There's nothing scarier than that feeling of your first day at a new school...well there is but, on your first day, it seems petrifying.

It was that day, September 9th. The day that the KND moved from middle school to high school.

Kuki was woken by her mother, got up and dressed and then looked out of the window, giving a sigh. By now, her friends Nigel, Abby, Wally and Hoagie would be getting ready for their first day at Gallagher high. Not her, her mother had decided to send her to Lyons high...a school that she considered better as it was closer to Mushi's middle school, just in case.
Kuki sighed again. She longed to go to Greenschool with her best friends, it would be so much easier to fit in if she were with them.

She walked downstairs and sat down to the glass of orange juice, egg and soldiers that her mother had put down ready for her. Kuki dipped her toast in the runny yolk of the egg and put it in her mouth. She slowly chomped at her breakfast and then washed it down with her orange juice.

"Five minutes Kuki." Her mother informed her.

Kuki nodded in acknowledgement and went up stairs to brush her teeth and hair.
In five minutes, her mother called her and she came down the steps and walked silently out towards the car.

Kuki hopped in the front of the car before Mushi came out to prevent her calling shotgun. Mushi came out of the house and jumped in the back. After locking up the house, Genki came and sat in the drivers seat.

"So ready for your first day at your new school Kuki?" Genki said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Kuki leant against the glass and looked out of the window. "Not really."

Genki tutted. "Why not? It's exciting."

"No it's not." Kuki argued. "It's terrifying. I won't know anybody there, everyone else went to Greenschool."

"Well it'll teach you to make new friends for when you go off to college." Genki replied, "You're too reliant on your friends. Anyway, you're a nice girl, you'll make new friends easily."

Kuki decided not to argue and just stared out of the window as they drove past Gallagher high.

"I can't wait to see everyone again!" Mushi squeaked happily.

They pulled up at a crossing. Kuki picked up her head when she saw Wally, Nigel, Hoagie and Abby walking, chatting and joking across the road.
Abby smiled as she looked over, she noticed Kuki and waved. The others followed her gaze and did the same.
Kuki sighed sadly as the car began to move, she put her hand against the glass as they drove past her best friends.

"Here we are." Genki smiled. "Off you go Mushi."

Mushi jumped out of the car and waved. Genki then drove off.
"Okay Kuki, here's your school. Try to enjoy it sweetie."

Kuki stepped out of the car and picked up her backpack and flung it over her shoulder. She cautiously walked towards the entrance of the school, a bell rang as she reached the door. There was a sudden stampede of children running into the school. Kuki stepped aside until they had passed. She then walked it and stepped up to a desk where an old woman with curly red hair was sat. She looked up from her red rimmed glasses and narrowed her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm new here. I don't know where I'm supposed to be." Kuki said quietly.

The woman sighed and began typing on the computer. "Name?"

"Kuki Sanban." Kuki replied politely.

"Age?" The woman asked again.

"fourteen." Kuki said.

The woman nodded. "You're in room 109 for home room. I'll take you there."

"Thank you." Kuki managed a smile.

The woman stood up and came out from behind the desk. Kuki followed her down the corridor and up some stairs, then down some more corridors.

"Here you go." The woman said.

"Thanks." Kuki replied. She knocked on the door and walked in.

She looked around the class to see around ten pairs of eyes staring at her. She walked to the corner of the room timidly where she had seen a teacher.

"I'm Kuki Sanban...sorry I'm late." Kuki told the man.

He gave a warm smile. "Hello Kuki, it's okay, one late one hurt. Take a seat, you've got extended tutorial so I can give you your timetable."

Kuki looked around the room and saw an empty table at the back left hand corner of the room. She went and placed her backpack down on the table and sat on the chair. She put her head on her backpack as she looked around the room.

"Hey...nice backpack...rainbow monkeys, vintage." A boy in front of her snorted.

Normally, Kuki would have hidden her face and cried or gotten very upset and done nothing. But she told herself that she wasn't going to be a wuss here, she was going to be brave. She thought to herself, how would her friends react?

She wasn't going to punch him like Wally would, she decided to attempt Abby's method.

"Nice jacket, I think the hobo in the bus shelter will want it back soon though." She sneered.

The kids around the boy laughed.
"You just got burned Brad." The boy sat next to him chuckled.

The girl on the table opposite her laughed. "I like her."

A blonde girl next to her looked over to Kuki. "What's your name?"

"Kuki." Kuki replied bravely.

"Hey." The blonde beamed. "I'm Hattie, this is Ruth and that's Mark and Bradley."

Kuki smiled at them all shyly.

"What school did you come from?" Ruth asked.

Ruth had mousey brown hair that reached just above her shoulders, it had been neatly curled into ringlets and she wore a black bow hairband. She had beautiful green eyes which she had defined with black mascara and eyeliner.

"Gallager." Kuki informed her.

Mark looked up. "Cool, I know a kid who went there."

Kuki smiled back.

"We're from Jamestone." Hattie told her.
Hattie's blonde hair reached just above her breast and was poker straight. Her eyes were a hazel and she also wore black mascara and eye liner.

Kuki looked around the class, who were all making conversation.
"All of you?"

Hattie nodded. "Most of our class came up to the school, I think there's only a few 9th graders who didn't go to Jamestone."

The teacher got the attention of the class.
"I am Mr Hicks. Your homeroom teacher. I'm just handing out your timetables and then you can go straight to class."

Mr Hicks called out names as he passed out the timetables. Kuki took hers and glanced at it.

Lesson Subject Room

1 Maths 109

2 English 16

3 Science 102

BREAK

4 Science 102

5 Art 19

LUNCH

6 French 37

"What did you get?" Ruth asked as the crowd stood up, she walked over and glanced at Kuki's timetable.

"You've got similar to me, except I don't have English second." Ruth pointed out. "What about you Bradley? What have you got?"

They swapped timetables to see what they had together. Kuki watched as they did so.
"Man I'm not with any of you guys for anything." Bradley complained.

"Oh." Ruth exclaimed. "You're with Kuki for English. There you go Kuki at least you're not on your own."

Kuki gave a small smile and nodded. She liked Ruth, Ruth seemed pretty nice.

"Well we'd better get ready for maths." Ruth stated. "Want to come sit with us Kuki?"

Kuki nodded and joined Hattie and Ruth on their desk. Maybe this day wasn't going to be too bad.