I desire a new start to this high school year. 

Every day I wake up, get dressed, brush my teeth, accidentally miss breakfast on my way to the door, and go on my way to school. On the other hand, I can’t forget the most important part: getting my mask.

I never thought that I would be starting my freshman year with a mask covering my face. It feels like I really never started high school and that this year doesn’t feel real enough. It’s like I’m trapped in a bad dream, and I may never wake up. 

Looking back on all the movies I watched that took place in high school–like grease and clueless–made me want to grow up and experience it for myself. I was looking forward to my first dance, my first football game, and my first pep rally.

Most importantly, though, the memories I could make. I yearned for new people I could meet, classes that really challenged me, and the events that made high school known. Little did I know that my freshman year would be like no other.

I was sitting in my room, scrolling through Pinterest when I found out the news. My mom came in telling me that this year’s football season was canceled. My heart dropped—no football season meant that there’s no cheer season. One of the only things I look forward to when I’m in school is cheer season. Whether it’s for sideline or competitive, I was in disbelief that I couldn’t do any of those things this year.  

Luckily, in the end, the football season was revived and I was happy again, but the fact that it was canceled in the first place was the worst part. 

That wasn’t the end of the bad news. I soon found out that there was going to be no homecoming dance. My first ever high school dance; ruined. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The activities being canceled were the big milestones of the high school experience.

I’m so fortunate to be able to be in-person at school, but so robbed of the exciting FHC traditions I wouldn’t normally be missing—I can never experience them as other people did. 

I knew from the start that a lot of traditions would be canceled, but, when it finally hit me, I soon realized that this is reality. This could be a glimpse into the next few years, but I hope that this will not be the new normal. 

At least I will never forget my freshman year.