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There is nothing permanent except change. - Aristotle
Today’s the big day. I’m embarking on a great journey and I don’t know where it will take me. New friends? Lovers? Will this be the first day that they write about when they talk about Lucretia Who Started the Revolution? Whatever it is, I will not walk out the same as I come in today. I’m going to go to my new middle school (PS future me, if you’re reading this, isn’t it just RIDICULOUS that mom and dad decided to move in WINTER? What the HECK?! @#$*! Now not only do I have to make new friends in the grade 7 when EVERYBODY already has their friend groups, but it’s the middle of the YEAR! I will not be surprised if I don’t talk to anyone the whole rest of the year. I’m so mad). I’m on the bus now, which is why my writing’s a little messy, but I’ll be back at lunch probably. Alone probably.
•••
I was right. It’s lunch and I haven’t even said anything to anybody. I had to be introduced twice today, in first and third period. Mr. Davenport asked me for five facts about myself and I was doing so well but then all I could think of was how I miss my old friends and so I started crying a little bit. It was so embarrassing. He let me sit down then, but I made sure to go to the back so I wouldn’t have to have people looking at me like the new girl who cried in class. The work doesn’t seem too hard. I was there for the first two periods (social studies and math). Mr. Davenport is a lot better than my old socials teacher, actually. He was talking about lawmaking and he ended up going on a long rant about how laws have adapted to society over the years. It was actually really interesting. Math wasn’t too bad. They’re behind where I was when I left my old school, so I understood what was going on.
I was better at introduction in Mr. Highchurch’s class (he asked us to call him MERLE. Who does that?!). He just called me by the wrong name and went back to his book. I’ve only had one period with him, but it seems like all he does is hand out worksheets and hide behind his desk. The worst part about that was that everybody started talking and doing friend things and I was just alone at the back of the room again. It was the worst to see everybody laughing and talking with each other. I miss my friends. I miss Maureen. I miss my old teachers. I hate being alone and I hate that everybody else doesn’t even care if I have any friends.
Lunch is terrible. It’s macaroni and cheese but the cheese isn’t right and the macaroni is chewy. I miss my old school.
•••
The rest of the day was okay. A boy named Magnus said hi to me in gym. It was really nice. When they asked us to get in partners, I was left out, and Magnus told me that I could come join him and his friend Carey and be a group of three. We did basketball drills. I’m not great at basketball. Michael Jordan said you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Apparently you also miss the shots you do take, if you’re me. Magnus and Carey were a lot better, but they weren’t mean about it. Magnus tried to help me get the position for a layup, but I can’t coordinate my feet and my hands like that. I kept running until I was past the basket or shooting when I was right under it. Carey said I just needed practice. I think I need a different sport.
Last period was probably the best. It was drama. Oh! That reminds me! I should tell you about my schedule:
I I have to do Gym 4/5 days!!! Oh my gosh. Why me? At my old school it was only two times, as you’ll remember if you read my previous journals. I understand why they have Match and Science three times a week. Heck, I even get having band three times to keep up in practice. But I don’t want to be sweaty every day! I hate my life.
I didn’t tell principal Garfield that I already speak french at home sometimes. I don’t want to have to take Spanish.
Okay so we’re getting off track! Drama! So the drama teacher is Mr. Leon (why is it weird to call Mr. Highchurch “Merle”, but Leon is just Leon? I think it says something about drama teachers, don’t you?). I got to see Magnus again too! He introduced me to his friend Taako. I don’t know what I think about Taako yet. He’s… a lot. He obviously really likes the subject, but hates Leon with the passion of a thousand burning suns. The rest of the class was partway through practicing monologues, but I didn’t have to do it because I’m new. Taako was being super loud and took the front centre (or “downstage centre”) to practice. Leon told him to quiet down so everybody else could hear themselves, and Taako went on a long rant about how nobody else knows what they’re doing anyway, “No thanks to you, pint size!”.
He got sent to the principal’s office for that.
I spent the class mostly helping Magnus memorize. He’s not great at memorizing, but he’s trying really hard and I’m supposed to say that’s what counts. Also, he was patient with me when I couldn’t shoot a basketball (Secretly, though, I think doing a layup is a lot harder than remembering the word “prospective”. WE’VE BEEN OVER IT TEN TIMES ALREADY MAGNUS HOW CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER THIS WORD?!).
Also, Magnus told me about Taako’s sister, Lup. I have math and science with her. Magnus told me I should go say hi and tell her I know him and Taako, but I don’t know if I will. She’s a bit scary. I only know I have class with her because she was impossible to miss: Today she was wearing a black hoodie with a skull on it, knee-high black converses, and about a million piercings. I think I saw her drawing a dead stick-man on her worksheet, but I didn’t look too closely because she looked in my direction when I leaned closer to see. Magnus says she’s really not scary, she just likes to look like she is. I don’t know if there’s much of a difference.
And now I away to sleep. So far I’ve survived a day of school and have a…. an acquaintance? I don’t know if Magnus is a friend yet (DEFINITELY NOT A BEST FRIEND NO ONE ELSE WILL EVER BE MY BEST FRIEND MAUREEN IF YOU’RE READING THIS U DA BEST <3) but it’s nice to know I have at least one person to talk to if no one else.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. - Gandhi