It was a very special day in Encanto. The first day of school. And two very special children were about to start the first grade.

"You're going to love the first grade." Mila said. "I didn't spend much time there, but I remember it was a great year. And Senorita Rojas is a wonderful teacher."

"I can't wait for show and tell." Rosella said. "I drew a story to show the class."

"What's it about, Rosella?" Bruno asked.

"It's a surprise for later, Papa."

"How are you feeling, Pedro?" Alicia asked.

"Nervous." Pedro said, cuddling his security blanket.

So far, over the last few months, Pedro had started little by little just cuddling his blanket instead of hiding under it. Thanks to a few visits to the Encanto and getting some notes from Boba on how he dealt with his anxiety, Mila and her parents made more progress helping Pedro become less anxious, which would be especially helpful in school.

"That's normal, hermanito." Mila said. "Everyone gets nervous at some point in school, and the first day is one of the most common. But don't worry. If you just do your best, you'll do great. And if you feel lost in any subject, don't hesitate to ask your teacher for help and talk about your struggles."

Chika licked Pedro, making the boy laugh.

"Aww. Chika's wishing you good luck."

Back in the Naboo palace, some other kids were getting ready for school too.

"Come on, kids." said Anakin. "You don't wanna be late."

The kids finished their cereal and got their backpacks ready.

"Did everybody brush their teeth and hair?" Padme asked.

"Yes, Mom." Omega said.

"We're all up and ready to go." Gabby said.

"Lamenta, don't forget this." Carmine said, putting Omega's favorite star clip into her hair to keep it out of her eyes.

"Thanks, Daddy." Lamenta said.

Kara and Qui-Gon made sure each of the kids had their lunches.

"Now, remember, kids." said Kara. "Listen to your teachers and play nice with the other kids."

"Yes, Auntie Kara." Gabby smiled.

"Now kids," said Anakin. "We all know it's gonna be a little scary being without your family for a while, but your teachers are there to help you learn and look after you. You'll be back home before you know it."

"Don't worry, Omega." Padme whispered. "I put some extra things into your bag. And a thermos of herbal tea, just in case."

As a lot of middle school students probably knew, it was typically the toughest period of school, especially since that was when puberty hit, and often hit hard. Given Boba and Omega's ages, they were both going through a lot of changes, physical and emotional.

Just in case, Padme and Anakin both already gave the twins the lecture about their 'changing bodies,' and how it was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Remember, Sweetie. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's perfectly normal and will be gone before you know it."

"What will, Aunt Padme?" Lamenta asked. Being only six, she didn't have that lecture yet.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"Come, children." Qui-Gon said. "Time to get to school."

And so, the kids hurried to get to school on time.

Rosella and Pedro held their parents' hands as they walked to school.

There were lots of kids headed in after their parents gave them a hug and kiss goodbye.

"Okay, mijitas." said Bruno. "This is it. Your first day of first grade."

"Your papa will come pick you up after school," said Alicia. "I'll be home in time for dinner after dance class, okay?"

"Okay, Mami." Pedro said, hugging his mother.

Alicia and Bruno both gave each of their children some kisses and sent them inside to start their first day.

Pedro walked in with his sister. He felt like running back to his parents at that moment. His first day of kindergarten wasn't exactly the best first impression. That day, he got so scared, he hid in the chest of dress-up costumes during playtime. He was so embarrassed too. He couldn't even look at dress-up clothes for a month after that.

The Madrigal twins looked around their classroom. There were about sixteen other kids in their class.

Rosella and Pedro looked around and saw that everyone's names were on little cards on the desks. And to their surprise, the two of them found their seats to be next to each other at the front of the class.

"Mira, hermano." Rosella smiled. "We sit together."

"Alright, mi estudiantes." said the teacher, Ms. Rojas. "Everyone take your seats so we can begin."

Boba, Gabby, Lamenta, and Omega soon exited their speeder and saw before them, Windy Falls Academy.

The school was amazing. It was a big blue building with crystal shining windows, there were white pillars and decorations on it, and there was even a garden of roses and milla flowers outside.

"Welcome to your new school, kids." Anakin smiled.

The kids were astonished by the beauty of the new school. Their parents walked them in, and the inside of the school was amazing too. They were greeted by a droid.

"Welcome, students and parents." said the droid. "I am T3-S7, protocol super visionary here at Windy Falls Academy. It is my job to ensure all students come and go safely."

Anakin first went with Carmine and Caroline to drop Gabby and Lamenta off at their classroom.

Caroline knelt down to Lamenta as they came to the classroom.

"Alright, Lamenta. This is it." Caroline said. "Your first day of the first grade."

"Your first day at a real school." Carmine added. "You ready to go in, Little Lamb?"

Lamenta looked into the classroom. There were lots of kids of different species in there. She felt pretty uncertain if anyone would like her. Sure, she'd made some great friends with the kids at the Temple, but outside the temple and the palace was another story.

Ad you may recall, back in her days of always traveling on tour with her parents, anyone who approached Lamenta was only interested in Count Crescendo (whom still no one knew was her father). Just knowing that she traveled with him was enough to make people perceive the youngest princess as a gold mine of information on the galaxy's biggest singing sensation.

"I don't know. What if no one likes me?" Lamenta said.

"Don't think like that, Sweetie." said Caroline. "They'd be crazy not to love you, especially once they have the chance to know you."

"And I think we all know you don't need to use your truth-seeking abilities to see that it's true you're a very special girl. Besides, you won't be there alone. Your cousin will be here too."

"Be a good girl for your teacher, Gabby." Anakin told his youngest daughter. "Play nice with the other kids and do your best."

"Yes, Daddy." Gabby said.

Gabby and Lamenta's parents each gave their daughters a kiss and sent them into their classroom. And Anakin went to drop Boba and Omega off.

"Okay, kids. This is it." Anakin said. "Now, don't be nervous. You're gonna do great."

"But I am nervous." Omega confessed.

"Me too." Boba said, sounding anxious.

"I know it's scary starting in a whole new place." Anakin said, recalling his first day of classes at the Temple. "You're bound to meet a few people who may give you a hard time, but the important thing is not to let them get to you. Everything will be okay, and if either of you have any struggles, don't be afraid to ask your teachers for help. And you can always come to us, your family, if you need help too."

The twins looked into the classroom and saw the other kids. It wasn't going to be easy being in a room full of unfamiliar kids.

"Time to go, guys." Anakin said.

The twins both gave their father a hug and entered their classroom to find their seats.

Encanto, 1st Grade Classroom...

So far, class was starting out pretty well as they started with Show and Tell, as a method of everyone getting to know each other by bringing something meaningful. There were lots of great presentations, and the Madrigal twins were the last ones to go.

"My blanket is very special to me because it came from my abuela," said Pedro, holding his blanket. "I don't remember a lot about her, but I remember when she gave it to me one really cold night when I had a scary dream. And she wrapped it around me and gave me a big hug, and my blanket's kept a lot of nightmares away since. And now, it helps me feel close to her."

Pedro returned to his seat.

"Thank you, Pedro, for sharing your blanket with us." said Ms. Rojas. "Okay, Rosella. It's your turn."

Rosella reached into her backpack and took out a notebook.

"I've been working on this for a few weeks. My big sister Mila helped me." Rosella said.

Rosella opened the notebook and showed drawings she made of everything that happened on her adventure of how she met her friends in the other world. The drawings were really impressive, especially the ones of the horses and the bipedal beings who were not humans.

"It was pretty scary at first, but then I met all kinds of people from different places, and they were really nice too." Rosella said. "And now we can visit them anytime because the mirror is kept safe in the casita."

"How'd you come up with those characters?" asked one girl.

"They're not characters. They're real." Rosella said. "I just said they're from a different world. I can take you through the mirror if you wanna see them for yourself. Maybe I can even bring one of them here. Ahsoka is really cool."

Rosella turned to a page with a picture of the Togruta girl.

"Perhaps we can see her sometime." said the teacher. "Gracias, Rosella. Your story sounded very exciting."

Now that Show and Tell was done, the first subject was... math.

Rosella groaned quietly. Of all the subjects she'd watched Mila do, math made her brain hurt. Luckily, they were starting out with simple addition and subtraction problems.

"Pedro, can you answer this equation?" Ms. Rojas asked.

Pedro looked at the equation. 10-3= ?

"Seven." Pedro said.

"Correct."

That was a pretty simple equation. So were the next few. And then, Ms. Rojas put up something a little more difficult.

"Rosella, would you come up and solve the problem?" said Ms. Rojas.

Rosella walked up and looked at the multiplication problem.

4 X 15= ?

"I barely even know how to multiply one-digit numbers." Rosella said. "How am I supposed to solve that?"

"Mila didn't show you how?" the teacher said.

"Mila has taught me a lot of things, but not how to multiply."

"Pedro what about you?"

Pedro shook his head.

"I know as much as Rosella." Pedro said.

"Oh. You know, when Mila was a student, you should've seen the things she did." Ms. Rojas said. "Solved a geometry problem many of the sixth graders tried to crack three times and still miscalculated."

Rosella and Pedro couldn't believe this. Did the teacher really expect them to be like Mila when she was their age?

That question was answered throughout the day as every time the teacher began a new class or had a question to ask the class, the twins were the first ones she asked to answer. Occasionally, they did know the answer, but there were also moments they gave the wrong answer.

And when recess came, instead of sending them out to play with the other kids, the teachers asked the twins to take an IQ test.

Really? The twins both thought. They didn't need the same IQ as their sister to know that this was absolutely ridiculous.

Windy Falls Academy, First Grade Classroom

Gabby and Lamenta looked around their classroom. There were lots of kids of different species.

"Hey, isn't that Crown Princess Gabriella?" whispered one girl.

"Yeah, and I think that's Princess Lamenta." said another girl. "And they're in our class!"

Gabby and Lamenta found their desks and looked around. The classroom had a nice view of some flower boxes outside the windows.

A Tholothian woman entered the room. The nameplate on her desk read Miss Deera.

"Alright, children. We have some very special students joining our class today." said the teacher. "Princess Gabriella? Princess Lamenta? Would you like to stand up and introduce yourselves?"

The girls both stood up.

"Hi," said Gabby. "My name is Gabriella Skywalker. But you can call me Gabby. It's my first time attending a real school, and I'm kinda nervous, but excited too."

"And I'm Lamenta Jinn, Gabby's cousin. But you can just call me Lamenta." Lamenta introduced rather shyly. "This is my first time attending a real school too... and I'm... kinda shy."

"Well, rest assured, girls... you'll have a great experience at Windy Falls." said Ms. Deera. "Our school is known to be one of the best."

"We hope so." Gabby said. "But please, no one forget. My cousin and I may be princesses, but we're kids just like you, so we don't need any special treatment. We wanna make friends as much as any other kid."

Windy Falls 8th grade classroom...

Omega sat down in her seat and looked around the room. She felt pretty nervous around some of the other kids, but she was also pretty excited. She'd never been around so many kids who weren't clone cadets and was so excited to make some new friends. But, she wasn't sure how to begin. She wished Estrella could've come with her. But, she had to settle for having Little Star in her backpack if she needed to squeeze something.

And then, Omega looked at the desk next to hers and saw a green twilek girl who was drawing a picture of a starship.

"That's a nice drawing." Omega said.

The twilek girl looked at Omega and said, "Thanks. It's my uncle's."

"Is he a pilot?" Omega said.

"Yup. Someday I'm gonna be a pilot too."

"My dad's a pilot too. I'm Omega Skywalker, by the way."

"Hera Syndulla." said the girl, shaking Omega's hand.

Boba, on the other hand, was glad to see Roya as she arrived in the classroom, and the two hugged when they came face-to-face with one another.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." Boba said.

"I'm happy to see you too." Roya said. "You're gonna love coming to school with other kids."

First period went on pretty well for the Skywalker-Jinn children. But they still felt a little uncertain.

Later on, it was time for recess.

Gabby and Lamenta walked outside together and looked around at the playground and all the fun stuff to do.

There were baskets with balls, hoops, and jump ropes to play with, and there were hopscotch games, swings, slides, and jungle gyms for the kids to play on too.

"I'm gonna play on the swing." Gabby said.

"Then, I guess I'll go play in the sandbox." Lamenta shrugged.

And so, the girls went on their separate ways.

Meanwhile, Omega walked with her new friend Hera to the grass, where the two of them sat down and looked up at the clouds, imagining traveling across the galaxy.

"My dad once said he wanted to be the first to see all the worlds in the galaxy when he was a kid." Said Omega. "He got to see more than he could count during the war. At least, that's what he told me."

"I have the exact same dream." said Hera. "But my parents are pretty, well... protective."

"I know what you mean." Omega said. "My parents are the same. But it's just because they love me."

Boba, on the other hand, spent some time with Roya, going over various cheerleading moves for tryouts later.

"Okay, Boba. One more time. It's pom poms, turn, kick, jump, cartwheel. And end in a split. Got it?"

Roya performed each move of the routine to help test Boba's memory and skills.

"I think so." Boba said.

"Okay, Boba. Let's see how much you've improved."

Roya turned on some music on her phone and Boba got to practicing the routine, repeating the order in his head as he did each one slowly and then a little faster, slowly getting it to come to muscle memory.

Boba gave it all he had, and did the cartwheel, no problem, but slipped when he tried the split.

"Are you okay?" Roya asked, helping Boba up.

"I'm good. Nothing hurt but my dignity."

Boba dusted himself off.

Some girls walked by, laughing.

"Don't tell me he's thinking of trying for cheer." a Pantoran girl laughed. "Cheerleading isn't for guys. Why don't you try for football or something?"

"Because I don't even like that game." Boba said. "And I checked the rules. There's nothing anywhere that says boys can't try out."

"Good luck then. I wouldn't count on getting in if I were you."

The two girls kept laughing and left.

Roya rolled her eyes and said, "Don't listen to her, Boba. Madison sees every new kid as a threat. She's been one of the best on the cheer squad since the fourth grade, and just loves the attention. But don't let her get to you. You can do it."

"Only if I don't slip during tryouts." Boba said.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Boba. The important thing is to have fun. You and Omega are both trying out, aren't you? You'll be able to support each other, and I'll be rooting for both of you."

Lamenta picked up a bucket and started digging in the sandbox, when some other kids from her class came by. A human girl, a rodian boy, and a pantoran girl

"Hi." said the Pantoran.

Lamenta looked up and gave a friendly smile and said, "Hi."

The three kids introduced themselves. The human was named Kiki, the rodian was named Alu, and the Pantoran was called Lee Ali.

"You guys wanna build a sandcastle with me?" Lamenta asked.

"Sure." said Lee Ali.

The three kids got together, building a sandcastle together. At first, it looked like the four kids were having fun, and Lamenta was starting to have a good time, decorating the castle with some leaves and flower petals she found on the ground.

"You're really good at building sandcastles, Lamenta." said Lee Ali.

"Thanks. My daddy taught me." Lamenta said. "He used to do it all the time when he was little."

"Is it true your dad works with Count Crescendo the singer?" asked Alu.

Lamenta winced a bit hearing another question about her father yet again. But she sighed and said, "Yes. It is."

"What's he like?" asked Kiki. "Is Count Crescendo nice?"

"Yes. He is." Lamenta said.

"Does he do private concerts for you?"

"Sometimes."

"Do you know who he really is?" asked Alu.

"Do you guys have any questions that aren't Count Crescendo related?" Lamenta asked, starting to sound uncomfortable.

"What's it like being a princess and the daughter of a pop star's manager?" Kiki asked.

Lamenta sighed.

"It's about as exciting as you could imagine." Lamenta said. "Why don't you guys tell me something about you?"

"Well," said Kiki. "Count Crescendo is my all-time favorite singer, and I've sent him like at least a thousand letters. I'm a very fast writer. But he hasn't answered my last letter yet."

"Maybe because I sent him about eight hundred." said Alu.

"Seriously?!" Lamenta said, getting up. "Are you guys so obsessed with Count Crescendo that you don't realize I exist too? It's like this all the time! The whole reason I haven't been able to have an active social life is because anyone who talks to me only cares about Count Crescendo being a big part of my life! Well, I have feelings! I'm a person too! My parents may work with Count Crescendo, but I'm not your ticket to autographs, tickets, or private concerts. So, if you're not even gonna take the time to know me, then you can take your musical obsessions and leave me alone!"

Lamenta angrily kicked the sandcastle down and strode away, passing by Gabby as she was surrounded by other kids at the swing. Other kids appeared to be giving her the five-star treatment. One kid pushing her on the swing, other kids offering her flowers or whatever sweet treats they had in their lunch bags, curtsying and complimenting her.

The younger cousin just angrily strode away and hid in the girls' bathroom and locked herself in a stall, where she began crying.

At lunch later that day, Omega sat with her new friend Hera. Boba and Roya soon came along to sit with them.

"Hey, Omega." Boba said. "Where are Gabby and Lamenta?"

"Gabby's sitting with a bunch of other kids." Omega said, motioning to another table, where Gabby was being treated like the queen.

Gabby's lunch was placed for her like she was at a fancy dinner table by some of the older kids. One fourth grader even gave her their chocolate milk, and a second grader gave her their cupcake.

"Oh. Thank you." Gabby said with a gentle smile. "This is all very sweet."

"Someone's gotten popular pretty quick." Roya chuckled.

"I have no idea where Lamenta is though." Omega said.

"I hope she's alright." Boba said, sitting down.

Omega then decided to introduce her new friend to the others.

"Hera, this is my twin brother Boba." Omega said. "And his girlfriend Roya."

"Nice to meet you, Hera." Boba said.

"Hey," said Hera, then she noticed the blue and white cheer uniform Boba was wearing. "What's with the cheer attire?"

"I'm trying out for the squad. Is there a problem with that?"

"No. I actually like that there's a guy going against that stereotype that only girls can be cheerleaders."

Boba smiled. It felt good seeing there was someone else who supported him.

Gabby looked around. "Has anyone seen my cousin Lamenta anywhere?" She asked.

No one seemed to know where Lamenta was.

And that was because Lamenta turned herself invisible so she could sit alone in the bathroom again, crying. She wanted to go home right then and there. School was supposed to be a great experience, but instead, other kids only cared about how her parents worked for Count Crescendo. If they knew her father and Count Crescendo were the same person, it would definitely be impossible for her to make any real friends. The only people who loved her for her even after they learned who her father was were her cousins and the horses.

Lamenta didn't think this day could be any worse.

Later that same day, it was time for cheer tryouts.

There were a lot of girls trying out. Boba was nervous. He'd been practicing so hard for this day. He'd gotten lots of extra help from Carmine, Alicia, and Isabela in increasing his flexibility and reflexes, and took extra tips from Gabby and Lamenta's ballet lessons to improve his leaps and kicks. He even got a brand-new pair of pom poms of his own to practice shaking them so he would be able to go all-out in his tryout.

Omega was pretty nervous too. She adjusted her cheer skirt and fixed her hair clip so her hair would stay out of her eyes.

"Nervous?" Boba asked.

"A little. What about you?" Omega asked.

"Very."

"Omega Skywalker. You're up."

Omega got up and started to cheerlead as the song "Die Young" began to play. She shook her pom poms, jumped up, tumbled, and turned her heart out, finishing off with a spin and a high kick.

"Whoo! Go, Omega!" Boba cheered.

Omega smiled, hearing her brother's praise for her.

"Go get them, Boba." Roya said.

Boba then went up and got ready to try out.

"Whoa, whoa. Sorry, kid. Basketball tryouts aren't until next week." said the coach.

"Actually, I'm here to try for cheer. I signed up online two weeks ago." Boba said.

But, the coach stifled a laugh and said, "A comedian. I see."

"I'm not joking. I really did come to try out." Boba said. "I've been practicing."

This time, the coach didn't look amused, and she said, "Look, kid. I'm looking for cheerleaders, not more boys to drool over them."

Boba looked offended by that.

"One, I have a girlfriend already. Two, there's no rule saying boys can't try out. And third, my grandpa is the king of Solaris. I didn't spend the last few months in gymnastics and ballet training to be told I can't try out."

The coach just rolled her eyes and sat back and said, "Very well. I could use a good laugh."

Boba's music was set up. ("Show Me" by Jessica Sutta).

Boba shook the pom poms like a pro, and started out with simple power poses, and then got into some jumps, and cartwheels, and then a few backflips, which astonished so many of the other candidates and current members of the squad. Boba even snuck in a few dance moves his pop star uncle taught him, and a few ballet twirls. And for the big finish, did three back kick overs, and ended by jumping into a perfect split.

Boba took a second to catch his breath, and the other kids cheered as he completed such an impressive routine.

A couple more candidates went on then. Boba really needed a drink of water after that intense workout of a routine.

"You did really great, Boba." Omega said, hugging her brother after he'd gotten some water.

"Thanks, Omega." Boba breathed. "That was really tiring. But fun."

Roya kissed Boba on his cheek. "I knew you could do it."

And soon, the coach announced that she'd selected the seven newest members of the squad.

Marisa Beckon, Katie Armstrong, Addison Sharon, Teresa Martin, Lele Starrin, Tip Kurtis, and... Omega Skywalker.

Omega was so excited to hear that she'd been picked at first, but her excitement quickly died when she realized Boba didn't get picked.

"Alright, girls. All of you be ready for your first practice in two days. The first game of the season is less than a month away." the coach said.

While Omega and Roya went out with the other candidates, Boba decided to talk to the coach.

"Excuse me, coach?" Boba said.

"Yes, Mr. Skywalker. What is it?" said the coach.

"I was just wondering... I don't get it. My routine was perfect. I didn't miss one movement or even slip. Why didn't I get picked?" Boba asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious."

Boba had a feeling, but he wanted to hear it straight up to know for sure.

"I don't think it is." Boba said. "My sister didn't even have one flip in her routine, and she got picked anyway. Why not me? My trainers said I could be a professional gymnast someday."

"You're just not a good fit for this team."

"And why not?"

"Must I spell it out for you? Cheerleading isn't for boys. And we don't need you on the team because obviously you would be a distraction to the girls, and they would likely distract you too. So, why don't you just get rid of those pom poms and go find out if there are any spots left on the football team or something? You'll see plenty of cheerleaders at those games."

Boba could not believe what the coach just said to him.

He angrily threw his pom poms on the floor, and left the gym, blasting the door open with a magic spell in a fit of anger.

In the Encanto...

Pedro and Rosella rushed out of school that afternoon. Bruno was there right on time to pick them up.

"Hola, mijitos." Bruno smiled. "How was the first... day?"

Bruno frowned when he saw neither of the twins looked very happy.

"Pedro? Rosella? What's the matter?" Bruno asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it!" the twins said, rushing off to get home.

Bruno was immediately concerned for his children. Something was definitely wrong.

Rosella and Pedro didn't even say hello to the family as they entered the Casita and just rushed into their rooms, slamming the doors shut.

"Bruno, what happened?" Julieta asked, concerned for her youngest niece and nephew.

"I don't know." Bruno said. "But it must have been bad for them both to be so upset."

Outside Windy Falls Academy...

Parents and shuttles came by to pick up the kids as the first day of school was finally over.

Qui-Gon arrived to pick up his grandchildren, hoping their first day went well.

"Grandpa!" Omega exclaimed happily, running into her grandfather's arms.

Qui-Gon spun his eldest granddaughter around in a big hug.

"It seems you had a great first day of school." Qui-gon smiled.

"I made a new friend and got on the cheer squad today!" Omega smiled.

"That's wonderful." Qui-Gon then saw the other kids arrived. Except, two of them definitely didn't look happy. "Boba. What's happened?"

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Boba said, getting on the speeder and sinking into his seat in a fit of anger.

"Lamenta?" Qui-Gon said, noticing Lamenta's eyes reddened like she'd been crying.

"I don't wanna talk. Can we just go home?!" Lamenta said angrily, getting into a seat, looking equally upset.

Gabby was last to come to the speeder. She gave a sad and concerned look to her grandfather, and boarded the speeder without a word.

Qui-Gon got the kids onto the speeder and escorted them back home.

And as soon as they returned to the palace, Boba and Lamenta just ran off to their rooms, not even acknowledging the Jedi who greeted them as they came home.

"What happened?" Ahsoka asked Gabby, sounding concerned.

"Not a good first day of school." Gabby said.