Excerpts from a Middle School Journal

Let me give you a little background on my middle school. There are three grades: fifth, sixth and seventh (eighth grade is high school).I entered fifth grade a few weeks before my eleventh birthday and was immediately smothered by a blanket of stress. Bear in mind that in my middle school diary there is alot of jumping around and alot less introspection that my high school diaries bring. 

Sept. 6, 2007: Today was the second day of school. Yesterday was fun but today was not. I can’t open or close my locker. Today we were evacuated because someone threatened to bomb us. We were on the news. I wish I had a working locker.

I had an obsession that my locker wouldn’t work between classes and I wouldn’t be able to get my required books. We received a bomb threat on the second day of school which meant me and my two friends got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (for me it was the third time). And for those wondering I love in New York. Not a war zone.

September 7 2007: My locker works. I sat next to Danny in social studies.

September 13 2007: Danny now sits next to me in Language Arts too. Only two more days till my party, four until my birthday. Now I’ll describe my teacher. Mr. Moment is scary. Home room I sit next to gross Anthony. There’s either computer class or art class. Computer class is okay. Danny sits next to me in that class too. I hate art.

September 21st: 2007: Margaret likes Danny. Christina probably does too. 

Just to flesh out some characters Margaret and Christina were my two best middle school friends. I had been closer with Christina but as middle school progressed I grew closer to Margaret. The three of us (and several other medical girls) were in love with Danny, probably more for aesthetic reasons than anything else.

Oct . 16 2007: I’ve  just gotten back from Camp Mariah. It was fun but now we have a stupid journal to fill out.. 

About  a month into middle school they sent us on a class trip to “bond” with one another. It was nice because I got to share a cabin with all my friends.  We also got to do some fun stuff like build a lean too, go through a ropes course and make our way through the woods blindfolded (our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us. I was a bit shy about this, sensing that the boy behind me could feel my bra straps). It was nice the school made an effort. Not all schools do that. At least not anymore. Maybe middle school wasn't so bad after all.