Starting middle school: the aftermath edition: Lydia ended up the “locker hero” and was able to help several friends who couldn’t get theirs open. Unfortunately, most of my many questions were answered on repeat with “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember.” The day seemed to render her incapable of functioning in basic ways. In fact, if one didn’t know she’s twelve and had just finished a day at school, one might have thought she was a drunk—slurring her words, tripping over her own feet, overly emotional. I did hear a few positives, but tonight they were overwhelmed by her overwhelmedness. Sounds about right.
