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School of Wonders
Chapter 1: Something big in store

Chapter 1: Something big in store

[https://img.wattpad.com/6ce00fadd138b0c3fb97ea7aaeaeb18d3613d29d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f38795f32505662544d4e754f37773d3d2d313235363530303339382e313732346134646462623036633235303933343335393136313734302e706e67]

Sophie was lying in her bed with the duvet pulled up over her head. She didn't want to get up. In fact, she'd rather stay in bed all day, because she knew what would be waiting for her when she did. A new school, but the same problems as always.

"Look at her eyes!"

"She looks like a weirdo!"

That was always the first thing she heard when she started at a new school, and it never seemed to end. It wasn't her fault that her eyes didn't match. One of her eyes was green and the other was blue. And just because she didn't look like everyone else, that apparently made her some sort of freak that everyone could make fun of.

Sophie sighed deeply. She knew that any moment now, her mom would be coming up the stairs to try to lure her out of bed.

What if it wasn't today I had to go, but tomorrow? Then Mom wouldn't have to wake me up, she thought to herself. But that wasn't the way things were, and she knew it.

Now she could hear her mom approaching. She retreated even further into the safety of the duvet and tried to make herself as tiny as possible. The door to the bedroom opened and the lights from the hallway shone brightly into the room.

"Sophie?" Her mother's voice was calm and soothing as always.

Sophie made an effort to sound as determined as possible: "I don't wanna."

Her mom didn't say anything. Had it worked?

No. Sophie heard her mom walk over with calm steps, sitting down on the edge of the bed and putting a hand on top of the duvet, right on top of where Sophie's head was.

Sophie heard her mom walk over with calm steps, sitting down on the edge of the bed and putting a hand on top of the duvet, right on top of where Sophie's head was [https://img.wattpad.com/311c105a7e3a5226122b7f71fede6ee1f03a1369/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f765f3658594731392d7032514c413d3d2d313235333934313835302e313730373365376666653063616662663739353638373039373439322e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

"Breakfast is ready, Sophie. Fried eggs, sunny-side up."

Fried eggs for breakfast was Sophie's favorite. And she was starting to get hungry, but she still didn't want to get out of bed.

"You shouldn't worry so much about the new school," Sophie's mom said encouragingly.

Sophie didn't answer her.

"It is actually a pretty amazing place."

"Bet it's not! Bet it's like all of the other schools. You're just saying that to get me out of bed."

Sophie curled up defensively under the covers. All the bad memories from her old schools were starting to come flooding back now.

"If only my eyes were normal. Then I'd be just like everyone else."

"Oh, would you, now?" Sophie's mom almost sounded like she thought that was funny.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Of course!" Sophie said confidently.

"Do you remember when you went to Seacoast Elementary?" Sophie's mom asked.

"Yeah?"

"What did you do on your very first day there?"

Sophie had to think for a moment.

"I wore an eyepatch so that no one would tease me about my eyes being different colors."

"And how did that go?"

Sophie pulled the duvet down a bit so that she could peek out at her mom.

"I got teased about wearing an eyepatch."

Her mom couldn't help but laugh. Sophie thought the sound of her mom's laughter was so pretty – just like her mom. Her mom's beauty was something that Sophie always wished that she'd inherited. But the only thing she'd seemed to get from her mom was her eye color, and even that was only for one of her eyes. In fact, that was the only thing she really liked about her eyes. Each eye color she'd gotten from one of her parents. The green from her mom and the blue from her dad.

Her mom stopped laughing and looked at her again. Sophie didn't find the scenario as funny as her mom did.

"I thought you looked adorable, Sophie. But even the sweetest, cutest and nicest person can be teased if the other kids don't think she fits in."

"But why? I never teased them!"

"That's true, and I'm very proud of you for that. But you're not like the others, and that's not just because of your eyes. Do you remember what they called you at Freevoice Elementary?"

"The Blabbermouth Girl."

"And why did they do that?"

"Because I wouldn't stop asking the teacher questions about everything."

"And at Greenwood Middle School?"

"Mud Girl, because I was trying to catch an insect and I fell into some mud instead. I'd never seen that kind of insect before, though!"

"And at the Young Trailblazers Middle School they called you Opposite Girl, because you kept trying to do things differently from how everyone else was doing them. Do you see where I'm going with this, Sophie?"

Sophie pulled the duvet back up over her head. "Yeah. No one likes me the way I am."

Her mom pulled the duvet back down again and looked Sophie straight in the eyes.

"No, that's not true. I'm sure that if you'd stayed long enough at one of those schools, everyone would have ended up loving you. But your dad and I have both taken a task upon us that requires us to travel a lot, and we couldn't stop before the task was completed. Even after we had you."

"Well, why not?"

"Because sometimes you're given a responsibility that's so important that you can't turn it down. And then you just have to grit your teeth and push through. But now, we're finally done. And your new school is ready to welcome the most adorable girl in the world."

Sophie looked suspiciously at her mom. "You're just saying that to be nice."

"I wouldn't dream of it," her mom said with a wink. "But Dad and I have chosen this school specifically for you because we know you'll love it. We actually wanted to send you there many years ago – and it's also where your dad and I met for the first time. Have I ever told you that?"

Sophie shook her head, her curiosity clear on her face.

Sophie shook her head, her curiosity clear on her face [https://img.wattpad.com/b8155e8b601f947be444c1140f755cd26c5dbf7a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4c665466524d4d517539703149773d3d2d313235333934313835302e31373037336539353830393538356130353531353236343732342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

"I didn't think so. But we weren't really interested in each other at the time." Her mom smiled. "Back then I thought boys were stupid and annoying..."

"Even Dad?!" Sophie interrupted.

"Oh, especially Dad. He was always busy seeking out thrills and wild adventures, while I was much more occupied with all the mysteries and riddles that kept popping up at the school..."

Sophie's mom smiled at her.

"But I'm sure you'll end up doing plenty of both."

Sophie wasn't sure what her mom meant, but it sounded exciting. "What kind of mysteries was it?"

"You'll find out for yourself... if you get out of bed. But there are plenty of exciting things about that school, not just the mysteries."

"Like what?"

Her mom gave her a teasing smile.

"The eggs are ready for you when you come down." And with those words, her mom got up and left the room.

"Mom, where are you going? You can't just leave now!"

Her mom always did this. She stopped talking right when it was getting good. Sophie threw the duvet to the side. There was no way back now. She had to know more. She jumped out of bed and ran after her mom.

"Mom! What other kinds of exciting things!?"

Sophie was lying in her bed with the duvet pulled up over her head [https://img.wattpad.com/8c8906bfb2eff326a3f9cd52b86ce8ec6d8acc52/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f767862706948304a73664a7570673d3d2d313235333934313835302e313733663230616534623765333861363936343636313337343032322e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

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