We’ve all heard the metaphor 

High school, a school of fish

Constantly swarming, changing, filled with life

Fish tied closely to their school

Reliant on the others for safety in numbers

If one fish is lost, there’s always another

“There are plenty of fish in the sea” 

But the schools break apart

Fish, labeled by their separate cliques

Dragged away by the undertow

Sure, there are plenty of fish in the sea

Small differences drive wedges

Even the closest relationships force apart 

Old friends, now distant acquaintances

Relationships ever flowing

High school isn’t like a school of fish

Rather, an ecosystem

Every creature dependent on the other

Needing diversity for survival

But lacking the ability to intermingle

Cliques, stereotypes reign superior