Intro
Prologue

Teacher: "You'll all introduce yourselves and state one interesting fact about yourself to the class."

Just like we always do at the start of a new year. I knew this was coming, but I feel like I have nothing prepared. Why don't I know anyone in this class? How is that even possible? I've been at this school for eight years!

Okay, name is easy, I am Emma Grace Langford. Wait, do I say my middle name? Or even my surname? From the roll call I was eleventh, so if we go in order then I can just see what the people before me say.

Oh, but what if we go in seating order? 1, 2, 3… okay if we start from the left, then I'm sixth, and if we start from the right, then I'm ninth. No big deal, I can't possibly be first. Oh no, what if she asks for a volunteer? Do I go first and get it out of the way, or do I wait and risk being not picked until last?

Oh no she's already called up the first person, I haven't even thought of anything interesting about me. At least it's alphabetical, good. Nothing about me is interesting. Okay three people have gone, they've all said they have pets and their names. I DON'T HAVE A PET, WHAT DO I SAY! I can't raise one eyebrow at a time? My thumbs are double jointed? Reality TV is my guilty pleasure? Number seven – why is everyone going so fast? THINK, THINK, THINK, THINK, THINK!

What's our teacher's name again? Miss Rose? Was she even a Miss or was she a Ms? She looks pretty young, she's probably a Miss. What if she got married young though, then she could actually be a Mrs but she didn't take her husband's surname and so she goes by Ms. Hold on, whatever her name is, she's just called Brett Jones. THAT IS THE NAME BEFORE MINE AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING INTERESTING ABOUT ME!

Did it suddenly get hot? I thought the air con was on. This room felt like a fridge when I first walked in and now I'm sweating. Maybe the person next to me can smell my BO. Did I put on enough deodorant this morning? I think I smell. Do I smell? Maybe I should quickly drink some water, my mouth is suddenly very dry.

Miss/Ms Rose: "Miss Langford."

No time for water. Good thing anyway, I suddenly need to pee. Okay, just stand up and walk to the front of the class like it's no big deal.

Confident and clear. Confident and clear. Confident and clear.

"Hi…"

That wasn't confident or clear. EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT ME. What do I do with my hands?

"My name is Emma, and my interesting fact is…"

Don't let the sentence die off, Emma, they might think it's something actually interesting. What is something weird about me?

"I…"

NOT TOO WEIRD!

"I live on an orchard."

Miss/Ms Rose: "Oh, have you lived there your whole life? What produce do you grow?"

Too interesting, Emma. Next time say something more normal. Did she ask follow-up questions to everyone else?

"Yes, I've lived there my whole life. Well, there used to be another house where we are now, which we lived in, but we rebuilt and I've lived in that house ever since."

Oversharing, Emma. Tone it down.

"We grow apples."

Did the teacher say to sit? How did I get back to my seat? How did I go? What did I say? There are so many more interesting things about me. I play the cello, I write my own music, I always get "Singstar" when my friends force me to play. Literally anything about music.

The siren just went. How did we go through an entire class's introductions and get nothing else done? She gave us homework though, which I'm sure is unrelated to what my name and interesting fact is. I haven't learnt anything and she wants me to do homework already.

I can't stop thinking about what I said.

I should have rehearsed it in my head more, although I'm sure it would've sounded more like:

Hi, I'm Emma, and I have crippling anxiety.