John was in his final year of high school.

His parents, friends, and everyone around him had told him countless times that it would be the best year of his life.

But to John, it didn't feel that way.

Each day felt more stressful than the last.

Some nights, he couldn't even fall asleeep

His mind wouldn't stop thinking about everything he had to do

Every morning, before he even got out of bed, his mind was already racing.
Tests. Deadlines. College applications.
It felt like everything he did now would decide his future.

“Did you get into California College?”

“Yeah, I got in. Where else did you apply?”

(thinking) " I don't even know if I;m good enough

During school, especially in the hallways, his classmates constantly talked about grade and colleges.

GPA. SAT Scores. Acceptance letters.

To John, it felt like everyone was racing toward the future.  

Remember guys.. don't forget to talk to me about college recommendations

It wasn't just about doing well in school anymore.

It felt like everything depended on it. 

If he didn't get into college, what would happen next?

That question stayed in his mind. 

On his phone, John saw others celebrating college acceptances.

Picture. Smiles. Long captions about success.

He kept scrolling...

He wondered why he didn't feel the same. Instead of feeling excited, he felt behind.

John also played basketball.

It used to be something he loved.

But now, even basketball felt different.

It wasn't just fun anymore.

It felt like something he had to be good at

Are you doing good, John?

Yes, mom. I'm fine...

John believed he had to handle everything on his own.

Asking for help felt weak.

So he stayed quiet.

Even when things felt overwhelming.

You ever feel like school is way too much right now?

Yeah...I know exactly what you mean

After school, his friend Julia walked next to him.

"You ever feel like this is way too much?" Julia asked.

John looked at her.

"Yeah..," he said quietly. 

I feel like if I don't got to college. I'm done. Like there's nothing else to my life!

Julia nodded.

"I feel like if I don't go to college, I'm done. Like there's nothing else."

John didn't respond right away. But he understood exactly what she meant. 

yeah...

It felt like there was no backup plan.

No second option.

Everything depended on getting it right the first time 

You know John, back then you didn't even need college to find a nice stable job to provide for your family

Yeah...but it feels like I do now

John thought about what his parents used to say

They talked about a time when people could find stable jobs without even needing college.

Now, it felt like things had changed.

The pressure didn't just come from inside him

It came from school, social media, and from expectations about success.

From the fear of falling behind.

It was everywhere

One night during a basketball game, everything hit him at once.

His heart started racing. His chest tightened. He couldn't breathe.

He walked off the court and into the nurse's room. For the first time, he felt like had no control

I don’t really know where to start…

The next day, he met with the school counselor.

At first, he didn't know what to say.