Jordan had always done school at home. His mornings were quiet and cozy, just him, his mom, and the soft clinking of dishes in the kitchen. He liked doing math at the table with his favorite pencil and taking reading breaks to pet the dog. Everything felt calm and familiar.

But today was a whole new world. Today was Jordan’s very first day of public school. He stood in front of the big brick building holding his backpack like it might float away if he let go. Kids were running everywhere, laughing and shouting like they’d had three bowls of cereal and no adult supervision. Jordan felt like the only shy kid in a sea of loud confidence.

When he walked into his classroom, he froze. There were so many desks. So many backpacks. So many kids who already seemed to know exactly what to do. Jordan wasn’t sure where to sit or how to act. His stomach did a little nervous wiggle.

His teacher, Mrs. Burnside, spotted him right away. She gave him a warm smile that made his shoulders relax just a little. “Good morning, Jordan. I’m so glad you’re here. Let me show you your cubby.” Her voice was calm and kind, and Jordan followed her like a little shadow.

He sat at his desk and tried to look busy, even though he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing. That’s when a boy with messy hair and a grin that practically wrapped around his whole face plopped into the seat next to him.

“Hey! I’m Jack,” he said, like they were already friends. “Do you like robots? I brought one in my backpack.” He whispered it like it was top‑secret information.

Jordan blinked. Robots? He loved robots. He nodded, and Jack grinned even bigger.