A New Beginning

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I boarded the bus. I nervously looked the bus driver in the eye. “Hello.”

“Steven Tseng?” he asked, and I nodded. “Seat number seventeen.”

As I began walking I gazed outside at the unfamiliar town that my family had just moved into, feeling anxious about the new school I was joining today. However, I began to stride forward, change my view to the wall, and began to count the odd numbers down from one.

I looked at the seat numbers and counted in my head, Three, five, seven, nine, eleven, thir— “Ahhhh!” I accidentally tripped over a boy’s right foot and did a pirouetting leap across the aisle.

I quickly looked down at my feet, preparing for the unkind and rowdy laughter that I was all too familiar with, but to my surprise, none came.

“Sorry,” the boy apologized sincerely.

“It’s fine,” I mumbled in a low voice. I sat down in seat seventeen, and the bus lurched forward. I rapidly rummaged through my bag, making sure I had brought all my supplies.

“Excuse me,” said a short blond boy standing next to me, causing me to jump up in shock. “I’m also sitting in seat number seventeen. Would you mind moving down to the window seat?”

“Oh, OK,” I replied, scooching down the seat.

“My name is Adam Bagfond,” Adam introduced. “I’m in eighth grade, homeroom fourteen. What about you?”

“I’m Steven. Steven Tseng,” I clarified. “And I’m also in homeroom fourteen.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you,” Adam said nicely. “See you in a few minutes in homeroom, because we’re pulling up to school right now.”

I glanced out the window and, sure enough, saw a gigantic brick building with its name, Alex P. Jameson, etched in bold black letters on the front wall. Under closer inspection, I saw some teachers warmly greeting students at the front door. Usually I would not dare to hope for the best, but perhaps today was different, because as I ambled off the bus, I started to think that maybe, just maybe, I would be OK.