The first day of school was always the day that students tried their hardest, before falling back into the usual routine. Most children would pack their things the night before, make sure that they rose early, and arrived plenty of time before the bell rang for the first lesson. Sophia was no different, except perhaps her timing had been a little too good.
Clutching a piece of crumpled paper in her hand, reading the room number and teacher’s name, the girl entered the empty classroom, noting the time on the wall. Seven-thirty. A whole forty-five minutes early. Even earlier than the new teacher: Miss Browning, or something.
With only the ticking of the clock being the only audible sound, Sophia began to pass the time by doodling on the back of the paper. Stars and hearts and little cartoon people. After a full seven minutes of doing this, the sound of the door opening startled her into pausing, although she kept her head down, focusing on her scribbles.
With any luck, she would avoid any confrontation on her first day.