9:30AM. 

The second bell rings, signifying the end of the first class.

Students immediately stood up and starting packing up their books, at least those who hadn't started doing so before the bell. Ms Elliot’s voice boomed over everyone, “The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I do.” 

Silence. 

They sat back down. “Good. I want a full-length essay on a writing technique of your choice, written in the proper essay format.” The class groaned. “Good. I’m glad we’re understood. You may go.”

Tamara grabbed her stuff and cleared out of there, but didn’t make it far before Brooke caught up to her, with Kiona hot in pursuit.

“Hey, where’s the fire?”, Brooke asked.

Tamara slowed her pace to match Brooke’s. “I just have to find my next class, don’t want to be late again.”

“We’ll help you.”

“We will?”, Kiona remarked inquisitively. Brooke only nodded, semi-enthusiastically.

“Uhh… thanks,” Tamara said with a little uncertainty. “I have P.E, unfortunately.”

Kiona nodded in the direction to their right and they all continued down that corridor. “So what brings you here, why transfer a month into the year?”

Tamara rolled her eyes, having had this conversation a thousand time with her mother herself. She spoke in a bored tone, “My mother’s job, we never stay anywhere longer than six months.”

“Wow, I could never live that way. How can you have a relationship?”, Brooke asked rhetorically. “Just take advantage of having P.E. class next, since you are with both Chris and Jason.”

“Yeah, but look at Chris from a distance unless you want to make an enemy of Chloe,” Kiona warned.

“Most Definitely. But Brayden is a bit of a stud too, when Zig isn’t following him round like a puppy. He’s so annoying.”

“Yeah, he is but I don’t think people realise how smart the kid is. He’s got secrets, you know?”

Tamara’s mouth hung open. She was clearly surprised that these girls were saying that her cousin was smart. She must have been clearly mistaken with who they were talking about. 

Mr Tales had just finished giving out homework as the bell went, and Chris quickly packed up. Brayden noticed and asked with a cheeky grin, “Do you need to catch up to Princess Chloe before your next class?”

Chris held his books in one hand. “Dude, I just want to use the toilet first as the gym ones really suck.” He then left without another word.

Will picked up his books and asked as he walked with the other two out of the room, “Are history lessons always this thrilling or are there other ways to spend your time here?”

“There’s somewhere else to go. If you can stick it out, maybe I’ll show you first thing tomorrow. Just probably not on the first day back from suspension.” Brayden grabbed Zig gruffly around the back of the neck. “Later.” He let go and walked off in a different direction.

Zig rubbed his neck and smiled slyly. “Yeah, he’s right, there are other ways.”

Chris made his way down the south corridor, weaving through the crowds of students that started to pour out of classrooms, until he had reached one of the boys’ bathrooms. He darted straight for the urinals, but as he undid his belt, he noticed the shoes sticking out from under one of the stall doors.

Chris turned to his right and bent over to check the stall. He saw beige cargo pants. "Is that?", he asked himself.

Walking over to the stall, Chris knocked. “Hey dude, you okay in there?” When he got no answer, he pushed the door, expecting it to be locked. To his surprise, it swung open, stopping midway when it bumped into Matteo’s side. Chris moved his head around the door, and only seconds later did his eyes bulged and did he exclaim in both shock and panic, “Matteo!”

Miss Anderson had left the class a few minutes earlier for some reason, so the students took it upon themselves to pack up early. Spilling out into the corridor immediately as the bell rang.

Jason was right behind Bay, but it took him a couple of attempts to get beside her. “Hey, was wondering if I could borrow your notes from last Friday?”

“No, I’m sick of people expecting me to give them the answers just because I’m good at math. I wrote the notes and did the work, why should you get to ride my coattails?”

“Hey, don’t be like that." Jason began to negotiate. "Hang on, if you do this for me, then in P.E, next class, I could pass on a message to Matteo for you.”

Bay stopped in her tracks to face Jason. “You think bribing me with one message can buy my notes? It’s going to take a little more than that.”

He thought for a moment. “No, of course not, but I have P.E. with him all year. Think of me as your permanent messager, who could complain about that? You know, if these notes aren’t just a one-time thing, not every time, but not just today either.”

Bay sighed. “I don’t know why you’re so desperate for my notes. It’s not like you’re bad at Math."

“Yes, I am good at Maths, that’s why I need them to keep up with it. I just can’t always make it to class, that’s all."

"Okay. But if you really want them that badly, there’s only one thing I would consider sharing them for. And we both know you’re too much of a goodie-two-shoes for that.” Bay begain walking to her next class again.

He rubbed his neck uncomfortably while catching her up. “What is it, Bay?”

Before William could even comprehend what either of them had just told him, another student walked up to them; Isobel. She gave Zig a hard punch in the arm. “Zig Zag, where’s your boyfriend run off to? And who’s this one you’re trying to flirt with?”

Zig rubbed his arm and mumbled, “I’m not flirting, not that you’d know what that was.”

“I heard that.” She punched his arm again.

William watched the interaction, thinking that she could be a possibility since she was clearly a dominant person. He smiled at her. “So you’re the one in charge here?”

“I keep the school in line, yes. More so the people. So if you’d like to get on my good side, choose your friends wisely and feel free to cosy up to me,” Isobel flirted as she walked past him, running her index finger along his jaw.

"She seems... accommodating," William commented to Zig after she left.

"Ignore her," he reply, sulky and rubbing is arm.

Before Jack ran out of Frizzle’s science class, he told Blake he would meet up with him after the following class.

Jack rushed along the corridor, his bag knocking against his back as he ran. He needed to get across the school in time to get his seat before anyone else did. They had two students more in this class than they did desks, and he never wanted to be the one on the back bench. Unfortunately, he hit an obstacle; Isobel. She saw him coming and stuck her foot out ever so slightly. It was just enough to trip him. Jack fell, with momentum, sliding several metres along the corridor.

“So, does Miss Anderson always leave class early?”, Keira asked Chloe.

Chloe smirked to herself. “Occasionally.” She swung her back over her shoulder and left, without saying anything else.

Keira followed. If the past hour was any indication, Chloe was not going to accept Keira with open arms, but she had to try. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she called out after Chloe. “Your pencil.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, not taking back her pencil. “I told you before, new girl, you’ll learn that you don’t need a pencil in class.” She shrugged. “If you still want to return my pencil later, then come to the sugar shack after school. Okay? Anything else, new girl?”

"Nothing else." Keira smiled.

Blondie and Ginger were walking through the corridor to the gym, whispering, and feeling quite energised after their sleep. They’d heard about the three new transfers and knew they’d have to get something on them before the end of the day. The school needed gossip, which is what they did best; searched, listened, and retold. They were also very lucky and had impeccable timing.

“Matteo,” the pair heard at quite a volume and quickly pressed their ears up against the bathroom door. “Matteo. MATTEO!”

Ginger looked at Blondie curiously, raising an eyebrow. Unspoken communication. Blondie carefully pushed open the door for them both to peer inside. They pulled back and exchanged glances. With gleeful expressions filling their faces, they bolted in opposite directions.