Scene 14 – “First Day Nerves” (Set in the 1980s)

Scene 14 – “First Day Nerves” (Set in the 1980s)

Story Moment: Now 14 years old, the boy stands quietly in a busy 1980s high school hallway on the first day of freshman year. He’s facing his metal locker, fiddling with the combination lock, but his eyes drift to the side, watching the other students around him. Some have colorful windbreakers, others wear denim jackets with band patches. Feathered hair, Walkmans, and thick shoelaces add to the vibrant scene. Laughter and conversation echo off the tile floors and cinderblock walls. The boy wears a simple t-shirt, jeans, and a canvas backpack, and though he looks calm, there's a subtle tension in his posture—half excitement, half anxiety. He's not a little kid anymore, but this world still feels a size too big. He’s quietly observing, trying to find his rhythm.