"This is so stupid!" complained Sydney Bristow.

"What?" asked her little sister Nadia.

"Just because there are too many incoming freshmen we have to go to a different school!"

"At least you'll be with all of your friends." Nadia commented.

"Shut up!"

"DAD!"

"Sydney please," Jack Bristow replied quickly as he rushed into the kitchen looking for his keys, "be nice and drop off your sister at school."

"What? Why?" Sydney asked horrified.

"Sydney please. It's the first day of school and she can't be late." Jack said impatiently.

"Fine," Sydney replied heavily, "come on squirt."

"Hey!" Nadia pouted.

Sydney just ignored her and pulled her towards the door.

"Sydney!" Jack called after her, "I won't be home tonight, I've got a business trip in San Diego. You need to drop Nadia off at Ballet and cook dinner."

"Big surprise." Sydney responded softly. She looked down at her sister who had a sad expression on her face.

"Hey," Sydney said nudging Nadia, "don't worry. Pasta tonight?" Nadia smiled and nodded. Sydney bent down and dropped a kiss on her little sister's head.

"Now move it! I've gotta meet Will, Francie, Kelsey, and Matt."

At School

"Hey Syd!" called out a voice.

Sydney turned around to see her four best friends running behind her. She grinned as she saw Francie checking out nearby guys; Will was struggling with his huge calculus book, while Matt and Kelsey were getting into their usual brother sister fights.

"What's up?" Sydney asked when they finally caught up.

"Nothing much," responded Francie," except checking out the new school scene."

Sydney groaned loudly.

"Tell me about it. Half these kids look like they're part of those clichéd cliques."

"A little judgmental. I would have thought you would be glad to get a new batch of guys to put under your "love spell"." Matt teased.

"Very funny!" Sydney cried out swatting his head. They all laughed remembering how in their old school more guys asked Sydney out then she knew what to do with or wanted anything to do with at all.

"Ok," announced Kelsey, "schedule check. Let's see what classes we have together."

Everyone yanked out their schedules and compared.

"Why do you two have to be in so many advanced classes." Complained Francie to Will and Sydney.

Will laughed and said, "Maybe because our very lives depend on it.

Sydney groaned, "Tell me about it, I remember when my dad told me a B is a failing grade."
Matt, Kelsey, and Francie gave her a look of sympathy.

"That's why you totally freaked out last year when you thought you got a B in French " Kelsey piped up.

"You just love bringing that up." Sydney replied sarcastically.

Kelsey laughed and put her arm around Sydney's neck and the other one around her brother's.

"Well, what are we waiting for? The new year awaits."

Will laughed, "You, Kelsey Williams, are a piece of work."

"Yeah," replied Matt, "and guess who has to live with her."

"Shut up you butthead!" Kelsey shot back.

Sydney laughed and, before Matt could retaliate, she pulled her friends up the stone steps of their new school.

Her thoughts drifted back to Matt's comment about finding a guy. Sydney shook her head. Last time she had a boyfriend, things didn't turn out well. Actually things turned out horrible. Her smile faded slightly as she regressed back to that awful month.

'No way,' she thought, 'no way on earth is that happening again.'