Mia sat at the kitchen table, trying to ignore the expectant looks Snow and David kept giving her. She'd barely touched her breakfast, and the air between them was thick with something unspoken. Finally, she set her fork down and crossed her arms, looking at them with a mixture of impatience and suspicion.

"All right, what's going on?" she asked, her voice tinged with irritation.

Snow took a breath, glancing over at David before speaking. "Mia, if you're going to stay in Storybrooke, we need to talk about something important… your education."

Mia's brow furrowed, a frown tugging at her lips. "School? You're seriously talking to me about school right now?"

David nodded, his expression gentle but firm. "Yes, Mia. You're seventeen, and it's important for you to finish high school. Storybrooke High may be a bit… unconventional, but it's a step toward building a life here."

Mia scoffed, shaking her head. "So you're telling me I'm supposed to just… sit in a classroom with a bunch of fairytale characters and pretend everything's normal? You think that's going to make me feel more… settled?"

Snow smiled softly. "Well, yes. But in Storybrooke, 'normal' is a bit different from what you might be used to."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Understatement of the year."

David leaned forward, his tone gentle but persuasive. "We know it's strange, but this is a part of who you are. And being around people who understand that… it could be good for you."

Mia glanced between them, frustration simmering beneath the surface. She didn't want to be part of this world. Every moment here reminded her that she was caught up in something she didn't ask for, surrounded by people who knew more about her life than she did.

But something about Snow and David's persistence made her give a reluctant nod. "Fine. I'll go. But I'm not promising anything."

Mia glanced around the hallway of Storybrooke High, feeling a strange mix of apprehension and curiosity. Snow and David had dropped her off with words of encouragement, but she'd brushed them off, still feeling the tension from their conversation about school. She didn't want to be here, didn't want to try fitting in, especially not in a town that was anything but normal. But here she was.

She finally found her first class—English, according to her schedule—and pushed open the door. The room fell quiet as she stepped inside, and she could feel the students' eyes on her, sizing her up. She wasn't sure what she expected—maybe people wearing capes or holding swords—but instead, they all looked… ordinary. Just a bunch of kids who could have been from any high school she'd attended before.

The teacher, a woman with warm eyes and dark curls, gave her a welcoming smile. "You must be Mia. Welcome to English. You can take a seat wherever you like."

Mia nodded, scanning the room before choosing a spot near the back, where she could observe without drawing too much attention. She could still feel the curiosity from the other students, though, and she kept her gaze firmly on her desk, hoping to avoid any questions.

Class began, and Mia tried to focus on the lecture, but her mind kept wandering. She couldn't shake the feeling that everyone around her knew something she didn't. She was the outsider here, surrounded by people who'd grown up together, sharing a history she could never fully understand. Yet, as she glanced around the room, she was struck by how… ordinary they all seemed. There were whispers, the usual giggles, and a few kids passing notes. Nothing at all like what she'd expected in a town filled with fairytale characters.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, a girl with wavy brown hair and a friendly smile approached her. "Hey! You're new, right? I'm Grace."

Mia nodded, taken off guard by her friendliness. "Yeah. Mia."

Grace's eyes lit up. "Nice to meet you! How are you finding Storybrooke so far?"

Mia shrugged, trying to keep her response vague. "It's… different. But it's okay, I guess."

"Yeah, that's how a lot of people feel when they first get here," Grace replied with a knowing smile. "Want to join us for lunch? I sit with a couple of friends, and they're always open to new people."

Mia hesitated, a little wary, but Grace's easygoing attitude put her at ease. She didn't want to seem like a loner on her first day, so she nodded. "Sure, that sounds good."

The two of them walked to the cafeteria, where Grace led her to a table in the corner where a few other students were already sitting. One of them, a boy with dark hair and an air of quiet confidence, looked up as they approached.

"Hey, Graham," Grace said, nodding toward Mia. "This is Mia. She just started today."

Graham gave her a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."

Another girl at the table, with dark eyes and an inquisitive expression, smiled warmly. "Welcome, Mia. I'm Ava." She nudged the boy next to her, who seemed absorbed in his food. "And this is Nick. Don't mind him; he's not much of a talker."

Nick gave a quick, embarrassed smile before returning his attention to his lunch, and Mia found herself suppressing a smile. They seemed… normal. Friendly, even. She'd expected everyone here to act as if they were in some magical drama, but this was just like any other high school cafeteria.

"So, where are you from?" Grace asked as Mia took a seat.

"Boston," Mia replied, keeping her answer short.

"Ooh, big city!" Ava said, intrigued. "How do you like it here compared to that?"

"It's… smaller," Mia said, glancing around the cafeteria. "Quieter."

Grace nodded, a wistful look in her eyes. "Yeah, Storybrooke has its own pace. Some of us like it, and some of us… well, we dream about going somewhere else."

Mia took that in, her curiosity piqued. "You want to leave?"

Grace shrugged. "Maybe someday. But for now, I'm just happy to be here, honestly."

They talked about school, random things around town, and places to avoid, Grace giving Mia the rundown of Storybrooke as if she were any other new student. The others joined in occasionally, offering tidbits of advice, none of which seemed remotely magical or strange. Mia found herself relaxing, her earlier unease melting away. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be as hard as she thought.

As they finished their lunch, Ava asked, "What's your next class?"

Mia glanced down at her schedule. "History."

Graham raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "You'll like that one. Belle teaches it, and she's one of the best. Just don't ask her too many questions about the… specifics. She's got a habit of getting a bit carried away."

The others laughed, and Mia couldn't help but smile. They were making inside jokes about teachers, just like any other group of high school friends. She wondered if there was more to their stories—if they, too, were hiding parts of themselves they didn't yet want to reveal.

As the bell rang for the next class, Grace gave her a quick wave. "See you around, Mia! And hey, if you ever need anything, just ask."

Mia nodded, offering a small smile. "Thanks."

She felt a strange warmth in her chest as she walked to her next class. It was a tiny spark of connection she hadn't expected, a sliver of belonging she'd never really felt before. Her past experiences in school had taught her to keep her head down, to avoid attention, but here… maybe she didn't have to hide as much.

As she settled into her history class, she noticed a few other students from her earlier class, some of whom nodded in recognition. Belle, the teacher, greeted the class with a warm smile and launched into a lecture on ancient kingdoms and their cultures. Mia found herself intrigued, listening closely, her curiosity piqued by the unusual mix of history and legend.

At one point, Belle asked a question, and Mia, without thinking, raised her hand and answered it perfectly, drawing a few surprised glances from her classmates. She felt a slight flush of embarrassment but shrugged it off. She'd always kept her intelligence hidden, but something about Storybrooke felt… different. Maybe here, she could let a bit of herself show.

As the day went on, Mia felt herself settling into a strange new rhythm. She still didn't know the truth about the people around her, didn't know that the friends she'd made were part of a world she was only beginning to understand. But for now, it was enough. Storybrooke wasn't just a town of mysteries and curses—it was a place where she might finally find a piece of herself.

And as she left school that day, she felt the first glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, Storybrooke could become something more than just another stop on her journey. It could become a place to belong