Falling for Trouble

Chapter 1: Day Nerves

The alarm clock went off at 7 am. The buzzing sound flinched Elodie from her peaceful sleep. Groaning, she opened her eyes, blinking tiredly. She didn't want to get up that early, but - as every day in her busy schedule - she had to, especially on that day of the year, in early September, when students' nightmare starts again after a 3-month break. Elodie was the typical smart girl, studying hard for every subject, even though she was never interested in solving problems, writing essays and the rest of the kind, all for the sake of the grades her very beloved mother was always so desperate for.

Elodie slowly sat up on her bed, pushing the pink blanket away and started stretching. She reached out with her hand to close the alarm, which had already gotten into her nerves. After some yawns and random glances at the window, she finally decided to get up and start getting ready for school.

Elodie shuffled across the room to grab her uniform, still groggy from sleep. The faint aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread wafted from the kitchen downstairs, a sure sign that her mother was already up. She glanced at the mirror, her reflection staring back with a mix of dread and determination. "First day back," she muttered, brushing her hair softly.

Downstairs, she met her mother in the kitchen, humming softly a song as she was setting the table. "Morning, sweetheart," she greeted without looking up. "Your lunch is packed, and breakfast's almost ready. Feeling excited about the first day of 11th grade?"

Elodie managed a small smile as she pulled a chair out and sank into it. "More like nervous," she admitted. "It's a new school year, and... well, you know how school is."

Her mother finally glanced up, her expression softening. "You'll do great, Elodie. You always do. Just take it one step at a time."

The words hung in the air, but Elodie's thoughts were elsewhere. Her mind wandered to the daunting pile of assignments awaiting her and the social labyrinth of classmates she hadn't seen since June. But she also had a weird feeling Ethan would leave her at the beginning of this era - she was starting to believe that this new school year would make her stick into homework and not have time for her boyfriend, which would be a great reason for him to break up with her. She stirred her cup of tea absentmindedly, wandering how the first day would go...