Today we went to the office to get my schedule. I found out I have math and science with Mrs. Robberts, PE with Mrs. B, Choir with Ms. Delue, and history and English with Mr. Yan.  There are so many classrooms and people going to this school. I heard that more than 4,000 people are attending New Valley. My friends from the latest elementary school are all going to New Valley as well. I moved a lot of times growing up. This is the longest my family has spent in one city. Even though I know a decent amount of people, I went to my first class and I knew NO ONE. I didn’t get into the advanced classes but my best friend, Sophie, got into the class so we don’t have any academic classes together. I went over to her to see if we got any other classes together. We met before school started near her first-period classroom, room 14. “Hi, Sophie! It’s been so long since we met.” I said remembering that we don’t speak much over the summer because she has to do volleyball pretty much 24/7. “ Hey Mara, let me see your schedule. We still can have choir and PE together.” I gave her my schedule. I was so scared that we wouldn’t share any classes. “Ok, you have first-period math, second-period science…”. Sophie took a long pause before saying the next part of my schedule as if something grand was about to come out of her mouth. “What is it? I'm waiting!!!” I said. “We have both 3rd and 4th period together,” Sophie said “Yay, choir and PE class.” I was a bit uncomfortable hearing her say that we have PE together because she is way better at sports than me. It would be so embarrassing to have my best friend do so good while I could barely do one pull up. While I was thinking about all that, the bell rang and that meant that I needed to go back to my first-period math class. “Sophie.” “Yes Mara, what is it this time.” “I’m scared.” “Mara, you’ll do great, you don’t need to force yourself to talk or make friends now. Be you and you’ll do fine.” I felt the sigh of relief that everything was going to be fine. Until I remembered, I knew no one in the class. This was like moving to a new area completely. I walked on over to the portable classroom that read Room D on the left of the door. Many of the children gathered around the railings of the portables but I wasn't attracted to them at all. I saw a group of two students near the wall of the portables. They seemed like they didn’t know that many people just like me. There was one and one girl.  Knowing that made it easier for me to approach them. I walked over very slowly listening in on their conversation. Though it felt easier to meet them, I still had this scared feeling to walk any closer. “Hi, are you in Mrs. Robbert’s math class; she’s in room D. '' A boy named Neo said firmly. He was short for a boy but the girl in the twosome was shorter than the average 6th grader in the school. I was surprised to hear him speak to me, I was especially surprised by how happy and shiny he was. I wondered why he didn’t have many friends and why not many people were around him. I stopped myself from getting too much in my head and went back to reality seeing the two people staring at me, waiting for an answer to the question. “Oh uh, I am in Mrs. Robbert’s class. I guess we are classmates.” “I heard that the people in our math class are also going to be the people in our science, history, and English classes.” This was not good news. I had to spend four out of six of my classes with people I had never seen before. I guess I have Neo but I just met him. This will take a lot of getting used to. “Bye Neo I need to go to my class, the teacher is peeking out of the door.” the only girl said in the group. She seemed like the shyest of the group. “Wait, you don’t go to Mrs. Robbert’s class?” I said “I don’t have her, I am in the portable right behind room D.” “Oh, ok. What’s your name?” “Cady, Cady Lee. How about you?” “ Oh, right I didn’t tell you guys my name. I’m Mara, Mara Clements.” Though the shyest and the only girl she was the most calming with the way she spoke all her words. First-period math when by quickly. Mrs. Robbert introduced herself as a military kid. Her dad was in the military and she herself is in the military right now. We did some icebreakers to get the class talking. She was quite bossy and gave us games that involve math in them. Math-related games are so boring. Anything math-related is boring. Neo was in my table group including a girl named Jessie. We played together awkwardly. We all came from different elementary schools in our city. Now we had to prepare for science with Mrs.Robert. We went outside to build paper airplanes and to feel the incoming fall breeze move our hair around gently. After the quick airplane making session, it was time for brunch. I rushed over to Sophie. She is my best friend, you should have already found that out due to how often I talk to her. We met in 5th grade and we stayed close ever since then. With my purple rolling backpack right behind me, I got to the main pavilion and saw Sophie with my other close friend, Mellisa. I also met her in the 5th grade because I moved to the area in the middle of 5th grade. I didn’t realize that a normal day would probably look like this. Just chasing over my two friends that I have really made in this city. New Valley I can fit in and become the person I always imagined myself as in middle school. I went to the locker room for the first time… that was so scary. Mellisa also went into the locker room with Sophie and me. She has PE in the same period as us but has a different teacher. In one week, everyone in the locker room would have to change into their PE clothes. Mellisa and Sophie didn’t seem like they were nervous or frightened by this. Possibly because they both do sports. I’m the only person in the small friend group without much sports knowledge and intelligence. Each of us went to the gym and bought PE clothes that read “ New Valley Physical Education”. We stood in a long line and each child handed their money to the teachers while they gave them the gray and red baggy shirt and shorts. After this exchange, we went to socialize on the bleachers to the left of the gym. Mellisa was playing with her hair talking about volleyball with Sophie. I didn’t want to butt in. “Sophie, you are trying out for volleyball next week right?” Mellisa asked. I couldn’t add on to the conversation so I just sat there. Choir was a different story. I love singing. I love to sing songs randomly and annoy Sophie with all the songs that get trapped in my head. The choir teacher, Ms. Delue is very powerful and speaks with such power. She is the most confident person I have met. Sophie took choir because she didn’t know what class to take, but I know secretly it was because all of her friends were taking choir. Mellisa took choir because she likes to sing, just not as much as I do. My face glowed when I saw the instruments and the stage with the bright red curtains. I then went to Mr. Yan’s room, room 3. There I sat near a guy named Colt and Nathan. They are my table group partners for Mr.Yan’s classes. His classroom is full of basketball posters and quotes from famous people. He is a very bubbly person so I know that his classes would be my favorite.I can’t wait to start the year with my friends and Mr.Yan as my teacher. I will write more at a later date. I really need to sleep, I can hear my mother yelling across the house to stop writing. Goodnight diary.