[ 15 years ago ]

Little Aila stood in front of a classroom of other children; she fidgeted under the limelight. Her hands clutched at the sides of her pink tartan dress, and if she wasn't wearing a black daisy headband to keep her hair back, she would hide her face more behind her long white locks. But, instead, she kept her chin up, looking at the back of the classroom where paintings hung up, drying clipped to a string near the windows.

"This is Aila, she is new to the school. Please give her a warm welcome," The teacher smiled.

"Hiiiii, Ayyyyylaaaaaa," The classroom of children all said on cue.

"Aila, there is a seat at the back," The teacher, Mrs Karp, said gently. Little Aila looked up at her; she was a kind looking old lady with greying hair that was pulled back in a low bun. She beamed down at her, but Aila looked down at her black buckled shoes and white laced socks before feeling a light nudge in between her shoulders.

Aila traipsed over to the spare chair, ignoring the stares and murmurs as she walked past the rows of tables. They blurred into the background until she sat down and faced the front.

"Hello"

Aila turned her head to the side and saw a girl sitting next to her. Her brown hair was put into two long plaits by her sides, her light brown, green eyes hidden behind round pink glasses. The girls by her side didn't look very friendly, one of the reasons why she pointedly ignored her in the first place. Aila did not want any trouble. She already felt lost from the new town, new school and new parents; she didn't want to add a bully to that list too.

Aila nodded her head once and returned her attention to the teacher, who began drawing the times table they needed to learn on the whiteboard.

"My names Hollie."

Aila looked back at the girl named Hollie, her brows arched slightly before she relented and replied, "Aila."

"Don't worry, Aila. I'm not a pirrrranahaha. I won't bite. And neither will these." Hollie gestured with her thumb to the girls by her side, who smiled and waved at her. "We'll take care of you."

One corner of Aila's lips twitched up into a smile, one that did not reach her saddened eyes. She was still suspicious of the girls but talking to someone of her own age made her feel slightly better, even if it could turn nasty at lunch. For the past four months, she had been home schooled by her... mum, Mandy, and had barely left the house.

They didn't need to go to the park or the woods down their road; they had a swing set and slide in her garden. So standing in front of a room of children the same age as her and sitting with other girls was a little overwhelming.

After a few more hours, Mrs Karp checked the clock on the wall and called for lunchtime. The children were quick to get out of their seats, grab their lunchboxes and head out of the door. Aila grabbed her own lilac lunchbox with unicorns on and turned to face the nearly empty classroom with pursed lips. She walked back to her chair and pulled it back out. Eating in the classroom seemed safe. There was nobody that could hurt her if she was with Mrs Karp.

"Earth to Aila! Hello!?" Aila blinked after a hand was waved in her face; she looked to the person it belonged to. Hollie. "Come on, slow poach! You're coming with me!"

Before Aila could refuse, Hollie grabbed her by the hand and began dragging her away. The next thing Aila knew, she was sitting in the dull hall set up with many rounded tables covered in red plastic cloths and blue plastic chairs. She opened her lunch box and stared at her food before glancing up at Hollie and her friends, who talked to each other animatedly about a show about a 'sleepover club', whatever that was.

Although she was among a small crowd of friends, she sat quietly and picked at her food. There was nothing wrong with her meal, but she wasn't particularly hungry and expected someone to snatch whatever she had in her lunch box.

"You know, you don't talk a lot," Hollie exclaimed as she placed her sandwich down in her pink lunch box. Aila continued eating her grapes, reacting to Hollie's comment by glancing at her, subtly smiling before chewing on her fruit. "That's okay. I can talk for the both of us!" She giggled.

After finishing their food, Hollie led her through the halls to the playground, talking animatedly about different clubs, where the toilets were, which classroom belong to which teacher, and who to avoid. Hollie tugged Aila's hand as they hurried past another classroom with a squeal. Aila couldn't understand the thrill of going past a teacher's room, but Hollie somehow made it fun.

"That's Mr Peterson. We call him the dragon; he likes to shout a lot," Hollie explained in a hushed tone, leaning into her shoulder as she did so. Aila glanced back at the teacher, who whipped his head outside of his door, a stern expression on his face as he narrowed his eyes at the two retreating girls.

"No running in the halls! Go outside, or you will receive a time out!" He roared. Aila imagined the fire blowing out of his mouth as he did so. Turning around, she suppressed a giggle and followed through the clear double doors to the playground.

There wasn't much to the grey grounds with yellow painted courts drawn on them where boys played basketball or kicked a ball around. All of the children were of different ages. On the other side was a small black wooden fence with long white skipping ropes attached to them; some girls were Double Dutch skipping.

Aila stood staring for a while. All of this was new to her again. She was both excited and nervous to be mixing with other children and having the chance to play somewhere other than her back garden. Her eyes snapped to the side when Hollie began walking and waved her along.

She looked at the girl with pigtails and wondered why she was being so nice. Her first impression of Hollie was wrong; she didn't seem like a bully. For now, maybe she should tag along with her until she made her mind up about Hollie and her friends.