs it at 2am.

I stood outside the entrance of my new school. I was late as I'd gotten lost on the way there, from experience I knew it was not good to be late on his first day. I sighed and trudged through the large doors, and my first time in middle school too!

A plump elderly woman approached me and peered down at me disapprovingly from her spectacles.

"Yes?"

"Err... Hello," I answered nervously, I groaned inwardly. I could perform fine for my Dad but say `err` to a teacher! I'm pathetic.

"Hello to you too young man," snapped the woman, "your name and why you decided to be late would be much more productive," I swallowed nervously, why did people have to sound so mean?

"I'm Patrick Jane, it's my first day and I got lost on my way here. It won't happen again," I ran my fingers through my scruffy hair. At least I won't be here long, we never stay anywhere long. Just long enough for my Dad to relax before we run out of money and have to go con some more people.

"Well Patrick, I'm Mrs Edwards the vice principal. We have been expecting you, I will take you to your first class. Follow me," she spoke with a scottish accent, probably new to the country and I bet the move was to be with her husband. He'd probaby got a promotion to America or something. I hate noticing stuff like that, it's usually important in my Dad's cons but in school it just makes me an outcast. Not that I have time to make friends with the rate we move around.

"I'll see to it you're given a timetable, now your first class is geography with Mr Simmons. Have fun," she finished by shoving me through a door and I suddenly found twenty odd pairs of eyes staring at me. Great(!) just what I wanted.

"Who are you and why are you late for my class?" the middle-aged man at the front of the classroom snapped.

"I'm err... Patrick," I managed to mumble, wishing the floor would swallow me up.

"Patrick who?" I groaned inwardly at his words, it sucked having a girl's name as your surname. Everyone was going to laugh at me.

"Patrick Jane," the whole room erupted into gales of laughter. I felt me cheeks burning with embarrassment so I opted to look at the teacher, he kept fidling with his wedding ring. Marital problems.

"Ah-ha, the new kid. Why are you late?"

"I got lost," more laughter exploded from the class, I hated school.

"Quiet down class. Take a seat beside Wayne there," he pointed to an empty desk beside a tall dark haired boy, I sat down beside him as the laughter died down.

"Now, if your quite done interrupting my class Mr Jane-" his next words were drowned out by more laughter, I sunk lower in my seat. Everyone eventually quieted down and he resumed his lesson.

I quickly surveyed the room as had become my habit, Wayne kept staring at a pretty red headed girl and she tried not to look at him, clearly they liked each other but Wayne was too nervous to ask her out. Girls were becoming a very interesting topic to me. Another boy who caught my attention was a smallish kid with black hair, he hung his head and was paying no attention to Mr Simmons. Probably traumatised or abused, my Dad always says to stay clear of those sorts of thing, "Don't wanna get mixed up with cops Pat, not good."

"You should ask her out," I whispered finally to Wayne, I had grown bored of his staring.

"Grace? Nah," he replied uncomfortably, I grinned inwardly. He was terrified of asking her out, if I ever like a girl I'll just ask her out. It's got to be easier than staring at them all day.

"She'd say yes, she likes you too," Wayne looked puzzled at this.

"How do you know?"

"I'm psychic," I hadn't meant to say it but it was easier than explaining the details. I must have spoken to loudly though because Mr Simmons turned angrily round from whatever he'd been writing.

"Yes Patrick? What is so important you misu interrupt my lesson again?" he roared and fidled with his wedding ring again, he was really worried about her and because he looked guilty he'd probably had an affair.

"Don't worry, if you love your wife I'm sure she'll get over your affair," open mouth, insert foot. Wrong thing to say. Why was I so impulsive?

"What!?" he screamed livid with rage, "my wife and my affair are none of your buissiness at all. Do you understand?" he stopped his rant and walked up to me. "How did you know about that?"

"He's psychic," Wayne put in helpfully.

"Well psychic," Mr Simmons sneered, "I'm thinking of a word beginning with `p` and ending in `l.` What is it?"

"Principal?"

"Well done!" he screamed again pointing to the door. I got up and followed him hanging my head at the class' accusing eyes, he led me up some more corridors to a door marked `principal` and sat me on a chair outside the door.

"Wait here," he hissed as he went inside. I sat there miserably, my first day and I was already in trouble. What a great way to start 6th grade.

"Hello," I looked up to see a girl about my age sitting beside me, she had dark hair and green eyes, she was beautiful.

"Hello," the stuck out her hand grinning.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Teresa. Teresa Lisbon," I shook her hand and studied her, she was dressed in jeans and a football jersey, a tomboy.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Patrick. Patrick Jane," to my disappointment she snorted with laughter.

"Cheer up Patrick, if you keep looking miserable people will confuse you with John,"

"John?"

"Red John, he always looks miserable. His Daddy killed his Mommy and then killed himself so he has to live in a home,"

"Oh," that was probably the dark haired kid that looked sad.

"So what did you do? I threw gum at this eighth grader because he took my little brother's yodel in the park yesterday,"

"I erm... managed to annoy the teacher,"

"Brilliant!"

The door opened and out came Mr Simmons and a woman I didn't recognize, from her smart attire and commanding prescense I assumed the principal.

"Ah, Lisbon. What did you do now?" she sighed. Mr Simmons shot me a dark look and skulked off.

"Threw gum at this eighth grader because he stole my brother's yodel in the park yesterday," said Teresa, she was clearly proud of this.

"It wouldn't be Sam Bosco would it?" I got the feeling this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

"Yep,"

"Well don't do it again, now be off with you," she shooed Teresa away who skipped away humming and ushered me into her office. She closed the door and sat behind her desk, I saw the name `Principal Powers.`I sat down in one of the chairs opposite her.

"Patrick, I know it's your first day and it can be tough moving to a new school, especially since your family seems quite nomandic but, I would appreciate if you tried not to upset any teachers. I don't know how you knew that and I don't wanna know, but please just try be good and we'll get along fine,"

"Okay," I mumbled.

"Good, now back to class please and I have your class schedule here," she handed me the paper and I quickly hurried back to class. The rest of the lesson passed pretty much as I expected, being ignored by the students and glared at by Mr Simmons. I was relieved when it was recess.

I went outside and felt isolated as always watching them play or simply huddle in groups talking. It didn't help they were all older than me, I was only 11, any younger and I'd be in fifth grade. Dad always said the faster you finish school, the better. I noticed Teresa playing softball with a bunch of other kids, I sucked at sports and everyone else seemed busy. I decided I'd just stand by the wall.

"Hey, Jane," sneered a voice. I looked up to see a gang of older kids surrounding me, one was chinese and he looked out of place, he was younger than them and only hanging with the gang to be cool.

"Hi guys,"

"I'm Mick and these are my boys," he nodded to the surrounding kids, "I heard you're new and I wanted to be the first to say give me your lunch money," he held out his hand expectantly.

"Give me your lunch money or we'll beat the crap out of you," Mick said more forcefully as he punched the air.

"No thanks," I muttered feeling my heart sink. First day and I was already in trouble with the principal and now I was about to be robbed and beat up. Mick grinned and aimed his fist at me, in a panic I ducked and Mick's fist collided with solid brick. Mick screamed in agony and pulled back his hand.

"What's going on here?" it was Mrs Edwards.

"Patrick Jane hurt my hand!" Mick roared shaking his wrist. She looked puzzled at this until Mick's gang nodded.

"Well come with me Patrick, you've earned yourself a detention! When school ends room 309, block A. Got it?"

"Got it," I muttered.

"Now come with me to see the nurse," she added kindly to Mick as the gang left. This day was not going well!

The rest of the day passed uneventfully but as I reached room 309 I was partially surprised to find Teresa there.

"Well, well if it isn't Patrick Jane," she grinned as I sat down beside her.

"Hello again,"

"Shut up and get on with your lines," snapped the young teacher watching them.

"So what you in for?" I asked quietly as I began writing the lines allocated for me on the blackboard, `I will not get into fights.`

"Sam again, I whacked him in the head with a baseball bat. It was actually an accident... that time," I couldn't help but laugh, this earned another telling off by the teacher so we resumed the lines in silence.

"Done," I called happily when I'd finished.

"Well than you can go," said the teacher waving me at the door, "and don't be back,"

"Show off!" yelled Teresa who was barely half done. I strolled home filled with relief, at least my day could'nt get any worse...

Author's Note: Well what do you think? Again I'm eager for your feedback as I don't know if you'll like this or not. So please review! :)