It's 8 am, and you don't know where you are. After looking around you realize it must be the halls of Lake Mary Prep. Few places have the same smell of pencil shavings and sweaty middle schoolers. You dread first period. First period means math, and math means Mr. Herold who can be the biggest pain in your butt always asking you to integrate and derive- will he ever leave you alone? It takes all of your energy to put up with his boring personality and undying silence in the classroom. The clock ticks by and it feels you haven't; you often feel school does nothing for you at all.
It's second period and you are finally starting to wake up. You shuffle along with the other monotone students, awkwardly avoiding eye contact because you hate confrontation. You resort to your favorite drug: your phone. Apple products are like cocaine for teenagers- they are constantly sought after, expensive, always getting better, and let you escape reality. You snort your first dose since this morning. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, snapchat- all the same faces, the same posts, yet you cannot stop scrolling.
You look up and Mr. Chestnut is staring you down. It's time for AP Gov which means unexpected quizzes and political discussions that make everyone cringe at each other's opinions. He caught you on your phone, again, so he decides to give you a new assignment. Oh, and he decides it is due tonight. Doesn't he know you have track and then work until 10? Of course he doesn't care, he is the most unreasonable, irrational person in the school. You accept the assignment with grace because at this point all you have is your pride. Francesca and Guto offer to split it up with you but that would look weak, and appearance is everything in high school.
You begin your impossible task the next period. You have to write a two page essay about the Articles of Confederation. How could he expect you to do this? After looking up other essays you decide you need a break and head to the school store. You browse the selection but cannot make up your mind. You end up choosing goldfish but immediately regret your decision. After Ms. Carmen scans your finger you again cannot decide if you are grossed out or not by the thousands of fingers that have also touched the scanner. You decide to stop thinking about it and head back to your drug- your phone.
Right when you look up you see her, the light of your school day: JJ Howard. She cruises down the hall with ease laughing with everyone who passes by. You envy her energy and purpose in life. She has it all figured out with her books and brilliant students. You try to work up the courage to talk with her, maybe about joining her class next year but back out in shame of your lack of writing and sense of humor to keep up with her. Your dream in life is to be in her esteemed AP Lang class, but every time you work up the courage to begin to write, you fail miserably. Maybe one day, things will turn around.
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