After we finally get to my school and off the bus, I head up the stairs to go inside.

  The principal greets me—by my name. I’m shocked.

  Principals never know the names of all their students; but he did. That alone tells me how different this school is.

  I know I'm lucky to be here, but I still want a real high school experience. It won't be as interesting here—barely any drama, probably zero fights all four years. The kids here actually care about their lives, their future, their image—unlike most kids at normal schools.

  How could they when they’re fighting at least five times a year and hitting carts in the bathrooms?

  Another thing that I will never understand.

  I walk in—and I literally cannot believe my eyes—It’s so pretty.

  It’s connected with NC State, and the whole theme ensures that you won't forget that. It looks like a college. Red and white everywhere. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Long nook-style couches built into the walls.

  The ceiling? Not even a real ceiling. It’s more like a studio ceiling with wood that has nice, rectangur white lights embedded in them hanging down from the bck pipes I see above. Circle lights over the couch areas. Dispy lighting for the stuff in the main hallway. It’s honestly beautiful.

  I’ve never seen a school this nice, clean, or put together. Even the floors are fake gray marble tiles instead of those ugly, cheap porcein ones most schools use.

  Before I came here I wrote down all my csses on my phone along with their room numbers. I wasn't risking looking dumb trying to find my csses. Turns out, we only have four periods each semester— which is actually great. Less of a workload. It also means that our csses are a lot longer, but our lunch is too. 51 minutes to be exact. And it's pced perfectly—right in the middle of the day. Two csses, then lunch, then two more. It gives you time to eat, chill, even study if you need to.

  The main hallway is loud. No one’s in css yet, so I guess we don’t have to go straight there like we did in middle school.

  I sit awkwardly on one of the couches. I suck at talking to people unless I already know them. If I do? It’s the exact opposite. But right now? I know no one.

  I wait for the bell, and when it finally rings at 7:19, I head to my first css: Math l Honors.

  The room’s already filling up. Around twenty-something kids.

  I scan the room and sit next to a girl. She's pretty, and she smiles at me and I smile back. Somehow, just like that—I already know we’re going to be friends.

  The teacher starts going over the sylbus, expectations, what we’ll be learning, all that stuff. I'm not really listening, though. I know that I should care, but I really don't.

  I’m sitting in the back, so I have a full view of the css. I look around and don't see one attractive person. Except for the girl I'm sitting next to, she's actually kinda pretty. I sigh, and gnce at the clock above the door. Schools should have digital clocks by now, I don't understand why they don't. I hate having to count when I’m trying to read the traditional circle cloc—

  The door opens.

  A student walks in holding a yellow tardy slip. A boy.

  He hands it to the teacher.

  “Okay you can go sit in one of the empty seats, uh…” Ms. Minnow gnces at the slip.

  “Santiago”

  He sits at the table in front of me.

  He’s fine. Like, actually fine.

  Bck curly hair—almost an Edgar cut but with his own twist. Baggy jeans. Zip up hoodie. Pin white T-shirt. White air forces. Stud earrings catching the sunlight peeking through the window.

  The bell snaps me out of my trance. Time for Computer Science.

  As I'm getting up, I hear someone say, “Hey, what's your name?”

  It’s the girl I sat next to.

  “Eliana, I’ve been wanting to tell you—you're really pretty, by the way.”

  “Thank you!” She says with the brightest smile “I was about to tell you the same thing! My name is Jay by the way. Do you know where the fifteen hundred rooms are? I’ve only seen fourteen and thirteen-hundred hallways and it’s not like this school is big so I'm confused.”

  Oh my god—she's going to Computer Science too.

  I was kind’ve lost too, but I wasn't about to admit it. I was just gonna pretend like I knew where I was going. But now that she's just as lost, I feel way more comfortable.

  “To be honest? I have no idea. I was thinking the same thing since I'm headed to that css too. I was going to ask a sophomore, but… I don't know. Feels weird.”

  I don't know why. It’s just a question, but still—it’s weird. I don't have a better word for it.

  “Yeah, I get it.”

  We keep walking—going basically nowhere—until Jay says, “Wait, there's another hallway back there.”

  I follow her gaze. Where was that like two seconds ago?

  “Let’s see if it’s back there,”

  I nod, still confused, and follow her. Of course—there it is. Room 1501.

  How did anyone even see this hallway? It’s obvious now that Jay pointed it out, but I swear I wouldn’t have found it.

  “Finally,” Jay says, relieved she’s not te.

  The bell rings two seconds after we walk in.

  “Come sit here, Eliana!”

  See? I knew we were going to be friends.

  I sit next to her and thank her for helping me find the css. She says it’s no problem. We both turn to the teacher, who’s also not really talking about anything important.

  I’m zoning out when I hear Jay whisper,

  “Do you know when lunch is?”

  “Girl, I don't know, but these csses are 88 minutes long… so not for a while,” I say, annoyed—not at her, but at the fact our csses are so long.

  “Oh my god, bro, I cannot do this for another hour and a half.” She groans, dropping her face into her hands.

  I really feel her on that.

  “Me neither. Maybe we should pull the fire arm. At least we’d save, like, twenty minutes.”

  We both start giggling, then look back up at the teacher like we’re paying attention.