High School was a Drag but I’ll Attend the Reunion Anyway

I can make up a gazillion reasons why I hated high school but if ever the reunion will push through, I think I’m gonna go. So today, a friend and I had a short convo about what kind of hell high school was.  We weren’t popular (and it’s alright) but people didn’t like us because we are not like them. Or should I say, I was not like them in many ways.

1. I was not an honor student. Yeah, but it’s OK.  I’ve seen an honor student cheat in a Physics exam. I can’t be proud of an achievement if I cheated my way to it.
2. My shoes were made by an unknown brand. While the rest of the folks wore Doc Martens, Skechers, and Hush Puppies, my shoes were made in the Philippines by some unknown manufacturer.  They are cheap, fit the bill of what the school wants us to wear, and they were comfy.  I had no complaints.  But my classmates found it silly so they had to humiliate me in the canteen because of that.
3. The librarians knew my name so they laugh at that, too. Since I had nothing to do during breaks, I prefer to read.  The best place to hide and read all those Palanca compilations is in the library.  I help out the librarians sometimes.  I won stuff from the library, and again they mock me for that.
4. Contrary to popular belief, I was not a loner. I had friends but I didn’t have many. I remember I’d write short stories with some of my guy and girl friends and we’d exchange notes and read what we have made and comment on what should happen next, etc. Some weekends, Joane and I would hang out at McDonalds where we make our own Coke floats (that time, there was no Coke float at McDo) and we talk and drown our problems away with each gulp.
5. I was ugly. Seriously.  I had no boobs, awful hair, bad skin.  Well, until now I do have bad hair and skin (and I have lil twins now, LOL).  But according to Helena Rubinstein, “There are no ugly girls, just lazy ones.”  So I guess I am not lazy anymore.
6. I did very well in Trigonometry despite not owning a calculator. My dad bought me a scientific calculator but some moron stole it from my bag.  So all year, I had to go through Trigo with the help of tables.  Angles of elevation and depression were some of my favorites.  I saved my quiz notebooks because I felt so proud whenever I get a perfect score sans calculator.
7. My classmates hated my all-time favorite teacher. Sometimes I don’t get it why they didn’t like Sir Danny but he was smart, kind, and funny.  They hated him because he didn’t like their materialistic and mundane ways. He asked me, “So pano yan, they [classmates] don’t like you?” I said, “It’s OK, I don’t like them either.” I felt so bad when one of his parents passed away.  I went to Loyola to pay respect and when he introduced me to his brothers he said I was one of the brightest in school.  I was so shy but felt good because I thought he was the only one who believed in me.  About five years later, I saw him while I was in a jeepney and we stared at each other as the jeepney passed and he smiled. I wanted to get off the jeepney just to tell him that I am thankful for everything.
8. People laugh and mock me because I am me. I remember some idiot pulled up my skirt while I was standing quietly in the canteen.  He won’t do that to any of the popular girls but since I was the laughing stock, he thought he had the every right to humiliate me. I wanted to slap him for being mean but I didn’t.  More drama.  I didn’t want to end up in the Guidance Counselor’s office.
9. I wasn’t girly so no boy took interest on me. Who would take interest on a geeky girl who can go over the fence (about 10 feet high) just to skip classes?  But that’s OK.  I knew that I was there to study (and skip some of the boring classes) and I have more drama at home to deal with so no time for boys.
10. Home, school, repeat.  That’s what my schedule’s like.  I rarely go to the mall unless Joane’s going.  While the others see each other on weekends to just hang out at Rockwell, I’m at home, washing the clothes and bonding with mom. She’s home every weekend so that’s the only time I’d get to see her and talk to her.

High school was a really awful time because people talk bad stuff about other people and some just don’t like me for the clothes I wear or because I liked librarians and some of the teachers.  It’s been eight years and I think it won’t be so bad to see what my classmates are like now.  So even though high school was a drag, I’ll attend the reunion anyway.  Who knows what could happen.