It's been a week since I've started, everyone seems really nice here it's almost unreal. Not like my old school at all, I wasn't exactly bullied but they weren't nice and kinda spiteful, no one really spoke to me.

It's Monday again and I'm on my way to Maths when I realise I forgot my Maths book. I head to my locker and when I open it I see a little heart shaped pink post-it-note stuck on the inside of my locker door, I smile with surprise as I read it:

Dear Casey,

You're so beautiful I can hardly believe it.

Your smile lights up the room and your laugh brightens my day.

Love D. K

XXX

"Aww" I say out loud, it's cute, I don't know how it got there, someone must have the code to my locker. It's a little concerning I guess but the only things I keep in my locker are my books and P.E kit so I don't really care. I mean, if someone wants to do my homework for me they're welcome to.

D.K, is that someone's Initials? I don't think I've spoken to anyone with those Initials but then again, I don't know everyone yet and I can barely remember their first names let alone their last. I shrug it off, grab my book and head to class. I'll probably find out eventually.

After Maths I head to Science, I hand in my homework at the start of class.

Normally, as we do our set work, reading through a text book, answering its questions or doing a work booklet Mr Kyle made, Mr Kyle goes through our homework and marks it in class.

My eyes getting tired of the text on the paper, I look up and around the classroom to see Mr Kyle already staring at me, he quickly looks down to continue marking our work.

After 20 minutes or so he goes through the answers to the questions in the booklet and explains it fully.

He clearly knows what he's talking about because he doesn't even look in the book for answers, he gets us to tell him the question and what we answered and he will answer it fully telling us if it was right or wrong.

"Casey, question 6?" He looks at me.

Shit really, why me? I hate being called on, even if I know the answer, it still makes me shit myself.

"Um... question 6 was a-a PH scale that we had to put the 5 different listed things in order, ranging from acidic, neutral to alkaline". I said looking at my work not daring to look up, shaking a little from anxiety.

"Okay, so what was the examples they gave you and where did you put them?" he asks in a monotone voice that refuses to change no matter the circumstance.

"I put tomato juice at PH 2, gastric juices at 4, pure water at 7, hand soap at 10 and bleach at 12" I said starting to calm down. He looks at me for a moment and I know I got something wrong.

"Miss Nickels do you know what gastric juices are?"

"Umm...-" before I can answer he cuts me off.

"Gastric juices is stomach acid, it is used to break down the food we eat. Do you think it's closer to pure water than tomato juice?" He asks but doesn't give me time to think "tomatoes, are 95% water. So, no it isn't. The correct order is gastric juices then tomato juice. Other than that you were correct" he then turns around and continues on and I correct my work.

Tomatoes are 95% water? When in life is that useful information to have? How and why does he know that?

The bell goes and everyone leaves, I gather my things and get up to leave. "Miss Nickels can I speak to you for a moment?" I nod and walk over to him. He sits on the edge of his desk and picks up a piece of paper. "Your homework" he says looking at the paper "you got 9 out of 15 questions correct" he says and I ramble a series of cusses in my head.

"Although that is slightly disappointing, my attention was drawn to the back where a very colourful drawing distracted me from my marking" he flips to the back page that was blank, when he turns the paper to my view you can see a bright rainbow colouring with the sun in the sky and clouds.

I shake my head amused and put my hand on my forehead whilst slightly smiling.

Clearly my little brother got to my homework when I left it on the table. I can't help but smile at his cuteness as I picture him drawing it in my head.

Mr Kyle stares at me looking at my reaction and I swear I seen his lips twitch at the corners trying to smile before going back to his serious face.

His brows raise and arch "although it is a beautiful drawing Miss Nickles it's not appropriate to do on the back of a homework sheet" he says as serious as always.

"I'm sorry Mr Kyle, I have a little brother and I left the work on the table when I finished it, he must have seen it and decided to draw on it. I'm very sorry Sir" I say whilst trying to hide my smile at my annoying, innocent little brothers face that pops in my head.

"How old is he?"

"5."

He looks back at the picture "It's a very good drawing for a 5-year-old, you should frame it, just make sure it's not on the back of your homework sheets."

"Yes Sir, I'm sorry Sir, it won't happen again" he looks at me and nods, I nod back and walk away.

———

After school I meet up with my friends and we go to a coffee shop.

"Hey Cas, what did Mr Kyle want?" Thomas asks.

"My little brother drew all over my homework and I don't think Sir liked it" I laugh.

"What was the drawing?" Becks asked.

"A rainbow" I said.

"That's adorable" she smiles.

We order our drinks and I have a hot chocolate Becks and Ben have coffees and Thomas has a iced smoothie...we all stare at him.

"What?" Thomas asks with a confused look.

"Are you a girl?" I ask sarcastically, we laugh and he hits my arm playfully.

"It's really good, here try it and tell me I'm wrong" I lean in and try it, my eyes widen.

"Ok I agree, that is really good" I say whilst pointing to the drink "but its also spring and super cold outside and... you're drinking a smoothie with extra ice."

Thomas rolls his eyes and we all sit down at a small square table in the café.

"You know you got cooties now, right?" Becks informs me.

"Do I now?" I look to her "you got'em too" I said before grabbing and licking the back of her hand that was in perfect reach.

"Ew! You're so gross!" She almost screamed whilst wiping the back of her hand on Bens back.

"What the fuck! I didn't do anything" Ben said annoyed.

"Well, now look what you did! Now we all got it" I said looking at Thomas who just smiled proudly.

"My minions" he smiled at us, making us laugh.

We start talking about random things and Thomas mentions that his locker is broken and won't open, he said that because his homework is inside it, he doesn't have to do it for a week. The mention of lockers reminds me about the note I found in my locker. So I decided to tell them about it.

"Hey. You guys know anyone with the initials D.K?" I ask. They all say in unison a quick 'no'.

"Why?" Ben asks me.

"I found a post-it-note on my locker door with a cute message on it. It said D.K at the bottom" I said shrugging as they all look at me curiously.

"What did it say?" Ben asks in an interested voice.

"It said how beautiful I am" I said in a exaggerated manner whilst batting my eyelashes, smiling and flicking my hair from my shoulder, they laugh.

"That you are " Becks says as she raises her drink in a 'cheers' gesture.

"Aw, thank you, I don't exactly agree but thanks. I wish I had your hair" I point to Thomas "can you give me the name of the salon you go to?" I ask in a mocking voice.

"I told you before, it's not a perm!" Thomas glared at me getting slightly frustrated with the constant accusations, I look to Becks and Ben who are opposite me and they shake their head and we smile widely.

"Whatever you say Thomas" Becks says teasing him. "You've only been at our school for a week and you're already got people falling for you writing love notes" Becks says to me.

"It wasn't a love note, it was just sweet" I say they all look at me.

"Well, I don't know anyone who's initials are D.K" Ben said.

Becks and Thomas shrug their shoulders.

"Oh well, maybe it was a mistake" I say.

We finish our drinks then I head home for the night, all walking together before going our separate ways.

———

When I get home, I see mum asleep on the sofa, it's 9pm, she got home an hour ago. I find Lucas in the kitchen trying to reach for the bread on the counter, he's standing on a chair with a plate beside him.

"What have I told you about climbing on the chairs?" I say to him. He turns around promptly and looks at me.

"Mums asleep, I was just trying to make a sandwich" he says while looking at the floor.

"Have you eaten since getting home from after school club?" I ask walking over to him.

"No, mummy fell asleep."

I look at him "ok so what do you fancy, I can cook you something if you like?" I ask and he nods his head quickly. "what do you want then?" I ask, he looks around then shrugs his shoulders. "scrambled eggs and beans on toast?" I ask and he nods his head. I made him his food and watched as he ate it all really fast, making me feel bad about leaving him for so long whilst I was out, he was really hungry.

I was thinking about telling him off about drawing on my homework but I decided not to, he saw paper on the table and started to draw, I shouldn't have left it out anyway, I'm just glad he didn't decide to tear it up or something.

After he's finished, I take him to bed and tuck him in, I kiss him on the forehead and leave his room, I go downstairs and put a blanket on Mum and make my way back upstairs to sleep.

=============================

💜