Social Justice, Identity, and High School Challenges

Peyton became a symbol of social justice, challenging norms and inspiring others to embrace their true selves.

### Navigating High School: Friendships, Identity, and Social Justice
* 📚 The protagonist reflects on the challenges of starting junior year at a new school, feeling **overwhelmed by social dynamics and the pressure to fit in**.
* 🎤 She finds solace in the creative expression of classmates like Hannah, who **bravely pursues her dreams of singing**, despite the pressures of fitting in and the fear of judgment.
* 👗 Dress codes and social expectations create tension, as characters navigate issues of **respect, dignity, and individuality**, highlighting the **complexities of teenage life**.
* 🗳 The narrative touches on social justice themes, discussing the **historical struggles for equality** and the importance of **standing up for one's beliefs**, even when faced with **adversity**.
* 🌳 Through volunteer opportunities and classroom discussions, the protagonist learns about the **significance of community involvement** and the **impact of small actions on broader societal change**.
* 💔 Personal relationships are complicated, with characters grappling with issues of **loyalty, honesty, and the desire to be authentic** in a world that often rewards **conformity**.
* 💪 Ultimately, the protagonist discovers that **bravery comes in many forms**, whether it's **standing up against injustice** or simply **being true to oneself** amidst the chaos of high school life.
* 🌈 As the school year progresses, the importance of **friendship, understanding, and self-acceptance** becomes clear, emphasizing that **everyone has the potential to make a difference**, regardless of their background.

Sometimes, life hurls unexpected stuff your way, like out of nowhere, like on my 16th birthday. My parents got divorced. Worst gift ever. As if starting junior year wasn't hard enough, try doing it at a new school without any friends. We got this, okay? Everything's going to be fine. We're fighters. My mom's definitely a fighter. Sometimes I wish she wasn't. I submitted the form two months ago. We can arrange a meeting with the counselor. I don't want to meet with the counselor. I want the right courses for my daughter. Art 11 is full. Why is she in this? We did not select this. I can't help you with class placement then. I want to speak to the principal. I still need her vaccination records. Oh, this is Mama Bear you're dealing with. Mom, it's no big deal. They can't do this to you. She has to be in art. She has talent. Look, I'm not sure what was worse, not getting

all the classes I wanted or having my mom go full Karen mode and ask to speak to the manager. To be honest, I'm not that good of an artist anyhow. I'm actually only good at drawing eyeballs. So, day one, block one, the random class I didn't ask for, it actually didn't sound that bad. We'll be discussing the civil rights movement and understanding the challenges that we still face today with issues that relate to late slip. Hmm, do you have a late slip? Uh, no. Well, don't just stand there. You know the rules to the office. Get a late slip, then you be admitted to class. Okay, now, uh, where were we? Oh yes, uh, I have a transfer. I'm new. Well, why didn't you say so instead of wasting everyone's time? All right, come in, get a seat, get a seat. Welcome to social justice 11. Now, where were we? Ah yes, equality, dignity, civil rights. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be part of the lesson.

for this class, but it definitely felt like some sort of social injustice had occurred. In fact, there were a lot of injustices at the school, like how big things were and how hard it was to find my classes. Plus, some people were like rude. Stop blocking the hallways. Why do you walk so slow? Excuse me, do you know where room 314 is? I don't know. Uh, do you know where room 314 is? Huh? What? Never mind. And I don't know if it's 'cause my last school was small and this one's big, but it felt like everyone was trying to impress each other so bad. Can you like relocate? Yeah, sorry. Um, I'll sorry. I'll just. Why are you like so intense? Sorry. I just. I like your lashes. Um, I have a boyfriend. Me too. Well, I don't have a boyfriend, but I would if I could. I can. I can have a boyfriend. I just. I don't. I choose not to. Not that it's like a choice. So you were like

Born This Way, yeah exactly, oh my [Music] God. So, after day one, I decided friends are overrated. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I don't need them this year, it's whatever. I can focus on other things, probably get better grades. You need a balance, friends will keep you sane. You don't need a lot, just a couple of good ones. Do you even know how much effort that takes? In high school, you don't just walk up to someone and say, Would you like to be friends? Or maybe you do. Uh, what? I'm Hannah, I'm assigned to you. I'm part of the student council's welcoming committee. We're here to help new students get adjusted and just show them around. Cool, I know, right? It's like having your own personal tour guide. I can show you where to study, where to hang out, what bathrooms to avoid, even what food not to order in the cafeteria. Spoiler alert, it is the bunwich. Good to know. This is your study block, right? Uh, yeah, perfect, mine too. Come

on let's go. So, that was unexpected, but not going to lie, it was kind of useful. So, legally, they are not allowed to sell soft drinks, but do you see this out-of-order sign? Yeah, so you know like in Harry Potter, that magical Platform 9 and 3/4? Exactly, kind of like that, but instead of taking you to Hogwarts, it's root beer. Woah, I know, right? I learned some important things about the school, although some kind of felt made up. This is where the librarian died. She was crushed under the weight of the falling shelves, and some people still say they can hear a mysterious shushing noise when restocking shelves. It's not like the wind. No, it's a ghost. Oh, okay. And you know we've got your basic cliques. We have the jocks and theater kids, but we also have artists, activists, and gamers. Cool. And Hannah was definitely a character. Made me wonder what clique she fit into.

don't forget about losers. Hannah. Hi, Makenna. You forgot about losers. Kind of mean to leave them out, don't you think? There are no losers. You sure about that? Not at this school, really, 'cause I think I might have seen one. She giving you the tour? Uh, yeah. How official does she bully you? Oh, her? No, no, no. I don't have bullies. I have haters. Bullies are for victims, while haters mean your success. That is actually so positive. Thank you. Positivity is like my superpower. That's why I wear these. They stop all hate and make me not care what people think. Okay, I'm going to show you just one more thing for the bell. Hannah was probably the friendliest person I ever met. I didn't like thinking that some people would be mean to her, but I guess when you're that happy, others will want to bring you down. Oh, and every second Thursday, we sell dough-notes donuts. Dough-notes, they're a fundraiser for jazz choir. Here, have one on the house. Thank you. Are you in jazz choir? I will be.

this year auditions are coming up. Cool, I'm going to be a professional singer when I grow up, just like Taylor Swift. Okay, anyway, that wraps up our tour. Okay, I have to get the band, but here, take this. Call me, text me anytime, we can hang out. Alright, thanks Hannah, bye Sophie. Hannah's lucky, at least she knows where she wants to be, which of course is another thing to stress over in junior year. So, what do you want to be when you grow up? Oh, uh, well, I was thinking, uh, yeah, same, I can't decide. You know, it's like marine biology, law, engineering, aghh, yeah, it's hard to decide. Have you heard of Future Leaders? No, I'm new. Oh, well, it's basically about this group where we help people get ready for post-graduation. Cool, you know, we connect to resources, organize these big volunteer trips, it's pretty cool. Cool, yeah, volunteering is good 'cause you know it not only helps you see what's

out there in the world, but it's great for your resume. Right, yeah. I'm Cole, by the way. I'm Sophie. Have you done any volunteering before? Well, one time I was babysitting and I didn't get paid. Ah, so yeah. Nice. I know how that feels, but that totally counts. Thanks. Not going to lie, Cole was definitely cute and friendly. I couldn't tell if he liked me or was just in salesman mode, but also we got a couple volunteer opportunities coming up later this month. Want to check them out? Yeah, I will. And we are also on social media. Okay, yeah, I'll follow. All right, cool. Hope to see you out then. You too. It was like I was seeing him through a filter: good-looking, leader, friendly. I'm actually so bad at reading people. He's probably too good to be true, but it got me thinking: what was I going to do with my life? At least this school had lots of different classes to help.

me figure it out. There was actually one I was really looking forward to. Who can tell me what the ultimate goal of marketing is? Anyone? It's all about catching people's attention, getting them to engage and share, virality. That's the word of the month, and our first assignment sounded totally fun. So here's the challenge: you're going to pair up and create a brand new YouTube account together. You're going to produce a series of video posts. The more engagement, the higher your grade. I'm looking for the next viral sensation. All right, partner up, let's go. Being the new kid made finding a partner kind of hard. Do you want a partner? Uh, yeah, I guess. Are you sure? Yeah, sure, whatever. I finally did find someone, but he wasn't exactly the most engaged. I'm Sophie. [Music] So what do you think we should name the account? What are our options, dude? What? Hot babes? Hell yeah. Yes, hot babes equals views, dude. That's scientific, bro. Facts. It's

biology, uh, psychology, sociology. We need hotties. Let's do this, but at least I wasn't with these pigs. Uh, where are you going? Oh, I'm transferring classes. I just got confirmation. Okay, dude, what? Your sister? Oh no, what? She is hot. No, she is my sister. She's the hottest girl we know. If she wears that red crop top thing, I swear. Write your sister. What's good, you all right? Uh, I don't have a partner. Oh no worries. Why don't you join Zach and Logan? Oh okay, stop. I know people. [Music] Oh so uh, what do you guys want to do? Yeah right now we're just brainstorming but I yeah hot babes. It could be an option. Do you know any um, I'm not sure what offended me more, their obsession with hot babes or the fact they didn't think I was a hot babe. Either way, at least I knew what these guys were all about. That wasn't the case in my social justice class. Our assignment was on women's rights but I found it distracting.

'Cause I didn't know if my discussion partner was a guy or a girl, and I wasn't brave enough to ask. We had an assignment to write and then roleplay a conversation between two historical figures in the woman's rights movement. Peyton got to be Susan B. Anthony; I had to be James Beck, who was some jerk who basically hated women. Uh, women are not built for politics, Miss Anthony; they are too emotional. Emotion fuels the desire for equality. Uh, women should be at home in the kitchen, raising our children, not our leaders. How dare you; you are robbing the nation of progress. Uh, uh, progress should not sacrifice our traditions. At my old school, we talked about pronouns, but I never actually had to deal with it. I wanted to ask, but I was worried it might be insulting. To be honest, I don't even think the teacher knew what to call Peyton. Good job, people. Sophie, good to see you joining him with such gusto. Not many girls would show such assertiveness. Uh, what? Get used

to it does he always do that. Yeah, if you argue with him, then you'll get a bad grade. Seriously. He's the dinosaur. You just agree with everything he says and get an easy A. Do people do that? Oh, I have wanted to tell off so many times. What didn't you? I need an 85 GPA to get in fashion design school. He's not worth it. High school is hard, not going to lie, but for others, it was even harder. Yeah, yeah. Is she prettier than me? Is she? I need to know. I mean, what does she have that I don't? Is she a better kisser, or does she finish your sentences? Does she? You told me that you love me, and I believed it. You said it. You said it, but you were just practicing for her. I mean, how could you do this? Everything was a lie. Do you need help? What? Are you okay? Oh, yeah, yeah. I was just making a post. Uh, what? It's for my TikTok. I do meltdown videos, so you're

not really no it's just acting search Molly Melts. Uh okay sorry I didn't mean to scare you people. Don't usually use this bathroom whoa is this you 2 million followers yeah new video every Thursday be sure to follow I Will Wait Brandon. Please don't don't die now you can't leave me and I can't do this without you so that was insane couldn't believe she went to my school her account was actually really good. Meanwhile with 2 million less followers than Molly melts me and the boys embarked on our first video for marketing class and action go. I knew it would be two against one so I decided to just go along with whatever they wanted. Our first video was a fake prank. I didn't want to humiliate myself on camera but they were more than happy to take the spotlight. As for Peyton I kept looking for Clues the hair colors how Peyton sits holds a pen but nothing made it obvious. This girl Faith joined our group I was hoping she knew and might say

something to clue me in, but she didn't talk much. Nice work with the presentation board. You see, it's just like setting up a dollhouse, isn't it? I wouldn't know, Mr. Anderson. I never played with dolls, really. Well, maybe you should have. And what the heck did that mean? I hope it didn't hurt Payton's grade. Honestly, why Mr. Anderson was teaching social justice was a total mystery. Someone that wasn't a jerk, however, was Cole. Hey, Sophie, right? Yeah, hey Cole, you got it. Um, so there's this volunteer thing that's going on next Thursday. Would you be interested? Yeah, yeah, I'm in. It was so hard to play it cool around him. Um, I mean, what is it? Um, well, a small group of us are going tree planting. I love trees, especially, um, baby ones. Okay, well, uh, we'll have a lot of baby trees, and it'll count as an official volunteer credit. Is it during school? It's right after do

you want to come? You can ride with us, yeah. Yeah, um, let me just check my schedule. I'm clear. Uh, what do you need? Just your number, and I will text you back. I had to give him credit; that was the smoothest way to get a girl's number. At least, I think that's what he was doing. I could have been wrong. Maybe he just needed it for the trip, but in my mind, this was a date. In marketing class, we kept trying different trends, but none of them seemed to catch on. Daddy's Home. Why hello, officer. What's for dinner? Thank you. So, the guys decided to use a chatbot to help generate ideas. What is the best way to go viral on YouTube? Create quality content. Check. Upload consistently. We will. And be authentic. Be authentic. That's what it says. Be authentic. I don't know. How are you supposed to do that? How am I supposed to know? Aksi. Okay, fine. Fine. How do you be authentic on YouTube? Uh, stay true to your values. We need views and

not values be original and don't follow trends. That's stupid. Hey, think for yourself. Have your own opinion. How do you have your own opinions on YouTube? I think the irony of asking a robot how to be authentic was somehow lost on these guys. I was starting to feel bad for them. I mean seriously, where were the hot babes when we needed them? Maybe they were in my biology class, although these two were even less authentic than the boys and definitely all about the trends. Were you like paying attention to the teacher? Uh yeah, please stay on. I'm begging you. Could we like copy your notes? Um, I'll give you a shout out. Uh okay, you're my queen. Oh oh oh my God. Bella, why does Kylie Jenner hate me like this? For the record, she never did give me a shout out. Not that I actually wanted one. You were supposed to be my friend, Ava, but you stabbed me in the back and you keep twisting the knife over and over and over again, and I just can't take this.

anymore. Oh, hey, hey. To be honest, the only trend I really appreciated was Molly's meltdown vids, and I felt so privileged whenever I got to witness them live. And it was there that they produced the declaration of sentiments, which demanded equality in the fields of voting, jobs, education, family, all personal rights, which until that time they had been denied. Social justice continued to frustrate me because I really liked the subject, but I wish we had a teacher who didn't just know the material but believed in it. We'll pick back up with the Voting Rights Act in just a moment. Faith, I'm afraid your top is inappropriate for class. Other people wear it. I've worn this before. We have a dress code, you know. It's hot outside. It's not an excuse. These spaghetti straps, these tops, they're not allowed in class. You got something else you can wear, like a gym strip? I don't have gym this term. Very well.

then good to Lost and Found. See if you can find something more suitable. If not, get your parents to bring something again, but you cannot dress like this in class. It's just too distracting. Go on. I wanted to stand up to him so bad, to tell him his patronizing sexism had no place in this class or anywhere. I wanted to stand up and be the hero this class needed. Now, where were we? Ah yes, women's rights. But something stopped me. I wasn't brave enough. No one was. [Music] I wanted to be brave in other ways too, like tell Cole that I liked him, but that was even scarier. Sorry. Oh. [Music] Sorry. Honestly, I only felt brave around these guys, maybe 'cause I wasn't trying to impress them, and I didn't care if they liked [Music] me. What the heck? Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. It's fine, it's fine. It's just a slap, slap, slide, slide, then down. Yeah, that was my fault. It's fine, we can just do it again. This is stupid. Why? 'Cause we suck.

no, it makes it funnier. Okay, let's do the money guns. Okay, what about your idea, the um random acts of kindness? Yes, kindness is boring. Nobody wants... I'd rather... So that struggle continued, but honestly, it was whatever with Peyton. It wasn't whatever. It was to the point that I waited so long. It would be weird if I asked now. I needed to figure this out. Luckily, I had someone to turn... Oh hey, Sophie, how are things? Uh, good. Hey, can you help me with something? That's my job. Uh, do you see that person right there? Um, the one in the vest? Yeah. Uh, do you know what that person's like pronouns are? I don't, but I can go find out. Oh no, no, no, wait. Hannah. But Hannah was braver than I expected. So that was embarrassing, but on the plus side, it was a relief to finally know. And I don't know if Hannah's bravery was contagious, but the next day, Payton did something I wish I had the guts to [Music].

do Peyton. I'm surprised at you. Excuse me, you're not dressed appropriately for class. What do you mean? You know we have a dress code. Oh, oh yeah, I uh have a copy of it right here. Then you will know that these spaghetti strap type tops are not appropriate for class. Oh, I'm aware of that. That only applies to girls, and I am not a girl. This class was all about history and heroes and revolutionaries, but that day it felt like a new chapter was written. Just put the jacket on. No, Peyton, put the jacket on. No, don't argue with me. Peyton was the lesson and the teacher. It wasn't about clothing or gender, but respect and dignity, an honest in-your-face look at Social Justice in action. I guess sometimes standing up means things crumble around you, and maybe that was needed. Another person that had a big day was Hannah. Oh hey, wish me break a leg. Break a leg? Why? Jazz choir auditions are in 15 minutes. Oh my gosh, you're going to be

amazing, thank you. Yeah, I feel amazing. I'm singing Wild Dreams by Taylor Swift. Hey, Hannah, good luck. That's the perfect song for you. Thanks, McKenna. No, like seriously, good luck. Okay, that's enough. Why can't I wish you good luck? Please don't. But I thought you could never have enough good luck. You know that's bad luck if you're a sincere. Then break a leg is fine. I know what you're doing. Really? Because I know what you're doing. You want to know what else is bad luck? What? Lying to people. You know she's not really part of student council and there's no such thing as the welcoming committee. She's made it up so she can make friends. She likes to prey on the new kids that way. [Music] I have to get to my audition. [Music] [Music] I'm sorry, break a leg. [Music] I guess it was weird that Hannah lied about all that, but honestly, it was kind of

impressive next hi my name is Hannah Bookman. I'll be singing Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift. She was probably the strongest person I knew. Sorry, remembering the lyrics. That's okay, take your time. I know the song. It's um, do you need to come back? No, no, no, no, no. I got this. I got this. I got this. I got this. I got it. Hannah, are you okay? Yeah, fine. [Music] [Music] I hate this beer. It tastes so different. I hate these people. They're all so ignoring. I hate this song. It's like I'm alone among these friends I've always known. [Music] You like playing in the dirt? It's been a while, but it's nice. It's kind of therapeutic. What about you? Yeah, no, I love it. You know, it's like hitting the reset button out here. Yeah, my family used to go camping a lot when I was younger. Oh yeah, yeah. I hated it at first, but after a while, I kind of

liked being out in nature. You know, I used to make mud pies when I was younger, and then I would sell them. That's hilarious, right? My grandpa would buy them. Grandpas are the best; they'll buy like anything. Facts. He'd give me like five bucks per pie. I would not have quit that job. I'd be rich. You know, you got to appreciate those little moments. Yes, sometimes those can become the big moments. When you look back, you're so deep. I know, right? I'm such a philosopher. This might become a cool moment. You never know. Yeah, we might remember this. I mean, I think I will. Yeah, same. We might come back one day, and all these seedlings will be giant trees. We're basically saving the planet here. Someone's got to do it, one tree at a time. Time, yeah. One tree, one moment. Yeah, one moment. That moment with Cole was one I'll always remember. Great job, gang. Let's sign those forms.

[Music] now I just need you two to finish planting in this beautiful, beautiful area, and then once you're done, head on out. All right, thank you, but it won't be for the reasons I hoped. Okay, let's get out of here. Oh, what? It's official, the form is signed. It's what we came for. Now you can put this on your resume. What about the rest of the seedlings? It doesn't matter, they're not going to grow in here anyhow. It's like way too shady. Come on, let's bail. You coming? I guess I did have some bravery that day. I think I'm just going to finish up. Come on, let's get out of here. What is there here for real? Yeah, I think it's important. Okay, you do you. The old me probably would have gone along with him, but something wouldn't let me take the easy way out. [Music] Sometimes people disappoint you, okay, but the prank's been done like a million times. Yeah, 'cause people like it. Why not be original? We're

never going to go viral by copying someone 'cause your ideas suck. I don't even get it. It's just different. See, it's a lost and found where people have lost unusual items, right? Like their hope, their courage. We add dreaming music. Yeah, no one will click on that. They might. Okay, let's just vote. That's fair, right? Fine, whatever. I vote prank. I vote lost and found. I vote lost and found. Are you serious, dude? Yeah, I mean, it has potential. I like it. It's a good idea, and there's no potential. And sometimes people surprise you. [Music] [Music] Can we like borrow your notes? Sure. Another surprise was Brooklyn. What are you staring at? Uh, nothing. I'm ugly. No, no, you look fine. Tell that to my boyfriend. Oh wait, I don't have one anymore. So creepy. [Music] Also surprising, Mr. Anderson was gone, apparently on leave, but rumor was he retired instead of face discipline. Not going to lie, our new teacher was way better. They envisioned a

world where it didn't matter what your gender was. You could shape policies, challenge norms, and lead communities. These brave souls weren't just fighting for their rights; they were forging a path for everyone. And the surprises kept coming because your courage is never truly lost; it's just waiting to be found. Kill me now, okay, whatever. We tried something different, yeah, and failed. Can we agree not to do any more stupid ideas? It's getting the same amount of views as the prank video, yeah. When we started, we should be growing. This is a total facepalm. It has engagement, all right. Look, eight comments, dude. Two of them say cringe. Okay, we made a chick flick. What's wrong with a chick flick? Nobody watches them. I do, dude. Just go easy, okay? Okay, sorry. I thought it would resonate with people. Everyone feels lost sometimes. Yeah, great. Let's focus on our feelings. That'll get us an A. Whatever, just don't be a jerk. Yeah, you're out of line. Oh, so

now you're on her side. I'm not on anyone's side. I just want us to respect each other. I told you what to do; you guys didn't listen to me. All right, but it's not a dictatorship, now is it? You're not the king, so don't talk to her that way, dude. Told it was weird coming between two friends. I didn't like them fighting 'cause of me. It was just a project, but seeing Logan stand up made me think there was something more to it. Not that he was like a hero or anything; it just felt nice having someone stick up for me. Hey, I'm sorry for Zach. It's okay; I can handle it. He's so exhausting; it's like he always has to be the man. Toxic alphaness. Oh, well, exactly what is that? It's like guys just don't know how to be, especially around girls they like. Don't know how to act or like what to do or how to treat people. Their brain like shuts down all from just wanting

to be the man, and then came the biggest surprise of all. I just want to say on behalf of Zach and any other guy who sucks, I am sorry because you shouldn't be treated that way. I don't know what came over me. Maybe I was channeling my inner Hannah, or maybe having a guy apologize for all the jerks in the world weirdly triggered me, but I couldn't help it. I suddenly felt very [Music] brave. What? Sorry, it's okay. I came in last week, and you shade matched me wrong. My shade is completely off. It doesn't match my neck. You can see it's completely orange in the pictures. And now that's Bella's eye. Got better. In fact, she got so many compliments for her new natural look. She decided to stick with it. In the end, it turned out we did get an A in marketing. In fact, we had the most viral video in the whole class. Logan, congratulations, buddy, pal. No, seriously, for

absolutely betraying your best friend. Look at you standing up for a girl, Mr. White Knight, Mr. Prince Charming. You are a backstabber. You want to play those games? Go right ahead, but without me, you're nothing. You played yourself, bro. And although Hannah didn't make Jazz choir, she did make something else. Vote for Hannah, vote for Hannah. I'm running for student council, and I would love your vote. She also made welcoming committee an actual thing, which proves that in life sometimes you got to fake it till you make it. [Music] The chat bot never did give us a very good answer on how to be authentic. Maybe it's just one of those things that can't be taught. As junior year went on, I felt that more and more. In high school, everyone seems to be looking for that perfect filter. You're pressured to fit in, you're judged for standing out. Showing your true colors takes a lot of courage, but it's

those unfiltered moments that matter most. If only everyone had Hannah's bracelets. We all could use some superpowers to survive being [Music] 16. I thought you me loved me ooh. I honestly thought that you love me, love me. Hey, he, hey. So why would you make me, you make me go to stupid parties with your homies when you know, when you know, when you know I'm way too shy to function right. When you know, when you know, when you know I'll probably mess up your life, baby. Oh, baby. Oh, I really need for you to save me, save me. It's I know, and I know, and I know, and I know you don't want me to end up alone. But if tonight is just for sure, I'm much better off being on my own. So baby, yeah, baby.

Sixteen

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Hannah decides to prioritize her studies over friendships, believing they are overrated.

She joins the student council's welcoming committee, trying to help new students adjust to the school's challenges.

Through her experiences, she meets Cole, a cute and friendly volunteer, and starts to question what she wants to do with her life.

The school has a quirky out-of-order sign that leads to root beer instead of Hogwarts.

The librarian's ghost is rumored to haunt the shelves after her tragic death.

The first assignment is to create a viral YouTube account, but finding a partner proves challenging for the new kid.

Auditions are coming up, and the speaker aspires to be a professional singer like Taylor Swift.

The transition to a new school and dealing with their parents' divorce adds to the stress of junior year.

The speaker's mom is determined to get the right courses for her daughter, while the speaker grapples with class placements and the complexities of gender pronouns.

The protagonist struggles with social interactions, feeling awkward around classmates and teachers.

Cole, a classmate, invites her to a tree planting volunteer event, which she eagerly agrees to.

The storyline explores the challenges of fitting in, dealing with crushes, and the complexities of high school relationships and assignments.

Reflections on School Life and Social Justice

The speaker appreciated witnessing Molly's meltdown videos and felt frustrated with the social justice teacher's lack of belief in the material.

A class discussion on the civil rights movement and personal experiences led to a connection with a new student, Cole.

The speaker reflected on the significance of small moments and their potential to create a positive impact, emphasizing the importance of making a difference one tree at a time.

Peyton's inappropriate dress code violation sparked a lesson in respect and social justice, challenging gender norms.

Hannah's jazz choir auditions and a chance encounter with a popular influencer added to the day's unexpected events.

Meanwhile, the narrator navigated group dynamics and conflict, ultimately finding support and inspiration from friends.

The Struggle for Authenticity in High School

The narrator feels betrayed by a friend and reflects on the pressure to fit in and be authentic in high school.

Hannah, despite not making the jazz choir, finds success in other ways and runs for student council.

The narrator observes the struggle for authenticity among peers and the challenges of standing out in a trend-driven environment.

Navigating High School: Friendship and Self-Discovery

Hannah's bracelets give her a superpower to stay positive and handle haters, while also fostering friendship.

The narrator struggles with shyness and feels out of place at school, but is offered a chance to join the jazz choir.

The marketing class uses a chatbot to brainstorm ideas for going viral on YouTube, emphasizing the importance of authenticity.