Meet Aspyn Robinson, a 17-year-old girl battling inner demons in the form of depression. After a heart-wrenching attempt to end her life, Aspyn is sent to start anew with her estranged father and attend her final year of high school in an unfamiliar...
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After english class, our next three classes are a blur of introductions and syllabus overviews. English, followed by, governemnet, calculus, and chemistry II.
It's not until lunch that Maya and I can catch our breath.
"Hungry?" she asks as we weave through the throngs of students milling around in the cafeteria.
"Starving," I reply, my stomach rumbling.
"I recommend the pizza," Maya suggests, pointing to the food line. "The sloppy joes are more sloppy and less joe and the salad bar is usually full of limp lettuce and wilted carrots."
"Sounds appetizing," I laugh.
"Yeah, don't eat the salad," she warns, her eyes wide.
"Duly noted," I say, smiling.
Maya and I get in line and quickly load up our trays with pizza and drinks.
"This place is huge," I mutter, taking in the vast expanse of the cafeteria. It's a cavernous space, with row upon row of tables and chairs.
It's so different from the small-town schools I grew up with, which were made for a few hundred kids at most. This school probably has closer to a thousand students. Back home, I would have been surprised if my graduating class was over a hundred people. Here, my graduating class will probably be the size of my entire high school back home.
Just thinking about the sheer number of students here makes my chest tighten up. I quickly clear my thoughts in hopes of not giving my anxiety away.
"It takes some getting used to," Maya agrees. "I'm still learning my way around, and I've been going here for three years now. It's like a maze."
"I can see that," I say, shaking my head. "Where should we sit?"
"I usually sit with my soccer team. Do you mind? I can introduce you," Maya offers.
"Not at all," I say, following her lead.
She weaves her way through the crowd with ease, finding an empty table near the back of the cafeteria.
As we settle into our seats, I'm immediately greeted by a chorus of greetings.
"Hey, guys," Maya says, grinning. "This is Aspyn. She's new."
The girls around the table introduce themselves, their names and faces blurring together.
"Nice to meet you," I say, hoping my smile doesn't give away the fact that I'm completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of new faces.
"Aspyn, this is Lana, Katie, and Taylor," Maya says, pointing to each girl in turn.
"Welcome to the team," Katie says, smiling warmly.
"Thanks," I reply, grateful for the warm welcome.
As the conversation flows around the table, I listen, content to sit back and observe. These girls are a tight-knit group, clearly bonded by years of friendship and shared experiences. They speak in shorthand, sharing inside jokes and laughing at comments that are only half-finished.
