You wake up and get ready for your first day of 5th grade. Like every year, you’re told to stand with your back against the wall and maybe hold a sigh, saying, “I’m in 5th grade now,” as your picture gets taken. Suddenly, it’s almost summer break. You look back on the year’s Christmas party and that one time you fell off the swing at recess. Your teacher suggests that you should get ahead on some summer reading, but no one actually does.

You worry about what middle school will be like. But summer is already over.

Once more with your back to the wall, you smile for your picture, you’re a 6th grader now, a little taller, and more nervous than ever. You think, “What if I can’t find my classes?”, “What if my locker won’t open?” You get dropped off, and you see your friends, and suddenly you’re not so worried. You go to your first school dance, where everyone is underdressed, and you learn that math gets a lot harder. You realize that middle school isn’t as bad as you thought it would be, and you’re actually excited for 7th grade.

You’re not smiling for your picture this time because you think it’s dumb that you have to do the same picture every year, but you get yelled at, so you smile. You’re not worried about your locker not opening, since you know most of them don’t open anyway. You try basketball, you’re not that good at it, but that’s okay because you’ve always wanted to try wrestling. You have a few new friends and lost a couple more.

Like clockwork, back against the wall, you’re happy to be in 8th grade, finally “at the top of the food chain”.With a little help, you realize math isn’t that hard anymore, and you love science class. You start to think about your freshman year. You’re excited to get your driver’s license in a few years, and you’re ready for what feels like a fresh start. You feel like you’re in 5th grade again, scared for what’s going to happen next.

You wake up for your first day of 9th grade. Once more with that dumb sign you have learned to love, you’re the same person, but you don’t look the same or even act the same. 

You understand that high school sports are going to be a lot harder, actually, most things are going to be harder. But you’re ready for it and all the other challenges that come with it.