“I’m not a class clown,” I replied. “I have a much better fashion sense than that. But you can call me class queen.”

“Hmm. I think there’s only room in this class for one monarch, and that’s me,” Mr. O. teased. “Okay, who wants to follow that?”

I smiled. I liked my classes, I liked my teachers, and everyone thought I was funny. A thought popped into my head.

I can feel it. This year I am going to rule the school!

I caught up with Sierra in the hallway after class.

“How’d the rest of your day go?” I asked.

“Not bad,” she replied. “But I have Mr. Rivera for art. Now I know what you were complaining about all last year. The way he described the projects we’d be working on almost put me to sleep!”

I nodded. “It’s not easy. But if I could get through it, you will!”

Sierra sighed. “Other than that, I got a ton of homework assigned. Can you believe that? Who gives homework on the first day of school?”

“In this, you are not alone,” I told her. “I’ve got a ton to do when I get home.”

“Then it’s a good thing you finished your submission for the Bayville Monthly magazine cover contest,” Sierra said.

I stopped. “Wait, what?” I asked. “I thought that was next week.”

Sierra looked at her phone. “Nope. You’ve got to get the digital file in by midnight tonight. You asked me to put an alert in my phone because you said you wouldn’t remember. Remember?”

I hugged her. “What would I do without you?” I asked. “When I become a famous fashion executive, will you be my personal secretary?”

“Hmm, Tamiko, that’s not exactly the dream career I imagined,” Sierra replied.

“Well, anyway, thank you!” I said. “I am a genius for asking you to remind me.”

“Or am I a genius for knowing how to use a basic calendar app?” Sierra asked, in what I thought might have been a teensy dig, but I couldn’t tell from the tone of her voice. Anyway, I couldn’t stick around to find out.

“See you tomorrow, Si!” I said, and I ran to catch my bus.

When I got home, I let myself in with my key because there was no sign of Kai yet, and I knew Mom and Dad didn’t get back from the college until six on Mondays. Luckily, they’d decided I was mature enough to stay home by myself for a few hours.