The new girl
The moving truck stopped in front of a small white house just after nine in the morning. Lila Bennett stared out of the car window without saying a word. The house was pretty, with flowers growing along the walkway and a large tree in the front yard, but it didn’t feel like home.
Her mother turned off the engine and smiled. “We’re here.”
Lila forced a small smile. “I guess.”
“It’s going to be okay.”
Lila nodded even though she wasn’t sure. Ever since her father died the year before, nothing had felt okay. Now they were moving to a new town, a new house, and tomorrow she would have to start at a new school.
The two of them spent the rest of the day carrying boxes inside. By evening, Lila had unpacked most of her things. The last thing she placed on her bedside table was a framed picture of her father. She smiled sadly at the photo.
“I miss you,” she whispered before turning off the light.
The next morning, her alarm rang at 6:30 a.m. Lila got dressed in her new school uniform, tied her hair into a low ponytail, and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t see anything special. Just another girl trying to fit into a place where she didn’t belong.
“You look lovely,” her mother said as they ate breakfast.
“Thanks.”
“Nervous?”
“A little.”
Her mother smiled. “Everyone gets nervous on their first day.”
“I just don’t want people staring at me.”
“They’ll forget you’re the new girl before you know it.”
Lila wished that were true.
When they arrived at Riverside High, students were walking through the gates, laughing with their friends. Some were talking about homework while others were taking pictures before class. Everyone seemed to know where they belonged.
Everyone except Lila.
Her mother squeezed her hand. “Have a good day.”
“I’ll try.”
Lila stepped out of the car, adjusted her backpack, and walked toward the school. As soon as she entered the hallway, conversations seemed to quiet down. A few students looked at her before whispering to each other.
She kept walking.
After collecting her timetable from the school office, she found her first classroom and quietly took the only empty seat at the back.
“Class,” the teacher said with a smile, “we have a new student today. Would you like to introduce yourself?”
Every pair of eyes turned toward her.
Lila slowly stood up.
“My name is Lila Bennett,” she said quietly. “I just moved here.”
“Welcome to Riverside High, Lila.”
A few students smiled politely, but others simply looked away. Lila sat down and stared at her notebook, hoping the day would end quickly.
She didn’t know it yet, but before the week was over, she would meet the people who would change her life forever.
