First Steps in School



First Steps in School is the sixth chapter of the Main Story.

Note(s)
Any dialogue that is not being spoken in English is represented with italics and bold text.

Plot
Prior to coming to Earth, Ellenseren had sorted out a school on Earth for Samantha to attend, wanting her to continue education since she was not old enough to leave school on Anoterra yet and that it would provide a unique experience for her. Samantha had expressed her preference to do online courses on the Extranet then go to school on Earth, but Ellenseren believed that actually going to school was a more effective way to learn, even a school on another planet with an unfamiliar race.

Since Samantha is of similar maturity of a human in their late teens, she's being sent to a sixth form class at the local Clear Bridge School, a special needs school that has students in all years, ranging from nursery all the way to the third year of sixth form.

Samantha gave a heavy sigh as she looked in the mirror as she brushed her hair and styled her it into two pigtails. Ellenseren sat on her bed as she watched, ready to leave as the five Anoterran Cats looked up at their owner as she does her hair. Samantha was dressed in lilac purple hoody, unzipped to reveal her pink top underneath. Her black skirt and boots remain.

“You look like a real human now,” smiled Ellenseren laughed. Samantha rolled her eyes at that tease.

“As long as I don't start laying eggs again, I'm sure they won't suspect a thing,” she groaned.

“'Oh, by the way, don't forget to set your translator so you speak English. Humans won't understand the Anoterran language since they won't have translators.'”

Samantha quickly put her finger behind her ear and fiddled a little, not trusting herself to remember later. Ellenseren copied that action, getting up.

“Lovely, you ready to go?” Ellenseren said enthusiastically.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” sighed Samantha, kneeling down to cuddle all the Anoterran Cats. “Wish me luck kitties, I'm gonna need it. At least I've got food I know and like for lunch,” she said as she picked up a space-patterned backpack and putting it over her shoulders. The two Oviphomos left the house, with Ellenseren locking the door as the five Anoterran Cats rushed to the window. Samantha gave them a smile and a wave before she and her mother walked away.

Samantha remained silent, feeling rather shaky about what she's doing. She has friends back on Anoterra who she went to school with, who probably don't even know where she is. And now she's going to a school full of humans, who knows how different it's going to be?

“How you feeling?” chimed Ellenseren as they walked up the hill, into a forest-like area.

“Oh...um....great, just fine,” said Samantha, surprised by this sudden question.

“Mhm? Doesn't sound convincing,” said Ellenseren as they reached a residential area at the top of the hill and turned down a pathway, seeing some students walking in the opposite direction of them. Samantha shrugged.

“How do you know where to go?”

“Oh, the Extranet is a useful thing, even about unincorporated planets like Earth.”

“Apparently not for education,” Samantha muttered under her breath.

The Oviphomos continued to walk in silence through the pathway and into another residential area, stopping outside the main entrance to Clear Bridge School.

“Right, there's the school,” Ellenseren said brightly as she took Samantha into the reception area. Samantha looked at the building nervously as Ellenseren went to the woman at the desk.

“Hello, I've brought Samantha Clegg for her first day of school,”

“Clegg?” Samantha said in surprise, but Ellenseren gave her a light kick to the leg.

“Let me just check that....yep, Samantha Clegg, due to start today,” smiled the receptionist. “Welcome to Clear Bridge School!”

“You alright by yourself now?” Ellenseren asked her daughter.

“Yes, I'll be fine!” snapped Samantha.

“Alright, calm down. Have a wonderful first day!” Ellenseren said as she took her hair and put it around Samantha, holding her tight as Samantha rolled her eyes. The receptionist gave a slight odd look to Ellenseren's way of showing affection.

“Goodbye mother Ellenseren,” groaned Samantha as she pulled out of her hair and went through the next door.

“Ellenseren? That's a unique name,” said the receptionist.

Samantha got lucky and promptly found the playground, where all the other students were playing before registration. The majority were in a uniform consisting of a black jumper and black or grey trousers or a black skirt, while a few were in their own clothing, like Samantha. She looked out over the playground and the field just outside the playground area. There were several boys playing football on the field while the playground didn't seem to have a theme, students of various ages were running around aimlessly. What struck her as odd is that many of the girls were wearing trousers, since girls wearing trousers on Anoterra is commonly considered cross-dressing.

“Hey, who's that chick?” said a blonde guy with shaggy hair from afar, pointing to Samantha.

“Never seen her before,” shrugged a neater, brown haired guy beside him. A well built, bald guy towering above them gave them a sharp shove.

“I say we go see what type of girl this newbie is,” he smiled as he walked towards her. The shorter guys looked at up at him as followed.

Samantha went over to an empty bench, sitting down as she gave a sad sigh, thinking about home, her family and her friends when she was suddenly disturbed by the two shorter guys jumping onto the bench from behind, sitting next to her.

“So, what's a newbie like you sitting here all by yourself?”

“Yeah, you look all scared and stuff.”

Samantha shrugged, not having a clue what to say to the two humans.

“Well you ought to be scared,” boomed a voice from behind. Samantha turned to see the taller guy, towering above her.

“Name's Kevin, and I call the shots around here. And my first shot to you is to get lost, this is the boys bench.” Samantha didn't even know what that expression meant, but stayed put.

“You think you're so tall, my uncle is taller than you,” she said, not being intimidated in the slightest by Kevin's height as he came around the bench and stood in front of her, stamping his foot.

“Oh yeah? Pics or it didn't happen. Now I am going soft on you right now, so you're going to get your fat butt off that bench right now, aren't you?” The two other guys giggled at that statement and got up, excited for what was about to happen as Samantha looked up angrily, standing up in front of Kevin. Samantha was shorter than Kevin, but a little taller than the two shorter guys.

“If you knew who I was, you'd be down on your knees, offering me the biggest apology!” she angrily snapped.

“Oh, you wanna go, do ya? 'Cause I can go any day of the week!” shouted Kevin, interrupted by the school bell ringing, signalling all the students to go inside.

“Urgh, you got lucky this time fat arse, but I will put your in your place, I swear on that,” Kevin said firmly before he dashed off with the two shorter guys.

Samantha rolled her eyes as she watched them run towards the doors, she wasn't particularly worried about Kevin, she was used to people taller than him, that wasn't a lie. Then she noticed two other students coming over to her, a guy and a girl.

“Hey, that looked intense,” said the guy, standing a bit taller than Samantha, but shorter than Kevin. He was wearing a black zipped-up hoody and baggy jeans with black trainers.

“Well, you certainly have guts to stand up at Kevin like that. Is this your first day?” asked the girl, smiling warmly. She was dressed in a pink hoody with blue skinny jeans, black leather boots and a purple flower clipped onto the left side of her head. Samantha looked at them both, they seemed a bit more friendly than Kevin.

“Um...uh....yeah?” she said, unsure what to say.

“I'm Bethany, nice to meet you,” said Bethany, holding her hand out.

“And I'm Zack.” Samantha looked at Bethany holding her hand out, unsure what is meant by it.

“Um, my name's Samantha,” she said. Bethany realised that Samantha wasn't going to shake her hand, so she pulled it back.

“We better go to class, before we get told off again!” said Zack, rushing off. Bethany rolled her eyes.

“You mean before YOU get told off again,” she sighed. “You must be that new girl coming to our class. Come on, I'll show it to you,” Bethany said as she guided Samantha into the school building.

Characters

 * Samantha
 * Ellenseren
 * Samantha's Anoterran Cats
 * Kevin's two friends (first appearance)
 * Kevin (first appearance)
 * Bethany (first appearance)
 * Zack (first appearance)

Mentioned Only

 * Samantha's uncle

Locations

 * Earth
 * Samantha and Ellenseren's house
 * Clear Bridge School (first appearance)