"Hi," I said shyly. "I'm Cassandra Kenneth. I just moved here."

She nodded and continued to smile, "So you need your schedule?"

"Yes."

The woman at the desk started sorting through a bunch of papers. The desk had mountains of flyers and such stacked on it. I got the feeling that she wasn't very organized and that looking for my schedule would take a while.

"Got it," she yelped excitedly as she held up a small sheet triumphantly, "OK honey. Here are the classes you'll have. You will have recess after your second class."

I nodded and walked towards the desk to retrieve it from her.

"Thanks," I said and then I turned towards the door, not quite sure if I was ready to face what was about to come.

Students were still in the hallway. I heard the shuffling of their feet and their voices shouting to each other.

Somewhere out there were Chris and the other guys and I wanted to find them.

I navigated through the halls. It was just as small a school on the inside as it was on the outside. There were four hallways in total and about ten classrooms that were actually in use. The student population was around 350, which surprised me because it was only a junior high school. I wondered how so many students could fit into such a small building.

There were still people in the halls with me but none of them seemed to notice that I was new. They drew their attention to something more important as we all turned left into the second hallway of the school.

There was someone I would recognize anywhere, beating up someone else I already knew in my dreams.

Ace was holding Chris around the neck and trying to knock him to the ground. The first thing I wondered was how no teachers could be noticing this. But I got myself together and walked up to Ace without hesitation.

"Leave him alone," I said sternly and without fault in my voice.

Ace stopped to look at me, "Excuse me?" He wasn't very happy about me standing up to him, especially since I had already done it once, and probably embarrassed him.

"You heard me. Go pick on someone your own age." It was a slightly childish saying, but I didn't care, because Ace seemed to listen.

He backed off and gave Chris and me one last evil glare. I was proud of myself for getting him to stop so quickly.

Chris didn't seem to be hurt but he always looked so sad and innocent when he was being beat up.

"Hey Cass," he said happily, "Nice way to see me on your first day huh?"