THE PATRIOT

So, tonight was post sixteen evening. That's where all the students who want to come to our school for the last two years of education before university can come and look around. Most of the students are internal, so they know the school and are just interested in the specific subject areas, but we get a few students who are the smart cookies in their schools and are considering transferring in. It's a bit of a nerve wracking time, because you have to make the choice whether or not you're going to leave your friends to do something on your own, and even if that's a brave sentiment, it might not necessarily be the best thing to do. Also, it's terrifying. I stayed on at my school, and I'm so thrilled that I did, because everything here fits, I've got my niche, but it also means that I can't really understand how those girls are feeling, as they walk around.

I always volunteer to help out at open evenings, so it made sense to volunteer for post sixteen evenings. Every year I volunteer as a guide, which means you put on your good uniform, you polish your schools and then take a group around your school, answering questions and showing them what they want to see. It can be difficult, because sometimes the people in your group have colliding interests, or sometimes no interests at all! I enjoy guiding because I'm genuinely enthusiastic about our school and passionate about my subjects. As a guide, I can offer insights, answer questions, reassure them and basically, make conversation. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm pretty good at making conversation. Basically, if I had a calling in life, it would be guiding, or bothering patients in hospitals. Either way, it's a captive audience, and all that talking means I'm not a blabber mouth later on, because I've used up all my conversational skill.

Granted, I've scared a whole lot of potential students. I can't help it! I become relaxed, and there is no thought process when I start speaking. A lot of things which seem funny, are really not, and a lot of things I find funny which again are really not. Luckily, more recently I feel as though I am able to distinguish between what is, and what isn't suitable to say, what's being quirky, and what's being weird, how far you can push the normal social boundaries before people become uncomfortable. Little by little, I'm improving.

So tonight, Kat came to my house first, actually, I'll just go through my day. I woke up this morning with an epiphany. I realised that I had triple booked myself. I was supposed to be doing biology coursework from nine to twelve thirty in the morning, going to a talk on oxbridge at eleven and going to the orthodontist at half past. It's amazing how I had before this not put the thoughts together. I'd spoken about going to the talk, about having to go to the orthodontist and I was very aware of my coursework, but it was only when I woke up that I realised what had happened, and how I was now supposed to be in three places at once. I immediately made a plan. I couldn't cancel biology, nor orthodontist, but I could get someone to tell me about the talk, so I crossed that off my schedule. Unfortunately, that still left me supposed to be at the dentists when I was carrying out an experiment. I mused over the problem while eating my breakfast ( not covered in orange juice- ewww) and alighted on a small fact which could be my saving grace. Someone had mentioned that if you finished the coursework, you could go, you didn't have to stay for the full three and a half hours. However, that would mean for me, finished everything in less than two hours, almost half the time it would take everyone else. I'm not going to outline my biology coursework, but I decided that if instead of doing my repeats after the original experiment, I could do them all together, collect all three sets of data, and finish early enough for my to catch the bus to the surgery which was a risky business in itself, given my prowess at getting the bus.

I started my biology coursework in school, and surprisingly it all ran smoothly, barring a smashing glass incident ( I swear test tubes used to be made out of stronger stuff) and I actually finished before eleven. My teacher looked at my skeptically when I asked if there was anything further for me to do, but after looking at my results said that I had finished the experiment in the shortest time anyone had ever done it, and gotten accurate results. I scampered off out of school, it was second period, and I intended to get back in time to catch the end of the third. After getting the bus ( he charged me a pound, so not fair) I arrived at the surgery, tried to open the door (wrong one genius) then walked calmly through the sliding door. I was called in fairly quickly and although I had been hoping to get the dastardly things taken off, he just put a new set on, a tighter one! Obviously my teeth immediately started to feel tense but I put on a brave face. It was at this point that I realised I didn't have enough money to get back to school (darn that bus driver) so I decided that since my house was within walking distance, I would go home instead, get some paracetamol and then let my mom take me back. While I was walking, I realised that the next three periods I had were history, lunch and then a free, which I was supposed to speak to the french assistant in. I had already missed the beginning of history, but I wasn't worried, as I'm fairly adept at history, and could easily catch up. Lunch would probably be easier at home, not to mention cheaper, and I hated spending that free period with the french assistant.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when I decided to ditch school.

Yeah you heard me, DITCH SCHOOL. As in, not going to a lesson, because I don't feel like it! I've gotta say I've never done it before, and man is it empowering!

Truth be told, I spent that extra three hours drafting out a french essay on multiculturalisme, but at least I wasn't stuck in school with the stupid french assistant, having to give my opinion on having pets!

I resurfaced in school for sixth period, which was Chemistry, and I kinda needed to be in the class because no one takes it seriously, and thus no one has notes for me to copy up. I was in amazing spirits, having spent the previous three hours eating cookies and enthusiastically colour coding my notes (french law= blue, french politics= red) and basically had a super time. Unfortunately my classmates thought I was high.

So there you have it, ditching class, IS healthy.

Kat and I walked home, we were having a really good time, I think, although I'm sure she was upset about something or other and man does that girl walk slowly. When we got home, Kat amused herself in my room, tinkering with all my stuff and lounging around on my bed, while I changed and then we had tomato soup. Kat's never had tomato soup, can you believe?? She thought it was amazing, as it is. I reassured her that she'd have plenty when she went to university. We watched a french film and then got ready for the post sixteen evening.

Post sixteen evening always makes me feel patriotic about my school. Seriously, by the end I was very close to handcuffing myself to a pillar and refusing to leave. It just feels so great, it's like..my second home. I love love love school. I never wake up in the morning and say "uuuh I don't want to go to schoooool." Sometimes I don't want to get out of bed, and sometimes I don't want to go to a lesson, but I never don't want to go to school. Just thinking about graduating depresses me.

To begin with, I took a family around and met my friends in different rooms. I love that friendly feeling I get when I say hi to my friends in the corridor, and I can see how perfectly I fit in to school, how nice it all is. After that I spent some time in history, with my history homegirls, who were at first appalled at my skipping class, but soon lightened up. Then I went to french and did a double act with Kat, which seemed to go down quite well although I'm sure some teachers were laughing at us. I swung by the library for a little while and gushed about how I loved it before returning to history and chatting to potential historians, while sharing tidbits about the more scandalous side of history. For example, when Louise XIV was in Paris as a child, he fell in a fountain and was too short so he couldn't get out and was eventually found there in the evening. The girl I mentioned that to laughed, but said it couldn't possibly be relevant, to which I retorted that it actually was relevant and that I'd used it in an essay. FYI, it was one of the reasons he created Versailles and moved out of the capital.

At the end of the night, after some more historical bonding, I met up with Kat and her mum, who dropped me home and I wrote this! What a day! Tomorrow is the first day of book club, set up by Nandi. I'm the secretary!! No clue what I do as secretary. I finished reading the musketeers which was great, a very good all round story, I was sad to see it end. I'm currently battling with "far from the maddening crowd" by Hardy, which is difficult, but the plot pulls me on. Haven't had any time to read today, and shan't if I want to get to bed at a decent hour.

I recieved a letter from Yasamin, and also a lot of glitter, I shall reply to you m'dear, but not tonight, as obviously I've been vair vair busy. I also got an email from Jess, in which she revealed that if you live in California, your life is like a montage from the OC. (honest Megz :p)

I hope Melissaaaaaaaaah is betttaaaaar.

Does anyone know what a wolfkin is?

This blog entry is ovvva