I unlocked my bike and checked the time—5:51 a.m. Still early.

"Be careful on your way to school. Good luck on your first day!" Mom called out, giving me a smile. I grinned back, feeling that familiar mix of nerves and excitement in my stomach. Hopping on my bike, I pedaled down the street, enjoying the cool air against my face.

Teen

For us, we're just years away in the real world.

So not cherishing every moment.. might lead us to regret..

The weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. As I rode, I saw a few other students walking to school, laughing and chatting. Yeah, I thought, riding a bike was a good idea.

The school came into view, and for some reason, it looked almost like a scene from a movie. Main character syndrome acting up lol. The early light made everything seem calmer than usual. After locking my bike, I walked through the empty halls, the smell of fresh paint still hanging in the air. It was so quiet, like the building wasn't fully awake yet.

I found Room 203 and stood outside the door for a second before pushing it open. A few students were already inside, talking in low voices. I found a seat and sat down.

The PA system crackled to life. "All students, please line up at the court for the flag ceremony."

The ceremony was the usual—standing around, listening to speeches, trying not to zone out.

Afterward, we returned to the classroom, and it was a little more relaxed now. A few minutes later, the door opened again. I looked up, expecting another student, but instead, a young looking woman walked in.

"Good day, Class Stem 2," she said, smiling. "I'm Ms. Alandra Martin. You can call me Ms. Alandra or Ms. Martin, whichever you prefer. I'll be your class adviser this year."

Aaa gladly she doesn't look like a terror teacher huh

Her voice was calm, and something about the way she carried herself made me relax a bit. Someone from the back of the room joked, "Ms. Martin, you look more like a student than a teacher!"

She laughed, which made the whole class laugh too. "I know!" she said, and suddenly the room felt lighter, like the first day jitters were fading away.

"Alright," she said after the laughter died down, "since I've introduced myself, it's your turn. Let's start with you, there at the back."

We all turned to look, and there was a boy who I think looked really good, the guy from the window. He stood up, looking a little shy, but he smiled anyway.

"Hi, I'm Kai Shin Julian, 16 years old," he said, his voice quiet but steady.

Ms. Martin smiled back. "Do you have any hobbies, Kai?"

I heard him start to say something about nature, but at that exact moment, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I tried to ignore it, but for some reason, it kept vibrating. With my hand still on the desk, I glanced down quickly.

Just some useless notification. But when I looked up, the boy Kai was sitting already and it's the turn of those In front of him.

The rest of the class went through their introductions. When it was finally my turn, I stood up, trying not to feel awkward.

"My name is Leo Augustino, 17 years old. I like reading fantasy novels. Let's work together to make this class fun," I said, and then quickly sat down. The class clapped for me too, and I felt a little better.

Ms. Martin beamed at us. "I'm really glad to hear everyone's introductions. Let's make this year great together!"

The bell rang, and Ms. Martin called for our attention again. "Remember, if you need anything, my door is always open. Let's have a great year!"

______

The first day went pretty well. I mean, I think I made a few friends or at least I talked to a bunch of people.

As I walked out of the building, there were tons of students all around, getting ready to head home. I found an empty bench under this big tree and sat down, just kind of taking it all in. I could hear people chatting, laughing, you know, the usual after-school noise.

I glanced to my left and noticed someone standing nearby, looking at a photo on their phone. It was a picture of the clouds, framed by the leaves of the tree above.

I looked up and realized they must've taken the photo right here, in this exact spot. Before I could compliment them on it, they were gone. Just like that. Too bad—I didn't even get to see their face. I kinda like nature too, so that photo really stood out to me.

After zoning out for a bit, I noticed something beside me. A small sketchbook was lying on the bench, like it had been left behind.

"Whoa…" I whispered to myself as I flipped through the pages. It was full of sketches, mostly of nature like trees, clouds, flowers. I paused and glanced around. The wind was blowing softly through the leaves. The air was cool, but in a nice way, kinda like how the sketches felt calm but alive at the same time.

My eyes lit up with every new drawing, each one more detailed than the last. I kept turning the pages until I got to the last one. Blank. Nothing on it yet.

I checked the book, trying to find a name or something. No luck. All I saw was a little phrase on the back of the front page: "I draw what I adore."

Now I was stuck with a question: How am I supposed to return this?