Oh, you thought middle school was just going to be a casual step up from the horror show that was elementary school? Guess what: nope—hello, nightmare sequel! So there we were, shoved into the gym for what they called a “welcoming ceremony,” which was basically a fancy way to say forced staring contest while adults talked in this weird, overly chipper tone, trying to convince everyone that middle school was fun. Spoiler: it’s not.
Toby and I found our way to the back row because no one in their right mind sits front and center. That’s where the wallflowers, the “maybe if I blend in I won’t get noticed” types, and apparently, me, gravitate naturally. The gym smelled like a mix of sweat, disinfectant, and that faintly terrifying “you will be judged here” energy.
The first speaker, a teache
