It was my first day at secondary school and I was ready. Ready for the challenge of unfamiliar buildings, faces and, most importantly, an unfamiliar gender! So far I'd led a sheltered life in an all boys boarding school so this would be my first foray into a mixed sex environment. I was an only child, my mother had died when I was born, and my father had never remarried. He'd been a high flyer in the city, but with the economic downturn came redundancy and the private education had, of necessity, come to an end.

So here I was, in this strange new, less privileged, world. What with puberty and the resultant hormones coursing through my body, my attention was a long way from the nervousness I was feeling inside. Here be GIRLS!

As I stepped through the gates my game plan had been decided, analysed and firmly fixed in my mind. According to Google, girls were generally better than boys academically so I would play them at their game and attract their attention that way. I would play it cool, calm and collected. I would concentrate on what the teachers said and work hard. I would be the George Clooney of the class; articulate, suave, sophisticated and cool to the nth degree.

Despite my all male upbringing I was confident I could handle girls, but what I didn't know at the time was just HOW different they could be!

I reported to the school secretary as requested and was then shown to my class. I peered through the glass door; a morass of variously uniformed kids moved around, sat on desks or simply stood around talking. At the front was, I presumed, my allocated form teacher Miss Wrigley. She proceeded to hand out a set of marked work to the noisy and chaotic class.

"OK everyone! Calm down, get to your desks and sit down! A little less noise please!"

The noise and general melee continued without the slightest interruption as Miss Wrigley turned to beckon me into the class.

"Hello! My name is Anne Wrigley. We've been expecting you. Come on in and take a seat!"

and then, to the class, in a slightly raised voice,

"Come on everyone! Stop the noise now!"

The noise gradually abated and finally order was restored. Shown to a desk at the front of the class I sat stiffly, mentally rehearsing my introduction to the class.

"We have a new class member starting this term. His name is Christopher and I want you all to give him a warm welcome. Please stand and tell us a little about yourself Christopher" she smiled.

I cleared my throat and thought through my litany to conquer nerves: "I will be calm, I will be cool!"

I turned to face the class. A girl with long, shiny, strawberry blond hair was immediately in front of me. She was pretty... very pretty... She had eyes... green eyes... and lips... and curves!

Confidently I started, "Hello everyone, my name is Chri....."

and then she smiled at me... and I felt myself falling into those deep green smiling eyes and I found I couldn't speak or think or function any more...