I do not own Disney anything.

So yes, this is a Disney School fic. The characters introduced here will be the main characters in the elementary school storyline, and next chapter will introduce the characters for the high school storyline. There will be pranks, antics, and very little romance.

There will be many Disney characters, and if you want to see a particular one, review and I'll see what I can do. There are a lot of Disney High fics out there so hopefully I can make this one different from the rest. As it is a modern AU, some characters will be OOC in some aspects, but hopefully not too much.

Anyway, please review!

A New Day, Another Long Year

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The insistent trills of the alarm clock eventually roused the ten-year-old boy from his slumber. With a groan, he rolled over in his hammock and stared blearily at the clock that rested on the hardwood floor by his large, curtain-covered window. The red numbers informed him that it was seven-thirty. Now, normally, he didn't have a problem getting up early.

But for the next ten months, that was going to change. Today was the first day back to school.

"Mowgli!" his guardian bellowed, about a minute after continuous beeping as the boy lazily swatted in the alarm clock's general direction. "Turn that blasted thing off before you wake the whole neighbourhood."

"Exaggeration," he called back tiredly.

But he got up and jumped from the hammock that served as his bed, strung between two poles that were nailed to his floor. Yawning, he shuffled over and kicked the black alarm clock, sending it into silence. His dark gaze then strayed to his worn out backpack, which had been abandoned in the corner since school ended two months ago.

"Mowgli!"

"I'm coming!" he shouted. Knowing he couldn't linger any longer, he went over to his bamboo dresser and removed a pair of tan shorts and a bright red T-shirt. He got dressed, did a quick check of his backpack to ensure that he was relatively prepared and headed for the kitchen.

"It's about time," remarked Bagheera. The dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder, momentarily taking his attention away from the pancakes that were cooking in the pan.

Mowgli collapsed into a wooden chair, his chin resting on the tabletop. "The timespan between my alarm going off and me getting ready was no more than five minutes."

"Let's see if we can shave that down."

The boy eyed Bagheera warily. Even after ten years of living with the math professor, he still had difficulty discerning when he was making a joke. "Yeah. I'll work on that. Where's Baloo?"

Bagheera snorted. "Where do you think he is?"

"If he can sleep until eight, why can't I?" Mowgli whined.

"Because you walk to school. That means you need to get up earlier in order to get there in time. Also, Baloo is an adult who can make his own decisions."

"When can I make my own decisions?"

Bagheera pretended to mull this question over as he scooped the finished pancakes onto a plate. "When I believe you can make good decisions."

Mowgli stabbed a pancake from the plate with his fork and ate it, not bothering with the butter or the syrup. "Is this about the time I ran away and stayed in the forest for three days before you found me? Cause I was three then."

"You were seven and I almost had a heart attack."

"Baloo thought it was funny."

"Someone needs to have a disciplinary bone to ensure you don't go off the deep end."

"Doing a good job so far," complimented Mowgli, for Bagheera was one of the strictest people he knew. Baloo, on the other hand, was a barrel of fun. He was laid-back, relaxed and was cool with almost everything. He and Bagheera had been roommates in college and, despite their conflicting personalities, remained that way after graduation.

The intercom by the door suddenly buzzed, indicating that someone was in front of the gated apartment building. Knowing who it was, Mowgli hastily swallowed his breakfast and rushed to the door, planting his finger on the respond button. "Hey, Shanti."

"And Ranjan!" a small voice piped up.

Mowgli grinned. "And Ranjan. I'll be down in a sec."

"We'll be waiting."

Mowgli raced into the bathroom, where he hurriedly brushed his teeth, before darting back out and to his bedroom, snagging his backpack. He went over to the door and shoved his bare feet into his favourite sandals. "Bye, Professor."

Amused, Bagheera finished putting the dishes into the sink and turned. "Behave today."

"Don't I always?" Mowgli asked innocently.

Before his guardian could respond he hurried out the door and down the five flights of stairs. He burst outside, the morning sun momentarily blinding him. When his vision cleared, it was to see his best friend leaning against the metal gate that prevented her from venturing onto the property.

"Shanti," greeted Mowgli. He joined his friends on the other side and the trio began the trek to school. "Ranjan."

"Hi, Mowgli!" Ranjan said cheerfully. "Are ya ready for school?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Mowgli snorted.

"He doesn't like school very much," Shanti informed the seven-year-old. "He's not smart enough for it."

Mowgli shoved her good-naturedly. "I'm plenty smart. I just don't like doing the work."

"I like school," said Ranjan.

"Hey, I did too when I was in the second grade. Wait until you move up. It gets less fun as the years go on."

"Don't listen to him, Ranjan. Are you excited for school?"

As the boy launched into an excited rambling, Mowgli lazily kicked a stone along the cement. He'd been friends with Shanti for as long as he could remember, as she lived across the road from his apartment complex. Ranjan moved in a few years back, and since they were the only kids in their area they hung out together.

"What do you think the teacher line-up for this year is?"

Shanti's question brought him from his thoughts. He glanced at the raven-haired girl. "No idea. But if we get Bagheera for math, I might just fling myself off the roof."

A smirk curled across the girl's face. "That'd be a sight to see. Let me know when you plan on taking flight. I'll come and watch."

"Thank you, for your support."

Sofia wandered down yet another random corridor, her bright blue eyes squinting ahead. Her purple school bag hung loosely over her right shoulder, she was dressed in a pair of jeans, white flats and purple blouse, and her short brunette curls fell gently against her neck. She was all ready for her first day of second grade.

The only problem was that she couldn't find her way to the front door.

Once upon a time, she lived in a small house in the countryside with her mother. Now she lived in a grand mansion with twisting staircases, dozens of marble corridors and hundreds of rooms. All because her mother remarried one of the richest men in Central Disneyville.

Not that there was anything wrong with Roland. He was nice enough, he made her mother happy, and he had even given her a purple amulet as a 'welcome to the family' present. The purple stone rested against her chest on a gold chain, as she had promised she would always wear it, even if it was a bit much to wear such an extravagant piece of jewelry to elementary school.

Speaking of school, she was going to be late if she didn't get out of this maze she now called home.

"I should have waited for James," she moaned, pausing in the middle of a corridor and dropping to the floor in frustration.

As a result of her mother's marriage, she had gotten new siblings as well as a new father. James and Amber were nine-year-old twins that lived the life of royalty. All they knew were designer clothes, butlers, maids, cooks, chauffeurs and complete luxury. The spoilt nature had only affected one of them, however.

Amber Kingston, the blonde-haired princess of the Kingston Estate, made it perfectly clear that she was not at all happy by this arrangement. In comparison to her, Sofia was clumsy, awkward and, in her exact words, a commoner. Despite the bitter attitude, Sofia remained polite and kind, even though it was difficult. But she would only have to deal with the girl a few hours every day, as the twins attended a prestigious private school the next town over.

"Maybe, one day, we'll get along," she said to herself, idly staring at the multiple artifacts that decorated the corridor. She made a mental note never to play ball in the house. She had a feeling nothing in the place was worth anything less than ten thousand dollars, at the very least.

She climbed to her feet and started off again. After twisting through a few more corridors, she finally came upon a spiralling marble staircase that was familiar to her. She hurried down to the foyer and went over to the large closet that was situated by the front door. She shoved her feet into a pair of scuffed sneakers and headed outside, where she found her stepsiblings waiting.

"Um…hi," she greeted, a bit confused. From what she was told, James and Amber left at seven every morning to get to school. She cast a quick glance at her watch, which read eight o'clock. "What's up?"

"We're going to school with you," James said cheerfully.

For the first time, Sofia noticed they weren't wearing uniforms. James wore a green polo shirt and black dress pants. His sister wore a glittery yellow sundress with matching flats. The girl was currently giving Sofia a glare of hatred.

"Oh! Neat. Um, why the change?" Sofia asked, shuffling her feet awkwardly as she tried to avoid Amber's burning glower.

"Father decided that public school would be a good experience for us," explained James. "So he transferred us."

"Thanks to you," hissed Amber.

"Er, I didn't mean for this to happen," Sofia said carefully. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's good. I always wanted to go to public school. Our old school was a bit too stuffy anyway."

"That was class," snapped Amber, glaring at her brother. "We were among our people."

James waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever."

"Hello, children!"

The three glanced up to see Roland striding down the stone steps with Miranda, Sofia's mother, following behind. Roland beamed at them. "Excited for your first day?"

"Heck yeah!" James exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"I would be, if we were going back to where we belong," Amber said snidely.

"You'll have fun, Amber," assured Miranda. "Sofia will be happy to show you around."

Sofia smiled. "Yeah."

"I'll be fine," said Amber, not returning Sofia's smile. "It's only elementary school. Where are we going, anyway?"

"Disney Central," informed Sofia.

Amber wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't sound like an elementary school."

"Well, it's an elementary school and a high school combined," said Sofia. "There are a lot of students and teachers, and we all share one building."

"You mean I'm going to be in the same vicinity as public high schoolers?" Amber cried, as if this was the most horrible thing that could ever happen to her.

"Not exactly," Sofia hurried to reassure her. "The kids in grades one to eight learn in the elementary wing. The high schoolers learn in a separate wing."

"But the buildings are connected, right?" Amber demanded. At Sofia's nod, the girl scowled. "So they could come to our wing whenever they wanted."

"Well, they could," agreed Sofia hesitantly. "But they're not allowed to. There's a principal and vice-principal for each wing, and they are really strict on students who cross over."

"Don't worry Amber," Roland said, smiling encouragingly at his daughter. "You'll get used to your new environment."

Amber gave a stiff nod, knowing that no amount of arguing or pleading would change his mind. Not this time. Casting another savage glare at her unwanted stepsister, she stalked over to the limo and climbed in without a word.

"Bye Father," James bid and hurried after his sister. "Come on, Sofia!"

"Bye honey." Miranda waved. "Have a good day."

"I will. Bye!" Sofia blew a kiss and went over to the limo. She sat on the leather seat beside James, shut the door and leaned back, enjoying the air conditioning flowing from the vents.

Well, I guess this is what they call riding in style.

"I don't wanna go to school!"

The whine came courtesy of Wendy Darling's youngest brother Michael. The small boy thrashed about in his chair, flinging scrambled eggs every which-way. Wendy heaved a sigh and picked up a cloth, wiping smears of ketchup from his face. Despite the fact he was seven, he often acted like a toddler, which she supposed was her fault. At fourteen, she wasn't very grownup herself, often indulging her brothers with fantastic tales of pirates and mystical creatures.

Heck, she still lived in the nursery-by choice.

"Michael, school isn't so bad," John said, glancing up from his book to peer at his brother. "You get to learn new things and play with friends."

"Yeah, I bet Ranjan will be happy to see you," Wendy added. "You didn't get to see each other much this summer."

"I guess," agreed Michael hesitantly. "I just wish I could stay home and play with you all day. Now you won't even be in the same part of the school as me."

"I'll still be in the same building. So if there's ever trouble, I'll be right there."

"Wendy, what have I said about coddling your brothers?"

Wendy flinched at the sharp voice. "Sorry, Papa." She dropped the cloth and went to retrieve her backpack. "I was only trying to make him feel better."

George sat down at the kitchen table and Mary handed him a plate of breakfast food. "He will be fine. He needs to learn to take care of himself."

"But I want Wendy to take care of me," protested Michael.

"Wendy's your sister, not your nanny. You shouldn't depend on her for everything. You all need to grow up sometime." George unfurled the morning newspaper, signalling that the conversation was over. Mary sent her children an apologetic glance and shooed them off to school.

"I hate it when he says that," muttered Wendy as she started across their front yard. "I don't want to grow up."

"He's just cranky this morning," said John, taking Michael by the hand as they crossed the road. "We ran out of coffee yesterday."

"Coffee isn't the only reason for his bad mood. It never is." Wendy frowned and stared glumly at her blue sundress. "He doesn't understand me."

"There, there." John patted her arm. "Soon we'll be at school and you'll forget all about this."

The light brown-haired girl perked up considerably. In a matter of minutes, she would be starting the ninth grade with her best friend, the one person who was as childish and fun-loving as she was.

"What are the chances Peter Pan has already pranked your new principal?" John asked.

Wendy grinned. "Very good, but I hope he waited. I wouldn't want to miss anything."

"I can't believe summer is already over," groused Simba.

Nala glanced at her golden-skinned best friend. "Well, with only two months of vacation and ten months of school, it's bound to feel short."

"It should be illegal to have so much work and so little fun." Simba sighed. "I mean, we're only in the sixth grade. Do you know how many more years of school we have left?"

"Six," she answered promptly.

Simba's face fell. "I didn't expect it to be that much longer."

"Well, it's going to be more, considering college. But the years on that differ."

Simba dropped down on the curb, glaring down the street. "I just want to get this first day over with. Where's Zazu?"

"Why can't we walk to school like all the other kids?" Nala asked. "I mean, Mowgli and Shanti are a year behind us and they walk every day."

"It's because we skipped school when the circus came to town, remember? The school called and our parents threw a fit. I got grounded for six months. I finally got scot-free two weeks ago."

"Oh yeah," Nala recalled, her sapphire eyes widening with remembrance. "We're gonna have to wait at least a year before we're fully off the hook for that one."

"Dumbo came with us," said Simba with a wide grin. "Man, that was a shocker. Never expected him to tag along."

"Dennis," corrected Nala with a slight frown. "His name is Dennis."

"I think you and Bambi are the only ones who call him by his given name," said Simba in amusement. "The guy never opposed it before. Besides, I don't use it because I'm making fun of him."

"Because Dumbo isn't offensive at all," drawled Nala sarcastically.

"He knows I'm not making fun of him. He's a cool dude."

The honk of a horn startled Simba to his feet. A bright yellow car rolled up to the two sixth graders and Nala winced. "I really wish he would get a new car," she whispered.

"I hate riding in the Banana Mobile," moaned Simba. "It's so embarrassing."

The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a man with a beak-like nose, sharp black eyes and black hair that always had a few pieces sticking up in the back. "Simba, you shouldn't sit on the curb. It's dangerous."

Zazu was an old friend of Simba's father, Mufasa. He'd been around since Simba was born, and since Nala had been best friends with him for as long she could remember, much of her time was also spent with the strict, no-nonsense man. He taught computer science and African Studies at Disney Central, so ever since the Circus Incident he'd been driving them to school. As his subjects were geared for the high-schoolers, Simba and Nala didn't see much of him at school, which was fine with them. As much as they loved their constant babysitter and confidant, he cramped their style too much.

"Hey, Zazu," greeted Nala as she and Simba climbed in the backseat. "Excited to teach moody high-schoolers?"

"Almost as much as I'm ready to teach energetic toddlers," shot back Zazu. "Having you two in my class is going to make my hair turn grey."

Nala and Simba stiffened. "What do you mean?" Simba asked slowly.

Surprised, Zazu turned around to peer at his charges. "Your father didn't tell you? There's been a bit of a shift in who teaches what subject this year. I've been saddled with elementary geography in addition to my usual classes."

Nala and Simba exchanged agonized glances when Zazu turned back around.

"This is going to suck," moaned Simba softly, sinking in his seat. "And the first day hasn't even started yet."