We parked our bikes in the school parking lot. Even though Lucas had rushed, we were still early, with plenty of time to sort everything out. He quickly said goodbye to his friends and guided me to the reception and the principal's office so he could come back as soon as possible.
He left me by the door and went to meet his friends. I shrugged, not really caring. It was not like he could help me either way.
I passed through the glass door to talk to the secretary.
"Good morning," I introduced myself. "I'm a new transfer student. Today is my first day. My parents already handled all the paperwork, so I'm just here to get my timetable."
The lady was chewing gum and did not even look up.
"Hello," I said again, a hint of annoyance creeping into my voice.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Timetable. Name?" she replied rudely.
"Erica Sinclair," I answered, ignoring her behaviour so I could get this over with faster.
She clicked a few buttons on the ancient box-like computer, and the huge printer beside her spat out a sheet of paper, my timetable.
"Here. Now get out," she said.
I grabbed the paper from her hand, not wanting to stay another second with her.
"With pleasure."
Just as I was about to leave, the principal's door opened.
"Remember to inform me when the new student, Erica Sinclair, arrives. I must personally welcome that little prodigy. Maybe one day she will achieve something significant, something that increases the reputation of our school."
"E-Erica Sinclair?" the secretary asked, suddenly frightened. Realising how she had treated me, she trembled slightly as she pointed in my direction. "H-Her?"
"Ah, Miss Sinclair. You are already here," the principal exclaimed. "You arrived early. I apologise for not welcoming you personally before."
He must have noticed the secretary's strange behaviour, because he shot her a brief glare before turning back to me.
"That would be me," I said calmly.
The secretary shrank into her chair, suddenly very interested in the edge of her desk.
"Well then," the principal said, clasping his hands together, "welcome to Hawkins Middle School. I hope your transition has been smooth so far."
I glanced briefly at the timetable in my hand. "It has been… efficient."
He smiled, clearly taking that as a compliment.
"Allow me to escort you to your first class," he continued. "I would not want our newest student getting lost on her very first day."
"I think I can manage," I replied politely.
"Nonsense," he insisted. "A student of your reputation deserves a proper introduction."
The secretary let out a small, nervous cough. Neither of us looked at her.
The principal opened the door wider and gestured for me to follow. By now, everyone had already arrived and was in their classrooms, so he guided me through the empty hallway to my first class.
"Miss Sinclair, we complied with your parents' request to add you to your brother's classes, except for the art elective, as your brother did not choose that subject," the principal explained.
He knocked on the door politely and entered after the warning.
"Good morning, Mr Clarke, students," the principal greeted.
"Principal, what brings you here?" questioned the science professor, Scott Clarke, enthusiastically. He was the science teacher and the advisor of the A.V. Club in the series. He was also my brother's favourite professor, and his name was frequently mentioned whenever my brother talked about school at home.
"I am guiding the new transfer student to her first class," the principal replied. "Miss Sinclair, please come in."
"Thanks," I said politely, despite preferring that he had not guided me.
"Now that you are safely in your designated classroom, I will take my leave," said the principal enthusiastically, making his preferential treatment extremely obvious. "Miss Sinclair, if you ever need anything at all, my door will always be open for you. We here at Hawkins Middle School are extremely concerned about the well-being of all our students."
The moment the principal was gone and whispers spread across the room. I saw my brother realise that he was probably sharing all his classes with me, and that I was his classmate rather than a year below him as he had expected. He let his forehead drop onto the table with a dramatic thud.
"Who is that?"
"Why was the principal here?"
"A new student now? School started weeks ago."
"He personally guided her."
"So who is the new girl?"
I kept my expression neutral, not bothering to react to the stares.
Mr Clarke cleared his throat, drawing the room back to attention.
"All right, everyone," he said calmly. "Let us settle down."
The murmurs quieted, but the stares remained fixed on me.
"Let us welcome our new student," Mr Clarke continued. "Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"
"I am Erica," I said simply.
"… Thank you," Mr Clarke replied after a brief pause. "Erica, please take the empty seat available."
The only empty seat was near my brother and his friends, the only ones who chose to sit at the front. I took my place in the first row by the right wall, beside Dustin.
"I mean, you just told us you were starting middle school and all," he whispered quickly, "but I did not expect you to, you know, actually be in my class. Like, right here."
He paused, then added in an exaggeratedly serious whisper, "So I would like to officially welcome you to middle school, a bigger minefield than elementary school."
He nodded to himself, as if that explained everything.
I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling.
Before he could continue, Mr Clarke turned back to the board to continue his lesson, and Dustin snapped upright, pretending he had not said anything at all.