Entering middle school had been a very stressful point in my life, as it usually is for everyone. Not knowing but a handful of kids had me hating every second that I was at school, due to the fact that I wasn't much of a social butterfly. With new surroundings, and a slow declining of friends, I was left fearful of what I would do when I was sitting alone at lunch. I hated my classes, the school lunches and the fact that everybody seemed to know each other. By the second week of school, my pool of friends had lowered to one person, Lily.
I had known Lily since fourth grade, but only truly became her friend at the beginning of sixth grade. Lily and I seemed like polar opposites at times, she was more of an extrovert and said what she thought while I kept to myself and tried to avoid conversations with strangers at all costs. Through Lily, I met most of my friends. However, one day when I was sitting at my group's usual table, this girl with big glasses and black, shoulder-length hair, whom was later introduced as Arina, came up to me and asked if she could join me because her friends were still in class. I had been panicking inside because, as I had mentioned, I always kept to myself. Of course, I said yes, and we chatted for awhile until her friends came to lunch.
After that day, we would often talk in English and became close friends thereafter. We were close, but still sometimes faltered to come up with conversations and didn't always come to an agreement. I stayed friends with her throughout sixth grade, and by the end of the year, we were nearly inseparable.
By seventh grade we had multiple inside jokes and were closer than Lily and I. I had finally liked going to school because I got to see Arina and my friends, and that had never happened in all my years of school.
When eighth grade rolled around, I already wanted to move on to high school. Growing up, I always knew what schools I had wanted to go to. However, I was now faced with the problem of which school I wanted to attend. My friends were all going to go to the high school I had wanted to go to since I was 7, except Arina.
I was stuck between applying to a school I had never heard of, or going where I had always wanted to go. I took a chance, and applied, so I would have the possibility of going with Arina when the time came for me to decide. I got in a few weeks later, and I had made my decision.
I now attend LASA, with my best friend of almost 4 years, Arina. I no longer panic when I am forced to speak with strangers, and tend to be outspoken and loud. I do not regret my decision.
