Max sat on his bed, clutching his favorite blue dinosaur. His heart was a fluttering mix of excitement and nervousness. Today was the day—his first day at school. "Do you think they'll like my dino, Mom?" he asked, his voice a timid whisper.
His mother smiled reassuringly, kneeling down to meet his eyes. "Of course they will, Max. Everyone loves dinosaurs," she replied, smoothing down his hair.
Max held his mother's hand tightly as they approached the entrance. His eyes widened at the sight of the colorful playground, where children zipped down slides and swung through the air. "It's so big, Mom!" he exclaimed, his earlier apprehension momentarily forgotten.
His mother chuckled, "It's a big adventure, Max. You'll make lots of friends here."
Max's teacher, Ms. Harper, greeted them with a warm smile. "Welcome, Max! We're so glad to have you," she said, crouching down to his level.
Max nodded shyly, squeezing his dinosaur for comfort. He noticed another child, Lily, with a bright yellow bow in her hair, waving at him from across the room.
Max found himself sitting next to Lily. She grinned at him, "I like your dinosaur. What's his name?"
"His name's Blue," Max mumbled, dipping his brush into a pot of bright green paint. "Do you like painting?"
Lily nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! We can paint dinosaurs together!"
Max sat cross-legged next to Lily, his dinosaur resting in his lap. He listened intently as Ms. Harper began reading a tale about a brave little dinosaur on an adventure.
"That sounds like Blue," Max whispered to Lily, who giggled softly.
Max spotted his mother among the crowd, waving eagerly. He ran to her, his heart full of stories to tell. "I made a friend, Mom! Her name's Lily, and we painted dinosaurs together!"
His mother lifted him into her arms, her smile wide and warm. "I'm so proud of you, Max. It sounds like you had a wonderful first day."
As they walked home, Max looked back at the school, already eager for the adventures that awaited him tomorrow.
