Narrative

I walk to my 9 o'clock class; it is my first day at Michigan State. This doesn't seem real, I am a student/athlete at Michigan State and going to my first class that relates to my major. All of my friends from high school have branched off and gone their separate ways. My friends I have made for the past 4 years are mostly down in Florida while I'm in Michigan. My four best friends from senior year have an apartment together at Florida State University. I am out of the nest now and have the new responsibility of living on my own. I realized that high school was the most fun I've ever had. Meeting new people, going out on weekends, Friday nights, the lunchroom conversations, are of which I will cherish forever.

As I walk to class today, all of the nameless faces pass me. They don't know who I am, nor do they care. It is my first day of freshman year in high school, and I am as nervous as can be. My mom dropped me off about fifteen minutes ago and I wish she were here with me. I do not know my way around this foreign place called high school. Some of the students look familiar but the buildings, teachers, and courtyard are all different. I am no longer the tallest kid in the school, I am now surrounded by future college athletes and rocket scientists.

I cannot understand why the kid with the locker next to me passed a can of dip to his buddy. I think to myself, "What is that?" Later I find out that you put the tobacco in your lip to get a buzz. They are big football players and I decide that I do not want to be around this. It has never crossed my mind to play football. My friends and family know me as a "gentle giant" and that is what I have been my whole life. I always enjoyed watching football on TV but never once have I thought about strapping on the pads and trying to hit someone. I have not decided if I want to play any sports in high school, but if I did, my choice would be soccer. I consider soccer my sport and have been playing every season since I was 6. I come to the conclusion that I am going to be dedicated to school work this year and focus little on sports.

As I walk to lunch after fourth period, I am nervous as to where I am going to sit. Is haven't really made any friends and do not know where my friends from middle school are. None of them were in my first four periods and I cannot find anyone. I walk in the door and it is a feeding frenzy. Growing kids trying to get their helping. All of the older kids try and squeeze threw one door. I sneak past while others push and shove to get there food the fastest. My mind tells me to just go sit down at an empty table, but I am too self-conscious of what others will think. What if they think I have no friends? What if I am sitting at the "senior table?" How are they going to react when I'm sitting in one of their seats? I contemplate for a second then decide to go back outside and look for a nice little place to eat my lunch. There's an empty table with a kid sitting there reading a book, I proceed to sit down then he says his friends are sitting there. I think to myself, "Now why did I just do that?" Finally, an open bench. I sit down and open my bag lunch and eat while I watch others act as if they've done it a million times. Older kids messing with the security guards, girls flirting with guys, athletes walking around like they own the place. I wonder to myself how these people came to be like this, after all I am just a freshman and don't really know anything. I wish I fit in and were as cool as them one day.

After eating lunch by myself, it is time to walk to my fifth period class. I glance down at my schedule and can't find building number 4. Thinking it is on the opposite end of the school, I walk down there and only to find that I was already on the correct side. I am very nervous to walk in to my first English class of high school. What if the teacher embarrasses me in front of the class? I push