It was the first day of school. Scratch that. It was the first day of high school. This was nerve
wracking. Harder classes, more cliques, and older boys. I was certain this was going to be a nightmare.
I'm Brooklyn Taylor Nottingham, or just Brooke. The first day of school was, well, interesting.

I glanced in the mirror in the downstairs hallway before walking outside. I looked so different, but in a good way. I mean, sure I grew a few inches, and my hair got longer, but curves also kicked in over the summer replacing my skinny, gangly body. Straight white teeth also replaced my braces. I changed over break but, not intentionally.

“Honk, Honk!” came the sound of the bus. I grabbed five bucks off the kitchen table and rushed out the door.

I got on the bus and finally found Melissa, my best friend since third grade, sitting in seat twenty eight. I passed many familiar faces as I went to sit down.

“Hey miss gorgeous!” Melissa said to me, her green eyes were covered thickly in mascara, like always.

"Hey cute outfit. Oh my gosh, I'm so scared for today! The first day of high school! Time really is flying by," I started talking to Melissa with lots of words, like I usually do.. "Are you ready?"

“Thanks. You'll be fine Brooke, you always are. I'm so ready for today but are you?” she asked.

“Um, sure, I guess. Okay, not really. “ We both started laughing, which lasted all the way to school.

We parted ways once we grabbed our books and started walking to first period; World History for me, math for her. I had a distance to walk, hopefully I wouldn't get lost.

“I'll see ya sixth period!” she said over her shoulder.


“Okay, I'll see ya then,” I told her as I was walking down the hallway.

I talked about my summer to all my friends and waved to all the people saying hi to me, remembering me from last year.

Biology ended up being very boring and I couldn't help but close my eyes. I didn't mean to, but I wasn't the only one either. I was too busy daydreaming about a tall boy with blond hair and dark brown eyes. I wondered to myself if there was any way a guy that good looking could be here. Maybe he'll just show up out of the open. I'm crazy, thinking some cute guy will just appear.

The day seemed to go by really slow after lunch. People must have noticed my teeth and body change because it felt like I was being stared down. Maybe it was just because I was a freshman and it was my first day. Did I make it that noticeable? I wasn't rushing like a crazy person and I just smiled a lot. Well besides the staring, I ended up being the only freshman in my algebra class and I smashed my finger in my locker on my way to phys ed. Typical. At least P.E wasn't so bad. It was the only class I actually had lots of friends in.

“Brooke, let's go! You'll be late for your next class!” Melissa had yelled before walking out the locker room.

“I'm right behind ya!” I said as I locked my gym locker and gathered my books. I stopped at Melissa's locker to get a piece of gum.

“Meet me by my locker after seventh bell,” I told Melissa as I started walking away.

“Will do!” she shouted over her shoulder.

Only one more class left, but I wouldn't go home like all the other kids. I had dance practice, on the first day of school! I'd be so tired. I switched out the tattered algebra book that I carried with me because there was no time to stop at my locker before sixth bell, at my locker for the brand-new, thick English book before making my way to next period.

This day is so boring, I kept telling myself. I walked into my English class and listened to the teacher talk for about five minutes until she said something like, time to go to library. Why would we go to the library on the first day of school? Well it was better than giving a speech about myself like in every other class so I guess I could deal. The class scattered out into the empty hallway so we could walk to the library. I glanced around and examined different books on the shelves. I started to turn the corner out of the non-fiction book section I was in when, Whack! I hit what felt like a brick wall.

“I'm sorry!” I said to the boy I had just ran into. We immediately looked into each others eyes and held a gaze for what I thought was forever, until he broke the silence and looked down. He seemed to be blushing. No doubt I was;I always blush when something like this happens. Just then, I felt a sudden head ache come on. Had I hit my head on his broad shoulder? Maybe this was a dream and I'd just wake up.

“Don't worry about it, my fault," He continued, "Are you looking for a certain book? I'm helping today with organizing books and I probably could find whatever it is you want."

He had to be like six foot five, or taller. He had shaggy blond hair, but not too long to where it covered his eyes, and dark brown eyes. I stopped staring and snapped back into reality to comprehend what he was saying.

“Well I'm not really looking for a book but thanks,” I said. “I'm Brooke Nottingham, I'm a freshman.”

“No problem. I'm Anthony Miles and I'm a sophomore,” He answered every question perfectly.

“Nice to meet you," I said. "So do you work in the library seventh period?"

“Nice meeting you too. I only work Mondays and Wednesdays. I have study hall seventh period and the librarian asked if I would help with checking out books and keeping things organized." he quietly said. He seemed so nice but really shy.

“Oh well that's cool," I said. I couldn't think of anything else to say but then I dumbly asked, "So do you play any sports?"

"Yea. I play basketball, it's my favorite sport. Do you play any?"

"Basketball is fun, I used to play. The only thing I do is dance. This is my third year on the dance team. I love it, it's my favorite thing to do." I told Anthony.

"Oh well at least you like it. That's cool though. Well, I hate to say this but I need to run some errands for the librarian. Maybe we could hang out sometime," he said.

"Yea I love to dance. Yea we could hang out. That'd be fun. I guess I'll see you around," I said.

"Okay well can I have your number?" he said.

He wanted to hang out with me. I wondered if I should give him my number. I thought about it and then realized I was hesitating.

"Yea sure, I have a pen with me right here," I said as I pulled a blue pen out of my pocket. I felt silly getting it out of my pocket but it was all I had and I guess I decided to put it in my pocket.

I took the cap off and gently grabbed his hand. He seemed surprised but not the freaked out way. I wrote my number on his hand and then put the cap back on my pen.

"Thanks. Well I guess I'll see ya later," he said with smiling teeth and red cheeks.

"Okay, I'll see ya," I returned his remark and smile.

He left the library while I walked over to pick up a book off one of the shelves by the magazines. It was one of those books that you just pick up because you don't feel like looking for the book that you actually want. I didn't care, I had my mind on other things. I just knew that when I got home from dance practice tonight, I'd have one certain text message just waiting to be replied to. It made me nervous just thinking about it.

“That was the first day? That wasn't so bad at all,” I quietly said to myself.