By Chloe Zhou ’28, Humor Editor

The blaring RING RING of my alarm awoke me at 7 a.m. sharp on a Monday morning, and I immediately knew something was off. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and for some reason, I didn’t dread going to school. That should have been my first warning sign.

I rolled out of bed, threw on my usual hoodie and sweatpants, and napped on the ride to school. It wasn’t until my mom pulled up in front of the school that I froze. A giant banner hanging across the doorway proclaimed “HAPPY SPIRIT WEEK!!!” in glittering bold letters. That’s when I remembered — “oh right.” Spirit Week. Normally Spirit Week means that three people wear the school colors, someone tapes up a sad poster, and the sports games get a little more audience. The only ones who participate are the seniors, which is why they always win the spirit contests. 

But as soon as I walked in the doors, I nearly had a heart attack. The hallways were bursting with energy. Banners hung from the walls, everyone was decked out in red and black, music was blasting, and there was even a fog machine. Even the security guards had face paint on. “Go Minutemen!” they yelled, high fiving everyone that came into the building. I kept walking, trying to stay calm. Teachers were handing out glitter, the principal was zooming around on a scooter, and I think I saw the mascot dancing on the staircase. My friend pushed her way through the crowd to me. 

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “So, are we still going to the football game after school today?”

“Uhh… since when does anyone go to the football games?” I stammered, confused.

My friend shot me a puzzling look. “Since always… they’re on a five-game winning streak, and the marching band will be there. Oh look, there they are now!” 

I turned around and quickly spotted the group of tall kids with shades and varsity jackets in the corner.

That’s when I knew for sure that something was terribly wrong. The rest of the day remained bizarre. During class, all the teachers did was let us decorate the whiteboards and play trivia about the history of our school. Everyone kept singing. When an announcement came on over the loudspeaker about the pep rally, everyone stopped what they were doing and cheered. Whenever I mentioned to my friends how off things felt, they all just gave me puzzling looks, smiled, and said “you just haven’t embraced the spirit yet.”  

And so I ignored the sinking feeling I had and headed toward the gym for the pep rally. The gym was unrecognizable — balloons, banners, lights. I tried to blend in, but someone shoved a pom-pom into my hand and yelled, “Show your spirit!” Before I knew it, the entire school turned to face me and a spotlight shung. The mascot started doing backflips and everyone was chanting my name. I screamed as confetti exploded-

and then I woke up. 

The blaring RING RING of my alarm clock filled the room. I shot upright, heart pounding.

When I got to school, everything was as it was for real. Gray walls, mismatched clothing, and some seniors dancing. I exhaled a sigh of relief and headed off to English.