dinohigh, no humans allowed!

It was finally here, the day I'd been waiting for, but now that it was here, my heart was heavy. Tomorrow morning, I'd be leaving for Dino High, and I wouldn't be coming back home for five years. I hugged my mom tightly, tears welling up in my eyes as I said goodbye. She reminded me to send letters back home, to keep in touch, but it didn't make the goodbye any easier. I wouldn't be able to live in this house until I finished school.

I waved a tearful farewell to our home, a sturdy 35-foot tree where our house lay perched at the top. "I'm gonna miss you, old thing," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion.

A lot of the neighbors came out of their houses to wave goodbye, their faces a mix of pride and sadness. My belongings were packed into my glider, backpacks, and satchels—everything I needed to start this new chapter. After some last-minute checks, Mom handed me a bandolier bag containing the last breakfast and lunch she'd make for me. The tears I'd been holding back threatened to spill over as I realized I was truly leaving home. Adjusting to a new life, surrounded by people I didn't know—and who were probably prejudiced against me just because I could fly—felt daunting. A lot of these dinosaurs despised anyone with wings.

I flapped the wings on my back, feeling the familiar stretch of the winglets on my arms as I grabbed the glider. I was almost ready to launch when Mom tapped my shoulder. She handed me a wallet filled with cash.

I looked at her, puzzled. "Wait, Mom? Where did you get all this money? We didn't have this yesterday! We barely had anything fancy to eat for my going away party."

Mom nodded, her expression turning serious, a hint of shame crossing her face. "I took out a last-minute loan," she admitted. "I had to run out of the house and fly down to the bank for it. They'd normally refuse, but today was special. They knew that. There was a line of many people, but thankfully, everyone got the money they needed. The owner was there too—his daughter is heading to Dino High as well. He said it'd be beneficial for the flyers to stick together and watch out for one another."

I raised an eyebrow, the weight of her words sinking in. "So... what's the catch?"

Mom took a deep breath, her feathers rustling slightly. "He took it out of his own pocket at a deficit, but there's a condition," she said, her voice dropping to a softer, more serious tone. "You have to look out for his daughter. She's... well, she's kind of..." Mom searched for the right words, struggling to sugarcoat it. "She's a bit of a... dumbass. A naïve, vulnerable girl who needs someone to guide her in socializing and, more importantly—" Mom leaned in, whispering, "—her dad needs someone to make sure no one takes advantage of her. He's worried she might end up in trouble, and he wants her to come back home safe and sound."

I blinked, taken aback by the unexpected responsibility. "So, basically, I'm her babysitter?"

Mom nodded, looking at me with a mix of hope and worry. "These are the terms for your school fund. This is just the first deposit—it should give you enough allowance to get by, even if the dorm isn't available. We should have a student discount because of our heritage and ID, but if that doesn't work, the money is your backup."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as the weight of her words settled in. "This is a lot, Mom. What if I can't handle it?"

Mom placed a hand on my shoulder, her eyes softening. "I know it's a big ask, but I believe in you. You're smart, capable, and responsible. I wouldn't have agreed to this if I didn't think you could handle it."

I hesitated, biting my lip. "But why me? Why not one of the other girls? Why's all this on me?"

Mom gave a small shrug, her expression turning thoughtful. "Isn't it obvious? Everyone in town trusts you. Sure, the other girls are nice, but they don't have your brains or your sense of responsibility. All the store owners you worked odd jobs for see you as reliable, and so does the bank. Even if you just spent a summer working as a security camera guard, the people here have a good impression of my work, and so they have a good impression of you. Remember that when you become a mom someday, okay, honey? Your actions and reputation affect your children, and you're making their life easier in a hard world like this by being a good person—or at least a dependable one."

Mom's advice sank in, as it usually did, though I still felt a pang of anxiety about everything she was asking of me. "I get it," I said quietly, nodding. "I just... I don't want to mess this up."

She squeezed my shoulder gently. "You won't," she assured me, her voice filled with confidence. "Just keep your head down, look out for yourself, and do the bare minimum for this girl. You don't have to be her best friend, just don't let her get into any serious trouble. If anything happens to her, the budget for your schooling gets cut, and I'd have to take up two jobs just to support you—let alone pay the bills."

I groaned, running a hand through my feathers. "No pressure, huh?"

Mom chuckled softly, her gaze softening. "I know it's a lot, but you're stronger than you think. And besides, you've got a good heart. I've seen it."

I glanced at the rising sun behind us, the early morning light casting long shadows over the familiar neighborhood. "I hope you're right, Mom."

She pulled me into a tight hug, her wings wrapping around me in a comforting embrace. "I'm always right," she teased, her voice a gentle whisper in my ear. "Now go out there and make us proud."

After a final check of my flight path, I set the GPS to the right destination: Dino High. This was the first day of the rest of my life.

"Goodbye, Mom," I said, my voice breaking slightly as I stepped back and climbed onto the glider. I gave her one last look, memorizing every detail of her kind, determined face.

"Goodbye, love," she called after me, her voice tinged with a mix of pride and sadness. "And remember, keep your head up and your wings steady!"

With a deep breath, I launched off the house's runway and flew from our tree into the distance, the sky still dark with the early morning shadows. The lights of the glider left a trail of orange behind me as I soared higher, the wind whipping past my feathers.

I glanced back one last time, watching our home grow smaller and smaller until it was just a speck on the horizon. The reality of my new responsibilities weighed heavily on my mind. Not only did I have to worry about studying and people's opinions about me and my species, but now I also had to look after some girl I'd never met, who I was supposed to take care of. What if she was a pain in the neck? Or worse, what if she dragged me into trouble?

I shook my head, trying to push the worries aside. "Oh well," I muttered to myself. "At least I have money for food and a bed. I've got a head start on others of my kind, and who knows? Maybe if I make friends with her, I can get by with less money, maybe even score some free stuff and gifts. And if she's really as clueless as Mom says, maybe I can make connections with some rich people and finally pursue my sports career—or at the very least, not sit alone at the lunch table when the other dinos exclude me."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "No, no. It won't be like that," I told myself, shaking my head. "I'm overthinking it. It won't be that bad, right? How racist could the outside world be to me?"

The sun was rising, and with it, my new life was just beginning. All I could do was keep flying forward, hoping that everything Mom said would be true, and that I could handle whatever Dino High threw at me.