Fairy Tale

• Ellie Newnham, Grade 8A
• Short Story
• 2017

I walked slowly to my first day of high school. Avoiding eye contact with anyone I hid under my beanie. Suddenly I walked into someone and I started to fall but strong hands caught me. I looked up into blue eyes, haloed by long red hair. I pulled away from the embrace and tried to apologise but the owner of the eyes just smiled, picked up my sketch book and handed it back.
"Sorry I wasn't watching where I was walking," I gushed. "No problem, I'm Lucas and you’re Ariana, right?" I stepped away in concern. Seeing my concerned expression he said, “Oh sorry, I read your name on your sketch book," he explained. "Ohhhh” I said, understanding. He just smiled, seeming to enjoy my discomfort.
His smile was so nice. I could look at it all day. As I started to walk away, but he said, "Do you mind if I walk with you?" I froze on the spot, trapped into responding. "Sure but I'm a year seven." I blurted out. He answered, "Don't worry, I'm in year seven too.”
As we walked along I kept sneaking glances at him. He was taller than me which made him look older. As we approached the year seven building, Lucas asked, "What room do you have? I'm in room 7A." I looked at my sheet of paper and I replied with a sigh, "I'm in room 7D," trying to keep my disappointment hidden.
"Too bad” he said, “I was hoping I would have at least one friend in my homeroom." I looked up at him with stars in my eyes, as I hadn't had someone call me their friend, for what seemed like a very long time. I was awoken from my daydream by Lucas saying in a concerned voice, " Umm Ariana? Are you ok?" "Sorry, I was thinking about a maths problem,” saying the first stupid thing that came into my head.
As school started, the teacher called the roll, but my name wasn’t called. Bored, I started drawing in my sketch book. It was a drawing of me, under a rain cloud, which represented my life. After a while, there was a knock at the door and a familiar face walked in. It was Lucas. "Excuse me Miss, is Ariana Cooleck here? She is supposed to be in room 7A. "I shot out of my desk and grabbed my stuff and followed Lucas back to classroom 7A. My luck was in. The only seat left was beside Lucas.
After school we walked home together, our friendship feeling natural already and we found Lucas lived on the way home. We had become best friends in just one day.
It's just like one of those fairy tales, starting off with a clumsy lonely girl, who becomes the princess, saved by her knight in shining armour.
Now I am off to change the drawing in my sketch book to show beautiful sunshine bursting through the rain clouds.