A Dazzling New Life: High School

Puberty.

Something everyone goes through but affects them differently. In general, puberty is when a person grows both physically but also mentally. They get taller, their voices change, they start to smell, etc. However, puberty is different for males and females. For males, they get taller, their voices change thus making them have voice cracks, they start to grow pubic hair, and more embarrassing things like development to certain areas, and having what we call "wet dreams." But for girls though, it's much more complex. Something the Dazzlings learned for themselves.

The past few years had been a whirlwind of change for the Dazzlings, and while their journey through high school was full of challenges, friendships, and triumphs, there was one universal truth they couldn't escape: puberty was not kind to anyone. It didn’t matter if they were former magical sirens turned high school students. The changes were inevitable, and they were anything but dazzling.

Adagio was the first to notice the changes. As the oldest, she often felt the weight of maturity first. She had always prided herself on being the composed leader, but around her sophomore year, things began to shift. Her emotions, once so carefully controlled, became unpredictable. One moment, she'd feel on top of the world, and the next, she'd be irrationally irritated by the smallest things—like the way Sonata chewed her cereal.

“Could you not slurp so loudly?” Adagio snapped one morning, glaring at her youngest sister.

Sonata looked up with wide eyes, milk dripping from her spoon. “I’m not slurping. This is how cereal works!”

Aria groaned from the couch, her voice heavy with fatigue. She was tired and in a bad mood, so to hear her sisters fighting in the morning wasn't helping. “Would you two shut up? Some of us are trying to exist in peace.”

Sonata shot back, “You’re just grumpy because you haven’t had coffee yet!”

Adagio sighed, rubbing her temples. She knew they were all going through changes, but knowing it didn’t make it any easier.

For Aria, the mood swings hit the hardest. Always the fiery and sarcastic one, her temper now flared at unpredictable intervals. One day, during a group project in class, she snapped at a classmate for erasing part of their shared work.

“Do you even know how to use an eraser properly?” she snapped, her voice sharp.

The classmate recoiled, muttering an apology, while Aria huffed and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. Moments later, guilt crept in, and she found herself apologizing, though it came out begrudgingly.

Her sisters weren’t spared either. Sonata, in particular, bore the brunt of Aria’s short fuse, but she handled it with surprising grace—most of the time.

One evening, Aria found Sonata crying in her bathroom. Her arms covered her face to hide the tears.

“Nata?” Aria asked cautiously, peeking through the crack in the door. “Are you okay?”

“Go away,” Sonata muttered, her voice muffled.

Aria hesitated but stepped inside anyway. She sat beside her sister and handed her a tissue. “I'm... sorry, about earlier. That wasn't right of me to snap at you like that. You did nothing wrong, and I was completely in the wrong.”

Sonata sniffed, shooting her a look through watery eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

Aria smiled as she hugged her sister. “Yeah, I do.” Sonata hugged her back wiping away her tears and smiling.

Physically, the changes were equally frustrating. Aria, who was normally always one hundred percent on the field at all times, struggled with sudden growth spurts that made her feel awkward and gangly. Her once-perfect coordination on the soccer field took a hit as she adjusted to her longer limbs.

“Why do I feel like I have two left feet?” she groaned during practice one day after tripping over her own feet for what felt like the millionth time.

Adagio tried to reassure her but was equally upset about the growth spurts. “Sadly, it’s a phase we'll have to get used to until it's over. Until then we have to find a way to get used to these changes if we still want to play like we have.”

Sonata pouted. “You say that, but my arms and legs feel like they belong to someone else!”

Sonata, meanwhile, found herself grappling with more…visible changes. She had always carried herself with poise and confidence not really caring about her body, at this not in that sort of way, but the stares she received from classmates as she began to “fill out” made her uncomfortable. She knew that as she grew up she would not only mature mentally but her body would mature as well, but she wasn't used to the stares, nor did she ask for them. Even her friends were dealing with the same thing one time she saw someone staring at Gabby's chest while the two were eating lunch. She started wearing baggier clothes and avoided drawing attention to herself, which was a stark contrast to her usual boldness and cheerful attitude that brought people to her positive nature.

Aria noticed her sister’s change in behavior and brought it up one evening.

“You okay, Nata?” Aria asked, leaning against the doorframe of Sonata’s room. Adagio too was curious what was up and looked at Sonata with a basket of laundry in her hands.

Sonata looked up from her book, her expression guarded. “I’m fine. Why?”

“You’ve been acting weird,” Aria said bluntly. “Like, avoiding people weird.”

Sonata sighed, setting her book down. “It’s just…everything feels different now. The way people look at me. I don’t like it. Especially the guys, I didn't know they could be so perverted. And even some of the girls, like they're trying to one-up me and judging me, criticizing my every move I take.”

Her two sisters nodded, understanding. They too, had been through the same thing. Guys looked at them with longing stares practically drooling while girls glared as they walked by. “Yeah, people suck. But don’t let them make you feel small. You’re still you.”

Sonata managed a small smile. “Thanks, Ari.”

If there was one thing all three sisters could agree on, it was that the absolute worst thing about going through puberty was the misery of periods. It was a topic they didn’t talk about often but found themselves bonding over in unspoken solidarity.

On one particularly rough day, all three of them ended up sprawled in the living room, clutching heating pads and moaning dramatically.

“I think I’m dying,” Sonata whimpered, clutching her stomach. "I think dying would be better than dealing with this."

“You’re not dying,” Adagio muttered, though she looked just as miserable. 'But I sure do want to die right about now.'

“Speak for yourself,” Aria groaned. “This feels like someone’s punching my insides.”

Sunset walked in, arms full of snacks, and placed them on the coffee table. “I come bearing gifts,” she announced.

The girls perked up slightly, their moods momentarily lifted by the sight of chocolate and chips.

“Thanks, Mom,” Sonata said, grabbing a candy bar.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Aria added.

Sunset chuckled. “I’ve been where you are, trust me. Just take it easy today.”

Over time, the Dazzlings began to adapt to the changes, supporting each other through the ups and downs. They learned to communicate better, recognizing when one of them needed space or support during these challenging times.

Sonata started embracing her changing body, reclaiming her confidence by wearing what made her feel good rather than trying to hide. While Aria and Adagio worked on managing their emotions, finding outlets like writing or playing soccer and music to channel their feelings.

Sonata, ever the optimist, leaned into her natural resilience, finding humor in awkward moments and reminding her sisters to laugh at themselves every now and then.

One evening, as they sat on the roof of their house, watching the stars, Adagio broke the silence.

“You know,” she said, “Even though all of this puberty stuff is pure chaos, I think we’re stronger now because of it.”

Aria snorted. “Speak for yourself. I’m still trying not to punch people daily.” Today especially, it was a miracle she hadn't punched her substitute teacher in the face with how she was treating the class.

Sonata giggled. “You’ve gotten better, though. Progress!”

Adagio smiled. “Seriously, though. We’ve been through a lot, but we’ve grown because of it. And I think we’ve come out the other side pretty okay.”

Aria smirked. “Speak for yourself. I’m amazing.”

Sonata grinned. “And I’m fabulous.”

Adagio rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t fade. “We’re the Dazzlings. We can handle anything.”

As they sat together under the stars, the bond they shared felt unshakable. Puberty may have been rough and will continue to be rough, but it has also made them stronger—individually and as sisters.