This is my first chapter of my new story, I should have probably waited till I'd finished 'Messer's in Montana' to post it, but I was really excited about starting this one. I hope you all enjoy it, please let me know what you think :)

"Oh look, it's Daddy's little princess!"

Lucy clutched her books tighter to her chest and walked past the three giggling girls, she refused to show them any acknowledgement. Don't let them know you're afraid, that's what her Mum had told her last week when she'd spoken to her about it. Obviously she hadn't told her Mum everything, just that a girl in her class was being a 'little mean' to her, which if Lucy was being entirely honest was a complete understatement.

She soon approached her fourth grade classroom, going in she realised she was the first one there again. Lucy knew this would just be another reason for the girls to pick on her, it wasn't cool to show up early to class, even if they were only in the fourth grade. Placing her books on her desk, and her bag on the back of her chair, Lucy sat down in her seat and let out a long sigh, she couldn't wait till home time.

"Everything okay?" Miss West asked as she exited her cupboard with a handful of books.

Lucy jumped slightly at her teachers sudden entrance.

"Sorry, Lucy, I didn't mean to make you jump"

"No it's okay, I guess I just thought I was alone" Lucy replied with a small smile.

"As you're early, I don't suppose you want to help me put these books out?" Miss West asked as she placed the stack of books on her desk.

"No, I don't mind" Lucy stood up and went to the front of the classroom, where she took the handful of books and began to distribute them around the class.

"You know, Lucy, I've noticed that you seem to arrive to class earlier and earlier after lunch, is everything okay?"

Lucy nodded "My friend Emily is off sick this week, so I guess it's just easier to come in here than it is to sit around in the corridor on my own"

Miss West frowned, she was sure that Lucy had more friends than just Emily Harris who was in the other fourth grade class "Okay, well as long as that is the only reason. You know, that if you are having any problems, I'm always here to listen"

"I know, Miss, Thank you, but I'm okay, honest" Lucy smiled as she finished placing the books out and came to sit back at her desk.

Miss West smiled, picking up a piece of chalk, she began to write the title of the next class topic on the board.

"Family" Lucy said reading what her teacher had written.

"Yeah, we're going to be making are own family trees in the next few weeks" Miss West explained.

"What's a family tree?"

"You'll find out later in our less.." she was interrupted by the ringing of the school bell. "Ah and that lesson now begins"

Lucy sat quietly at her desk as the classroom began to fill up. Edward, the boy who always seemed to have a cold came in first and took his seat right in front of Miss West's desk. He was soon followed by Hannah and Millie, the two girls who'd been best friends since anyone could remember, they we're basically more like sisters, except they looked the complete opposite of each other, Hannah was tall, skinny and blonde, while Millie was short, chubby and dark. The boy's who played football all recess soon followed, they're was five of them in total and they all took up the desks in the left hand corner of the class room.

Five minutes later everyone had taken their seats apart from Lola, Madison and Mia the three giggling girls that Lucy had passed in the corridor not so long ago. Miss West smiled at her class as she picked up the register "We'll just take this and then we shall begin are afternoon lesson"

She began calling names from the register and got half way down the list before the door swung open and the three girls swanned in. "Sorry we're late" Lola smiled "We had to go to the toilet"

"All of you?" Miss West asked with annoyance in her voice, these three girls took liberties every day and it was starting to wear very thin with her.

Mia nodded "We all drank loads of water at lunch, Miss, like you tell us too and I guess it all just needed to come out right as the bell rang"

"Okay, we'll just take your seats, lesson has already started." Miss West told them as she turned back to the register.

Mia and Lola took their seats at the back of the classroom, but Madison had recently been moved to the front of the class for being disruptive. She walked down the aisle, draping her bag from her shoulder. As she passed Lucy's desk, she made sure that her bag hit the smaller girl on the back. "Oh sorry!" she said in a sarcastic tone "I didn't see you there"

Lucy glared at her but didn't say anything.

"Right, class, let's begin the lesson" Miss West announced. "Who can tell me how you would describe a family?"

Two hours later and Lucy was sat on the small wall out side of school waiting for one of her parents to collect her. She was used to waiting, they'd normally arrive with in fifteen minutes of school getting out but if they were on a big case or in the middle of something in the lab then they couldn't just drop it to come and collect her. Sometimes one of her Uncles would come instead to pick her up but if that was the case her Mum or Dad would normally phone the school's reception first so they could let Lucy know and no one had today, so Lucy was expecting one of her parents to be there.

"Aw, did Daddy forget to come and get his little princess?" Madison jeered as she walked towards Lucy.

"No, he's coming" Lucy replied.

"Sure he is, we all know how your Dad would never leave you sitting here longer than fifteen minutes, he wouldn't want his little baby getting cold, would he?"

Lucy could fill the anger bubbling up inside her, she didn't get what Madison's problem was. The other two, Lola and Mia had been friends with Lucy all through kindergarten and up until second grade. Then Madison had joined the school and although Mia and Lola never spoke to Lucy after that, they'd never been mean but something had obviously happened over the last summer to change all that, because since they started fourth grade a month ago, all three girls had been mean to Lucy.

Standing up Lucy came over to Madison "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem" Madison replied with a sly smile.

"You obviously do, you and your friends haven't left me alone since the start of term and I don't get why, what have I ever done to you?" Lucy replied bravely. Even though Inside she wasn't feeling very brave, she was scared, scared that Madison would lash out and hit her or push her over.

Madison shrugged "I'm sure you'll work it out soon enough, princess"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Stop being one then" Madison snapped before walking away towards the parking lot where one of her parents was obviously waiting for her.

Lucy sighed and sat back down on the wall. She looked down at her shoes as she tried to work out her how she was being a 'princess' she didn't expect or demand anything from anyone, she just got on with her life like any other nine-year old would. She looked up when a car horn honked.

The window of the black avalanche rolled down and her Father stuck his head out the window "You getting in, Lucy-girl or you just gonna take root there?"

Lucy smiled "I'm coming, Dad" picking up her school books that she'd placed on the wall earlier, she carried them round the car and climbed into the passenger seat.

"How was school today?" Danny asked as Lucy placed her books and school bag in the back and then did her seat belt up.

Lucy shrugged "It wasn't too bad, we learnt about family tree's this afternoon"

"You did? So go on tell me, which rich and famous people do we have in are family tree?"

"I don't know yet, I only got as far as Grandma and Grandpa" Lucy giggled.

"Oh okay" Danny replied.

"How was work? Is Mum still there?"

"Work was busy but good and yeah, your Mum is still there but she was just finishing off when I came to get you, so I'm gonna take you back to the lab and then Mum's gonna take you home okay?"

"Okay" Lucy smiled as she stared out of the window.