“Ring! Ring! Ringgggg!” The annoying alarm clock screeches. I shut it off immediately. I do NOT want to go to school. It isn’t my old school, in case you’re wondering. It’s not like I have a test. But it’s the day I start my new school.

Let me tell you about myself. Hi. My name is Komi Maxwell. I am in fifth grade. We recently moved from Konya, Texas, and now we are in a place called Miliam City in New Jersey. And the worst part is that I can’t contact my friends. I don’t know their phone number, but they know mine. So maybe they might call me, which is good.

I look at my clock, and it says 8:00. I don’t want to be late for my new school on my first day. So I get out of bed and greet my mom. She smiles and says, “Hi Komi, how’s it going?” I just say that it’s going fine. And that’s the truth honestly. I feel right now that there is no harm in actually trying to go there and talk to people rather than just pretend to be sick and come in the next day. 

My brain is like, “Let’s just get over it.” That’s when my younger sister and brother come downstairs to eat as well. We are eating pancakes for breakfast. I am, surprisingly, the first one to finish. “Well, someone’s excited about school!” my mom says. “Meh, not really,” I reply. But I just say that in my head, so no one hears it except me.

I just nod and get ready. I brush my teeth, take a shower, and put on a T-shirt, jeans, and a sweater. I put on my boots, wear my jacket, and go to walk to the bus stop. “Wait, Komi, you have to walk with your siblings to the stop.” When my mom says that, I freeze. 

Nooooo, whyy? “Do I have to?!” I say. It’s my first day, and the last thing I need is for two little kids to slow me down. My sister, Katrina, walks slowly, and my brother, Kyle, literally runs so fast I have to run as well to keep up. Then, I end up leaving Katrina behind, which ends up in bigger problems. So slow and fast do not go together.

“Yes, they don’t know where the bus stop is, and you are their older sibling. So yes,” Mom says. I grumble and take the siblings along with me. 

I wasn’t really that obsessed with popularity and clothing. I didn’t really care about those things at all. But, I mean, it is a little embarrassing when you’re chasing after one child and holding another while they’re shouting a lot. Luckily, they’re quiet today, but for that reason, I sense something is wrong.

I ask them, “Are you guys okay?” “No,” Katrina says. “We miss owa old home,” Kyle says. Adults say it’s cute when they talk, and I even think that is true. So I can’t help but smile. “I know you guys miss our old house, but you just gotta live with it you know?” Sadly, that advice does not help. Tears start welling up in their eyes.

I know a solution. I have their friends’ parents’ phone numbers, so I can have the friends talk to each other. I tell them that, and they cheer. They start smiling as well. I wonder how they aren’t anxious about school. Hmm, I guess the older you get, the more you understand. Maybe, with all that deep stuff, I don’t know!

We reach the bus stop and stand there. I see other people standing here as well. When the bus comes, everyone is pushing and shoving each other. When we board, we explain that we are new, and we get assigned bus spots. 

I sit next to a boy and put on my seat belt. The lady asks if we all have our seatbelts on, and we do, replying yes. I look at the boy next to me, and he has black hair and bangs. He also has brown eyes and is wearing a hoodie and pants. I say hello to the boy, and he doesn’t say anything. It’s like he is just ignoring me, or he isn’t really having that much of a good day. I just ignore him as well and try finding someone else to talk to on the bus. Looking on the other side of the bus, I spot someone.

I wave to them, but I don’t think they notice. The person is too busy communicating with her other two friends.

And guess what? The person next to me still doesn’t say anything! So you know what I do? I just pull out the graphic novel I am working on and continue to draw more characters and add to the story.

Then we arrive at school. I walk into my homeroom, which is Room 8, Ms. DeCarlo’s class. It’s a bit awkward since no one else sees me. I mean, why would they look at me? Oh, I’m just kidding. People are actually staring at me, and it’s creeping me out. Are they even blinking?! I just stand there. 

“Oh, hey Komi! Why don’t you take a seat? Let me show you where you are sitting,” the teacher thankfully says to break the silence and pressure that feels like hours of standing there not knowing what to do. 

I sit next to a girl, and I look at her name on her desk. It reads, “Mia Tambery.” I say hi to her, and she replies, “Hi! Aren’t you the new girl?” Welp, I don’t really like that title, even though it is kind of true, so I tell her, “Yes, but please, call me Komi!” Mia nods and says, “How are you?” “I’m doing fine! What about you?” 

“I’m good!” 

It’s amazing how just saying hi and how you are can sometimes lead to a conversation. But only sometimes. Exceptions exist, like that guy on the bus. No idea what his name even is! However, I think Mia is my friend now.

Chapter 2

Classes go by, and soon, before I know it, it’s lunch. We head to the cafeteria, and I see most people have ordered lunch, while others just eat their own from home. Today, according to the menu, is macaroni and cheese. I choose chocolate milk, carrots, and a fruit cup to go along with my meal. I pay for it and sit in a random spot. 

Unfortunately, I don’t look where I sit. It’s not that I sit on anything or accidentally knock someone’s lunch off the table. I just sit next to the person that sits next to me on the bus. It’s so quiet between us. I also see someone sitting in front of me, but he isn’t even saying anything. 

Tic, toc, tic, toc. I can almost hear the clock whispering those words to me. Back at my old school, I would chat with all of my friends and sit with them. But here, I am FRIENDLESS. Zilch friends. Nada. None at all.

It makes me feel lonely, so I just eat my macaroni and cheese. I then bite on my carrot sticks, one by one and drink chocolate milk. 

The silence between us isn’t that quiet, though. I hear other kids nearby shouting and insulting each other. I wonder if they are joking. They must be, right? And someone says they have a girlfriend? Come on, really? In fifth grade (no offense)? But it could be true, so I’m not really sure. 

Still day one, and I have not many friends at all. Just one, but I do appreciate her. I don’t try talking to the boy next to me on the bus when going home, but an urge in my brain is telling me to. Hmm, my mom does say not to judge people by how they look…. So I decide to try talking to him at lunch the next day. He might not listen to me on the bus, but I can try that.

So the next day, after getting ready for school, I climb on the bus. I sit in my seat and buckle my seat belt. The person next to me from yesterday says, “Hi.” I say hi back to that guy, shocked to see him actually speaking. “You’re a new student, right? I should’ve introduced you yesterday, so sorry!” He’s nice.

“Oh, is okay!” I say. “To be honest, no one really talked to me yesterday!” “Ah. Well, what’s your name?” he asks. “My name’s Komi. Komi Maxwell,” I reply. “I’m Kai! Kai Watari,” he says. “Nice, dude. I wish my name was as cool as that,” I state. “Oh, come on, your name seems noice as well!” Kai tries to make me feel like it is cool. That’s what you would think, right? Welp, no.

“Hmm, yeah, your name is bad,” Kai says. I joke, “Then your name is as bad as mine since they both start with ‘K’ and end with ‘I’.” Changing the topic, Kai asks, “When did you start here? Yesterday, right?” “Uh-huh, and what about you?” I ask. 

“I started three years ago, so I started in 2nd grade.”

“That’s cool. 

It became a little quiet for only one second, and then I thought of something else to talk about. 

“Do you have any favorite TV shows?” I ask. “No, not really,” Kai replies. I just blink and ask, “So then you watch any movies? What do you watch?” “PG-13 and rated R,” he answers. “Cool, I watch anime and some TV shows,” I say.

It’s really not that surprising that he watches PG-13 and rated R. Some of my friends from home watched anime, and so do I, so I’ve experienced it. 

Just then, we reach school. I realize then that Kai might turn out to be one of my good friends at this school. I walk into my classroom, and then realize another thing: Kai is in my class.

Chapter 3

I don’t know how I didn’t notice yesterday, but I must have not been paying attention. I’m so stupid. I didn’t even see him. However, he wasn’t staring at me when I walked in yesterday, so I’m not surprised. But for a whole day I didn’t notice he was there. 

I wonder why this is happening. It’s weird, because Kai is in the same class as me and sits next to me on the bus and at lunch. Strange, huh? Coincidence or not? I honestly don’t know. But I’m gonna try not to think about it right now.

“Alright class.” Our teacher, Mrs. DeCarlo, smiles in her pink sweater, white T-shirt, and jeans. I sometimes think that teachers aren’t that stylish. I mean, they weren’t back home. But my teacher (I have to admit) has some good clothing choices.

“Today, we’ll start with health. So take out your health notes,” she says. I take out my binder and get out my health notes. I received them yesterday as well as social studies notes, science notes, and E.L.A. notes. Wow, a LOT of notes.

The teacher puts up a slideshow about the lesson, and then we switch for social studies. Every day is social studies, which is a bit different from my old school. There, we had social studies every other day. So it would be like this:

Monday: No social studies

Tuesday: Social studies

Wednesday: No social studies

Thursday: Social studies

Friday: No social studies

Monday: Social studies

And so on.

The teacher’s name is Mr. P. I wonder where to sit. It seems like everyone has assigned seats, but I’m not really sure. So I ask the teacher, “Where do I sit, Mr. P.?” He blinks and says, “You can sit anywhere you like, as long as the seat is empty.” I wonder why I always narrate people blinking. It’s a weird thing that I do. Don’t judge me, you must have something like that too, I bet.

I try sitting in a random empty seat, but you know what the teacher says? “Oh no, not that seat. That’s where Yuma sits.” I try another one, and he comments, “Not that seat, that is Oreo’s.” Like, who is OREO? Why does he have such a yummy name- 

Wait, wait, wait. That sentence I said sounds sus. Let me rephrase that. Why does he have such a cool name? Better. Now it’s not sus anymore.

The teacher suddenly says, “Just kidding, sit wherever you like. For real.” I smile and sit next to a blonde girl. She has blue eyes, and I say hi to her. She says hi back. I ask her what her name is, and she replies, “Ellie!”

“Hi, Ellie, how are you?” I ask. When I hear her name, it sounds familiar. She tells me that she’s doing well, and before she can ask me back, I question her, “What’s your last name?” “Gellellar. Why?” 

I knew I heard that name somewhere! She used to be at my old school, and she was friends with one of my other friends. They were sad to say goodbye to one another once Ellie went to a new school, and it is such a coincidence to see her here! She must have forgotten me. 

“Do you recognize the name of…Komi? Or maybe, her last name, Maxwell?” I ask. “Hmmmm…Uh, yeah! She was at my old school, and her friend was my friend,” Ellie replies, then realizes that I’m Komi. “Wait, you’re Komi?!! From my old school?” she asks. “Mhm,” I respond with a grin. 

Well, this will definitely be a great year for me. One, Kai, is my friend. And two, I found an old friend! It can’t get any better than this, can it?

To Be Continued