On the previous Friday, Julie, Jimmy, and Marissa had gone to Newport Union to register her as a student in the public school system. She got her new school I.D., which had her photograph on it with her name, code, and other identifying information. They also filled out some paper work, and tried to register her for classes. Everyone seemed very nice and accommodating. They gave her a tour, and showed her where everything was. There was no lounge or cell phone use, but it was a school. The administration explained to her that it was not an open campus, unlike Harbor, therefore, she had to stay on school grounds all day, unless she had been dismissed by a parent or guardian. Clearly, things were going to be different this year.

That Monday, Marissa got out of her car and looked around the campus. She sighed and decided to make the best of it, for this would be where she would be finishing out her senior year - at Newport Union High School. The campus looked a lot different from what she was used to at The Harbor School. It looked more like a typical high school than a college campus. It was a large brick building with a rather aesthetically pleasing courtyard. It had three floors and a basement. There were more students; however, the campus appeared to be smaller.

She walked into the building and into the guidance office. Marissa had not been assigned to a homeroom yet, nor had she gotten her schedule. Since she was transferring in from a rigorous college preparatory school, it was difficult for the Guidance Department and Marissa to find classes that would suit her. She sat down in one of the chairs and looked around her, out into the halls. Marissa saw all the other students walking past her. They looked different from the type of students that were found at The Harbor School. While Harbor had some cliques, clearly not as many as this school. There were gothic students, preps, jocks, sluts, druggies, nerds, burn outs, and all of them were different ethnicities, as well. She had never seen so many Asian, Hispanic, and Black students together in her life. It was not that she was racist, or anything of the sort, it was simply that she had not been exposed to it before. These were the children of the people that cleaned their million-dollar homes.

Marissa sat there until the receptionist told her to go down and meet with her new guidance counselor. They were done alphabetically at this school. Finally, about ten minutes before the bell for homeroom rang, the secretary called Marissa's name, and told her to go meet with Mrs. Barnes, down at the end of the hall. She walked down the hall very timidly, afraid she would walk into the wrong office, or something of the sort. However, she did find her way.

"Hi, there. Marissa Cooper? Please, take a seat," she said, greeting Marissa kindly. She was an older lady, and wore glasses; however, she seemed nice, and that was all Marissa cared about, at this point. Marissa sat down, as she asked.

"Do you have a copy of my schedule?" Marissa asked, afraid. At Harbor, she had been in AP English IV, AP French, AP Psychology, AP Physics, AP Calculus, and Wind Ensemble. However, on Friday, when she came to the school, it appeared that it did not have the selection that Harbor had to choose from.

"Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. Nice GPA, by the way. You have excellent test scores too. I must say, it was quite hard to place you because of your scholastic abilities," Mrs. Barnes told her. She handed Marissa the copy of the schedule. She looked at it. Marissa was not pleased, at all. So far, she was signed up for Honors English IV, French III, Social Psychology (which was a half year class), Senior History (which was another half year class), Honors Pre- Calculus, Honors Biology, Chorus, and Theater.

"Um... Mrs. Barnes, I think there have been some mistakes," Marissa told her. She showed her the schedule, and her copy of the one she had received at Harbor.

"What mistakes, Dear?" the old woman asked.

"Well, I've already taken French III - sophomore year. I took AP Pre-Calculus last year, and I took an AP Biology sophomore year. I can't sing, so I don't know why I'm signed up for chorus because I play flute and piccolo, and I don't know the first thing about acting. What about the psychology class? Is that the only one you offer?" Marissa asked her.

"Oh sorry, Marissa, but with you being a transfer student, there isn't a lot left that you can choose from. Let's see here," she said to Marissa. She turned to her computer. "I can put you in Latin I, instead of French III, and I can put you into Intro to Statistics, instead of Pre-Calculus. How about Anatomy and Physiology or a C.P. Physics class instead of AP Biology?"

"C.P. Physics, I think," Marissa told her. "Latin and Stats sound fine."

"Marissa we don't offer any sort of a concert band around here, but what about Social Psychology, Senior History, and AP Art?" she asked her. Marissa nodded her head.

"Yeah, sure, that sounds fine," she replied. She sighed. Although it was not what she wanted, it was what she was going to have to deal with. "I think that will work."

"All right, and here are your homeroom and locker assignments. I will show you where your locker and homeroom are, okay?" she told her. She got up out of her seat, and Marissa followed her. She walked down the corridor on the ground level, and found her locker - P-53.

"This is your locker. Always keep it locked, and never put your stuff on the ground, otherwise you might not get it back," she told Marissa. She was slightly mortified by this and nodded her head. The guidance counselor nodded in agreement, and continued on to Marissa's homeroom. She stopped at room 221.

"This is your homeroom. The teacher's name is Mr. Baker. I'll bring you inside," she told Marissa. Mrs. Barnes knocked on the door, and went in.

"Why, hi there, Mrs. Barnes, and what brings you here today?" he asked. He was tall and younger than she was, although he was in no means a "new" teacher.

"I have a new student for you. Her name is Marissa Cooper, and she just transferred here," the guidance counselor explained. Marissa shyly stepped inside.

"Well, thanks for telling me. Hello, Marissa. Can I see your schedule?" he asked. She handed it to him.

"Hm... smart young lady. Casey, why don't you show Marissa around today. It appears that you two have some of the same classes," he told her. Mr. Baker gave Marissa back her schedule, and directed her to sit over near where Casey was. She was sitting over on the other side of the room - the less populated side. She was small with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Hey, I'm Casey, as he already mentioned," she said to Marissa.

"I'm Marissa," Marissa replied. She sat down next to the girl.

"Geez... you're tall," she said. "So where did you transfer from?"

Marissa sighed. She knew she would have to tell about herself sometime. Might as well be then, she thought. Marissa told her, "The Harbor School."

"Whoa, Harbor?" Casey asked. "You must be smart then."

Marissa shrugged and said, "I guess. I don't know."

"So got a boyfriend?" Casey questioned.

Marissa grinned, "Actually, I do. His name is Ryan. He goes to Harbor. He transferred in there from Chino a couple of years ago." Marissa said that to make herself seem less stuck up.

"Cool, but how did a kid from Chino end up there?" Casey wondered.

"He's a long story, but he's really fun and great," Marissa told her.

"Yeah, we should all hang out sometime. I have a boyfriend too. His name is Jack. He goes here. He'll be in your English class," she explained to Marissa.

"Cool," Marissa smiled. Then the bell rang. Although this year was going to be different, maybe it would not be as hard as she thought.