The Lost Girl Nina H, Class of 2026
The staircase has a weird smell, like sweat and chlorine; it smells like a pool. The stairs are made of cement and have a thin strip of sandpaper so that people don't trip and fall. Unfortunately, that doesn't help me. As I fly down the stairs four at-a-time, I trip and fall. Luckily, I catch myself with my arm and just get a slight cut. I keep moving because I still need to get on the subway to get to school. Once I’m on the subway, I can relax and see if I have a bandage in my backpack. As I run into the lobby, I see Lucky, the doorman of our building speaking to an older lady. “Good morning!” he says to her, as he notices me running through the lobby. “HURRY UP IVY, YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE!’’ “Got it,’’ I scream back as I run outside. The subway station is usually a ten-minute walk, but I get there in four minutes, sprinting the entire way. I sit down on the bench and wait for the train. I know that it will at least take 12 minutes even though it says 10. The train station before our stop is very old and has a lot of problems so the trains always get delayed. I dig around to find my AirPods. I never have an organized backpack. I clean it out on Fridays but I always know that the next week it will be a mess all over again. I finally find my AirPods next to some pretzels. I pop one in my ear and play my calmdown mix. Luckily, the train ride is as quick as I need it to be today and I dash towards the school building. Once we get off of our lunch break we have two periods left, History
“IVY WAKE UP!!! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!!!!!,’’ my dad screams. As I wake up, I can hear him moving around in the kitchen. This is my typical morning. I'm going to be late for school again; I bet that Rita is so sick of seeing me. Rita is the lady who works at the administration office. I see her almost every morning so she's used to me by now. I have to check in with her when I’m late to get a tardy pass before going to first period. I jump out of bed and quickly pick an everyday outfit. A pair of black ripped jeans, a white cropped tank top, and a baggy, dark green Patagonia. I run into the bathroom, wash my face and brush my teeth. My phone starts to ring. “DUDE WHERE ARE YOU!?’’ I hear after picking up my phone. That’s my best friend Tash. “You better be on the subway girl, Miss Frances has already done roll call.” “I’ll be there soon,’’ I tell her, then hang up. I grab my backpack and throw it over my shoulder. I hear butter sizzling on the pan from the kitchen as my dad fries eggs. “Smells amazing dad, but I have to skip the professional chef breakfast today. I'm already late!’’ I grab a granola bar and push my feet through the back of my Air Force sneakers. Me and Tash had already had a sleepover once and beaded the same pony beads through our Air Force laces Mine are ripped and covered in mud, while hers are nicely kept and barely had any dirt– the exact opposite of mine. I run out the door and dash down the stairs. 25
