Camille stared at her reflection in the mirror, her heart pounding as she adjusted the collar of her jacket. Today was the day—her first day at John Quincy Adams High. Her new school. New city. New life.

"Okay, you’ve got this," she whispered to herself, trying to sound convincing. Camille Hunter wasn’t easily rattled—after all, she’d walked the runway in Milan and posed for cameras with ease. But school? School was different. It was personal. No makeup artist or camera crew could hide the nerves bubbling inside her.

As she grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs, she could hear her parents in the kitchen. Shawn was sipping coffee while Reena scrolled through her phone, probably going over emails for her next project. They both smiled when they saw her.

"Ready for the big day?" Shawn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"As ready as I’ll ever be," Camille muttered, slipping on her shoes. "It’s just school, right?"

"You’ll do great," Reena said warmly. "And you’ve got Riley and Maya there, so you won’t be alone."

"Yeah, I know." Camille forced a smile, but she wasn’t entirely convinced. Riley and Maya were great, of course, but high school had its own set of rules. She was worried about being *the new girl*—the one who was different because she had just moved back from Europe and was already known in the fashion world.

After quick goodbyes, Camille made her way to school, her heart racing as the towering building came into view. John Quincy Adams High was nothing like the private school she attended in Milan. It was bigger, louder, and more intimidating. Students rushed past her as she entered the building, their chatter filling the hallways.

Camille had barely stepped through the front doors when she spotted Riley and Maya waiting by the lockers, chatting animatedly. Relief washed over her.

"There she is!" Maya grinned, waving her over. "First day and already looking like you stepped off a runway. How do you do it?"

Camille laughed, feeling a little lighter. "Habit, I guess."

Riley linked arms with her. "Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. You’ll fit right in."

They made their way to their homeroom, Camille trying to ignore the curious stares from some of the other students. She had expected it—new girl, model, daughter of Shawn Hunter—but it still made her uncomfortable. Thankfully, Riley and Maya kept her distracted, filling her in on all the little details about the school: which teachers to avoid, who sat where at lunch, and the latest school gossip.

By the time they reached their first class, Camille was starting to feel a little more at ease. The classroom was buzzing with energy as students found their seats. She chose a desk near Riley and Maya, hoping to stay under the radar.

But of course, that didn’t last long.

As the teacher, Mr. Feinberg, began taking attendance, Camille felt eyes on her. She glanced to her right and saw a group of girls whispering, their gazes darting between her and their phones. She caught snippets of their conversation.

"That’s her. She’s the model… Just moved here from Milan."

Camille’s stomach tightened. She hated this part—the rumors, the assumptions. Back in Milan, she had managed to keep a low profile despite her modeling work, but here, it seemed like everyone already knew who she was before she’d even said a word.

As if sensing her discomfort, Riley leaned over and whispered, "Ignore them. They’re just curious."

Camille nodded, trying to focus on the lesson, but it was hard to shake the feeling of being watched.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of introductions, teachers handing out syllabi, and Camille trying to find her way around the massive school. By the time lunch rolled around, she was more than ready for a break. Riley and Maya led the way to their usual spot in the cafeteria, a table by the windows with a good view of the courtyard.

As they sat down, Camille felt a little better. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

That was until the cafeteria doors swung open and in walked none other than Joshua Matthews.

Camille’s heart skipped a beat as Josh strolled into the cafeteria, his easygoing smile catching the attention of a few students. He was older, in college now, but he still visited the school sometimes for his education courses. He didn’t belong here, but his presence made Camille’s breath catch in her throat.

Riley noticed and smirked. "Uncle Josh is here. Should we go say hi?"

"No!" Camille said quickly, her face turning pink. "I mean… maybe later."

Maya shot her a knowing look. "Oh, I see what’s happening here. Camille’s got a little crush on Josh."

Camille’s cheeks burned as she glared at Maya. "I do not."

"Uh-huh," Maya teased, grinning. "We’ll see about that."

Before Camille could protest further, Josh spotted them and made his way over. Camille’s stomach did flips as he approached. She hoped the blush in her cheeks wasn’t too obvious.

"Hey, girls," Josh greeted, his warm smile making Camille’s heart race. "How’s the first day going?"

"Great!" Riley beamed. "Camille’s fitting right in."

Josh turned to Camille, his eyes twinkling. "Glad to hear it. High school’s not so bad once you get used to it."

Camille smiled, trying to act casual. "Yeah, it’s… okay."

Josh chuckled. "You’ll be fine, Camille. Just take it one day at a time."

With that, he waved and headed toward the teachers’ lounge, leaving Camille feeling a little dazed.

Maya nudged her with a smirk. "Yup, definitely a crush."

Camille groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Riley laughed. "Alright, alright. But you have to admit, he is pretty cute."

"Okay, fine," Camille muttered, peeking through her fingers. "He’s cute. Happy?"

Maya and Riley burst into laughter, and despite herself, Camille couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this first day wasn’t going perfectly, but with her friends by her side—and Josh showing up at random—maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

As the afternoon classes continued, Camille started to relax a little. She still felt like an outsider, but with each passing period, the stares and whispers seemed to fade. By the end of the day, she had managed to navigate the hallways without getting completely lost, survive her first pop quiz, and even avoid any major embarrassments. All in all, not a bad first day.

As she walked home with Riley and Maya, Camille felt the cool autumn breeze on her face and smiled. New York was still new, and school was still overwhelming, but with her friends by her side—and maybe even a little flirtation with Josh to look forward to—it didn’t feel so impossible anymore.

This was just the beginning, and Camille was ready for whatever came next.