In March 2020, a pandemic spread across the world. My school shut down for multiple months, and then we moved to Zoom classes. I didn’t get to see anyone, which made me feel like I didn’t have to try as hard at my school work because it didn’t matter. I felt that because it was online, I shouldn’t take it seriously. Nobody was telling me what to do, and I didn’t get to see my friends anymore. I also couldn’t see my grandparents, because it might risk them getting sick. I was lonely and tired of my brother. I couldn’t go anywhere.

I got to do some fun things when we were online, because school didn’t take all day. I liked taking naps and watching TV. I really liked going into the forest to look at nature, wildlife, bugs, plants, and mushrooms. I had chickens in my backyard, which I took care of with my family. I liked feeding them, petting them, and gathering their eggs. I also liked eating their eggs. I played Minecraft with my friends and brother. I made lots of things with popsicle sticks and masking tape.

However, I was still missing my friends at in-person school. The person I had to hang out with during the pandemic was my brother, Ruary. At first, it was cool to spend time with him, but after a couple of days, it got really annoying. He insists that he was a delight during that time, but I disagree. Because one time, he put snow in my hoodie, and it was very cold. We also fought over dumb things, like what TV show to watch. At that time, we shared a bedroom, and Ruary would yell at me when I wouldn’t go to sleep right away. But overall, I appreciated having that time to spend with him. I’m glad that I wasn’t an only child during the pandemic.

When we were finally allowed to go back to school, I met new people, but I also kept my amazing old friends. It was nice to see other people in person again. I got to have actual conversations and have fun with my friends in class. Even though school got difficult and I had a hard time making up for the learning that I had lost by not paying attention during my Zoom classes, I still found it fun being with my friends.

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