I grinned to myself and shoved some buttered noodles in my mouth. So far, high school had been great. In the classes I'd had so far--English, Biology, and Spanish--I'd even met some new friends: Carly and Barbara, who were in summer school with Claud, Lauren Hoffman, who had been in all my classes so far and whom I knew previously from a zoo project we did last year, and Greer Carson, who used to go to Stoneybrook Day School with Shannon and was one of Shannon's best friends.

I invited them all to sit with the (ex-) BSC members at lunch. CLaudia greeted them warmly, but everyone else seemed a little wary. It's not often that people outside of our clique are invited to hang out with us.

Well, that had to change. The Club was over, and our unconsciously snobby ways should be too.

My new friends and I all gabbed excitely. Laura, Barbara, and I were all in the same English class. Ted, the teacher I'd like so much last year who got in trouble because he had us read some books the more conservative parents didn't like, was out English teacher this year. The school disctrict placed him in high school instead of middle school, and I was grateful. He was such a cool teacher.

During all of lunch, the BSC members were markedly silent. Somehow I got the feeling that they would have preferred to have a BSC-members only lunch. They sort of carried on their own conversation and ignored the new girls.

I shurgged. We were in high school now. Time to act like big girls.

At the end of the day, Carly ran up to me. "Hey Kristy," she panted. "A bunch of us are going to Miller's Park this afternoon. Wanna come?"

I mentally checked my schedule. I was free all afternon, and since it was the first day of school, I didn't have much homework.

"Sure," I replied. "What time?"

She thought for a moment. "Oh, around four, maybe?" She checked her watch. "See ya!" she called behind her shoulder while walking towards the front entrance.

"See ya," I eched, watching as she got smaller and smaller until a swarm of kids blocked my view.

I then went out myself to the Junk Bucket.

"Ho was your first day?" Sam asked.

"Okay," I said. "I made some new friends."

"Good," her said. "I was worried you'd only have BSC friends forever."

"What's wrong with the BSC?" I asked, half angry and half agreeing with him.

"High school's a whole different ballgame, Kristy," was his only answer.

I shrugged.