You Just Need A Friend, Auggie

Chapter 1

Well here we go again.. After climbing the mountain that was my first year of Middle School it feels like I've just completed one loop and am about to start the next one. My family went on an awesome vacation to Montana to visit Yellowstone National Park and explore so I didn't get to see all my friends at all. The only thought going through my head, as I said goodbye to my dad as he dropped me off at the front entrance to Beecher Prep, was 'will my friends still be there?'. I got to the steps leading up to the front doors. I took a few deep breaths before pushing them open and I was hit with that familiar buzz of school. People laughing and talking with each other, the metallic clangs of lockers being opened and closed and of course, the familiar faces from last year. The people who just last year wanted nothing to do with me and couldn't even touch me without them "catching the plague", some cheap version of the cheese touch, only difference being what the cheese was. Naturally, I still got some odd stared and puzzled looks as I walked down the corridor. However, what I did notice was more people would nod or smile at me as I walked past. After I won that award at the graduation ceremony last year people have been treating me differently. Like I was a normal kid just like them. People like Amos, Henry and Miles who at the start of last year would make hurtful comments when they were around Julian now are giving me high fives and fist bumps as I past their group as I headed towards my new home room. I kept walking slowly along the corridor looking for room 39 and once I turned into the room with the little brass numbers 39 above the frame I was hit with a hard embrace. It was Summer.

"Auggie!!" Summer exclaimed happily as she squeezed me so hard that I was going to explode from the pressure. I smiled and returned the hug as she started to let go of me.

"Hey Summer," I said with a happy grin on my face. "How war the summer?" Summer grinned and sat down on one of the desks.

"It was great Auggie, but why didn't you stay in touch?" she asked. "I missed you." I nodded before I responded.

"I'm sorry, I was away for like a month. I missed you too." I looked around the room to see if I knew anyone else in home room. Summer must have read my mind after seeing my scan the room.

"Don't worry, we're a bit early. He'll be here soon." I nodded and relaxed my shoulders and almost straight away, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly. I glance behind me and see a familiar head of curls, although it's grown out over the summer.

"Hey dude," Jack Will says with a big smile. "How are you." I laugh and ease into my friends hug.

"I'm doing really well Jack. How was the summer?" I ask as he let go of me so I could turn around.

"To be honest, the summer sucked ass." He said. "I didn't get to go anywhere and my spare time was spent taking care of my little brother." I felt so happy. Both Jack and Summer were in my home room. My two best friends that will help me get through this next year just like they did the last. I took my folded timetable out from my pocket and opened it.

"What classes do you all have?" I asked as I showed them both my timetable. Summer's face dropped slightly as she handed the paper over to Jack.

"Sorry Auggie," she said. "I don't have you in any classes." I felt disappointed as I nodded my head. Jack then started smiling and then jumped up in excitement.

"We're in almost every class together!" He exclaimed. I couldn't believe my luck. Someone really was looking out for me.

"Hell yeah dude," I said just as excitedly as Jack. "That's so awesome."

"I know," Jack says as he get his timetable out as well. "Everything except for maths but I guess that's ok."

"So that means we got English first up," I said as I looked at the first period. Soon enough our home room teacher walks in and introduces himself as Mr Williams. He talks about the year ahead and made us all introduce ourselves, a bit line what Mr Browne made us do, except this time I was not nervous. Within 15 minutes the bell rings and we are told to go to class. Jack picks up his bag from the floor and puts the strap over his shoulder. I grab my things as well. We say goodbye to Summer and leave the classroom for our first class. The entire walk there, Jack had his arm around my shoulder in a comfortable friendship kind of way. I didn't realise just how much I missed him over the break.

We got to our classroom and I took a seat by the window. Jack naturally sat right next to me. We spent the next 5 minutes talking with each other until a woman walked in. She looked way too chill to be a school teacher as she had her phone in her hand and was madly texting. She then dropped her books on the front desk and put her phone away. She looked up and smiled us. No words, just a smile.

"You know what would be fun?" She asked. "If we moved the tables together in groups of 2 on the edge and 3 in the middle. I've always hated the single desks." I was surprised by this. Every class I had last year except for science was organised with individual desks. I helped pull Jack's desk and his bag so it was connected to mine. We both had confused expressions on our faces as we both sat down. The whole class had already finished moving the desks and had sat down. The teacher smiled widely again before sitting casually on the front of the desk.

"English is something you all have to do right?" She said as she looked at her class with a passionate expression. I already knew that this teacher was a score. "But is it possible for it to be interesting ? If you don't think so, give me a semester and I will change your mind." I laughed internally and looked over at Jack. He rolled his eyes and began fiddling with his pen. We both majorly sucked at English last and we really relied on Summer to help us get assignments done. "My name is Mrs Morrison and I will be your English teacher this year." I already knew that I'm off to a good

start. Jack smiles and holds a clenched fist towards me.

"Score?" He whispered under his breath.

"Score." I replied. I can't wait for this year.

Note: Hi to whoever reads this. For those of you who are still waiting on a new chapter for my FC5 fic don't worry, it'll come by this is a side project I've always thought of so I thought it was time. Hope you enjoy and pls leave any comments or suggestions you might think will help this book.

Cheers!