The pile of stuffed animals sat against the wall. She leaned against them, remote in hand and bowl of cereal in her lap. She was ready. Serena Villarreal, 10 switched on the tv and it began. The anime marathon. Villarreal is most comfortable seated here by the TV, so she’s taking yearbook to expand her horizons and step outside her comfort zone.

Villarreal lives with her mom and three older brothers and lots of pets, way too many to name. The hamster, cat, rabbit, and guinea pigs are hers, but all 23 of the reptiles belong to her brothers. “I don’t know why my brother has so many reptiles. He just keeps buying them”. The biggest reptile they have is a 6ft boa named Kelly. “I don’t know how, but my mom’s boyfriend hasn’t even noticed she’s there. Sometimes I sleep with her wrapped around me. She so sweet, but she slobbers so I have to wear a sweatshirt when I do it”.

Villarreal likes listening to bands like Pierce The Veil, Black Veil Brides, and Marilyn Manson. “I feel like I can express myself through the music”. She saw Pierce The Veil and Black Veil Brides live at Warped Tour over the summer.

Villarreal enjoys watching hockey. “I watch it with my mom a lot”. Although she likes watching sports, she doesn't play any. “I’m too clumsy to play any sports.”

She also likes watching her favorite movie, Nightmare Before Christmas. “I grew up on it and I like its darker themes”.

After high school Villarreal wants to move to London. “I like British TV shows like Doctor Who. I also really like their accents. My favorite Youtubers, Dan and Phil, also live in London”.

Villarreal is currently in biology, but she is interested in teaching chemistry so she wants to major in it. “I just think it's really fascinating”.

In her free time Villarreal likes watching Netflix. “I watch a lot of anime. Like a lot. Maybe too much. But I don’t really care. Anime is love, anime is life”.

Villarreal watches anime so much, she now considers it one of her best accomplishments. “Over the summer I watched over 24 different animes”.

“I don’t like my head being touched, even by my friends,” says Villarreal of one of her pet peeves. Another pet peeve is annoying people. “People annoy me”.

Reading poetry, like Edgar Allen Poe, is something Villarreal enjoys, but she hates writing it. “People say I’m good at it but I don’t like writing it”.

Villarreal also has a bit of a sweet tooth. Some of her favorite sweet things are Butterfingers, Heath Bars, and red velvet cake. “I really like candy, but not Pez. I hate Pez. It tastes like chalk”.