Chapter Text
The first day of school was a nerve wracking experience for most kids, but it was especially anxiety-inducing when attending a brand new school in a brand new town. That was the struggle you were faced with that sunny September morning, still sweltering in the North Carolina sun. Your parents had sent you on your way with your bookbag and lunch box, both busy with their latest business venture that had brought you to Kildare Island in the Outer Banks. Of course, the only thing you really understood about that was the fact that it had pulled you from the safety of your old home, your old friends, and most of your family.
Being in third grade, you couldn’t have anticipated the wonderful ways your life would change as a result of your relocation to the OBX. All you were concerned with was navigating a new school and hopefully finding some new friends. But you were a bundle of nerves as you entered the doors to the school, going to the office because you had no idea where else to turn.
The secretary who let you in picked up on your nervousness and uncertainty immediately. “Hi sweetheart, what’s your name?” she asked kindly, motioning for you to come over to her desk. Her fingers were poised over her keyboard, ready to look you up and find out where to put you.
“Um… I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N),” you answered quietly, staring down at the new sandals your parents had taken you to get in preparation for the sandy island climate. “I just moved here,” you added. It wasn’t necessary, the island was small and the school’s staff knew every single one of their students. It was obvious you were out of place.
“Alright, (Y/N). It looks like you’re in Mrs. Riley’s class, does that sound right?” the secretary asked, prompting you to give a small nod. “Okay,” she said. “I’m going to print you off a map of the school. It might help you find your way around a little bit better,” she said. You heard the printer behind you hum to life as it shot out a piece of paper.
“I’ll get you to your classroom, but there’s a few things I want to show you first,” the woman said, setting the paper down in front of you and grabbing a sparkly pen from the mug beside her computer. She went on to explain the whole layout of the school to you, telling you how to get from one place to another but reassuring you that most of the time you’d be with Mrs. Riley and the rest of your class. “There’s always going to be somebody here to help you out, you just have to find the courage to ask,” she smiled at you.
It wasn’t long before you were being led down the hallways to your classroom, trying to take in as much information as you possibly could about the layout of the school. You were still a bit nervous, but the day had just begun. There was time for things to get better.
“Here’s your new student, Mrs. Riley,” the nice secretary announced as she coaxed you in through the doorway of your new classroom. Your teacher was a kind looking woman with light hair and happy eyes and she came over to greet you immediately. Class hadn’t officially started, but students were milling around the room, looking at the books and posters and brightly colored decorations that filled the classroom. You read the message on the board that encouraged them to find their seats and take a look around.
“Thank you, Martha,” Mrs. Riley said to the secretary. “You must be (Y/N),” she said, bending down to get to your level. “I’m glad you made it here alright,” she said. “Let’s find you your seat and get you settled in, okay?” she asked, guiding you over to the side of the room. You waved a shy goodbye to Martha and she waved back before heading back down the hallway to the office.
You were settled into your seat, taking some of your school supplies out of your backpack and organizing them in your desk when a boy with brown curly hair plopped down beside you. He was on the side closest to the window, which was surrounded by bookshelves to form the classroom’s own little library.
“Who are you? I’m John B.,” he introduced himself, digging through his backpack. “Do you want to be friends?” he asked, not even waiting for your answer to his first question. It made you smile a little bit, hoping that when you said yes, it would be a friendship that would last.
“I’m (Y/N),” you answered. “I’m new here, so I don’t have any friends yet,” you said. That made the boy grin.
“JJ, we have a new friend!” he exclaimed, turning to the blond boy who was playing in the sink at the back of the room. “That’s JJ,” John B explained. “He’s my best friend. We decided that this morning, so you’re going to have to find someone else to be your best friend, but you can still hang out with us,” he said.
JJ had somehow managed to already get his hair and clothes mostly soaked before the class had even truly started, and he came bounding over like an excited puppy. “What’s your name?” he asked you, shaking out little water droplets from his shaggy hair, dripping on you in the process.
“(Y/N),” you answered, your smile only widening when the other boy came over. You were proud of yourself for making not one but two new friends in such a short amount of time. But, as John B had said, you still needed to find a best friend, since apparently nobody was allowed to have two. That was okay though, you could make friends with one of the girls in class and she could be your best friend.
“I’m gonna call you (Y/N/N),” JJ declared. With that, he leaned in to whisper something in John B’s ear. Cupping his hand and glancing at you before he pulled back, he sat at the desk behind John B. When you asked what it was, they both answered quickly that it was a “best friend secret” and they couldn’t tell you.
As the day went on, you simply forgot about the incident, but for years to come, John B would tease his best friend about the way he had reacted to meeting you for the first time. After only just learning your name, JJ had whispered in John B’s ear: “I’m gonna ask her to marry me. I’m gonna make her mine forever.”