It was a pretty funny day in school on Wednesday, as far as funny days in school go.
For one thing, my year was pretty dead due to a Geography trip up the north to dip their toes in a river and measure the velocity and what not. I was never any good at Geo in the JC so I dropped it before 5th year started. I didn't do too badly in the JC either, I got a C in Ordinary Level, and I honestly believed I was going to fail that - and so did my teacher. She never liked me. I used to sit up the front with Nicki, Mikey & Graham. They were all chatterboxes back then and I got sucked in. I didn't mind so much, because I hated Geo anyways and always knew I'd be dropping it in the end, so it wasn't that important to me. Although, going into 5th year and being sat in front of Russian - I mean - Biology, I was pretty gutted I hadn't chosen to do Geo and had left it too late to do anything about. However, things worked out in the end and now I don't do either, so hurrah!
Anyways!
I only went in on Wednesday because my music teacher - you know the one - asked me to sing at the 5th year mass that day. I was supposed to be doing a duet with a guy in my class, but he bailed the fucker left me to handle stage fright by myself. What an ass an half! (and it's a good ass too! *wink*)
I spent the day dreading 1.45 and the classes seemed to drag with the lack of work to distract me. Double Art was first thing that morning, and I like Art. I like it because I'm not half bad and my teacher is a bloody Loo-La. You can't help but the love 'The Caff' though. He's thrice the age of the building and has a few screws loose, but that's what you love about him.
Five of us trotted in that morning to discover his classroom being ripped apart. His teacher's desk was torn out of its home completely and the table was now on the other side of the room. This was a rat-search. Yes. Our school is infested - yet again!
"Well not rats," he said, "Wee baby mice. We're not sure if we have them but it's better off to make sure. Oh look - that's where my lolly went!"
Sir pointed down underneath the step up to where his desk used to be, where there was a lot of dust, dirt and rubbish. Through the ground in grut, he spotted a half eaten (what used to be) red lolly. "Damn mice!" he huffed. No one knew whether to laugh, but I did. You have to understand this man's sense of humour and part of the reason why he likes so little of us in the class is because nobody else gets him quite as such. Still, it's not as if he gives a shit anyways. He'll still be yammering on about madmen in windows and pink bags until he's senile.
We spent that class sitting around talking about college and what to expect. Sir was telling us about how he fell in love with college and would pack his bags and head straight back now if he could. He told us about his days dating the singer Enya and then dumped her for her sister. Apparently Enya has gone a little mad now - she doesn't go out. She prefers to stay at home with her cats.
Yes, that's right. Cats.
"That'll be me." I said. Sir laughed - which I didn't know was a good response or not. It either means he didn't know what to say or he agreed and I'd go with the latter.
It was weird sitting around talking to people you wouldn't usually have a daily conversation with, but the banter was actually pretty good. I went for a little skip around the school during the break of class to grab a Maynooth guide-book from the guidance counsellors office.
On my way through assembly, our principle called after me. 'Sinead' he said.
I didn't look around. Why? Because that's not my name.
'Sinead!' he said again. I looked around this time, because I was the only one that he could have been speaking to you. 'Oh,' he frowned, 'That's not your name..'
'Kristina' I told him. He nodded his head apologetically.
'And Kristina, where are my lovely paintings you and your friends promised me so long ago?'
In September, he called myself, Jen and a few others into his office where we expressed how we'd like to paint a picture for the bear corridors down the H area. We signed our names down on a piece of paper and told him we'd get back to him a week later. This was the first encounter I had had with him since. I told him that we were still going to do the paintings and all, but by the looks of things, it would be just me and Jenna.
Jenna's great at Artwork. And she's fantastic at English too. I reckon she could write a book and draw the pictures. Donnie Darko style.
The guidance counsellors weren't there when I got to their offices and I didn't want to rob a book on them without permission. I was on my way back to class when the Principle stopped be again, brought me back and robbed the book for me. Sound. I told him I'd bring it back, but I forgot in the end.
He yammered on like he usually does - trying to 'get to know' the students and then forget their names an hour later - until I wound back up to my own class. He got distracted then by another teacher and our conversation about how I was at peace with the world ended abruptly and thankfully.
I had a free Biology next class to the dither-spaz blondie teacher who works alongside my own music teacher for the masses and what not, stopped me outside class and asked me if I'd practise with her for a bit seeing as I had the free class. I grabbed my words, a cappo and met her in an empty classroom.
The thing about this teacher is... she's very young and she likes to think that she's a lot older with much more experience than she actually has. My own music teacher - Mr M, we'll call him - thiinks that she's a bit of a Loo-La too, but he only tells us with what he doesn't say.
The song Ms Blondie gave me was 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' by Greenday. I don't really like Greenday but the song is okay. Mr M told me I could pick a different song if I liked, but Ms Blondie didn't like that. She just said to stick with what was on the CD the week before for the 6th year mass, but I missed that. I didn't care anyways.
I didn't care - up until a certain point. This teacher is a psycho. One minute, she didn't want me to do the mass at all because I was in 6th year. Then, after she heard me play the guitar and sing the song, she won't leave me alone. The contrast that comes between myself, Mr M and Ms Blondie is how a song's originality effects the listener. Myself and Mr M think that even the slightest twist of a song will make it your own - and people appreciate that... Nobody cares much for a karaoke version of something that's been done a thousand times. But Ms Blondie - I honestly think she's got OCD or something - thinks that things should be kept exactly as they are.
So when I changed one chord of the song to suit my voice and make the song my own, still singing it the boring way she wanted it to be sung - she wasn't one bit happy. She kept saying "I'm not sure about that E note. I just don't think the kids are going to get it."
Mr M said, "I think it's brilliant. Leave it the way it is. Kristina knows what she's doing."
This would be the first time I'd ever sung in front of anyone other than my music class and at least with them, we're all in the same boat. No one is judgemental in that class because they don't want to be judged themselves, and I like that. But Mr M took a shine to me this year so I must be doing something right. The thing is though, I did actually know what I was doing. When I go into class on a Tuesday for practical, I always end up singing something that nobody has ever heard of, and he likes that. It means that I can sing anything I want in my own way and no one would know any different.
So when Ms Blondie & myself were in the empty classroom without Mr M, she was insisting that I should change the E chord back to original one, and sing the verses exactly as they 'should' be sung. I was already singing the song sooo boringly, but that still wasn't dead enough for her. I told her that it was too late for me to change the chord now, that I'd been practising the way we'd set it on a week ago and the mass was today, so what was the point?
She said, "The kids won't get it though."
I said, "The kids don't care."
In the end, I got my way. And so I should have. Talk about knocking someones confidence who is just about holding it together anyways.
You see, Mr M was supposed to be going to a Gaelic match that day & missing the mass. I reckon that she was only doing this now because wasn't around and she could have her own way and he'd never even have to know. Wrong! The match got cancelled and Mr M was there. Myself, Kayla* & Amy took to assembly after lunch and Mr M was lurking around, helping to set up the mass. He came over to wish us good luck and all that, and asked if we were nervous.
Kayla* & Amy weren't. They've been singing in front of people for years. Kayla* does drama with her Aunty, who is rather popular in this town and her uncle used to be a famous singer before he died. She'll do well in the music/drama industry...
Amy is only 12 years old, a tiny little thing - with bigger lungs than Christina Aguilera. Amy sings Opera and my God; she is amazing! Her and Kayla* are both doing the TLT School Stars show in Drogheda. I want Amy to win. Everyone is routing for her and so they should be!
"Sing that song the way you've been singing it and you'll be fine." Mr M told me.
"She wants me to get rid of the E chord." I told him. "The song is already shit enough."
He said, "I'm your teacher. So do what I say. Keep the E note and you'll be great."
Unfortunately, I was outshone by Amy and Kayla* was pretty good too. I had to open the mass, which was fine and all. I didn't mind and when I got up there, I didn't even feel nervous. Although, I think my brain fell asleep when I was singing because I wasn't even paying attention to what I was doing. Mr M was down the back where I couldn't see him and Ms Blondie was behind me with Amy & Kayla* waiting to wrap up. In the end, Ms Blondie just looooved it!
Oh har-har.
Thing about the mass was - I didn't know that it was for the boy in fifth year who died a couple of weeks ago. The whole mass was about suicide and death... It was very depressing. And the new priest to the school kept referring back to the lyrics in the song about 'Lonely Roads' and 'Empty Streets' and how the boy would 'Walk Alone'... If I had have known that the song actually linked into the mass I wouldn't have complained so much.
Amy stole the show anyways. When mass was over, the teachers came by to say well done and shook our hands - and the Principal remembered my name! - Hurrah! They were in awe over Amy's voice and are 'priveleged' to have her in our school. The three of us left the school after that mass and I asked Amy if she wanted to be famous when she's older. She said yes, and I honestly think that she'll get what she wants. Her and Kayla* were in the semi-finals of that talent show on Wednesday night, but I haven't been in school since so I don't know how it went. I do hope that Amy got through. She was singing 'Time to say Goodbye' - another soul-ful song and I'd say she was brilliant. Kayla*was dancing with a dance group from various schools that she's in and I'd say they were alright as well. I only remember Kayla* dancing on her own in the school talent show when she was in first year, but I don't remember it all that well. To be honest, if I was paying any attention to her at the time, I'd say there was just a lot of rolling around on the ground.
So overall, it was an-arlight-pretty-boring-but-eventful-enough day in school. I think the best part about the whole thing was when I was telling a rather frightful story about my mother in Irish. The teacher left the room for a while and there was only about 7 of us there. I sat down the back with a friend and was filling her in on how abusive my mother was the night before - and she really was! She is the Queen of Loo-La-Land. People call her Lulu... Well I do.
Anyways... I was getting to the climax of my story when everyone started laughing. I hadn't realised how loud I was talking but people seemed to enjoy my treatury. The only downfall about that event was that my mum robbed my new dvds that I only bought the other day as 'punishment for my attitude'. The woman hit me and locked me in the kitchen and I'm the one in trouble?! Outrage! I don't get 'The Vampire Diaries' back until Monday! What a load of dung!... Paul Wesley & Ian Somerhalder were keeping me going, you know.
The only other thing that kept me going was knowing that the next episode of TVD was out today, but I got up extra early to watch it online and - it wasn't there! And it won't be either until the 3rd of December - which means the 4th for us Irish folk!! Scandal!
On the brightside - Harry Potter is out tonight and we're going to the 9o'clock show. Which is going to be fabbity fab! It's true.. We've gone a little HP mad these days. A couple of weeks ago we sat in and had a HP weekend. Although we skipped the second and third film because apparently the second is one is 'shit' and the third was just holding up the fourth. I love the second one! Who doesn't love a good bant with Voldemort and his pet Basilisk?
So tonight, we're grabbing our willies - I mean wands - hopping on our broomsticks and setting our dragons loose on good Lord Voldy! Oooh - excished!
