10-14 Stories

The Empathy Squad follows four middle-schoolers living in a mixed-income apartment complex who struggle with different challenges: ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, disability, identity pressures, and family stress. They're neighbors, classmates, and sometimes accidental rivals - until a school project goes wrong, exposing each kid's insecurities. The group fractures after misunderstandings, teasing, and rising tension. Meanwhile, Briar, a tough new resident, becomes the antagonist by mocking their coping skills and fueling conflict, driven by her own loneliness and fear about her mother's deployment. As the school and apartment complex hold a joint community showcase, the kids are forced to collaborate. Through funny moments, arguments, and quiet vulnerabilities, they begin exchanging coping techniques - Maya teaches Leo art-based strategies, Jade helps Noah ground himself during a panic spike, and Noah reframes Jade's anxious thoughts. Briar sabotages the early stages of the project, feeling left out and resentful. But when a real crisis hits - a building-wide power outage that leaves younger kids frightened in stairwells - the Empathy Squad steps up, using their skills to help calm and organize the community. Briar sees their impact and reconsiders her behavior. In a pivotal emotional moment, she breaks down and admits her fear about her mother being deployed. The group listens, helps her breathe, and encourages her to join the project rather than tear it down. Together, they complete the community showcase display: a mural representing different ways people cope, connect, and grow. The story ends with hope. The Empathy Squad isn't perfect - they still argue, still get overwhelmed - but they've built a shared language of empathy. Briar slowly joins the group, and the apartment complex becomes a place where feelings aren't weaknesses but pathways to strength.

The story is just about who I am.

This is a tiny taste of my up-and-coming story, Big Cats. This is based off of Erin Hunter's "Warriors" series, and I take no credit for that factor. This is for mostly readers 10-14, unless you're a different age and still interested.. Basically, there are three tribes of big cats. Every tribe has different cats. But no more spoilers... :)