Lost in Suburbia

Alex Lape

(Warning: Contains themes of Teen Pregnancy)

Lost in Suburbia

Wednesday, August 12 2009

Today was my first official day as a Freshman in High School. Everything started off a bit slow, ya know, they dragged all of us down to the auditorium for some boring ass three hour Orientation. It was pretty standard; one of the track coaches Mr. Donkey (and I’m not kidding - that’s his real name) started ranting of about how the school’s so excited to have us, how we were now “part of the family”, and how if we followed the Six Pillars of good citizenship, we could have fun and thrive as a part of the school.

The only exciting part of the event was meeting some of the kids from the other middle schools who got filtered into this high school. Now as I looked at the girls from the other schools, I gotta admit - I went to the wrong middle school!

Thursday, August 13 2009

I just got back from my counselor’s office today. Apparently, I can’t afford to add electives into my nine period schedule even if I wanted to do it. My counselor Ms Bowler thinks I should focus on my core classes this sem and maybe plan electives out later. Meanwhile, my friend’s got Woodworking 1. But it’s whatever, I guess. The material can’t be too new or boring. In fact, my Biology teacher acts like she doesn’t care about you goofin off in class as long as you get the work in. One guy who went to the middle school across town by the tracks managed to bring his skateboard and guitar in. He and a friend wanted to jam in class, but I guess that’s where the teacher drew the line.

Finding a table at lunch was a bit of a pain in the ass, so I just decided to sit closer to the multiple door exit. It was nice since the seat was closer to the snack bar. Of course, I had a hard time deciding where to sit. I don’t really fit into a group except maybe the anime club, and I ain’t even as die hard nerdy and into anime as they are. They got the freakin’ bulging book bag with like three or four manga books and the handheld consoles. Even as I went home, I wondered what would happen if me or my cousins would ask our barely middle class folks for stuff like that.

Thursday, August 27 2009

So, recently I’ve been looking around for a girl I could take to the Freshman mixer and realized something - I’m basically chopped liver. I guess my ma was right about chicks in my generation, wilder and more apt to play games. “No more morals, your generation,” as my ma would say. And she was right. See, a lot of my family members would bug me to “bring home a good girl” (more exactly, bring home a good asian girl - but that’s a whole new bag I don’t wanna get into..), and they made it sound easy. Nopee. Not when a number of my female classmates start talking about how they let their boyfriends over for summer. . And at least one of these girls is someone I have a crush on. My ma grew up in a generation of class - bell bottom jeans and dresses, and I’m stuck in a generation of moccasins, T-shirts and booty shorts. You know, now that I think about it - it probably doesn’t help that I’m not a school athlete currently. I’m sure that would’ve helped.

Monday, September 7 2009

We got assigned a new class paper in English today. In remembrance of 9/11, our English teacher asked us to write an argument on whether or not our country is safer today. I personally agree that it is, but we still had to look online for articles we could cite for our thesis argument, including three main points leading to a conclusion. The school also has its first football game coming up soon, so the school cheerleaders did what they always do: yes, you guessed it - prance around in their uniforms or those aforementioned booty shorts. I thought one of em was actually waving at me earlier, it turns out her boyfriend had to get through behind me. It kinda felt odd being a part of the crowd someone has to push through to make it to the mainstage.

Tuesday, September 29 2009

I finally got my paper back for my first essay, and I’m kinda bummed that I ended up with a B+. I literally had .50% to go to nab an A-. Oh well, the teacher says I just gotta do better on the paper in October. The halls are, of course, still hyping up the win we had over another high school in the district. There was a whole assembly with the cheerleaders pretending to “swoon” over our great football team. It became corny as hell after the first twenty minutes, but it got us out of the last two periods.

Now, since I’m part of the Freshmen, I have to endure my part of getting roasted by the rest of the upperclassmen. Hell, even the sophomores joined in. Imagine

Monday, October 26 2009

Spirit Week has finally come to town, and what better way to start the week than how I start my day - in my pajamas and a pair of fluffy ass bunny slippers. Now, the staff tried to relate to us by playing some new hip hop on the morning radio. But it just fell flat cause they censored the hell out of it. It’s kinda hard to listen to a track that has seven blurts in a twenty second time span. By the way, did I mention how comfy these bunny slippers are?

Friday, October 30 2009

Tomorrow’s the Turnabout dance, and not one chick has asked me to take em out to the dance.

Seems like I even fly under nerdy chicks’ radars. So, I already know what tomorrow’s gonna be like - me shufflin my dumb ass all around the gymnasium since I’d literally have nothing to do. The other less popular kids I know are at least gonna work concessions. I know my friend Louie and some of the other guys might help our Home Ec teacher make additional treats for the night.

My crush already said that her Junior boyfriend might be coming over from the District across town, so I don’t really know how I feel or how I’m supposed to feel. I’m happy for her, I guess…

Monday, November 2 2009

The weekend sucked just about as much as I thought it would. I felt out of place in a crowd going absolutely nuts under strobe lights. One of the guy damn near knocked over the whole cooler of punch, so they had to clear a spot for the janitors. The funniest part is when I saw some of them the next morning at Sunday service all dressed up and proper. Because there’s no way Jack over there would have a cheerleader wiping her ass on his jeans the night before, right? Ah, who am I to judge? I did a stint at a Christian Academy before we moved and I went back to public school two years ago. And trust me, private school is just as messed up as public school is sometimes, with the blame mongering, and double standards because their parents or other relatives are part of staff.

But yea, after that whole Sunday sermon I half paid attention to, my brother invited me over to help clear out his storage and watch him tune up his bike.

Thursday, November 25 3009

Since Thanksgiving is being held at our house this year -ma’s rushing to make sure everything from the turkey, to the stuffing, to the pie comes out great from the stove. Dad’s still talking about that main event boxing match that happened eleven days ago. My brother tried to help out, but I get that he also had to leave because his in-laws just came to town. Of course, my dad isn’t exactly too pleased that the whole main family can’t enjoy a meal together. But look on the bright side, it turns out I had distant cousins I didn’t know were in town calling in to come over. I just hope our apartment’s big enough. Not gonna lie, I still can’t get why the middle bathroom clogs randomly.

Saturday, December 12 2009

Holiday Break just came in, and with it the Holiday season, as well as freezing weather. My old man’s still a little miffed at the incomplete Thanksgiving dinner, but ma’s trying to calm him down. Dad’s also pissed about the fact that the snowstorm’s a little more stubborn this year, and he has to clean out our car’s parking space again. Since we are barely making it as a middle class family, it’s highly doubtful that we’ll ship out any presents to my cousins. To be fair, they never ship jack to us.

Monday, January 11 2010

As much as I love the Holiday season, I’m glad that it’s finally over. The whole Christmas week, we’ve just been driving all over town trying to get everyone their presents. I got a couple sweaters, a new beanie, and a mug. It’s not the new gaming system; but that’s fine, I guess. Now, New Year’s…..aside from the whole stay up til midnight and the little noise we made - it wasn’t that special. My family isn’t the kind that goes out and celebrates outside a lot, which can get frustrating at times

I came back to my PE class today. It turns out two of my female classmates found out that they’re pregnant. Good for them, I guess. I wish the best for them. I offered to be their kids’ godfather down the line. But that’s probably just me trying to be there for them in my own way. I’m not really sure if I COULD be. In my family, we spoil our godkids - and that shit’s expensive.

Friday, February 12 2010.

Seems like Heart Day’s just around the corner. I’m pretty sure the chick I like and some of the other girls I have crushes on are bound to have fun with their guys and….I really need to stop looking so deep into this. I already feel inadequate as it is, and this sure ain’t helping. Guess I just have to settle for the only Valentine’s gifts coming from mom and dad again. But that’s ok, I love my mom and dad.

Tuesday, April 21 2010

This week, we’ve been gearing up for the last practice Achievement test of this year. Now all the counselors wanna hype up this test like it’s the most important test we’ll ever have in our life. So important that they wanna devote next year and some of the year after. Now, I understand that the Achievvemet Test helps people who need to get into college- but that makes it important IF they go into college. I know a couple of classmates who I personally feel would do better in trade school. And they know it, too. But I guess they’re forced into this overhyped clusterfuck as much as the rest of us are. Hell, one guy even got detention for goofing off in a practice test session.

As a side note, it would really help if the Math, Science, English, and History on these Achievement practice tests and the actual Achievement Tests weren’t disconnected from our content in our normal classes.

Monday, May 24 2009

Finally, the last week of this tiring ass school year. Most of our Achievement Tests are done, and finals should be over soon. After that, it’s really just cleaning up and leaving. Then it’s three months of doing random stuff like video games, walking at parks, chilling at the public library, and enjoying the town’s summerfest. At least we won’t be the new kids on the block when we come back, there’ll be new freshmen to roast the shit outta. Plus, we’ll finally get to leave campus for lunch - so, that’s a plus. Can’t wait for the fun times we’d have with that…