Dressing the part: Linsbert Reynolds

Like every other morning, senior Linsbert Reynolds springs out of bed to stand in front of his mirror for about 30 minutes and decides what to wear. 

His gaze darts back and forth. First at his reflection, then his three closets full of clothing. 

He picks out a pair of ripped designer jeans in his favorite color: black. Now, he needs to pick a shirt, accessories and a pair of shoes that contrasts pleasantly with his pants. He holds a simple white shirt against his body in the mirror: it’s too simple, he decides. A swing and a miss.

By the time Linsbert gets to school, he’s wearing a different set of black pants, the third shirt he convinced himself looked good, a new pair of sneakers and a sling pack across his chest. He’s on the board.

Linsbert didn’t always care about the way he dressed. When other kids made fun of his haphazard outfits, he remembers feeling shame and sadness. Now, he walks the halls with his head held high, saying “What’s up?” to everyone he likes, dislikes or barely even knows. 

He no longer cares what others think — his outfit is an extension of his personality. When he dresses boldly, he’s confident about himself. The world is his court, and he feels like the king.

He knows this feeling won’t go unchallenged throughout the day: a bad test grade, a heartbreak, an unpleasant encounter with a friend. Even still, at the end of the day he can look back at his reflection to see that he’s the same person he always was, and nothing can take that away from him. Every day he ends with that feeling is a day he’s won.