The next day, on her first day of school, Ruby barely got any sleep. Ruby couldn't go to the school orientation because she just moved here so the school send everything she needed—rules, forms, school supplies, and most importantly, her school uniform.
When she tried it on, Max was right. It was very uncomfortable.
Then there was the jacket. She had two choices: a gray hoodie or a stiff black jacket that looked even more uncomfortable.
A black checkered skirt that was a bit too short, a white collared shirt, and a blue tie completed the uniform.
Ruby went to the bathroom and checked her outfit from every angle. Then she fixed her hair in the mirror.
She really wanted to wear the gray hoodie, but her mom forced her to wear the black jacket.
Honestly, she didn't want to wear it at all. She would've rather worn her normal jeans and shirt and just gotten detention.
But in the end, she wore the uniform anyway.
She was mostly ready. Now she just had to wait until it was time to leave for school.
After about 30 minutes, she heard her mom calling her.
"RUBY, WAKE UP! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE LATE ON THE FIRST DAY!"
Ruby went downstairs as fast as she could. When she saw her mom, she said,
"No worries, I'm done,"
and showed off her new school uniform.
Her mom looked extremely surprised.
"Oh, when did you wake up?"
"Like 30 minutes ago?"
"Did you even get any sleep?"
Ruby didn't answer right away, then said,
"Uhmm… yes?"
She tried to act like she wasn't lying, but her mom wasn't convinced.
Before her mom even had time to say anything, someone knocked on the door.
Ruby rushed to the door and opened it.
"Hello?"
It was Max and Max's mom. Ruby had no idea why they were there.
"Uhm, hi… can I help you?"
Max's face made it obvious that he did not want to be there.
"Hi, sweetie! You don't know where the school is, right?"
Max's mom said, like she wanted Ruby to say yes.
"Uhmmm… yes?"
Max's mom's face brightened up, like she had been waiting for that answer.
"Perfect! Max can help you on the first day!"
Max's face made it obvious that he did not want to be there.
"Hi, sweetie! You don't know where the school is, right?" Max's mom said, like she wanted Ruby to say yes.
"Uhmmm… yes?"
Max's mom's face brightened up, like she had been waiting for that answer. "Perfect! Max can help you on the first day!"
Ruby glanced at Max. He didn't look excited at all. If anything, he looked tense, like he'd rather be anywhere else. Still, after a short pause, he nodded.
"Mum..... this is so embarrassing."
"What's wrong with you Max? Just show her around the school."
"Ugh fine!"
A few minutes later, they were walking side by side down the quiet street. The morning air was cool, and the neighborhood was still waking up. Ruby looked around, trying to get used to everything—the houses, the roads, the unfamiliar feeling of being somewhere new. Beside her, Max walked a little ahead, his hands in his pockets, his pace slightly faster than hers.
"You don't seem very happy about this," Ruby said, breaking the silence.
Max glanced at her. "About what?"
"Walking me to school."
"I don't mind," he replied quickly—too quickly.
Ruby raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. Instead, she kicked lightly at a small rock on the sidewalk as they kept walking.
"So… what's the school like?" she asked after a moment.
Max hesitated before answering. "It's… normal."
Ruby gave him a look. "That didn't sound convincing."
He let out a quiet breath, like he was choosing his words carefully. "It's fine. Just… don't get involved in anything weird."
Ruby frowned slightly. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," Max said quickly. "Just stay with your class, don't wander around, and don't talk to people you don't know."
"Okay.... That's.... unusual." Ruby said.
They turned a corner, and the school finally came into view. It was bigger than Ruby expected, with students already gathered outside in small groups. The school was called Windemere high school. Some were laughing, some were on their phones, and others just stood around talking. It looked normal—but something about it still felt off.