Golden | JJ Maybank (2)

three | School

The first day of School was dull. Actually, everything was dull. Maybe it was just Luna, but nothing felt as exciting as it should. She had the awful introduction at the start of each of her lessons that involved teacher's asking for her name and assigning her a seat, though thankfully only one made her stand up. She drifted off to sleep in two of her lessons, only being woken up when the bell rang loudly telling them it was the end. She had no idea how she was getting away with it, though maybe somehow they knew about her dad.

At lunch, she had to meet her own personal tour guide at Reception. She didn't understand why seeing as half the day was gone and she'd found her way around just fine, but it gave her something to do and meant she could search for JJ at the same time.

She hadn't seen him, not once, nor any of her other friends. In fact, she'd been completely alone because it turned out Topper was part of some exclusive group that were given private classes by privately hired tutors, all of whom just as snobbish as the parents who paid them.

"Um, excuse me," there was an old lady sat behind a desk that Luna had been told to speak to, "I'm here for my, uh... tour?"

"Tour?" The lady grunted. "You new?"

"Yeah. Yes."

"Name?"

"Luna. Luna Andrews." She paused, then added quickly, "Although it might be under Thornton, I'm not sure."

The lady tapped some keys then looked back to her. "Wait here."

Luna waited for seven minutes. She was beginning to think the woman had disappeared entirely when she finally reappeared, though this time with a boy.

"This is Sean." She huffed, face slightly red as though she'd been running laps around the school rather than walking from one room to another. "He's one of our school ambassadors and has volunteered to show you around. Off you go."

And then the lady scurried off to the room in the back, instead of to her desk. Luna turned to Sean and offered him a small smile. He was taller than her, maybe a year older too, but he seemed friendly enough. He had a charming smile, the kind they looked for in toothpaste commercials, and wide eyes that sparkled when he grinned.

"Hello. I'm Sean."

"Hi. I'm, uh - I'm Luna." She nodded slightly. "You probably knew that already."

"I did but that's okay. Sounds much nicer coming from you than Mrs Henrietta. What a frog."

"Frog?"

Sean chuckled to himself. "Vanessa swore she saw her eat a fly once."

"Vanessa?" Luna asked uneasily. Was she supposed to know who these people were?

He laughed louder this time. "A friend. Don't worry about it, you'll meet everyone soon enough."

Luna tried to laugh too, though hers was awkward and forced. She grimaced. "So, do you - "

"Did you go to North Oak Elementary, by any chance?" Sean cut her off, still smiling. She blinked at him. "Sorry to interrupt, you just look familiar."

"Oh, um, yeah. I did. I left in fifth grade, moved up north."

"Up north? Oh, so like Greenville? Or as far as Virginia?"

"Uh, north like New York?" She wasn't sure why it sounded like a question, not when it was her answer.

Sean made a noise that sounded something like a gasp or hoot of astonishment, or maybe surprise, or maybe he was impressed? Whatever it was, he was still smiling. "New York? So you're like super duper rich then?! New York, wow."