Well, things don't always go our way, but sometimes a small kindness can balance out tripping on a rock.
I smiled at an old woman on the bus, and she sweetly patted the empty seat beside her, beckoning me over. She was truly kind, telling me to do well in school and never pick up any bad habits. I felt a lovely, warm feeling inside.
'Aww, I feel like my day is getting better now,' I thought.
When my stop came, I bowed my head to her. "Have a nice day," I said, stepping off the bus.
It was just a small walk to the school gate from here. I saw a few other students heading the same way. I recognized the path because Dad had brought me here on the day of my admission.
'As I thought, it's too early. And where is the classroom again?'
Not many students were around as I walked through the massive gate toward the main building. I'd seen the school before, but it still felt overwhelmingly big and fancy. It was clearly a top-tier school.
'Found it.'
I headed to my assigned classroom. I've never been a brilliant student—more of a middle-bencher, I guess. Studying and I don't exactly mix well. It takes a huge, almost painful push just to open a book the night before an exam.
Sigh.
'What a great effort. Just thinking about it hurts.'
I laughed a little to myself and quickly took a seat in the corner of the third row. Inside the huge classroom, two students sat in the very back, and one was up front. Nobody even glanced my way, which was fine. I settled down and looked around.
'The classroom is big. I really didn't notice that day.'
There were six rows and five columns of seats. The ones in the very back were connected benches, but mine was an individual desk. Along the back wall, there were black lockers, each with small name tags that I couldn't quite make out from my distance.
'It's been days since my eye check-up. Maybe I should go.'
The names were truly tiny. I hoped the smartboard would be easy enough to read. The green notice board beside the teacher's desk was empty, probably because classes had only started a week ago, while I was busy moving into our new apartment.
'I was told to take the class schedule from the class representative.'
I've never been a rep or a leader myself. I'm generally quiet and a bit of an introvert. I can talk to girls easily, but I never initiate conversations with boys unless they talk to me first. The tricky part is that once I get comfortable with someone, I get so talkative I don't even realize what nonsense I'm spouting.
'It gets embarrassing sometimes,' I admitted to myself.
I shook my head, trying to banish those awkward memories.
A loud slam of the heavy classroom door jolted me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see a wave of students flooding in. The quiet, almost empty room suddenly filled with a chaotic rush of noise, lockers slamming, and loud greetings.