“Wake up! We don’t want to be late!” my sister shook me. Moaning I sleepily rolled out of bed. I was dreading this day. Hoping and wishing that it wouldn’t come. I hate trying new things; it makes me feel safer if I just do my regular routine. Today, I totally fell out of my comfort zone. I never thought I would do this . . . ever.


It took us about half an hour to get there, I was getting goose bumps all over my arms and legs. When we finally reached the building, my sisters took off disappearing before we could even say a word. While my brother and I, begged my parents to turn around. Not listening for what we had to say, they pushed us out of the car, waved goodbye, and stepped on the gas pedal. My brother and I gave a huge sigh before we entered inside. We were at a new place, with new people, with new things, and we were shadowing at a new school.


I first was immersed with a sea of blue and white, all the girls had long plaid skirts and sweatshirts, and all the boys had on polos and khakis. Aware that we were being stared at, I quickly looked down at my shoes. I didn’t belong here, not at all.


Her name was Katie, the girl I shadowed. She too, was wearing a plaid skirt. As my brother and I parted at the office, I just kept looking down at the floor. I didn’t want to do this alone and I knew he didn’t either.



In the hallways, it felt like a blur. People would crowd around me, and Katie would introduce me to them. As we reached the lockers my jaw dropped and my eyes felt like they doubled the size. They didn’t have locks on their lockers, and they had shelves by their lockers that they would leave their things on, out in the open.

“Wouldn’t people steal your things?” I asked.

“No? Why would they?” I told Katie about my school, telling her that we had to have locks on our lockers, because people might steal our stuff. This time her jaw dropped.


The day just flew by; I ended up staying the whole day. I tried singing in the choir with
Katie, but just squeaks came out. So I stopped. Almost everybody in that school could sing. I was amazed at how well they could hit the notes. At lunch I watched Katie and some other girls practice singing for a competition in Houston, they were so good, it was scary! At the end of the day Katie took me back to the office and I said goodbye to her and some other friends I met. We exchanged phone numbers and I left with my brother beside me.


That school was different. Different, in a good way. Going there, I learned a valuable lesson; you should never hate anything until you actually try it out. After you try it out, then you can judge it.