Dan was the new kid. He expected to get a little teasing and bullying, but he expected it from other kids. He definitely did not expect it from the teachers.
He was studiously taking notes in English when suddenly the ratty, screechy voice of the teacher rung across the classroom. "Daniel Howell!"
He looked up quickly. Everyone in the room was staring at him, some silently laughing, some feeling sorry for him. He swallowed, feeling himself going pink. "Yes, sir?"
"What did I just say?" He asked. Dan went even redder, taking a wild glance at the blackboard. He read out the writing scrawled on it. "Um, 'Romeo and Juliet's relationship'?"
The teacher scowled. "Wrong! Howell, you idiot!" Dan bit his lip and lowered his gaze as a couple of sniggers rose up around him. The boy who sat on his left, Alfie, spread his arms and shook his head in confusion and disgust before leaning over towards Dan and hissing, "But that's what he said! Don't worry about it, mate. All of us hate him." He looked at the other boy and was about to reply before the ratty teacher yelled again. "Deyes! How dare you speak in my lessons! See me after class!"
After what seemed like an eternity, the class was let out. Now, Alfie Deyes and a couple other people in his classes might be friendly and talk to him sometimes, but he didn't really have any proper friends. So Dan usually just sat in the corner of the playground and watched everyone.
Someone who had caught his eye was a boy who he thought was about a year older than him, but still in his year group. He had hair as shiny and black as raven feathers and sparkly blue eyes like a summer day's sky, and his smile was as warm as a campfire.
He only shared one lesson with him, and didn't even know his name. He was determined to find out next lesson, which was the class they shared. It also happened to be Dan's favourite lesson.
Drama.