Chapter 015

HANNAH

Most people tell you that high school is where you get to figure out yourself and teenagehood is the best stage of your life, but honestly, that's bollocks.

I think high school was a place where everyone got picked on depending on how popular they were. There was a hierarchy; the rich and famous sitting at the top of the list with their huge ego.

And then, there was me, Hannah Baker.

I lacked the three keys of coolness in high school, and I'll tell you what they are.

One, don't try hard at anything. Unfortunately, I tried too hard at everything, especially my grades. I'd won best student of the year three consecutive times in a row and was best friends with most of my teachers. I also tried hard to stay out of Arlene's way, you know, big pudgy Arlene, who liked to pick on people.

Two, make fun of people who do try. I bet you already know the drill. In high school, everybody made somebody's life hell—except me. Everyone made my life hell.

I was at the bottom of every social list