Curtains slide open, bright lights in your face.
All eyes on you, your whole life can be planned
by what happens in the next ten minutes.

You grab the door handle and tell yourself
one last time that everything will work out.
Prepped and ready-hair cut and combed,
clothes new and clean, a flawless face-
perfect.

Stepping into the new building. Seeing
new faces, new teachers, new hallways,
new lockers, and new classes.
It all seems so strange.

Stone cold stares coming from expressionless
faces. Watching you walk across the commons
moving quickly so you can get out of sight

Schedule in hand, you find first hour fast
so you don't have to endure the glares again.

Seated in class the teacher says “partner up”
you sit in your seat quiet and still. The last
kid who is normally in your position walks
over secretly glad he doesn't have to do
anymore labs alone.

Finally the thing you dread most comes next,
lunch. Standing in line waiting to get your food.
Looking for an empty table alone in the corner,
when they are all taken you walk head down into
the bathroom stall.

Calling home crying, sobbing to your parents that
you can’t make it through the day and just want
to go home