Just then, a woman with kind eyes and a warm smile entered the classroom. "Good morning, everyone!" she chirped. "I'm Miss Gray, and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year."
She went around the room, introducing herself to each student. When she got to me, she paused, her eyes twinkling. "And you must be Kyle! It's so nice to have you here."
She turned to the rest of the class. "Everyone, let's give Kyle a warm welcome to Glendale Middle School."
A few murmurs of "Hi, Kyle " filled the room. It wasn't much, but it made me feel a bit less like an alien13.
Miss Gray went on to explain that this year, they were starting two new after-school clubs: a Robotics Club and a Creative Writing Club. She also reminded everyone about the new cafeteria rules – no food fights, no saving seats, and definitely no sneaking extra cookies from the dessert cart.
Then, she moved on to academics. "This year, you'll be tackling 14some exciting new subjects like algebra and Earth Science. We'll also be focusing on preparing you for standardized tests in the spring, so get ready to sharpen those pencils!"
To lighten the mood15, Miss Gray mentioned some upcoming school events. "We have an art exhibition 16planned for October, a winter dance in December, and, of course, our annual 17talent show in the spring. I encourage all of you to get involved and show off your amazing skills!"
I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension18. The new clubs sounded cool, but standardized tests? Ugh. And a talent show? No way was I going to sing in front of the whole school. Still, it was nice to have something to look forward to.
The rest of the day was a blur of classes, lockers, and trying not to get lost in the maze-like hallways. But the initial 19dread I felt had started to fade.
As I walked out of the school at the end of the day, JB skidded 20up beside me on his scooter. "Hey, Kyle! You live on Cedar Street, right? I'm just around the corner. Hop on, I'll give you a ride."
I hesitated for a second, then climbed on. As we zoomed down the street, the wind whipping through my hair, I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope21. Maybe this new town, this new school, wouldn't be so bad after all. And who knew? Maybe I'd even make a friend or two along the way.