I decided to interview two people my age about their high school experience and whether they've created new meaning from these memories since leaving high school and coming to college. Their names have been changed to protect their identities.

*Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault*

1. What's your favorite thing about interacting with people?

Opal: I like making people laugh. It makes me feel good.

Lucas: I like to hear about other peoples opinions about things. It's true, but it's not the only reason; (it's) not the main reason.

2. What is one thing that people do normally but drives you crazy?

Opal: When people talk in class. When people walk slowly or when they're walking and suddenly stop to talk, to look at something or to complete some mundane task because they are not capable to both walk and do that thing.

Lucas: My mind went to two places with this question. The first thing, coughing. I hate it when people cough. Also, loud chewers. But anyways, the real problem, when two people are having an argument and both of them feel the point of the argument is to win. What I feel is that both people should hear each other's opinions in an oppositional way that serves to have them both walk away with more knowledge than they did before.

3. What's one regret you had in high school?

Opal: Allowing toxic people to remain in my life. I regret keeping people around that didn't treat me well. The complicated thing I regret is not coming out and not telling people about the times that I got raped. I was at a party and I was drunk, and I don't know if he was drunk. All I know is that he pulled me aside, and I don't remember much about the night. But I know that we had sex, and I know that my friend had hooked up with the same guy. She was angry because she thought I intentionally slept with him. I was not educated enough to know that I was raped. I went to my friend because I had no idea what to do, and she asked if I consented. I said no, and she said that means I was raped. I knew I couldn't come out to other people about the incident because they would victim blame me.

Lucas: There was this person I really looked up to. Her name is Hayley Williams. She says something in this one video I watched three times, and what she said really resonated with me. She said one of the things I really like to think about is how different everyone is. And one of the things I hate to think about is that we all know that we are different, but we all try to be the same. We all try to hide our differences and live in fear. I regret living that way and hiding some of the things that make me me. Trying to create the image that other people wanted to see. If you can embrace the things that make you different earlier (then) in the long run you'll make better relationships with people that you like.

4. What's your weirdest encounter with a teacher?

Opal: I am ashamed to this day of this encounter. Even thinking about it makes my stomach flip. My school was administering these standardized tests. They didn't mean anything, and they didn't affect our grades. They were taking away from our class time, and it would take time from my AP class. My mom got me opted out of the test so I had to sit in a computer lab while everybody else had to test. I had this slip that gave proof (of) my mom's permission to a counselor, but while I was doing that the assistant principal overheard. Eventually the assistant principal came over and said that I couldn't do anything while there was testing. After she left I asked the counselor if it was true that I couldn't do anything, and the counselor told me I could do whatever. So I went over to my friends, and I told them how much of a bitch the assistant was and how wrong what she said was. And to my horror the assistant principal was right behind me, and said "Well I don't think I said it quite like that." Later that day, I went up to her and apologized. She said it was OK and sometimes we all say things like that just because.

Lucas: So in high school I was the sorta kid who would get pretty good grades. A's in most classes, one B a semester. And teachers would recognize me as a good student and never spoke about it at all. My political science teacher was impressed with my work, and one day I was the only one that got an A on the exam. Here's the thing, I would never study and never take notes, but I managed to get good grades. My political science teacher said after the test that I got an A because I was a good student who studied and took notes. So he made me talk about how I prepared for the exam. I knew in that moment that I couldn't tell the truth so I had to lie. I lied and said that I did all the things the teacher expected of me. After I lied to the entire class and to my teacher I could never look him in the eye.