When I had free time, I thought of all the school reading I should do instead, and it made me feel ashamed about reading something that wasn’t for my studies. I felt a weird hollow spot in the cozy nook of my heart that books used to fill.

The assignment: tell a true story about my life in 2021, in 21 words or fewer.

Reflections on word games, positivity, and favorite five-letter words.

The window panes fogged as I leaned closer, my breath casting a warm haze over the wintry scene below. One branch caught my eye as it bobbed and swung back into place, out of step with the swaying movements of the others.

The season would end after October, and I’d be a normal high school student for a while. But I looked forward to the season starting up again so I could go back to the park.