October 15, 2010

No, stop hugging him! You never know what you might squeeze out. - Science teacher

So I was walking into orchestra on Friday and we have these long wooden instrument case holders along the walls. Each student makes a name tag and then you know which one is yours. The name tags aren't alphabetical, they're by class, and you know what I saw? Two name tags right by each other both saying Priscilla on them. Can you believe that? Two violin players, in the same orchestra class, at the same school, both of them named Priscilla! Isn't that funny! Sorry for the big build up, but seriously what a coincidence. Freaked me out.

The math test was really hard, in fact I have 8 or 9 questions left that I have 10 minutes to finish on Monday. Everyone around me seemed to be going really fast and I just didn't understand, I kept getting stuck. And I studied. I did. Me and my mom got this little white board and she would write me equations and then she would check them. I kept getting decimals and fractions you know? Like 7 divided by 13. And I know I can do it but that just doesn't seem right.


I couldn't concentrate in English, either. We were supposed to write a constructive response comparing and contrasting a character from Macbeth with another character, another play, a historical figure. I didn't have anyone to compare anyone to. So I got nothing done and it didn't help that Bernie's bus got in late, so she walked in really excited that she was late, yelling about some fat boy that was at the bus stop. I did that no emotion thing that I have near perfection, where I just nod and stuff. But I think she's learning, because when she tries to joke about it again later, I don't treat it like and inside joke. That's the one thing Bernie loves more than anything, inside jokes.

I think it makes her feel special or something, and don't get me wrong I couldn't agree more. I like having things that are just mine. Secrets and jokes and as you know, novels and movies. I like that, too. Who doesn't? Who doesn't want something that they don't have to share, that makes them feel like they are the only ones who will ever get to enjoy it?

So there's this girl, lets call her Emma. She's in the 7h grade, really short, choppy straight across bangs in an almost copper color hair. She's funny, and not ha ha, but strange. She's shy, incredibly. So when ever we have a play test in orchestra she always gets really nervous. She doing this contest this weekend, she has to play in front a lot of people and to practice she played in front of the class. After words she wrote me a really strange note, Put flowers on my grave, for I am going to die of embarrassment or something. I responded saying something nice like your going to do fine or whatever. And she kept writing back, I was trying to read and she just kept putting herself down, waiting for me to compliment her. See that's what I get for being nice.

And then later you know what she does? Here-

I'm walking back to my chair and my violins on the ground face down, my bows a few feet behind it and my stand is all wrong. I turned to Emma and asked her if she knocked it down. This is what she said (wait, before you go on imagine her with her bangs and her chunky sweater, a foot shorter then me, speaking in a nervous, chucking voice) ...

"Me? No, no. I just got here! I was over there. I just got here. I wouldn't do that. I'm only laughing because your face, Its just so funny. That's all. I was over there really. Not me!"

Mind you I didn't say one word the whole time. It was actually really funny. Like I was trying to prevent myself from laughing.

Early morning on the bus to school. Tia's was fun! I'll let you know about it later!

Tomatoes cooking on the sidewalk on a hot December day....