Chapter 1
Chapter One – The First Bell Never Waits.
The first day of high school was supposed to be perfect.
At least, that’s what every movie had promised me.
You wake up early.
You put on your brand-new uniform.
You walk into school looking effortlessly cool while the sun shines dramatically behind you.
Everyone notices you.
Maybe you accidentally bump into a cute senior.
Maybe he smiles.
Maybe romantic background music starts playing.
...
Reality, however, had other plans.
“Daisy Carter!”
Mum’s voice echoed through the house like an emergency alarm.
“If you don’t get downstairs this instant, I’m leaving without saying goodbye!”
“I’m coming!” I shouted while hopping around my room on one foot.
Where was my other shoe?
No, seriously.
Where did it go?
I looked under my bed.
Nothing.
Behind my chair.
Nothing.
Inside my wardrobe—
“Why are you in there?” I muttered to my shoe as I pulled it out from between two sweaters.
“I swear you people like hiding.”
Five minutes into high school and I was already arguing with footwear.
What a promising start.
I quickly shoved my foot into the shoe, grabbed my backpack and nearly walked straight into my bedroom door.
“Ouch!”
The door stayed completely unbothered.
“...Rude.”
Downstairs smelled like buttered toast and fresh coffee.
Dad was reading the morning newspaper.
Mum was packing my lunchbox.
My little brother, Ethan, was happily eating cereal while enjoying the fact that my life was falling apart.
“Morning,” Dad said without looking up.
“I don’t think there’s anything ‘good’ about this morning.”
He lowered his newspaper just enough to look at me.
“You realise your tie is inside out?”
I looked down.
“...It is?”
Ethan burst into laughter.
“I’ve never seen someone lose a fight against a school uniform.”
I pointed my toast at him.
“I hope your cereal gets soggy.”
“It already is.”
“...Excellent.”
Mum walked over, fixed my tie in two seconds and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
“There.”
“See?” I smiled.
“I knew someone else would do it.”
She sighed.
“You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached.”
“I nearly did once.”
Dad folded the newspaper.
“No, Daisy. You forgot your helmet while cycling.”
“Same difference.”
A loud knock interrupted us.
Then another.
Much louder.
“DAISY!”
That could only be one person.
Rosy Bennett.
Mum laughed.
“Your friends sound impatient.”
“They’re always impatient.”
“Maybe because they’re waiting for you.”
“...Details.”
I kissed Mum on the cheek, grabbed my lunchbox and hurried outside.
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass from the neighbours’ gardens.
Standing at the end of our driveway were my two best friends.
Rosy looked like she was about to file a police report.
Hands on hips.
Eyebrows raised.
Foot tapping.
“You made us wait six whole minutes.”
“I know.”
“I almost forgave you.”
“That’s sweet.”
“But then you smiled.”
Lily Morgan adjusted her neatly ironed blazer and shook her head.
“I told you she’d oversleep.”
“I didn’t oversleep.”
Rosy blinked.
“So why do you still have toothpaste on your cheek?”
My hand flew to my face.
“I do?”
Lily smiled.
“Left side.”
I quickly rubbed my cheek.
Rosy tried not to laugh.
“Nope.”
I rubbed harder.
“Still there.”
I rubbed so aggressively my face was probably turning red.
Rosy doubled over laughing.
“I’m kidding!”
“You—”
I pointed accusingly.
“You are the reason trust issues exist.”
She wiped a tear from her eye.
“Worth it.”
Lily sighed.
“I can’t believe I’ve chosen you two as my friends.”
“You didn’t choose us,” I said proudly.
“Fate did.”
“No.”
Rosy wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“She got stuck with us.”
“That too.”
We started walking towards Maplewood High School together, our shoes crunching softly against the pavement.
Groups of students passed us, some looking excited, others looking terrified.
Parents were taking photos.
Freshmen adjusted their new uniforms every five seconds.
Someone was already complaining about homework even though classes hadn’t started.
Rosy looked around dramatically.
“Can you smell it?”
I sniffed the air.
“...Grass?”
“No.”
“Hope.”
Lily rolled her eyes.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m inspirational.”
“You’re dramatic.”
“Same thing.”
I smiled.
“This actually feels weird.”
“What does?”
“We’re finally in high school.”
Rosy threw both hands into the air.
“No more middle school!”
“No more tiny classrooms!”
“No more teachers treating us like babies!”
Lily looked at us.
“You do realise we’re walking into an even bigger school with even stricter teachers.”
Rosy’s excitement disappeared.
“...Why do you always ruin my motivational speeches?”
“Because someone has to.”
We continued laughing until a cafe appeared on the corner.
Rosy stopped.
“No.”
I already knew that look.
“What?”
“We should celebrate.”
Lily stared at her.
“...With what?”
“Iced coffee.”
“It’s eight in the morning.”
“Exactly.”
I looked through the cafe window.
“They have caramel.”
Lily groaned.
“I knew this would happen.”
“It’ll only take two minutes,” I promised.
“You said that when we went shopping for notebooks.”
“And?”
“We came home three hours later with matching key chains.”
“They were adorable.”
“They were unnecessary.”
Rosy linked her arm through mine.
“Come on.”
“Peer pressure is powerful.”
Lily sighed the sigh of someone who had accepted defeat years ago.
“Fine.”
“Yes!”
“We’re only buying coffee.”
“And muffins?”
“No.”
“Cookies?”
“No.”
“Brownies?”
“Lily...”
“Fine.”
Five minutes later...
We walked out carrying three iced coffees.
And one chocolate muffin.
Which Rosy insisted she’d accidentally bought.
“How do you accidentally buy a muffin?” Lily asked.
“It looked lonely.”
“You literally pointed at it.”
“It called to me.”
“I heard nothing.”
“That’s because it only speaks to kind people.”
I laughed so hard coffee nearly came out of my nose.
“This is why we’re always late.”
Rosy looked offended.
“Excuse me.”
“I blame capitalism.”
“What?”
“If cafes weren’t so attractive, we’d already be at school.”
Lily stared at us.
“I’m surrounded by idiots.”
“We prefer the term creative thinkers.”
Before Lily could reply, something caught my eye.
The huge digital clock above the school entrance.
8:03.
The colour drained from my face.
“...Guys.”
Rosy took another sip of coffee.
“What?”
“We’re late.”
Silence.
Rosy slowly turned towards the clock.
Lily looked up.
Then all three of us screamed at exactly the same time.
“RUN!”
The word left our mouths at exactly the same time.
One second we were standing frozen beneath the giant digital clock.
The next...
We were sprinting towards the school gates like three escaped prisoners.
My backpack bounced violently against my back while my tie decided it no longer wanted to be part of my uniform.
“Whose idea was it to stop for coffee?” Lily shouted between breaths.
Rosy pointed dramatically at me.
“Daisy’s!”
“What?” I gasped. “You two wanted caramel syrup!”
“You convinced us!”
“I simply presented an opportunity!”
“You presented us with detention!”
“I prefer to think of it as... character development.”
Rosy let out an exaggerated groan.
“If we survive this morning, I’m unfriending you.”
“You say that every Tuesday.”
“It means nothing anymore!”
Students walking towards the entrance turned to stare.
One Year Ten boy whispered to his friend,
“Think they’re racing?”
His friend shrugged.
“My money’s on the girl with the messy ponytail.”
“HEY!”
I pointed at him while still running.
“I heard that!”
“Focus!” Lily grabbed my sleeve.
“The gate!”
The smile disappeared from my face.
“Oh...”
Standing proudly beside the entrance was Mr Collins.
Everyone knew Mr Collins.
Even students who had never been late knew Mr Collins.
He stood with his arms folded, sunglasses resting on top of his head despite there being almost no sunshine.
Beside him stretched a line of late students.
Some stared at the ground.
Some awkwardly smiled.
One boy looked like he was silently writing his own will.
Mr Collins checked his clipboard.
“Name?”
“Ryan.”
“Reason?”
“My alarm didn’t go off.”
Without looking up, Mr Collins replied,
“Interesting.”
Ryan blinked.
“Why?”
“Because that’s exactly what the last four students said.”
The line burst into nervous laughter.
Mr Collins didn’t.
He simply wrote something on his clipboard.
Ryan swallowed.
“I feel like I’m being judged.”
“You are.”
“Oh.”
Rosy slowly stepped behind a tree.
“I’m going home.”
Lily pulled her back.
“No, you’re not.”
“I suddenly remembered I left my dignity at home.”
“You’ve never had dignity.”
“That was unnecessary.”
I peeked around the corner.
Mr Collins blew his whistle.
The shrill sound echoed through the courtyard.
Every late student stood a little straighter.
“He looks scarier this year,” Rosy whispered.
“He grew a moustache.”
“I think the moustache grew him.”
Lily pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Can we please think of something?”
Rosy raised a finger.
“I have an idea.”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
“You haven’t even heard it.”
“I don’t need to.”
“We pretend we’re teachers.”
“...Rosy.”
“What?”
“We’re wearing school uniforms.”
“Oh.”
She thought for another second.
“We pretend we’re exchange students.”
“We’ve lived here our whole lives.”
“...Tourists?”
I stared at her.
“Tourists?”
She shrugged.
“I’m brainstorming.”
Lily sighed.
“Wonderful.”
“We’re doomed.”
Silence settled between us for a moment.
Student continued filing into school while we remained hidden behind the hedge like suspicious squirrels.
Then...
An idea popped into my head.
A terrible one.
Which usually meant I loved it.
A grin spread across my face.
Rosy noticed immediately.
“...No.”
“Oh yes.”
“No.”
“I’ve got it.”
Lily folded her arms.
“The last time you said that, the science lab ceiling turned pink.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“The glitter is still there.”
“It adds personality.”
Rosy looked between us.
“...I’m listening.”
I slowly opened my textbook.
Then lifted it in front of my face.
Rosy blinked.
“...Why are you reading now?”
“I’m not.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
“...Absolutely not.”
“We cover our faces.”
“Daisy...”
“We run.”
Rosy stared.
“...That’s the whole plan?”
“Exactly.”
Mr Collins won’t recognise us.”
Rosy looked over my shoulder.
“...He’ll recognise three girls sprinting with textbooks glued to their faces.”
“Only if we get caught.”
“And if we do?”
“We’ll apologise.”
“You make apologising sound like a hobby.”
“It practically is.”
Lily sighed so deeply I was convinced part of her soul had left her body.
“This is the stupidest idea you’ve ever had.”
“Thank you.”
“...That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I chose to hear it as one.”
Rosy slowly smiled.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I’m in.”
Lily looked horrified.
“Rosy!”
“What?”
“If we’re getting detention...”
She shrugged.
“...We might as well earn it.”
I high-five with her.
“That’s the spirit!”
Lily looked up at the sky.
“If anyone up there is listening...”
“...Please send me new friends.”
No answer came.
Only a pigeon.
Which somehow felt disrespectful.
“Ready?” I whispered.
Rosy nodded.
“Ready.”
“Lily?”
“...No.”
“Perfect.”
We each grabbed a textbook from our bags.
Rosy hid behind her Biology book.
I chose Maths.
Lily reluctantly lifted English in front of her face.
Three girls.
Three textbooks.
One unbelievably terrible plan.
I counted quietly.
“Three...”
“Two...”
“One...”
“GO!”
We exploded from behind the hedge.
Straight towards the gate.
Mr Collins looked up.
His eyes narrowed.
For exactly two seconds he simply watched three mysterious textbooks with legs running towards him.
Then...
“What on earth—”
He pointed.
“HEY!”
Too late.
We were already through the gates.
“RUN FASTER!” Rosy shouted from behind her Biology book.
“I CAN’T SEE WHERE I’M GOING!”
“THAT’S THE POINT!”
“I JUST RAN INTO A BIN!”
“KEEP RUNNING!”
Behind us came Mr Collins’ booming voice.
“I KNOW WHO YOU THREE ARE!”
I laughed.
“No, you don’t!”
“I RECOGNISE YOUR VOICES!”
“...Oops.”
Rosy nearly ran into a Year Eleven student.
He stepped aside just in time.
“What are they doing?”
“No idea.”
“Should we stop them?”
“I value my life.”
We burst into the main courtyard, laughing so hard our books kept slipping.
Students stopped walking just to watch us.
Some even applauded.
One boy shouted,
“Go, mysterious book people!”
Another added,
“They’re evolving!”
I couldn’t breathe from laughing.
“This...”
I wheezed.
“...is...”
Rosy finished,
“...the worst idea you’ve ever had!”
“The best...”
“...worst idea.”
Lily finally lowered her book.
“I officially hate both of you.”
“You say that every day.”
“And every day I mean it a little more.”
Suddenly...
Everything around me seemed to slow.
Our footsteps echoed against the stone paths.
The morning breeze drifted through the courtyard.
Somewhere nearby, birds scattered into the sky.
Without thinking, my eyes wandered across the open courtyard towards the Senior Building.
Then they stopped.
Everyone else was moving.
Students hurried towards classrooms.
Teachers carried stacks of papers.
Someone chased after a notebook blowing in the wind.
Yet somehow...
He looked completely still.
A tall boy stood outside the administration office beside Principal Harrison.
A leather portfolio rested beneath one arm.
His blazer sleeves were rolled neatly to his forearms.
Dark hair fell slightly across his forehead.
There was a faint smudge of charcoal along his jaw, as though he’d been so absorbed in drawing that he’d forgotten the rest of the world existed.
Principal Harrison spoke.
The boy listened quietly before giving a small nod.
No unnecessary movements.
No rushing.
Just... calm.
It was strange.
Not because he was handsome—
Although, objectively, he was.
But because he seemed so different from everyone else around him.
Almost...
Untouchable.
I frowned slightly.
“...Who’s that?”
Rosy followed my gaze.
“Oh.”
“Him.”
“You know him?”
“No.”
“Then why did you say ‘him’ like that?”
She shrugged.
“Everyone knows about Adrian Hayes.”
Lily stepped beside us.
“He’s a senior.”
“And the best artist in school.”
“They say the principal gave him a private studio.”
Rosy leaned closer.
“I heard nobody’s allowed inside.”
“Not even the Art Club Student?”
Lily shook her head.
“Not even them.”
Before I could ask another question—
“You three.”
A calm but firm voice echoed behind us.
Three pairs of shoulders stiffened.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
We turned around.
Standing there, holding a stack of English novels against her chest, was Ms Evelyn Hart.
She looked from me...
...to Rosy...
...to Lily...
...and finally to the textbooks still hiding half our faces.
One elegant eyebrow rose.
“...Would one of you care to explain why you three just sprinted through my school pretending to be walking libraries?”
Rosy opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
“I...”
Nothing came out.
I smiled nervously.
“...Good morning, ma’am?”
The only words which left my mouth while I regretted them.
Ms Evelyn Hart looked at me for a long second.
She wasn’t shouting.
She wasn’t even frowning.
That somehow made everything ten times worse.
She adjusted the books in her arms before speaking.
