"OK, Mom, I'm leaving for school! I'll speak to you when I get home!" he said cheerfully, trying to mask the scent of discontent that parents can detect.

"Got everything? It would be unfortunate for you to forget everything on your first day," Mom asked, giving her signature radiant smile that always looked as if it could pay all of her bills.

"Yep! I'm going to be late, so I need to go now!" Murphy answered.

Before Murphy headed for the front door with a peaceful symphony in his step, Mom gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. He then left the house, closing the door with a gentle click, and ran hurriedly across the street. Then, he reached his school and came to a statical pause. The mere sight of the outside view felt as if his insides were being stolen away from his body. He darted across the halls to his form room.

"Sorry I'm late, sir!" Murphy apologetically announced.

The rest of the room stared at him blankly before ejecting into a series of murmurs.

"Huh, looks like you're new. I'm Mr. Sycamore, and I'm your form tutor and could possibly be your ELA teacher," the teacher had said, staring calmly into Murphy's hazel eyes. "What may be your name?"

"I'm Murphy." he replied.

"Ah, yes! You sit over there, next to Huey. But don't get too comfy, because we'll be headed to the school hall in a few minutes," Mr. Sycamore spoke, while pointing his long fingers to the back of the room.

Murphy's heart was firing mixed signals, a lot like the feeling of a sick person's stomach.