Fifteen—T.S. The night before your first day of high school, your nerves won’t let you sleep. The house is quiet, the hallway dim, but you find yourself drifting toward your sister’s room. Her door is cracked open, light spilling faintly from inside. You knock. Soft. Almost hesitant. “Come in,” she calls, her voice easy, familiar. You step in to find her sitting cross-legged on her neatly made bed, phone in hand. She sets it aside the second she sees your face. “Hey. What’s up?” You hover in the doorway for a second before blurting it out. “I’m really scared for tomorrow.” Her expression softens. She pats the space beside her. “Sit. Let’s talk.” You climb onto the bed, mirroring her, folding your legs criss-cross. “What are you scared of?” she asks gently. “Everything,” you admit, hugging your knees. She gives a little smile, one that says she remembers exactly what you’re feeling. “Want me to tell you about my first day?” “Yeah,” you say, your lips tugging upward despite yourself. She leans back on her hands, thoughtful. “I remember standing outside those doors, my stomach in knots. I thought everyone would be watching me, waiting for me to mess up. But when I walked in… it wasn’t like that. People were too busy worrying about themselves to notice what I was doing. I found my friends, smiled at people I recognized, and tried to breathe through it. And you know what? It wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.” You nod, soaking in every word. “But here’s the thing,” she continues, turning more serious. “High school feels huge when you’re just starting. Every choice seems like it’s going to shape the rest of your life. But it won’t. You’re going to make friends, and you’re going to lose some. People will say things—sweet things, scary things—and you’ll believe them, because you want to. And that’s okay. It’s all part of figuring yourself out.” Her words make your chest loosen. The tight knot of worry starts to unwind. “So tomorrow,” she says, squeezing your hand, “just count to ten, take a deep breath, and let yourself feel it. This is the beginning, not the end. You don’t need to know who you’re going to be yet. You just need to walk in.” Your sister’s voice is steady, grounding. And for the first time all night, you feel like maybe—you’re ready.