The sun peeked through the curtains as Suzanne twirled in front of the mirror, adjusting her new uniform. "New town, new school, same me," she whispered, smiling.
Her mother entered with breakfast. "You look ready to conquer the world, Suzanne."
Suzanne grinned. "At least ready to survive homeroom."
Her younger brother Liam appeared, holding a slice of toast in one hand and her forgotten water bottle in the other. "You'll thank me later."
"Already do," she said, ruffling his hair.
Outside, the morning breeze carried the scent of fresh rain. The town was quieter than the city she'd left behind — but something about it felt peaceful, almost like a secret waiting to be discovered.
At school, she caught a few curious glances but kept walking confidently. In literature class, a tall boy leaned over from the next desk. "Hey, I'm Ryan. You're new, right?"
"Was it that obvious?" she joked.
"Only a little," he said with a grin. "Don't worry, I'll help you survive this jungle."
By the end of the day,Suzanne had found her first friend and maybe, just maybe, a reason to like this place.
As she walked home, she looked back at the school building and whispered, "Something tells me this year's going to change everything."