Sarah had always thought new beginnings were supposed to feel exciting.
People talked about them like they were doors opening.
Fresh starts.
Second chances.
New chapters.
But standing outside Bellwood High with one hand wrapped tightly around the strap of her bag, Sarah didn't feel excited.
She felt sick.
The school building stretched across the other side of the courtyard, three stories of pale brick and enormous windows reflecting the soft grey morning sky. Students moved everywhere—laughing in groups, calling to each other, rushing through the gates before the bell.
Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going.
Everyone except her.
Sarah swallowed.
She glanced down at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand.
Bellwood High School — Senior Campus.
Underneath it was her timetable.
English.
Mathematics.
Science.
Physical Education.
And again, English.
She stared at the page as though the subjects might rearrange themselves into directions if she looked hard enough.
They didn't.
"Okay," she whispered.
She took a slow breath.
"You can do this."
The words sounded more convincing in her head.
Sarah adjusted the strap of her bag and walked through the gates.
The noise immediately seemed louder.
A group of girls walked past her, laughing about something she didn't understand. Two boys nearly collided with her while running across the courtyard. Someone shouted from the other side of the school.
Sarah stepped aside.
"Sorry."
The boys didn't even notice.
She looked around again.
Maybe the administration office was near the front.
Probably.
Hopefully.
She walked toward the main building, trying not to look as lost as she felt.
The first hallway she entered seemed promising.
There were lockers lining both walls, classroom doors every few metres and signs on walls
SCIENCE →
LIBRARY ←
GYMNASIUM →
—
Sarah stopped.
Her timetable said her English class was in Room 204.
She looked up at the signs.
Nothing about Room 204.
"Great."
She pulled out her phone.
No signal.
Of course.
She sighed quietly.
The hallway was becoming busier now. Students streamed around her as the warning bell rang somewhere in the distance.
YOU ARE READING
The Things We Don't Say
RomanceSome connections happen quietly. A friendship begins, slowly becoming something neither of them can quite explain. The closer they get, the harder it becomes to ignore the feelings hiding beneath the surface. Is it friendship? Is it love? Or somethi...
