Im Not in Middle School Anymore

I wander the halls of Stevenson High School looking for my 3^rd hour. I think back to my sistes’ freshman year. She had her whole schedule color-coded. “What a nerd.” I laugh to myself thinking I would never do such a thing. I notice what a step it is from middle school to high school. Of course the school itself is much bigger, including the students in it. Not to mention the hallways are compact which makes navigating a struggle. Still on my quest, I find myself all turned around in E hall. I start to panic when I gaze at the clock and realize I only have 2 more minutes to find M hall.

I finally get the guts to ask the closest teacher if they can point me in the right direction of M hall. “Where’s M hall” I nervously spit out. I feel relieved that now with a teachers help I’ll be there in no time, but she doesn’t seem to know where it is either. My heart sank as once again I realize I’m on my own.

After tripping over a pair of size 14 shoes I stumble out of E hall and fine myself looking at a sign that states “M hall” with an arrow pointing to the left. By now I am late, the bell had just rung and I am still a good 100 yards away. I spot my friend coming down the same hall (his afro is hard to miss), simultaneously we ask each other, “You going to M hall?” then smile.

We walk into the classroom together all of a sudden all the heads in the room turned and look at us. The teacher only had two words to say, “Wow Stromberg.” In dead silence and with all eyes on us we try to find a seat but then notice they are all occupied. Everyone still silent and watching our every move we try to be quiet but quick and grab a chair from the near by stack. I felt like an ant being watched by a kid with a magnifying glass scared and jittery. With all the pressure on me I can’t seem to get my hands to work and drop the chair, the whole class breaks out in laughter except the teacher who shoots me a ice cold stare.

After what seemed like the longest minute of my life I get a moment to relax thinking that all the stress and humiliation of 3^rd hour would be over soon. With 25 minutes left in the hour the teacher announces that we will be having a review test of last year materiel. Just the thought of a test makes me sink down into my chair. “It’s the first day, I bet this will be a breeze.” I say to my friend. What I found was a 60-question test finished off with a scantron. Every question was a struggle I never thought the stress of school would hit so fast.

Fortunately for me I learned a valuable lesson on my first day of school, always be prepared. At the end of the day I looked back thinking to myself maybe my sister wasn’t such a nerd. What if I had mapped out my classes? I also have to prepare for a tough year I’m going to be pushed academically and I have to be ready for it, ready to act confidently and with poise as I stumble and recover.