I live in the Bronx and go to high school in Lower Manhattan. My commute is my refuge.

“Stand clear of the closing doors, please.”

Then, as the subway doors begin to close, I hear the one sound I look forward to every day: Ding-dong.

My weekdays begin about an hour earlier when my alarm wakes me up. As I fight with my body to get out of bed, I wake up next to my niece. Some days, I have to get her ready for pre-K while my mom and my older sister return from their night shifts. On those days, our morning routines start the night before: I make sure we both bathe, brush our teeth, and have our schoolwork ready for the next day…

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