Thanks, ColorfulMusic, adanethel, and Blueshinymoonlight for reviewing! Chapter 8 for you.

Chapter 8: First day back to school

"Hey Riven!" Sky and Brandon greeted Riven as soon as he set foot on the school ground. "First day of school, you excited?"

"What's there to be excited about?"

"Well, we're juniors!" Brandon cheered happily.

"Seriously, Brandon. You sound just like Stella, that's not a good habit." Riven shook his head disapprovingly. "And need I remind you, we were juniors even before the break."

"Come on, dude. Cheer up a little, first day back to school's suppose to be fun."

"There's nothing to be fun about. Fate's being cruel to me, why do I have to be in the same school as Veronica?"

"Yep, there's nothing to be fun of." Brandon's mood instantly changed, but then he grinned and added, "Well, for you anyway."

"I'm so going to make this school semester a living hell for you." Riven growled.

Brandon grinned and skipped towards the Winx and Specialists.

"God, I swear, he's becoming more like a girl every day." Riven groaned.

Musa stepped into her new school after Charlie, the driver dropped her off and looked around. There were groups of friends huddling together, catching up, exchanging events that happened during the break. She saw a group of boys throwing each other balls in the shade. A few girls stood to the side giggling, watching the boys. Musa rolled her eyes, hitched her shoulder bag higher on her shoulder and started walking while taking in her surrounding.

"Musa!"

Musa turned towards the person who called her name.

"Yo! Sunshine!" Musa lifted a hand in greeting and walked towards Stella and her friends, who were standing under an oak tree. "Sup? First day of school, excited?"

"Very." Bloom nodded enthusiastically and the others agreed.

"Why? There's nothing to be excited about." Musa looked around the school yard and said. "It's always the same. You go to school, pretend to learn, have detention, beat up somebody, got expelled and went home. Then the whole process starts again. Well, at least that's what happen at my last boarding school."

"I totally agree with you there."

Musa turned towards the voice she had become familiar with over the past two weeks.

"Hiya." she waved and he gave her a small smile in return.

"Wait a minute, are my eyes working right? Riven was smiling?" Stella dramatically rubbed her eyes and made a big show of looking at Riven.

"He's definitely smiling. I saw it with my own two eyes." Brandon confirmed. "But only for a second."

"Care to introduce?" Musa raised one of her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, Musa, this is Brandon, Sky, Riven, Helia and Timmy." Stella pointed to each of the boys when she said their name.

Musa stared at Brandon, which make him squirm uncomfortably.

"You're Stella's boyfriend, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah."

"Let me tell you something," she stepped forward. "she's absolutely annoying. From the first time I met her, she had been chattering non stop and half the things she was saying were about fashion - which I don't give a fuck about."

"Finally! Someone who shared the same thinking as me." Riven pointed at Musa and smirked at the boys in victory.

"And I finally learned your name. Riven, right?"

"You're kidding?" Riven gaped at the midnight blue hair girl in front of him. "Didn't you hear what your dad said last night?"

"I dunno." she shrugged and turned to him. "What did he say?"

"What were you doing during dinner?"

"Let me think." she replied sarcastically. "Oh yeah, probably listening to music. I forgot you don't know what that is. You know the iPod I bought? Yeah, the one we use it to listen to music? Well, I was - "

"I give up." Riven held up his hands in a surrender manner.

Musa smirked and patted Riven on the shoulder, "That's the spirit."

She looked around at the other boys when she saw a boy who was very familiar. She cocked her head at him.

"You look familiar."

"Musa, long time no see." Helia suddenly left Flora's side and hugged Musa, making Flora felt a hint of jealousy.

"Er, yeah." when they pulled away, she asked, "Do I know you?"

"Are you for real?" Bloom and Sky asked incredulously.

"What?" Musa looked around at the Winx and Specialists. "Why are you all so surprised?"

"You hugged him and then you ask him if you know him. Everyone would be surprised." Nabu said.

"Hey, he hugged me first." she defended and turned back to Helia. "So, are you going to tell me who are you or not?"

"Helia."

"Huh? Who?"

"I'm so gonna kill you after this." Helia muttered.

"Helia wanting to kill someone, that's a first."

"Shut up Timmy." he turned towards Musa and took a deep breath. "Skirt Boy."

"You're kidding?" Musa gaped at Helia much in the same manner as Riven just minutes before.

She had started to shake and was holding her stomach. The others looked back and forth at Musa and Helia wondering what was going on. Suddenly, Musa laughed out loud. She didn't laugh like other girls would, they would put their hands over their mouth and laugh 'politely', but apparently not her. She just laughed with her mouth open but could still be categorized as pretty.

"Shut up." Helia mumbled.

"Sorry," but she made no effort to stop - or even try to.

When she finally stopped, she wiped some tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "I just can't believe it."

"Can't believe what?" the Bloom, Stella and Brandon asked in unison.

"Nosy people." Riven added.

"Skirt Boy," she pointed at Helia. "I can't believe he attend this school." Musa started to laugh again.

"Don't you dare start." Helia warned her.

"Right," she cleared her throat. "Yeah, long time no see, Skirt - wait, what was your name again? And since when did you grow so tall? I remember you being smaller and much much shorter than me."

"Helia. And since the last time you saw me."

"Excuse me, not trying to be rude or anything, but how do you two know each other?" Flora asked sweetly.

"We're cousins." Helia replied.

"Are you dating Fauna?"

"Who?"

"Flora."

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"You had your arms a - "

"Hold up for a sec. Musa, you don't know your own cousin's name?" Tecna asked.

"No, why should I? I was used to calling him Skirt Boy." Musa turned to the others, "And speaking of Skirt Boy, do you want to see something funny?"

"What is it?" Bloom asked.

"Something funny. Starring Skirt Boy." Musa dug around in her bag and pulled out a small album.

'Please don't be what I think it is. Please. Please. Please' Helia squeezed his eyes shut and thought.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw the thing that humiliated him when he was small and it looks like it will continued to do it's work - even when he's older.

"You brought it to school?" Helia looked at the album in disbelief.

"Yep, I brought it to the boarding schools too. I showed it to the others when I was bored and wanted some fun." Musa grinned.

Helia face palmed himself and groaned.

"What's in it?" Riven asked, clearly eager to see why Helia's acting like he's acting.

"Why don't you see it for yourself?" she handed the album to Riven.

When he opened the album, he started laughing. The others looked at each other worryingly - Riven laughing? - and crowded around him to see. When they saw the pictures, they laughed. Layla and Stella even need to hold onto their stomachs and Nabu and Brandon for support as they were laughing to hard. Meanwhile, Helia hid his head in his hands.

"I'm never going to live this down."

"Why didn't you tell me you used to wear skirts and dresses?" Riven asked.

"I don't, she made me." Helia pointed at Musa. "She made me wear all sorts of ridiculous clothes when we were little and forced me to draw self portraits for her."

"Yep. Hey, why don't you guys come over today? I've kept all of them. Don't worry, Skirt - er, Helia, they're in good shape. I even framed some of them."

"Can't wait." Bloom answered for the rest of them just as the bell rang for class.

"I need to take all those school things from the secretary. Anyone know where the office is?"