A/N: I know I've already got another story posted on the site, and I haven't stopped writing it, I just find the best way round writer's block is to start writing something else. Anyone reading Fenton Hardy junior will just have to be patient a little longer... : )

one thing; I'll be using the name/system of my school, so if anyone's confused, just send an email, and I'll try to explain.

Disclaimer; I own nothing but the school, its staff and a few students.

"Is there anything worse than the first day of school?" blond haired, blue eyed Joe Hardy complained as he and his brother walked onto the school grounds.

Inch-taller, dark haired Frank didn't answer as they went across the paved courtyard, past a group of giggling, nervous first years sitting on the hard wooden benches.

"No," he murmured, as they took a left along the path toward the opposite building, the 'main' two storey building, where they would have most of their lessons. The large structure had an auditorium, where students went for assembly every other morning, a basement where some classes were held, and another thirty-five rooms that the students were left to navigate from the incomprehensible timetables that were sent to them over the holidays.

The first floor was a long, marble corridor with an area just inside the entrance where several boards had been set up with information for the students, giving them announcements regarding their classes, clubs, and how to nominate their classmates for the class committees.

At one end was the office, school treasury, examination office and staff lounge, and at the other was the director and deputy director's offices, with a few classrooms inbetween.

They carefully made their way through the crowd of students who were talking excitedly about their summer vacation and trying to find out if anyone could help them figure out where they were supposed to be going.

"I give up," Joe announced, grinning at a group of girls he had just recognized from his class the previous year, as he stuffed his timetable back into his bag, that had already been folded and re-folded so many times that it was beginning to fall apart.

"Our homeroom's in the library," Frank told him calmly, "Ms Manning will tell us what to do."

Joe frowned. "Library?" he repeated, "where is that?"

His brother didn't answer, but he was sure he heard him chuckle as he pushed through a small group of third-years and along the hall.

"Okay, morning and welcome back," Ms Manning called when her twenty-two students had finally settled into their seats. She was a short, plump friendly-looking woman with short black hair who had never taught the Hardys before. "We've got about fifteen minutes and amillion announcements, so pay attention."

She launched into a long explanation of the timetables (most students still looked confused) absence and homework regulations, uniform policies(keep your white shirt tucked in to your grey trousers/light blue skirt and make sure you have a badge sewn on it), cell phone policies (absolutely NOT ALLOWED - will be confiscated) and dozens of other new rules that could apparently be found on the notice boards.

When she had finally finished and he had a moment to relax, Joe sat back, ignoring the questions his classmates were asking, and looked around.

"You know, it does look familiar," he murmured to his brother, who was sitting beside him at the long wooden table.

Three of the walls were lined with four-shelved bookshelves, separated into different sections; fiction, non fiction, dictionaries, science and arts. The librarian's desk in the far corner, near the door, was deserted and empty, but he was sure that would change once the school year got underway. Four tables in front of it had ten computers on them, each one with an internet connection for the students' use, either for lessons or pleasure after school, the opposite corner had information leaflets about various colleges for those who wanted to continue their education and, finally, the three desks where homeroom group 6E were seated.

Tearing his attention away from his fascinating new surroundings, Joe finally decided to find out who he would be spending his school year with. Most of the faces looked familiar; Tony, Iola, Vanessa, Biff and the gang were spread around the room, and various other people that he had spoken to in the past and shared classes with were also in deep conversation.

His gaze lingered for a moment longer on Georgina Castelle. Her father was a prominent lawyer, and her mother a teacher in the business department of the school. Although she was popular and had a large number of friends, it was obious to those who knew her that she felt pressured; the other teachers were friends of her mother's, and paid particular attention to her behaviour, expecting her to set an example for the others and, something that she hated the most, some of the staff would offer to take her home after school by coming up to her when she was talking to her friends.

"Pretty simple, huh?" Iola joked, sliding into the seatin front of the Hardys and turning around, flicking her long dark hair over her shoulder.

Joe pretended to be shocked by this statement. "Of course!" he exclaimed, "I mean, it only took us..." he consulted his watch, "fifteen minutes to find the right classroom. Who would be stupid enough to try and teach a class of six-years law, anyway?"

"Milotis," Frank told him, returning the girl's grin, "and you chose to take law."

"It was one of the only subjects I had good enough grades for! Besides, I had to; you took it. How do you know all this, anyway?"

"I pay attention. Maybe you should try it sometime."

"With you around?"

"Good morning," the tall, slim brunette strode into the room with an armful of books. Placing them on the desk, she moved to the front of the class. "For those of you that don't know me, I'm Mrs Milotis, and I've been teaching law for about five years. Some of you do look familiar, and I'm sure I'll be able to learn all your names in a few days. We will be studying A-level law, and..."

Forty minutes later, they hurried back downstairs to consult the notice boards about where their next class would be as, it seemed, the rest of the year group had decided to do; the only person who was standing apart from the crowd, looking completely unconcerned, was Georgina.

"Hi," she greeted as the Hardys approached.

Georgina, or 'George' as she preferred to be called, was a pretty, slim, tall girl with long blonde hair down to her shoulders. She hadbeautiful brown eyes that were made even more noticeable by the contact lenses that she had started wearing two years ago instead of glasses. She always left her hair loose, and somehow managed to wear her uniform in a way that looked smart, even though she claimed not to care about her appearance. She had no problem admitting that she was a tomboy, and was usually seen both in and out of class with at least three boys.

"Hi." they chorused.

"Please don't start giving me that stupid money for the new books," she asked, reffering to the extra textbooks that their teacher had handed out and asked for money for as soon as possible. "I never offered to collect it."

"As long as we can trust you to give it to her and not go spending it by yourself, we'll wait as long as you like," Frank told her.

George smiled for a moment, then suddenly looked away and became thoughtful. Keep it to myself? she thought slyly, oh no, I'll give it in...and take it straight back out again. If that doesn't get their attention, nothing will.

A/N: I know this chapter is a little boring, but I wanted to try and describe the school in enough detail for the rest of the story to make sense.

it's up to you guys whether or not I continue with it now; if not, review and tell me you want me to finish the other story first; if you're interested to see what happens next, let me know.

Read and review!

Josie hardy