School: It's frustrating, it's boring, it's embarrassing. But it's also thought provoking, challenging and full of possible friends. And until you turn 18, like it or not, it's just about your whole life.

So wha's the deal?

Chicken Soup for the Soul knows that school is more than classes and tests. It's also a social scene, filled with cliques, clubs and life-changing decisions (or so it seems this week). It's where you meet your best friends…and run into your worst enemies. And it’s an opportunity to figure out what you want to do—whether it's kick a soccer ball, play the trombone or act in a play.

Sometimes it's overwhelming and confusing, but don't worry, it's like that for everyone. That's what the stories in this book are all about. They’re from real teens, and they're about the bizarre, embarrassing and sometimes triumphant things that really happened to them. And they’re here to give you some perspective on everything that goes down at your school...and outside of it, too.

Put that together with weird facts, cool graphics, fun advice and quizzes designed to help you figure out who you are and what you're up to, and you've got the real deal on school—full of all the laughter, tears and daily drama that life is all about.

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More great stories!

Just Do It

When I started junior high, my only expectation for myself was to stay invisible. I was shy, sensitive and intimidated by the rest of the school. Everyone seemed so much older, more educated and experienced. Basically they were everything I wasnÆt but wanted to be. So itÆs strange how I aspired to run for sixth-grade secretary.

The announcement was broadcast on the intercom that anyone interested in running for student council should see the math teacher for qualification forms. Even though IÆm normally a cautious person, I followed the massive crowd to the math classroom. Without even thinking twice, my mom and I filled out and turned in the forms, but I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

The only thing you could see in the sixth-grade hall were neon posters adorned with pictures of winning-obsessed pupils. Buttons, bookmarks and flyers littered the hallways and cafeteria. Most found a permanent home in the trash can.

Meanwhile, my printer lazily spit out what seemed like a million bookmarks. I cut them out, punched holes in them and finished them off with ribbons, finally bringing them in to school. That week my friends and I passed out the bookmarks.

Everything was going as planned... until it was time for my speech.

I had never been afraid of being on television before. In fact, I had been on my schoolÆs morning news program for two years. But as I got ready to present my speech, my hands clammed up and my sweat glands went into overdrive as the camera fixed on my face. My short, pagelong speech hadnÆt taken more than a minute to read, but I felt as if I had been on that musty old stage for an eternity. Anxious thoughts spun in my head like a tornado. What did my hair look like? Did I look at the camera? And most of all, did I look as petrified as I felt?

Somewhere between handing out bookmarks and delivering my speech, I asked myself one question: What the heck are you doing, Laura!? I felt trapped. Enclosed. But in the midst of the fury and panic was something unexpected. I had learned some amazing things about who I was. Not only did I give a speech in front of 300 kids, but IÆd introduced myself to people IÆd never even met before while actively campaigning. In fact, I felt incredibly confident. I could do anything!

After that, things happened so fast that I canÆt remember every little detail about the election. But what I do remember so vividly is the one thing everyone now knows. I won! It wasnÆt that easy, though. I actually tied with another student, but in the end, my class picked me! Me! The shy and quiet girl! Destined to be invisible? NOT! Why be invisible when you can shine?

IÆm already planning my reelection campaign. And IÆve learned the importance of taking a chance. Going out on a limb. Believing in yourself. And next time thereÆs something I want to do but am a little intimidated, IÆm going to just do it!

Laura M. Watkins, Age 11

¬2005. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal School Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Deborah Reber. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.