"Max! Max! Wake up!"

I groan as my twin sisters, Emma and Lily, jump on me like they've made it their life's mission to destroy any chance of sleep. Their giggles echo in my ears, and I try to bury my face deeper into my pillow, hoping they'll give up. Spoiler: they don't.

"Max! It's your first day of school!" Emma squeals, yanking the covers off me.

"I know, I know," I mumble, my voice muffled against the pillow. Why did I stay up so late? The controller is still lying next to the bed, a reminder of my bad decision-making. Staying up until 3 a.m. playing games the night before starting at a new school wasn't the smartest move.

"Mom says breakfast is ready!" Lily adds, poking my side. I sigh, finally rolling out of bed, even though my body begs for more sleep. The knot in my stomach tightens. It's the first day at a new school—again. Another round of being the new guy, awkward introductions, trying to figure out who's cool and who's not.

Awesome.

I glance at the time. 7:30. I'm already running late. Perfect.

"MAX! You're going to be late!" Dad's voice booms up the stairs. Of course, he's up and already barking orders. Being late in this house is practically a crime, and with Dad's obsession with time, I'm already in trouble.

I drag myself to the dresser, pulling on whatever clean t-shirt I can find. My head's still foggy from the lack of sleep, but there's no time to worry about that now. As I pull on my jeans, I hear the door creak open.

Mom's face appears, soft and understanding, as usual. "Good morning, sweetie. You ready for your first day?" she asks, her voice all gentle like she knows I'm already stressing.

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"Yeah, kinda," I say, shrugging like it's no big deal. I throw a glance at the clock. 7:45. There's no way I'm making the bus now.

"Maxwell!" Dad's voice booms again, louder this time. "You better be downstairs in five minutes or I'm leaving without you."

I roll my eyes. Classic Dad. Always with the threats, always on time. The guy practically runs like a military clock. I grab my backpack and head downstairs, bracing myself for the lecture.

Dad's standing by the door, arms crossed, looking like he's about to explode. "You're always running late, Max. Why can't you get up on time for once? It's the first day of school, for crying out loud."

I shrug, not really in the mood to deal with him. Arguing would just make it worse, and I've learned that it's easier to let him rant. He's gonna say what he wants to say anyway.

"Give him a break," Mom says, stepping in as always. She hands me a couple slices of toast wrapped in a napkin. "It's his first day. Let's not make it harder than it has to be."

"He's always late," Dad mutters, but I've already tuned him out. My mind's elsewhere—like on the growing knot in my stomach and the fact that I have no clue what today's going to be like.

"Come on, I'll drive you," Mom says, giving me a quick smile. "You'll make it on time."

I nod, grateful she's cutting Dad off before he can go on another rant. I grab the toast and follow her out to the car, the whole time trying to calm the nerves swirling in my gut. I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's just a school, right? It shouldn't be a big deal.

But it is.

The ride is quiet, just the sound of some soft, forgettable song on the radio. I can feel Mom glancing at me every few seconds, like she's waiting for me to say something. I don't. I'm too busy imagining all the ways today could go wrong.

"You'll be fine, Max," Mom says eventually, breaking the silence. "You'll make friends in no time. Just be yourself."

I nod, even though I'm not sure being myself is going to help much. But I don't want to stress her out, so I force a smile. "Yeah, thanks, Mom."

When we pull up to the school, I feel my stomach drop. The place is massive. Bigger than I expected. Groups of kids are hanging out everywhere—laughing, talking like they've already figured everything out. Meanwhile, I'm just... lost.

"Good luck, sweetie," Mom says, squeezing my hand. "Text me if you need anything."

"Yeah, sure," I mutter, stepping out of the car. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and stare up at the building. This is it. The start of something new....