Chapter 8 - Epilogue

'My name is Gwendolyn Maxine Stacy,'

'Thank you, Gwen,' the teacher smiled sweetly at her. 'Why don't you tell us a bit more about yourself?'

'Umm… o-okay,' Gwen fidgeted in place. 'I-I'm 6 years old, and I'm from Forest Hills,' she said shyly. 'I moved here because daddy said he has a new job here,'

'Really? That's so interesting!' the teacher clapped her hands enthusiastically. 'Do you have any hobbies?'

Gwen's face lit up at her question. 'I like to dance! Coz mommy & daddy likes it when I dance!' she said excitedly, earning a few snickers from some of her classmates.

The teacher quickly glared at some of the boys that snickered. Gwen retreated back to the safety of her bangs, staring at her shoes.

'It's okay Gwen, I think that's great,' the teacher tried to assure her. 'Anything else you like doing in your spare time?'

Gwen bit her lips, before peeking at the teacher through her bangs. 'Umm… I like science,' Gwen whispered slowly.

'Oh really? That's great! I like science too,' the teacher beamed at her.

'O-oh, okay,' Gwen nodded, slowly regaining her confidence. 'Mommy's a scientist too, so I want to grow up like mom-,'

'NERD!' one of the boys shouted from his seat, earning raucous laughter from his classmates.

'Andy! Stand in the hallway mister!' the teacher snapped at the boy, while pointing towards the doorway.

The boy smiled smugly as he walked out of the class, while his friends continue snickering & chuckling.

The teacher pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

'I-I'm sorry, teacher,' Gwen looks defeatedly at her shoes.

'What? No, Gwen, honey, no,' the teacher lets out a small sigh as she held Gwen's shoulders. 'It's not your fault, honey,' the teacher gave her a warm smile while ruffling her bangs, which in turn made Gwen sobbed harder.

'Why don't you go take a seat over by the window, there,' the teacher pointed to an empty seat, before giving her a small squeeze on her shoulders.

'Ok class, time for recess,' the teacher announced as she closed the book in front of her. 'Carly, make sure everyone behaves while I'm away,'

Gwen looks around at her new classmates, doing her best to try & fit in.

'Mommy said I should try & make as many new friends as possible,' Gwen thought to herself, dreading to start a conversation with her new classmates.

Gwen took a big gulp and got out of her seat. 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained,' Gwen muttered her father's mantra to herself.

'E-excuse me,' Gwen asked as she approached one of the groups.

'Hmm? Oh, new girl?' replied one of the girls.

'I-I was wondering if we could have lun-,'

'Sorry, our table's full,' one of the girls quickly interjected, smiling sarcastically at her.

'O-Oh, okay,' Gwen said, slightly taken aback. She retreated back a few steps before looking around the class, trying her best to do what her mommy & daddy asked her to do.

'Hey new girl! Come here!' one of the boys shouted at her from their table, waving his hands at her.

Gwen looked over at the voice desperately, walking as fast as he could to the group. As she nears the group, she realizes the boy calling out to her was the same boy that teased her earlier in class.

'Sit here Gwen,' the boy tapped a seat next to their table. Gwen hesitantly approached them & started to sit down next to them.

'H-hello,' Gwen greeted them hesitantly.

'Come on Gwen, loosen up,' Andy smiled. 'We just want to be friends,'

'Oh-okay,' Gwen smiled awkwardly at them.

'Eat, eat,' the boy beamed confidently at her. Gwen slowly took out the sandwich her mommy prepared for her, and took a bite out of it.

'So, is the reason why you moved school because you don't have any friends?' Andy asked, smirking at his friends as he questioned Gwen.

Gwen blinked in surprise at his question. 'Umm, n-no, not reall-,'

'Is it because you're a nerd?' another boy asked, as they all laughed together.

'Is your mom a nerd too?'

'Do you have nerd 'cooties'?'

'Ewww! Am I gonna be infected by her cooties?!'

'Noo, I'm gonna be a nerd as well!'

Gwen started to sob at their relentless teasing. She looked down at her thighs, trying her best to hold back her tears, before a small hand suddenly grabbed hers, and dragged her away.

'Come on Gwen, let's go,' Peter said as he pulled her away from her seat.

'Oooh, Peter,' Andy jeered back at Peter. 'Look at you, saving your nerd friends,'

'Shut up Andy,' Peter exclaimed. 'You & your friends are a bunch of idiots!'

'Yeah? Well at least I've got friends!' Andy challenged back as Peter walked away with Gwen. 'Not like little miss scientis-,'

Andy was stopped short by Peter, who was now tackling him and punching him in the face. Andy immediately punched Peter back as the two boys continued to swing around their little fists at each other.

A few moments later, the teacher came rushing into the class, panicked as she looked at the two boys.

'ANDY! PETER!' the teacher yelled as she quickly held them apart with her arms. 'ANDY! Principal's office! NOW!'

'Peter started it!' Andy yelled back as he tried to push his teacher's hands away to no avail. The teacher looked over at Andy incredulously, as she started to reprimand him again, before looking at the other kids, and changed her focus to Peter.

'Peter? Did you start this?' she asked in disbelief.

Peter looked away, as he slowly nodded his head in shame.

'That'd be all Mrs. Parker,' Gwen heard the teacher saying as she & Peter's aunt came out of the principal's office.

'I'm really sorry Mrs. Johnson,' Peter's aunt continued to apologize as she walked out of the door. 'He's really not normally like this,'

As the adults continued their conversation, Gwen sneaked over to the downcast Peter who was seated outside of the office.

'H-Hey Peter,'

Peter looked up in surprise. 'Oh, hey Gwen,' he smiled warmly at her.

'Thanks for that earlier,' Gwen took a seat next to Peter

'No, I'm sorry about that,' Peter looked away apologetically. 'I guess I'm also an idiot,'

'N-No! You were great Peter,' Gwen said quickly.

They both sat awkwardly at their seats for a few moments, not knowing what to say.

'Hey, what Andy said just now, don't think about it,' Peter smiled warmly at her.

'Oh, haha, I'm okay,' Gwen smiled awkwardly back at him. 'I don't mind,'

Peter shook his head to stop Gwen. 'Ben said people don't like it when you're different,' Peter said thoughtfully, as he leaned back on his chair. 'Andy's just mean because he's not smart like you,'

Gwen blushed slightly at his words. 'Yeah, but he does have more friends than me though,'

'That's okay then, I'll be your friend,' Peter quickly held out his hand excitedly. 'Friendly neighbors,'

Gwen blinked in surprise for a few moments before shaking his hands and beaming excitedly. 'Friends & neighbors,'

'Also, I think science is great as well,' Peter smiled sheepishly at his seat.

'So, how was your first day at school princess?'

Gwen rolled her eyes as she got into her parent's car. 'Terrible,'

'Oh?' her mom raised an eyebrow as she looked at her through the rearview mirror.

'They kept making fun of me, coz I'm the new girl,' Gwen answered with a pout.

'I knew this wasn't a good place for her,' her mom sighed out in frustration.

Her dad furrowed his brows as he drove them back to their home. 'Well, I didn't think there was anything wrong with trying,'

'Really?' her mom shot back, a hint of annoyance in her voice. 'That's it, let's move her to 'Standard Elementary','

'NO!' Gwen shouted from the back of her seat, to the surprise of both her parents. 'No, I want to stay here,' Gwen said slowly.

'Oookaay…,' her father raised his eyebrow in surprise.

'I also uhm… made a new friend,' Gwen muttered shyly.

'Oh? Really?' her mom asked excitedly.

'It's Peter,' Gwen fidgeted in her seat. 'I like him, he's my friend,'