In a true high school story, someone is always excluded. Not everyone is the popular kid, the jockey one, the nerdy one. In a true high school story, not everyone fits into a niche. Take me for example. I may fit into being the nerdy one and the jockey one, but I'm in no way the popular one. In a true high school story, you won’t feel included. For three years now, I've been a member of the swimming and diving team as the primary scorer of the divers. For three years now, the divers have performed in the pep rally. For three years now, the divers have been the only people from the team to perform. For three years now, when announced, the school has only called out swimming. No matter what, someone is always excluded in a true high school story. Whether it’s about not making a sports team, dropping a class, not being in a club, simply not being chosen by a partner for a project.

In the end, a true high school story is never about high school. It’s about the people you meet and the special ways you bond with them. It’s about the things you learn and how you grow from it. A true high school story is about the memories you make and the reasons they stay with you for life. It’s about memories and feelings that bubble up inside you years later when you remember the good times you had. I remember the first time I won a meet. I was surrounded by my best friends and teammates. They were as happy as I was that I had finally accomplished my goal.

In the end, a true high school story won’t make sense. It’s about the simple idea of feeling left out on your own team, feeling alone in a crowded room. A true high school story is confusing, however, a true high school story will stay with you forever.