Last month: As I pack up all of my belongings i feel like i am packing up a piece of me with it. Everything I pack I think of all the memories. I pull out a jewelry box from the top of my closet and open it to see a gold ring with a blue stone on it. I think of the time my grandma gave me that jewelry box and told me how proud she was of me back when I was five. I remember the exact words of my grandmother, “There’s always hope, Keep this jewelry box and the ring and may it always give you hope”.. I didn't realize how much I would miss this place until I was leaving . I saw the moving truck pull into the driveway and suddenly I felt defeated.. I hear the movers talking to my parents. As I finish packing everything in my room. I just sit there. “Everything is gone” I say to myself. 

10 days later: “It's time for school!” I hear my mom say. I smell the cinnamon rolls that my parents always make for us on the first day of school. “Aren't you so excited?!” my mom said. “So excited” I say in a sarcastic way. I can tell my mom is not impressed. All I want to do today is go back to bed. I hope I make a friend today. I get up and start getting ready and while I get ready I unpack a few things. I come across my jewelry box. I open it and see the beautiful ring. and think back to my grandmother's words. I slowly put the ring on my finger, finish getting ready and head upstairs to eat my warm cinnamon roll. “ Let's take some pictures!” my mom said. “Do we have to?” I said, “ Yes!” said mom. I walk outside by the front door. “Smile” says mom. I try to smile like I'm excited but realistically I'm dreading talking to anyone besides my family. We get in the car and drive off to school.

 When we get there I say goodbye to my parents and go inside. I walk in and hear “Welcome to bayside middle school”. I try to say hi to people I pass in the hallway, but nothing comes out, so I just give a little smile. I walk around trying to find my class but I have no clue where it is. Suddenly, I hear a sound, a  sound I have never heard before. I thought to myself, ‘what is that sound?’ and I realized it was the bell ringing. I start rushing to find my class when suddenly I hear footsteps behind me. . I try to walk away but I hear “ Do you need help finding your class?” “Yes please, I say quietly.” A teacher I’ve never seen before walks me to my class and I stand by the door because I'm so nervous. I take my ring and squeeze it tightly as I walk in. “What's your name?” the teacher said. “ Blake I said quietly”. “What was that?’ I hear. “Blake” I say. I walk to my seat and sit down still with the ring squeezed tightly in my hand. It seems like everyone else has already made friends.  “What did I miss in the 3 minutes That i wasn't there?” I think to myself. 

 The day goes on and on and on. By the end of it,  I still have no friends. The whole way home I think of ways to be less shy, ways to make friends more easily.. “ How was your day? Did you make any friends?.” said my mom. “Amazing” I say sarcastically and  go straight to my room. When i get to my room I sit on my bed and get my whiteboard. I start brainstorming ideas to make friends. 1. Dress very nicely, 2. Be less shy and have an outgoing personality. The next day I pick out my cutest outfit and go to school. I go into the school with a big smile on my face and walk to my class confidently. When I get into my class I see the instructions on the board. I know yesterday’s self would just do what the board says, but today's self wants to ask someone what to do even though it’s clearly on the board. I try to find someone to ask and turn to the person next to me and say “ Um, do you know what we're supposed to be doing?” In a very loud way, She says “it says what to do on the board”. “Ohhh ok thanks!” I say. She immediately turns back around to her friend and starts laughing like she's having a good time. I suddenly get jealous and think even harder about how to make friends.  “I wore my best clothes and did not act shy. I just dont think I'm meant to have friends” I thought to myself.

 I move on to my next class and try the same thing with a girl named Leah. Leah is so cool and I want to be friends with her but still, still no friends in class. I got bored so I decided to listen in on Leah's conversation and try to figure out what she does. “ Yeah I play lacrosse, it's the best sport ever, And I also LOVE the color magenta because it's just the best! I take a mental note- '' Lacrosse and magenta “ I think.. I can do that!. I get home and as soon as I walk in the door I say “ MOM, DAD can you sign me up for lacrosse?“ “Why lacrosse?” say my parents. “ You know, It's just the best sport ever!” “ Uhh ok’ they say. “And also can I get some magenta clothes?” I say.  “Sounds like we need to go to the mall!” says mom. We drive to the mall and go to the sporting goods store. I pick out a pink lacrosse racket ( It's the closest color to magenta). “This shirt Is so cute” says mom. ” It’s magenta so obviously I have to get it, even if it's the ugliest shirt I've ever seen (which it is). But who cares If Leah likes it I like it. The next day I get ready, put on my new shirt and carry my lacrosse racket. I feel so stupid and I get a lot of funny looks. This clearly isn't working and I don't want to do it anymore. I am so done with trying to be someone that I'm not. People should like me for who I truly am... The next day I walk into school just being myself and I hear “What's your name!!?!” I turn around and I see a girl, A girl my age!. “Um Blake” I say.  “Oh wow I love your name!” she said.. “My name is Ellory!. Do you want to walk to first period with me?” “Sure!” I say. We walk to our class and as soon as we get there the teacher asks us to pick partners for presentations.. We both look at each other and start hysterically laughing! We work on the presentation together and learn a little about each other. I find out that she moved here from California 2 years ago.  Little did I know the words “What's your and name?” could be so powerful. I think “I just met my one friend”, The one friend that changed everything. After that I found myself coming out of my shell more because I wasn't forcing it, it just came naturally.