Tara just turned thirteen, and bam, everything felt different. Her old jeans? Too tight. Her jams? Lame. Her parents? Experts at saying nope.
One morning, Tara checked herself in the mirror. Does this look okay? My hair's a mess, right? Ugh! she said. Her little brother, Arjun, popped his head in and laughed. You look like a pineapple! GET OUT! Tara yelled, throwing a pillow at him.
School was just as weird. One day, her bestie Rhea was chill; the next, she was ticked off for no reason. Homework was stacking up, tests were scary, and her phone blew up with group chats about drama stuff at lunch. Tara was always like, Why is being a teen so difficult? One Friday, after a bad day, Tara walked with her grandma, Nani.
You look upset, sweetie, Nani said.
Tara sighed.
Everything's hard.
Friends fight, teachers yell, parents don't get it, and even my hair hates me. Nani chuckled. Yep, the teen years. I remember that. But listen, Tara—bad times don’t last forever. Every bad time teaches you something. Tara looked up, confused. Like what? Like being patient, said Nani. Like finding out who you are, even when everyone's flipping out. When stuff's a mess, it's like life helping you grow.
That night, Tara wrote in her diary: Maybe Nani's right. Maybe being a teen isn't about knowing everything—it's about figuring things out bit by bit. The next week, she helped Rhea with an issue, said sorry to her parents after a small fight, and even laughed when Arjun called her a pineapple again.
For the first time in a while, Tara felt better, like she was becoming herself, one smile at a time. Being a teen is about learning, changing, and finding out who you are. Life might be confusing, but every problem helps you become tougher and smarter. Be cool, be real, and remember—every bad time will end, and things will get better.
ISSUE
Leave a Comment