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About This Book

Mina Alvarez is 13, careful with words and quick with drawings. For as long as she can remember, a knot of worry sits in her chest before tests, group talks, or crowded hallways. At a new middle school, the knot feels louder: teachers expect confident answers, clubs ask for volunteers, and new friendships strain when Mina cancels plans because her breath speeds up. She starts to define herself by that knot—"The Anxious Girl"—and the label begins to shrink what she expects to do.

When Mina's teacher assigns a group project about what makes people who they are, Mina's teammates include energetic Jayla, practical Arman, and quiet Rowan. Mina offers to design the group's zine cover but freezes when the team asks her to read the project summary in front of class. Jayla, who knows Mina sketches everywhere, gently suggests Mina lead a small multimedia presentation instead. The group negotiates roles so Mina can contribute in ways that fit and stretch her. During the project, Mina experiments with coping strategies: a breathing trick taught by her counselor, a grounding list she keeps in her sketchbook, and a simple script she practices until the words feel less sharp. She also discovers that others on her team carry their own worries—Arman has stage fright, and Rowan worries about disappointing his parents. Sharing mistakes and coping ideas makes Mina feel less alone.

The turning point comes at the presentation when the classroom projector glitches. Instead of a smooth technology-assisted talk, faces turn to Mina. Her old instinct is to crumble, but she remembers a line of a poem she drew the night before—"I am more than my quiet heart." Mina asks the class to close their eyes for thirty seconds and tries the breathing trick out loud. Her voice trembles at first, then steadies. She doesn't become fearless, but she notices something new: her anxiety sits beside her, not on top of her, and she can still speak. Afterward, classmates approach her not with pity but with curiosity and respect. Mina decides to start a small zine and podcast with her teammates—places where students can share hobbies, coping tips, and short stories. Mina learns that anxiety is part of her experience but doesn't define the full list of who she is. She keeps practicing strategies, asks for help when she needs it, and discovers leadership can look soft and steady instead of loud and bossy.

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