Her new teacher, Mrs Walker, smiled kindly at her, then announced,“Class, I’d like you to meet Lucy. She’s just moved here, and I want you all to make her feel very welcome.”
[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]
Lucy blushed and didn’t know where to look. She hated everyone staring at her. Mrs Walker then took Lucy to one side, and said the class had really been looking forward to having her and she knew Lucy would be very happy once she’d settled in.
Lucy wasn’t sure how she was supposed to do that – she’d never had to settle in anywhere before. She’d been to the same school since nursery, and she had knowneveryone.
“You sit here, Lucy, and Orla and Katie will look after you,” Mrs Walker said. “You’ll show Lucy where everything is, won’t you, girls?”
Orla and Katie nodded and smiled.“Hi, Lucy!” they chorused.
“Hello,” Lucy muttered, and sat down as quickly as she could.
Orla and Katie tried their best, but Lucy was too shy to give more than yes or no answers to their polite questions. Eventually they gave up, and although they stayed with her all through the lunch hour, they stopped bothering to talk to her.They don’t like me, Lucy told herself unhappily, as she listened silently to Orla telling Katie all about her ballet exam.No one’s even talking to me.
Class 5W were actually quite a friendly group, but they couldn’t do much faced with a silent Lucy, and she was so unhappy that she couldn’t see that she needed to make an effort, too. Lucy was in the cloakroom putting on her coat to go home, when she heard some of the girls talking about her. She stayed frozen where she was, hidden behind a coat-rack, and listened.
“That new girl is a bit strange,” someone said, giggling.
“Yeah, she hardly said a word all day.” Lucy recognized the voice of Orla, one of her minders. “I hope Mrs Walker doesn’t make us look after her tomorrow as well.”
“Perhaps she thinks she’s too good for us,” another voice suggested. “I’m glad I didn’t have to talk to her.”
“Yeah, she does seem a bit stuck-up,” Orla agreed.
Another girl from Lucy’s class who was on the same side of the cloakroom as her gave Lucy a worried look, and coughed loudly. There was a sudden silence, then Orla’s head popped round the coats, and her eyes went saucer-wide. She shot back again, and there was a burst of embarrassed giggling.
Lucy stood up and stalked out, blinking back tears. So what if they didn’t like her? She certainly didn’t likethem. She heard the girls start whispering very fast, worrying about her telling Mrs Walker what they’d said.I hate this school, she thought, as she brushed her sleeve across her face angrily, trying to pretend to herself and everybody else that she wasn’t crying.
“So how was your first day? Did you have a good time?” her mum asked eagerly as she met Lucy at the school gate.
“No. It was horrible, and I want to go home.”
“Oh, Lucy, I’m sorry.” Her mum looked at her anxiously. “I’m sure it’ll get better, honestly. You just need to take a few days to get used to everything.” She sighed, and then said in a cheerful voice, “I thought we’d walk back, it’s not far. Kieran wanted to go by himself, so you and I can see if we spot any nice parks on the way home.”
“Not there,home. I want to go back to our old house, and my proper school. I hate it here! No one likes me!” Lucy wailed. “I miss Ellie, and all my friends!”
Mum sighed again.“Lucy, your dad and I have explained this. We had to move. Dad’s job is here now, and if we lived in our old house, he’d have to spend hours getting to work. We’d never see him. You wouldn’t like that, would you?”
Lucy shook her head, and sniffed, trying not to cry where loads of people from school would see her.“I know,” she whispered. “But it’s really horrible here.”
Her mum put an arm around her shoulder.“I know it’s hard, sweetheart. But I promise itwill get better. We’ll just have to do lots of fun things to cheer you up.”
Lucy rubbed her sleeve across her eyes. She couldn’t believe she had to go back tomorrow.
Chapter Two
[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]
Lucy stared out of the classroom window, trying not to catch anyone’s eye. She’d been at her new school for nearly a week now, but she still hadn’t settled in. She couldn’t forget the way Orla had talked about her. The awful thing was, Lucy knew she probably had seemed stuck-up and unfriendly, and all those things Orla had said. But it still seemed unfair.Didn’t they know how lonely she was? Couldn’t they see how difficult it was being the new girl?At least it’s Friday, Lucy thought.
“Hey! Pssst…”
Lucy jumped slightly as someone prodded her hand. She looked up, confused. The pretty red-haired girl who sat across the table from her in her maths group had poked her with a pencil.
“Mrs Walker’s watching you,” the red-haired girl whispered. “If you weren’t new, she’d have had a go at you by now. You’ve been looking out of the window for ages and we’re supposed to be drawing that hexagon shape. Are you stuck? Do you need a rubber or something?”
[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]
Lucy shook her head, and gave her a tiny smile.“I’m OK, thanks,” she whispered back, glancing quickly over at Mrs Walker. It was true – the teacher was looking her way. She bent her head over her book, suddenly feeling a little less miserable. Maybe there were some nice people in her new class after all.
When the bell rang for break, Lucy watched as the red-haired girl wandered out of the classroom with a group of other girls, all chatting excitedly. Maybe she should say something to her? But that would mean going up to her in front of the whole group. She would have to try to say something interesting, or just hang around on the edge of the circle until someone noticed her. She couldn’t face that, what if they all ignored her? Lucy gave a little shudder and stayed put. She’d go to the school library. Like she had every other day this week.
[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]
The next morning, Lucy lay in bed, hugging Stripy, and feeling grateful that she didn’t have to drag herself out to get ready for school. She’d tried to go back to sleep, but it wasn’t working. She sighed, and looked round her room. So far she hadn’t even bothered to unpack all her boxes. She was still hoping that somehow things would change and they could go home, but the hope was draining away with every day they stayed.
Kieran wasn’t helping, either. He was loving his new school, and last night he’d spent most of dinner time talking enthusiastically about going to play football with some really cool new mates he’d made already. Mum was really excited about all the decorating that needed doing, and Dad had started his new job… Only Lucy was desperate to go back to their old home.
“Lucy! Hey!” It was Kieran, banging on her door.
Lucy ignored him, but he didn’t go away. “Lucy! Get up, lazy!” He opened her door a crack, and peered in.
Lucy sat up.“Out! You’re not allowed in my room!”
“OK, OK! But get up. Mum and Dad have got a surprise for you in the kitchen. You’re going to love it!” he called, then thumped off back downstairs again.
A surprise! For a tiny moment Lucy’s heart leaped. They were going home after all! She jumped out of bed and raced down after Kieran.
“Are we going home?” she gasped excitedly, catching him just at the bottom of the stairs.
Kieran gave her a strange look.“Of course not, silly, thisis home now.”
Lucy’s shoulders slumped again. She trailed into the kitchen after him.
“Lucy!” Her parents were smiling happily at her, which just made Lucy feel more alone than ever.
“We’ve got a surprise for you, darling. Remember we said you’d have a special treat when we got here?” Mum pointed to a large box on the kitchen table.