FLASHBACK: unpublished post #1

02/02/10 11:36 PM

"Ssshhhh... we're in the main block."

I got to school this morning about five minutes to nine. Oli and I can now time our respective routines perfectly enough to be able to walk to school in the mornings. We live at that awkward distance where walking takes forty minutes, but biking takes ten. But biking sucks when you're carrying a bass (and occasionally ends up with five stitches in your chin). I'm excited about this tiny change for two reasons. 1; it means we have to get up earlier... which means we get more out of the pretty summer mornings... and B; I am now not getting lifts. I cant drive, but I hate getting lifts. This probably will have to end with me getting my licence. GO! New GOAL!

It was the year nines first day at school today. They all were standing around the front steps in their new backpacks trying to look invisible when Oli and I arrived. The other monitors were off to the side, kicking stones. We were told to meet before school to talk to the new kids and make them feel less shit scared at arriving at the most ominous looking school in the South Island. Ominous, but crazy beautiful. It was unexpectedly difficult striking up conversations with excited and nervous year nines pretending to be unfazed by the whole ordeal. I would ask if they were looking forward to starting high school, they'd reply with a "Oh, naaah... huh..." exhaling slowly and looking anywhere but at me. There would be more of this sort of talk in their group, then one would say, as if asking about the weather, "So is it true that they throw year nines in the river?". I would answer with a strong yes, and move on to the next group.

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