Chapter Text
Even though the train station sat on the outskirts of Brisbane, the train was already busy. Polly squeezed into the already packed carriage, the screeching of the train wheels hurting her ears. She glanced around—rows of passengers slouched in their seats or stood clutching the poles, all absorbed in their phones. The air felt heavy, a mix of warm bodies and the sharp smell of teenage body odour.
Polly gripped the nearest railing and tried to steady herself as the train jolted forward. Her gaze wandered, catching snippets of the city beyond the window, until:
Tap tap.
She turned around to find a petite girl standing behind her, looking out of place amidst the crowd. The girl was fiddling nervously with the strap of her backpack, her wide brown eyes scanning Polly’s face.
“Um, hi,” the girl said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the noise of the train. She tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear and hesitated before continuing, “Do you know what station we’re supposed to get off at?”
Polly’s face lit up. She had found a girl in her school to talk to.
“Yeah!” Polly said, her voice brighter than she expected. “We need to stay on for five more stops, then we get off at South Bank Station. That’s where school is.”
The girl’s shoulders relaxed visibly, a sigh of relief. She offered a small but genuine smile. “Wow, thank you. I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to miss it on my first day. My name’s Melody, by the way.”
“I’m Polly,” Polly replied, returning the smile as she took her hand out to shake.
Melody shook it lightly. “Nice to meet you, Polly.”
“Same!” Polly said, her nerves easing slightly. For the first time that morning, she felt like she wasn’t so alone.
The two girls fell into step beside each other as the train rolled on, and Polly couldn’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, this day was gonna be good.
~~~~~~~~
Polly stepped into her new classroom, the sharp smell of cheap body spray mixed with the buzz of chattering students. The space felt both chaotic and claustrophobic, with desks arranged haphazardly and backpacks spilling onto the floor. She looked around the room for an empty seat, eventually spotting one next to a boy who sat hunched over, silently scrolling on his phone. Sliding into the chair, Polly set her bag down, trying to look nonchalant despite the whirlwind of emotions she was experiencing.
Before she could put all her stuff down, the room suddenly went silent, the chatter evaporating as every head turned towards the door. Standing there, stood a middle-aged woman on the larger side, her cheeks flushed pink. She had curly blonde hair styled into a bob and was vigorously fanning herself with a paper fan.
“Roooight, class, settle down!” she bellowed, her thick posh South Australian accent slicing through the quiet.
The students immediately scrambled to their seats. Polly sighed quietly, slumping back in her chair. Great, she thought, one of those teachers who yaps all day and never gets anything done.
As the classroom fell into quiet, the teacher’s eyes locked in on a jagged hole in the ceiling near the corner of the room. Without missing a beat, she waddled over, squinting up at it with an exaggerated face.
“Bloody hole in the ceiling,” she muttered under her breath, “Gonna have to report this to maintenance.” Pulling out her phone, she began dialing, waving off the class as if they weren’t even there.
Polly raised an eyebrow, glancing around at her new classmates, many of whom were exchanging annoyed looks and giggles.
“Psst—over here,” came a quiet voice.
Polly turned her head to see the boy beside her, the one who’d been scrolling on his phone earlier. He had brown, fluffy hair and a cute grin that made him look friendly.
“Hey, what’s your name? I’m Cooper,” he said, leaning in slightly.
“Polly, I—”
“Right! Get up, class, and move your chairs into a circle!” the teacher barked, cutting Polly off mid-sentence.
The students groaned but obeyed, dragging their chairs noisily across the carpeted floor. Cooper gave Polly a conspiratorial smirk as they stood.
“Looks like this is gonna be interesting,” he whispered, widening his eyes for a moment.
Polly couldn’t help but crack a small smile. There was someone cute in her class.
“Hello, guys! Welcome to the first day of Year 7. My name is Mrs. Falcongreen,” the teacher announced, her voice commanding yet cheerful.
“Good morning, Mrs. Falcongreen,” the class chanted back in half unison, their voices flat and monotonous.
Mrs. Falcongreen clapped her hands together, clearly unfazed by their lack of enthusiasm. “Now, I’m gonna put you guys into groups of three. You’re gonna play a little icebreaker game, two truths and a lie. I’ll call you out: one… two… three…” She began pointing at random students, pairing and grouping them across the room.
Polly waited anxiously as names were called out. When Mrs. Falcongreen finally reached her, she ended up in Group 7, seated in a small circle with Cooper, the boy from earlier, and another girl.
“Hi! This is my old friend Avelyn,” Cooper said with a grin, nodding toward the girl beside him. “We’ve been friends since we were in nappies.”
Polly glanced at Avelyn, who gave her a nod. She had skin so pale it was almost like looking at a piece of glass and hair so blonde it was nearly white. Her petite frame made her look much younger than she probably was, especially sitting next to Cooper, who towered over both girls.
“Hi,” Avelyn said softly, her voice light. “Since Cooper and I already know each other, maybe you should go first with your two truths and a lie?”
Polly nodded, feeling a little nervous to join in. “Um, okay! Let’s see… I have a dog… I grew up on a farm… aaaand I have an older brother.”
Avelyn tilted her head, thinking carefully. “I think the lie’s that you have a brother.”
“Yeah, me too,” Cooper chimed in.
Polly grinned. “Wrong! I don’t have a dog!”
“Damn!” Cooper exclaimed, shaking his head as Avelyn let out a soft laugh.
“You got us good,” Avelyn admitted.
The group relaxed after that, their initial awkwardness going away. As they chatted more, Polly found herself feeling at ease around Cooper and Avelyn’s quiet and shy presence.
“Hey, Polly,” Avelyn said suddenly. “Do you want to sit with us at lunch today?”
“Yeah, totally,” Cooper added, smiling.
Polly’s face lit up. “I’d love to!”
For the first time all morning, Polly felt the tight knot of nervousness unravel. Maybe starting high school wasn’t going to be so bad after all.