Maria closed her eyes as she put her bag more securely over her shoulder. It had been a year. She'd heard about Rani and she was scared, now that she was back, that they wouldn't want her. She walked into school, opening her eyes as she walked through the doors. The bell rang out a few minutes later and Maria, biting her lip, headed towards her locker, checked her program and locked the locker again, heading towards Science.
She was only a couple of minutes late, but the teacher would probably murder her. Still, she wasn't thinking about that right now. She tied her plait more securely, adjusted her bag, and knocked on the door, entering a few seconds later.
Nobody had looked up quite yet, they were busy writing. Nobody was ever interested in who came to the door, Maria remembered.
"Ah, Miss Jackson, late on your first day back." Mr. Lewis scolded.
That caused everyone to look up. Maria looked at her feet sheepishly.
"Sorry, sir." She mumbled, looking back up.
"You can be excused, just for today. Right, there's only one desk available for now, and you'll be sitting alone. Off you go." He said.
Maria scuttled to her seat, collapsing onto the chair and putting her bag on the floor beside her, taking out her pencil case, notebook and Science book. She started writing what was on the board, ignoring the whispers and stares from around her. She didn't dare look for her old friends. She just couldn't. She didn't want to see rejection, or feel it, not yet.
As soon as Mr. Lewis turned and started writing again a scrunched up piece of paper flew forwards, landing neatly in her hands. Raising her eyebrows, Maria opened it, checked Mr. Lewis was still writing, and dared read it.
You're back. You're actually back. Are you going to leave again?
Clyde. She could tell by the writing. A smile flickered onto Maria's features as she wrote back.
Never again. Me and Dad missed it here too much and we moved back. Still in Bannerman road, about one house down by SJs.
Maria threw it back and continued writing the stuff from the board.
Soon enough, the note came back. Maria was smiling to herself as she opened it.
Good. Don't ever tell anyone this, but I really did miss you.
Maria wrote back, and soon enough they'd pretty much written on all the paper, the back as well. Finally, after what seemed like an age, the bell rang. Maria slipped the note into her bag with her book, notebook and pencil case. She closed the bag and flung it over her shoulder, and started leaving with everyone else.
Maria headed out to the playground and sat on a bench, getting out the box with the chocolate-covered strawberries in as she sat down. She opened the box and bit into one with milk chocolate on. She smiled blissfully; her dad and mum had made these and they were gorgeous.
"Hey stranger." It was Clyde.
Maria glanced up and smiled, finished eating her strawberry and closed the box, leaping down from the bench. "Hey." She said softly, feeling nervous and tongue tied.
"Miss us at all?" Clyde asked.
"Tons." Maria replied.
They stood there awkwardly for a minute, before their eyes met and Clyde hugged her, tightly. Maria was surprised but she hugged back, smiling.
When they stepped apart, Maria sat on the bench again and Clyde sat beside her. She re-opened the box and ate a strawberry with white chocolate on.
Clyde stole a strawberry, eating it. "Wow, these are awesome. Who made them?"
"My mum and dad, yesterday when we finished moving." Maria said.
"Maria?" a boy's voice whispered.
Maria looked up and saw Luke. It wasn't only Luke. It was Luke standing beside Rani, staring at Maria and Clyde as if in shock.
Except the look on Rani's face was cold and stony and suddenly Maria realized she wasn't welcome at all.
