“Rose!” My mother called from downstairs. + 

“What?” I replied, already exhausted at the thought of what was coming. + 

“Take a shower, get dressed, and get down here. I’m giving you thirty minutes. Didn’t your alarm go off?” + 

Damn. I’d completely forgotten to set it. Why did everything feel so hard? “Okay,” I mumbled. + 

I threw a towel into the bathroom, and headed straight for the shower. Fifteen minutes later, I brushed my teeth, applied makeup, and pulled on a cute outfit. + 

Downstairs, I grabbed strawberries, coconut milk, and sugar, tossing them into the blender for a smoothie. + 

I sipped my smoothie while running through my mental checklist. My anxiety spiked as I thought about starting public school. The pictures online were intimidating – a sprawling campus that felt enormous. And, to make matters worse, I was terrible with directions. + 

“Mom, I think I have everything. Can we go now?” + 

“Yeah, go turn on the car to cool it down a little. It’s already sweltering.” + 

I grabbed the keys and walked to the car. Leather seats were the worst – either scorching hot or freezing cold, depending on the weather. + 

I went back inside, grabbed my backpack, finished my smoothie, and waited for my mom in the car, trying to breathe through the rising panic. This day was already shaping up to be a disaster. + 