Corona Arts and Sciences Academy

Introduction
My name is Damian, and I'm a 19-year-old college student. I live with my dad in my aunt’s basement, but it’s a nice place. It’s really spacious and has a lot of room. But this doesn’t take place now. This takes place back when I was 15 -years old back in high school. It used to be me, my mom, and my dad, it didn’t feel small at all. High school was very interesting because I couldn’t go to the school I wanted to in the city. I had to pick my zoned school. 
 

The day everything changed
My dad was still sleeping because he works to sell cars to people in Florida. He drives his own truck to get there, and he was 46 at the time. We all lived in my aunt's basement because there was an extra room down there. It used to be me, my dad, and my mom down there, but they would always argue and never got along. My dad will blame her for the littlest things she’s done. He would say stuff like “Why is this house a big mess,” yelling so loud probably the neighbors heard. I didn’t know what to do so I would sometimes just be in my room or go upstairs to my grandparents' part of the house. One day, they had such a bad argument that the police had to be called. My dad got so mad at my mom over something that he broke our coffee table. When the cops came everyone was outside talking and arguing. My cousins were also there, but they were just laughing. I think after that day, my mom had to leave, and I had to go with her. I still got to come on the weekends to visit my dad and my family that lived there, but I usually had to stay with my mom.

So this is how my story starts.

My first year of high school
It was my first day of high school, and I was kind of nervous about what it was gonna be like. But at the same time, I was excited. I guess that’s just how everyone feels on their first days. It was also my cousin’s first day of school too. He started the same day as me, but his sister started a month earlier than us. I made breakfast and started heading to school. I took the public bus because I didn’t feel like walking all the way there. It was a bit far so I just sat there on my phone. It was kind of crowded with other obnoxious teens or pre-teens heading to school. They were all laughing and talking so loud a pigeon could probably hear them. Once I got to my stop I had to walk the rest of the way there. My heart was pounding as if you could hear it from afar and my stomach felt like there were hundreds of butterflies flying around in me. I put my hoodie on to see if it would help me. Since we didn’t have to wear uniforms I wore my ripped jean pants, a short-sleeved shirt, and a hoodie over it. Good thing it was kind of chilly in the morning or else I would have heated up. Once I got to the school I saw how big it was and I got a bit more nervous.

 

“I am gonna get lost here,” I thought to myself, but then I got the feeling that maybe everyone will think to get lost since it’s a lot of kids' first day as well.

 

I got into the school, and it looked way bigger on the inside with loud students talking to each other. It was as loud as being at a rock band’s concert. I just started to walk  through the crowded hall, pushing through some kids, and took out my schedule sheet when I got to the part of the hall that was less crowded.

 

“Some people just can’t keep the halls clear so other people can walk through.” I thought with an annoyed expression on my face. It was the first day of school and i’m already annoyed. 

 

“Homeroom is first but what room is it?” I thought to myself.

 

I searched around.

 

“There’s so many kids here.” 
 

I suddenly felt a small tap on my shoulder, and I looked back to see who it was. It was my friend from middle school. I was so surprised because I thought he wasn’t gonna be at the same school as me.

 

“Yo, you were supposed to wait for me!” he told me sarcastically.

 

He has always been somewhat like that, but he got me through those tough times with everything that happened to my parents.

 

“Sorry bro, you know I just got here last night.” I told him tiredly because I had just got back from my mom’s place in Long Island. We both looked at our sheets to see what homeroom we both had.

 

“I’m in 9L3.” He said while waiting for me to see what homeroom I'm in.

 

“I’m in 9L3 too.” I told him happily because now I won’t have to be stuck alone in class.

 

Everything after that was a good day since he got to be in my class.
 

Online School
High school was honestly a great experience. I loved interacting with the other students and making new acquaintances. My teachers were really cool and nice as well. I wanted to set a new milestone for myself though. So during high school, I was thinking about starting a clothing line to be able to inspire people to do what they dream to do. I also wanted to finish high school so I could have my freedom and finally graduate. But in 2020, everything changed.

 

We suddenly couldn’t go to school for 2 weeks because a pandemic started. But soon 2 weeks turned into 8 months and everyone had to go out with masks. It was called CoronaVirus, and it was so bad everyone had to go into quarantine. All schools, restaurants, and the whole country had to go into lockdown. It was fine at first because I got to stay at home all day and be lazy, but it got harder once I hit my last year of high school in 2021. We had to have class online on an app called Zoom. I just wanted to get it over with, so I studied extra hard. Maybe I cheated a little, but I didn’t do that on all my assignments.

 

On to Better things after High School
Once high school was almost coming to an end, I was thinking about actually starting my brand. I was gonna call it Emad. I made all my designs and had a few people help me. My uncle’s were my biggest help, though. They helped me figure out what I had to do to make it better. They also helped  When high school ended I was so relieved, and now I could focus more on my clothing line and how I could make it better.

 

“You see what I have to come to every day with this house always being messy!” My dad yelled at me while also adding,

 

“Can’t pick your own stuff up, you animal?”

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I just tried ignoring what he was telling me and I asked, “Are you gonna give me the money to buy shirts.” I asked him straight in the face.

 

He just yelled back with a bold face, “Not until you’ve cleaned this house.”

 

“The house isn’t even a mess,” I told him because the house is never really a mess, he just wants something to argue about.

 

While I was working on my clothing line, my dad wasn't really much help because all he would do was yell at me when he got back from work and wouldn't really give me any good advice to help make my brand better. He did give me money to help pay for the things I needed, but he would just argue with me before I even got it. 

I didn’t let his words get to me though because I had my twin uncles help me give me encouraging words to make my brand better and get more sales.