First Day of High School - Part 3

Welcome to the third and final part of my first day serial - for previous episodes, go here and then here.

The next few bits were the basics of school life. The rest of lunchtime was spent outside in the warmth of early September. Then we had 15 minutes back in the form room before having a lesson. I think it was Music, so it would have been a doddle to get through, seeing as I had already done violin for 3 years by that point, and that early when no-one else had done Music, it would have been back to the basics.

The last lesson of the day was languages. The whole of Band B had to go to the hall this time. We had all said which language we wanted to do earlier in the day, so that the school could arrange us into language classes. I'd picked Spanish, copying my brother and sisters (Being rather annoyed at their constant teasing in Spanish, and not knowing what the hell they were on about. But then, they always teased me and I still don't understand the logarithms of teasing, so it wouldn't have helped!)

Spanish was the last language, and by that time, they just said 'The rest of you are in Spanish'. I was one of them, and I was tired of waiting, so I was glad to know that I would be in Spanish! (And get a walk to the correct room, of course)

That first lesson was not the best. There were two other boys and one other girl in the class, who were in my form. Though that bit isn't important. (Well, the girl was revolting, but she left the school after that year anyway)

The teacher first asked us if any of us had done any Spanish beforehand. No-one had, which made her job easier, and meant that we didn't have to take a test. Some teaching happened, but at some point nearer the end of the lesson, we were asked to copy down some vocabulary etcetera from the board.

There was a teensy problem with this: the writing was small tiny miniscule and I needed an eye test. So it was bleeding impossible to do it at the rate wanted. I was still writing by the end of the lesson, and I let whoever was collecting the books to collect it, although I did feel a little nervous. This teacher was not one who would tolerate... anything.

There were still one or two things to get through, though, after school. I was unsure about where to wait for Crotchet, as we were supposed to walk home together. I hung around the front gate, wondering if this really was the way out. Finally, after everyone had left, Crotchet walked up the pathway, and said he wasn't going to collect me from lessons, and I should wait at the lamp-post outside the school. We then walked home.

The route home was up the hill. It was very warm, and so for the most of it I had my water-bottle in my mouth often. However, as my energetic younger self it had less effect then it did in later years. We finally got home. It was a first day to remember, in a mass of many days I spent at that school.