NaBloPoMo November 9th

The High School Years a.k.a The Necessary Evil

I’m not one of those people who has a boatload of great high school memories.  No pep rallies, no proms, or teams.  I didn’t even attend graduation.  Just picked up my diploma at the office and moved on.

I don’t have any bitter memories either.

It was just  something I had to do. 

I attended three of them actually.

The first two years I went to a small all girls parochial school. 

There were about 200 of us. 

Every girl in my freshman class was from a different school.  Amazingly enough they immediately formed cliques on the very first day.

It was like everyone knew where they belonged.  The Trendy Tinas, Athletes & Brains all recognized each other. 

The leftovers were me, Evelyn & Jasmine.  Me and Evelyn teamed up and hung out the two years I was there.  Jasmine never hung out with anyone.  She got super high marks, barely ate at lunch, and spoke in a whisper.  Everyone just figured she was super shy and left it at that.

Years later I saw her on the East Side.  She had on a pair of high heels that would give you a nosebleed, and her jeans and make-up looked painted on.  Guess she stopped being shy.

Evelyn was a cool friend who was a martial arts freak.  She was always working out.  Every once in a while she would get on me about my weight.  Several years after high school was long over I saw her on 34th Street.  Evidentally she was not working out anymore; she was bigger than me.  I decided to be kind and not say “hi.”

I bailed out of parochial school in junior year.  I just didn’t go back.  The first day came, and I didn’t go.  The second day came, and I didn’t go.  Two weeks later the school called, and I told the prinicipal I just didn’t want to go there anymore.

I spent one term at an all girls public high school, but it was too long trip on the subway every morning.  I did have the pleasure of hanging out with Theodora.  Her family was Greek and super strict.  Her dad found out she babysat for a woman who was divorced, and cut her off financially.  No money for lunch, clothes, nothing.  She babysay every night to keep herself in burgers and footwear.  We could talk for hours.

The next term I registered at the local public high, and it was absolutely fine.  The student population was over 2000, and I happily lost myself in the crowd.  As I remember I even helped out on the yearbook & did service in the Vice-Principals office.

** fellow students names were changed