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Poppies and pie
Nov. 7th, 2003 05:14 pmIt has been a day of strange happenings. I went into the common room at eight thirty this morning, and Becky Odedun said, "I've got a present for you."
"For me?"
She rummaged around in her bag and handed me a plastic box. It was a banoffee pie. I immediately started feeling gooey. No-one's ever given me a pie before. I happened to mention how much I like the pie she brings in to snack on, and... well. It's wonderful, that pie. Chocolate and cream and banana all blended together... mmm. And as I said, no-one's ever given me a pie before. It's now in the fridge. I'll eat it later.
I normally wouldn't go into this much detail, but as assembly today was fairly unusual, I ought to comment. It was your stock assembly - they (they being Becca and Julie in the soundbox) played music, some of the Upper Sixth gave the notices and delivered a few words on the Listening Service, then there was a pause as the Listening Service people asked the simple question, "What music was playing as we came in this morning?"
I knew the answer. I did. But I couldn't remember, and my concentrationb was broken anyway by a vaguely familiar beep-beep-beep noise. Someone's mobile was going off, and I looked across to the other stand to see Mrs Heaton (Maths teacher, boring, Lancashire accent) rummaging around in her bag. It was the second time her phone had gone off, so I grinned a bit. In the meantime, no-one had answered the question.
There was silence. Then a very familiar voice began, "Is it..."
I looked up and Becca was out on the balcony looking intelligent. "Is it Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Eva Cassidy?"
The Listening Service agreed that yes, it was, and how on earth could she possibly have known? Cue gentle mirth and most people making to get up and go. But Mrs Bush (irritating in the extreme, vindictive, petty, obsessed with bureaucracy and has no eyebrows) began her latest tirade. "Just a quick reminder that mobile phones should not be brought into assembly and whoever whose phone was going off should please remain behind..."
Everyone knew. Everyone except her, it seems. Becca claims that she saw her put her hands down and mutter, "Oh, shit." Mrs Heaton had gone various shades of crimson. Most of the school (and the teachers, who all hate Mrs Bush) were laughing at her. At her, not with her. It was all very very amusing.
So amusing that I did not want to go to lessons. But I had to, and Chemistry it was. We got to talking about Prizegiving, and what prizes we may or may not be receiving, and Sarah and I mentioned the one we share. Sarah knows she got the same as Helena for her English Lit GCSE, and believes that she ought to share the English Lit prize with Helena. However, what she's actually doing is sharing the other English prize (Spoken and Written English) with yours truly. Mrs Colvin is known for being remarkably indiscreet, but she probably had a point where she said, "We all know who Helena's mother is..."
She probably shouldn't have said it. And it doesn't make any real difference - I mean, Sarah still gets a prize this way. But it is something to wonder about, in my darker moments. While we're on the subject, Helena's mother has succeeded in making her change from English Lit (where she got 100%!) to combined. She asked for my Brave New World notes to look at over the weekend, so it seems she really is moving. Her mother is frankly unbelievable at times.
The other thing I feel I have to mention for some reason is the new lunch system. Friday has been sandwich day for as long as I can remember, but they're changing to soup. Soup does not "fill you up," says Bev, and I think I am forced to agree. They wanted feedback on the new system. My comment was basically It's Not Very Good. I might have thought more about it, but Becca and Bev were off being the poppy-sellers. They've both been parading round school, selling poppies and shaking the tins. I have a poppy, but I've lost the pin so I can't wear it. While I still had it, I couldn't resist the temptation to push it under the skin of my fingers and pull, and so it's perhaps a good thing I did lose it, as the skin on my fingers is all raked to bits. The poppy itself is now my bookmark. I'm re-reading The Fifth Elephant.
I suppose that covers everything I wanted to say. I was productive during my frees today, and actually copied up those periodicity notes I've been ignoring up until now, and that leaves me with not much work to do for the weekend. I think Becca, Emma and me are going to see the Matrix Revolutions tomorrow at the Plaza. I didn't really like Reloaded, but let's hope this one's better. We discussed it walking home - that is, Becca and me - and she's ringing the Plaza tonight. Becca and I hadn't walked home together all week until today, which is strange.
That is all.
"For me?"
She rummaged around in her bag and handed me a plastic box. It was a banoffee pie. I immediately started feeling gooey. No-one's ever given me a pie before. I happened to mention how much I like the pie she brings in to snack on, and... well. It's wonderful, that pie. Chocolate and cream and banana all blended together... mmm. And as I said, no-one's ever given me a pie before. It's now in the fridge. I'll eat it later.
I normally wouldn't go into this much detail, but as assembly today was fairly unusual, I ought to comment. It was your stock assembly - they (they being Becca and Julie in the soundbox) played music, some of the Upper Sixth gave the notices and delivered a few words on the Listening Service, then there was a pause as the Listening Service people asked the simple question, "What music was playing as we came in this morning?"
I knew the answer. I did. But I couldn't remember, and my concentrationb was broken anyway by a vaguely familiar beep-beep-beep noise. Someone's mobile was going off, and I looked across to the other stand to see Mrs Heaton (Maths teacher, boring, Lancashire accent) rummaging around in her bag. It was the second time her phone had gone off, so I grinned a bit. In the meantime, no-one had answered the question.
There was silence. Then a very familiar voice began, "Is it..."
I looked up and Becca was out on the balcony looking intelligent. "Is it Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Eva Cassidy?"
The Listening Service agreed that yes, it was, and how on earth could she possibly have known? Cue gentle mirth and most people making to get up and go. But Mrs Bush (irritating in the extreme, vindictive, petty, obsessed with bureaucracy and has no eyebrows) began her latest tirade. "Just a quick reminder that mobile phones should not be brought into assembly and whoever whose phone was going off should please remain behind..."
Everyone knew. Everyone except her, it seems. Becca claims that she saw her put her hands down and mutter, "Oh, shit." Mrs Heaton had gone various shades of crimson. Most of the school (and the teachers, who all hate Mrs Bush) were laughing at her. At her, not with her. It was all very very amusing.
So amusing that I did not want to go to lessons. But I had to, and Chemistry it was. We got to talking about Prizegiving, and what prizes we may or may not be receiving, and Sarah and I mentioned the one we share. Sarah knows she got the same as Helena for her English Lit GCSE, and believes that she ought to share the English Lit prize with Helena. However, what she's actually doing is sharing the other English prize (Spoken and Written English) with yours truly. Mrs Colvin is known for being remarkably indiscreet, but she probably had a point where she said, "We all know who Helena's mother is..."
She probably shouldn't have said it. And it doesn't make any real difference - I mean, Sarah still gets a prize this way. But it is something to wonder about, in my darker moments. While we're on the subject, Helena's mother has succeeded in making her change from English Lit (where she got 100%!) to combined. She asked for my Brave New World notes to look at over the weekend, so it seems she really is moving. Her mother is frankly unbelievable at times.
The other thing I feel I have to mention for some reason is the new lunch system. Friday has been sandwich day for as long as I can remember, but they're changing to soup. Soup does not "fill you up," says Bev, and I think I am forced to agree. They wanted feedback on the new system. My comment was basically It's Not Very Good. I might have thought more about it, but Becca and Bev were off being the poppy-sellers. They've both been parading round school, selling poppies and shaking the tins. I have a poppy, but I've lost the pin so I can't wear it. While I still had it, I couldn't resist the temptation to push it under the skin of my fingers and pull, and so it's perhaps a good thing I did lose it, as the skin on my fingers is all raked to bits. The poppy itself is now my bookmark. I'm re-reading The Fifth Elephant.
I suppose that covers everything I wanted to say. I was productive during my frees today, and actually copied up those periodicity notes I've been ignoring up until now, and that leaves me with not much work to do for the weekend. I think Becca, Emma and me are going to see the Matrix Revolutions tomorrow at the Plaza. I didn't really like Reloaded, but let's hope this one's better. We discussed it walking home - that is, Becca and me - and she's ringing the Plaza tonight. Becca and I hadn't walked home together all week until today, which is strange.
That is all.
