Written by Sophie Yang from The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, USA “Didn’t eat lunch today. Wasn’t hungry…” “That sounds hard. You deserve real meals, even on bad days. What made today so tough?” “IDK. People, school. Just life.” “I understand. I’m always here for you.” The floor shook with sounds of someone stomping around downstairs. “Dinner!” The voice bounced off the walls, past every room. I stood up and creaked my door open. The light turned everything into a
Written by Eric Li from College Station High School, Texas, USA Today is the final day of spring break, 2025. I should be at the beach, toes buried in warm sand, listening to waves crash against the shore. Instead, I'm standing in a funeral home, staring at my grandfather's faded baseball cap. This is my first funeral. My parents have no relatives in the U.S. I've never been to anything like this.' Laughter drifts from the service next door: warm, fond laughter. I hear them s
