The Girl They Never Saw Coming

Chapter 2 — First Day

My first morning at Westbrook High began with me standing in front of my bedroom mirror, wondering if it was too late to pretend I had suddenly developed a serious illness.

I hadn't.

Unfortunately.

I looked at the time on my phone.

7:18 a.m.

My first class started at eight.

I had enough time to panic properly.

I picked up my phone, and almost immediately, a notification appeared.

**CHLOE**

I smiled.

Of course.

She had been checking on me since I landed in Georgia.

I opened our chat.

**CHLOE:**

Have you left yet?

I typed back.

**MIA:**

Good morning to you too.

The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.

**CHLOE:**

Mia.

**MIA:**

What?

**CHLOE:**

Have you reached the school?

**MIA:**

Not yet. I'm still at home.

**CHLOE:**

How are you feeling?

I stared at the question.

There was no point lying to Chloe. She had known me for too long.

**MIA:**

Nervous.

**CHLOE:**

Good.

I frowned.

**MIA:**

Good?

**CHLOE:**

It means you care.

I smiled despite myself.

**MIA:**

That's not very comforting.

**CHLOE:**

Fine. You'll survive.

**MIA:**

Better.

**CHLOE:**

And remember, you are the same Mia who survived three years of Mrs. Parker's mathematics lessons.

I laughed.

**MIA:**

That woman nearly destroyed me.

**CHLOE:**

Exactly. Westbrook has nothing on you.

I shook my head.

That was Chloe.

Even from thousands of miles away, she somehow knew exactly what to say.

**CHLOE:**

Text me when you get there.

**MIA:**

I will.

**CHLOE:**

And don't forget me.

My smile softened.

**MIA:**

Never.

**CHLOE:**

[smiles]

I locked my phone.

For a few seconds, I simply stood there.

Then I picked up my bag.

"Okay, Mia."

I took a breath.

"Let's do this."

---

My father drove me to Westbrook High.

The journey was quiet.

Not uncomfortable.

Just quiet.

He seemed to understand that I wasn't looking for another speech about how everything would be fine.

I'd heard enough of those since we left London.

When the school finally came into view, I stared through the window.

Westbrook High was bigger than I had imagined.

The main building was made of red brick, with wide windows and a set of large doors at the entrance. Students were already filling the sidewalks and courtyard.

Cars pulled into the parking lot.

A school bus stopped near the entrance.

Groups of students walked together, talking and laughing as though they had been doing the exact same thing every morning for years.

Which, I supposed, they had.

My father parked.

"Here we are."

I looked at him.

"That was fast."

"You've been staring out the window for twenty minutes."

"I was thinking."

He smiled.

"About?"

"Everything."

He nodded.

"Fair enough."

I reached for the door.

"Thanks for driving me."

"Of course."

I stepped out.

Before I closed the door, he called my name.

"Mia."

I looked back.

"You're going to be okay."

I smiled.

"I know."

The car pulled away.

I watched it disappear into the parking lot.

Then I turned toward the school.

For the first time, there was nobody beside me.

No Mum.

No Dad.

No Chloe.

Just me.

I adjusted my bag and walked toward the entrance.

---

The moment I stepped inside, I realized something.

Westbrook High was loud.

Not unpleasantly loud.

Just alive.

Lockers slammed.

Shoes moved quickly across the polished floor.

Students called each other's names from opposite ends of the hallway.

Someone laughed loudly near the staircase.

Someone else was complaining about homework.

A teacher walked past carrying a stack of papers.

Nobody seemed to notice that I was trying desperately to figure out where I was going.

I checked my schedule.

**English — Room 204.**

Easy enough.

Except I had absolutely no idea where Room 204 was.

I walked down one hallway.

Nothing.

Then another.

Still nothing.

I stopped beside a wall covered in photographs of sports teams and school events.

There were years of memories displayed there.

Students smiling.

Winning trophies.

Standing together at dances.

Celebrating championships.

Everyone looked like they belonged.

I wondered if I'd ever see my own face somewhere on one of those walls.

Probably not.

Not anytime soon.

I looked down at my schedule again.

"Room 204..."

"You're looking for something."

I looked up.

A girl stood a few feet away.

She had curly brown hair pulled loosely away from her face and a stack of books against her chest.

"Yeah."

She smiled.

"What?"

"Room 204."

Her eyes moved to the paper in my hand.

"You're going the wrong way."

I closed my eyes for half a second.

"Of course I am."

She laughed.

"You're new, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little."

I smiled.

"I'm Mia."

"I'm Ava."

There was something comfortable about her immediately.

Maybe it was the way she spoke.

She wasn't staring at me like I was some fascinating new arrival.

She was simply talking to me.

Ava glanced down the hallway.

"Come on. I'll show you."

"You don't have to."

"I know."

She started walking.

I followed.

"So, where did you move from?"

"London."

She stopped.

"London?"

"Yeah."

"As in London, England?"

I laughed.

"How many Londons do you know?"

"Fair point."

She started walking again.

"That's actually really cool."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because it is."

"I suppose."

"So why Georgia?"

"My mum got a job here."

"That's a pretty big move."

"It was."

Ava looked at me for a second.

"Do you like it so far?"

I thought about it.

"I've been here one day."

"Right."

"So ask me again in a month."

She laughed.

"Deal."

We reached a staircase.

Ava pointed upward.

"Second floor. Room 204 should be down there."

I looked at her.

"You saved my life."

"That might be a little dramatic."

"I was about five minutes away from asking a teacher."

"That would've been embarrassing."

"For me or the teacher?"

"For you."

I laughed.

Ava smiled.

Then the warning bell rang.

Her expression changed.

"I have to go."

"Me too."

She took a step backward.

"I'll probably see you around."

"Yeah."

She turned.

Then stopped.

"Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck."

There was no teasing in her voice this time.

Just sincerity.

I smiled.

"Thanks."

She disappeared down the hallway.

I watched her for a moment before heading upstairs.

I didn't know it yet, but that two-minute conversation would become one of the most important conversations of my entire first week at Westbrook.

---

I found Room 204 just before the bell rang.

I slipped inside.

A few students were already seated.

I immediately noticed something.

They were looking at me.

Not everyone.

But enough.

I kept my expression neutral and walked toward an empty seat near the back.

A girl sitting nearby whispered something to the person beside her.

They both glanced at me.

I pretended not to notice.

I'd experienced people staring before.

Being new simply gave them a reason to.

I placed my bag beside my chair and took out my notebook.

A moment later, the teacher walked in.

"Good morning, everyone."

The room quieted.

She placed her books on the desk.

"I'm Mrs. Bennett. For those of you who somehow managed to forget my name over the summer."

A few students laughed.

I smiled.

Mrs. Bennett picked up a sheet of paper.

"We have a new student joining us this semester."

My stomach tightened.

No.

Please.

She looked directly at me.

"Mia Carter?"

Every head turned.

I slowly stood.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to introduce yourself?"

I looked around the room.

Dozens of unfamiliar faces stared back.

I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.

"Hi."

My voice sounded quieter than I'd intended.

"I'm Mia Carter. I recently moved here from London."

Someone near the front whispered, "London?"

Another student said something I couldn't hear.

Mrs. Bennett smiled.

"Welcome to Westbrook, Mia. You can sit down."

I did.

The lesson began.

And for the next fifty minutes, I tried very hard to pretend I wasn't aware of the occasional glances coming my way.

I didn't know their names.

They didn't know mine.

And yet, somehow, I already had the feeling that Westbrook High had noticed me.

I just didn't know what it meant yet.