The yellow school bus pulled up to the curb. Milo took a deep breath and stepped aboard.
The door hissed shut behind him. Milo clutched his brand-new red crayon so tightly it dug into his paw. CLANG! BELL! CHAIRS SCRAPED!
Milo slipped into the classroom and slid into a tiny blue chair at the very back. He pulled his tail around his paws and stared at the alphabet wall.
The teacher called out names one by one. Milo kept his ears flat against his head. Not yet. Just wait.
At lunch, Milo wandered to the art table. He colored a big bright orange sun on a blank page. It was his favorite color.
A girl with a messy bun dropped her blue crayon beside his. She held up her paper — a wobbly green house. Milo looked at her house, then back at his sun.
Milo pushed his paper forward and picked up the blue crayon. He drew a little blue door on the bottom of his sun. The girl gasped.
She drew a chimney on her house. They colored side by side, trading crayons, until the art table glowed with orange light and green roofs.
The afternoon bell rang. Milo zipped up his backpack in one smooth motion. ZZZZIP!
He trotted out of school and waved over his shoulder. The girl with the messy bun waved back from the doorway.
Milo told his mom about the orange sun with a blue door. She smiled and asked if he wanted to share it at circle time.
Milo tucked the drawing under his pillow. His tail curled into a happy spiral. Tomorrow, he could not wait to make more art.
