At first skipping a grade seemed like a reward, an honor. A part of her thought she might even be presented with a certificate of some sort. But when she walked into the classroom, she realized she was far away from fitting in. She felt small, surrounded by other students older and taller than her.
In a quick decisive moment, she landed her gaze on the linoleum floors, and headed straight for her seat by the window. She pulled out a little notebook and began to sketch everything she saw. The group of gossiping girls in front of her, the rest of the school outside the window, the teacher aide carrying a pile of papers in the hallway. Even the scraps of eraser shavings on the window sill, and the laughter of the boy telling his friends a joke. Everything. All within a matter of minutes. When she finished, she shut the book, closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. Despite her disappointment, she decided to make the best of it. When she opened her eyes, she saw a a pair of mahogany eyes looking back at her. Masking her surprise, she took in the face of the boy in front of her.
"You're not from here, are you." He stated more than asked. "I'm assuming you're new from the S Hall Academy, right?" He continued.
"Yes, b-but how did you know? Do I just look that out of place?" She wondered.
The boy winked, a lock of chestnut hair falling across his eyes. "You'll find you're not the only one with tricks up your sleeves here."
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