Riley Andersen had always been a bright, energetic girl, her emotions guiding her every step. It had been two years since she and her family moved to San Francisco, and at thirteen, she stood at the precipice of high school, a new chapter in her life. Inside her mind, a team of emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger—worked tirelessly to maintain the balance that made Riley who she was.
At the core of Riley’s consciousness, her Sense of Self resided, an intricate construct woven from memories and emotions, shaping her beliefs and identity. Joy, ever the optimist, sought to keep this space filled with positive memories. In her pursuit of perfection, she had devised a mechanism to banish negative memories to the recesses of Riley’s mind, ensuring that happiness remained dominant.
Excitement bubbled within Riley when she and her best friends, Bree and Grace, received invitations to a prestigious three-day ice hockey camp. It was an opportunity to secure a spot on her new school’s team, the Fire Hawks. Yet, as the night before camp settled in, an alarm echoed through her mind—an alert signaling puberty’s onset. Deep within her psyche, unseen workers scrambled to update the controls that managed her emotions, leaving Headquarters in chaotic disarray. When morning came, Riley found herself reacting more intensely to everything around her.
The turmoil within was further compounded when four unfamiliar figures stepped into Headquarters—Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui. They were new emotions, asserting their dominance over Riley’s responses. Anxiety, in particular, latched onto the looming pressures of high school and the hockey tryouts, interpreting every event as a potential catastrophe. Joy sought to maintain control, eager for Riley to enjoy camp, but Anxiety had other ideas. When Riley learned that Bree and Grace would be attending a different school, Anxiety’s influence deepened, twisting every moment into a challenge she had to overcome.
The tension reached a breaking point when, under Joy’s guidance, Riley unintentionally disrupted camp activities, drawing the ire of the strict Coach Roberts. Sensing that Riley needed an overhaul to fit in, Anxiety took drastic action. She seized control, casting Riley’s original Sense of Self into the depths of her mind. The old emotions were locked away, confined within a memory vault, while Anxiety constructed a new version of Riley’s identity—one dominated by self-doubt and desperation to be accepted.
With this shift, Riley fixated on Valentina “Val” Ortiz, a skilled and popular hockey player. Seeking Val’s approval, she distanced herself from Bree and Grace, her longtime friends, in favor of building a new social identity. Meanwhile, deep within the recesses of Riley’s mind, the original emotions fought to escape the vault. Determined to restore the balance, they ventured across Riley’s fragmented consciousness, each step revealing the damage Anxiety had wrought.
While the others navigated the labyrinth of memories, Sadness found her way back to Headquarters. There, she encountered Embarrassment, a hesitant but ultimately helpful presence. Together, they worked to prepare a way to bring Riley’s true self back.
Anxiety’s grip tightened when Riley, acting on impulse, snuck into Coach Roberts’ office. There, she discovered a painful truth—Riley was not yet deemed ready to join the Fire Hawks. The revelation shattered her fragile new identity. Meanwhile, Joy and the others finally reached the mountain of discarded memories, where Riley’s original Sense of Self lay buried beneath layers of experiences that Joy had once deemed unworthy.
With no other option, the emotions triggered an avalanche, sending the memories cascading back toward Headquarters. As they tumbled into Riley’s Belief System, Anxiety was forced to confront the reality of her influence. She had built a version of Riley that was brittle, ruled by insecurity and fear. The consequences were immediate—Riley faltered during her final tryout match, accidentally injuring Grace in her desperation. Coach Roberts benched her, leaving her isolated in the penalty box.
Inside Riley’s mind, Anxiety panicked. She clung to the control console, spinning it into a frenzy. Riley’s heart raced. Her breath shortened. A full-blown panic attack gripped her, paralyzing her in fear.
At last, Joy reached Headquarters and found Anxiety in turmoil. Rather than chastise her, Joy extended a hand. Anxiety, once so certain that Riley had to change to survive, now faced doubt of her own. Gently, Joy assured her that Riley didn’t need to force herself to be someone she wasn’t.
As Anxiety stepped aside, Joy restored Riley’s true Sense of Self. Yet, something was different. Riley’s panic attack did not immediately subside. Anxiety, in a moment of clarity, admitted the truth—neither she nor Joy truly knew who Riley was anymore. And that was okay.
Instead of restoring Riley’s old identity, Joy took a different approach. She dismantled the rigid constructs and allowed a new, fluid Sense of Self to emerge—one built from both triumphs and mistakes, joy and sorrow, confidence and doubt.
With this shift, Riley regained control. She breathed deeply, steadying herself. Her gaze found Bree and Grace, and with a quiet understanding, she extended an apology. Reconciliation came naturally. They had been her friends before; they would remain her friends now. The rigid expectations Anxiety had created no longer defined her.
As the emotions settled into their new dynamic, Joy took her place at the console, guiding Riley to finish the tryouts with a renewed sense of self. The game was no longer about proving herself. It was about playing because she loved the sport.
In the days that followed, Riley found a balance she had not known before. She formed new friendships with Val and the Fire Hawks without abandoning her old ones. Inside her mind, the nine emotions coexisted, no longer at odds but working together to support Riley’s journey.
One evening, she stood before her mirror, her phone in hand, awaiting the results of the Fire Hawks’ selection. She glanced up, meeting her own reflection. There, in the quiet solitude of her room, she saw herself—not the person Anxiety had crafted, not the idealized version Joy had once insisted upon, but Riley, as she truly was. And for the first time in a long while, she smiled. A real, proud smile.
