After Covid and a year of virtual school, I developed a bit of social anxiety. I felt very uncomfortable in any place with people I didn’t know. So when I was recruited to join the high school marching band in 8th grade, I was worried. Sure, I was excited, I had been looking forward to being in marching band since I was in 2nd grade, but I had to go to a place with high schoolers. I had never met the majority of them. The only people I knew were my friend's sister and a boy who was in my grade. But I had never even talked to either of them.

When I went to practice for the first time, I was welcomed, but I was still anxious the whole time. The next time was a bit better, but I still felt uncomfortable.

A couple of weeks later, someone new joined. As soon as I saw her, I knew that band would be a lot more enjoyable. I recognized her from my elementary school. She was a grade ahead of me, and I had seen her around the school. She looked almost as nervous as I felt when she first came. We started talking to each other and became friends almost instantly. We spoke during breaks and got closer at every practice. Her name was Val. We played the same instrument in band: the synth. She used to be a flute, but she knew how to play the piano, and the band director needed someone else to play the synth for the show. So she was recruited, just like me. She helped me escape the shell I had put around myself for the past couple of years.

I started being more comfortable in public, and Val helped me do it. She introduced me to some of her friends, and I followed them everywhere. My anxious thoughts kicked back in, and I started thinking about how maybe they were just letting me tag along because they wanted to be friendly and not because they genuinely enjoyed my company. But I was proven wrong when they texted me regularly and even came to talk to me when I was by myself. We are all excellent friends now, and we hang out a lot. My social anxiety is much better, pretty much gone, and now I feel like I can be myself around others without the fear of rejection. I will never be able to thank Val enough for helping me. 

© Lexie. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.