Eighth Grade: Term One
(**This is based on a true story. Names were changed along with physical characteristics.**)
Christine: I was glad when school started. I missed my friends and was bored. My friends had changed so much over the summer, some their personalities others their attitudes. The year to remember: eighth grade, our last year in middle school and our last year of just being Southborough. So many problems, drama and situations were sure to come but I never expected so many. This is my story of what happened in term one.
My mom would tell me that someday my friends were bound to change and we might not be able to be friends anymore. I never believed her but in this term it almost became a reality.
After the first couple of weeks of school were under our belts, trouble started brewing in our “sporty, semi-popular” group. It seemed as if my friends had been transformed over the summer. I noticed that even though Alicia and I were close last year, we seemed to be growing apart. We were not in any of each others’ classes and didn’t sit next to each other at the lunch table anymore. I realized that Colleen, Holly and I were growing much closer. We all edited each others’ work and hung out together. All of us seemed to be everywhere together, almost as if we were attached at the hip.
There seemed to be other problems going on besides mine. While Alicia and Julie grew closer, Julie seemed to be drifting away from Katie. This resulted in major drama because Katie loved and had to control everything. She was attached to Julie. As I remember, it all started when Julie chose Alicia to be her lab partner in science class. It ended up that the lab group consisted of Julie, Alicia, Katie and Jessica. To my dismay, Katie would never forgive Alicia for taking “her” spot. Alicia didn’t know she hurt Katie and wanted to be partners with Julie.
Later on in the term, when ever Julie sided with Alicia, Katie would be angry and upset. I remember it got so bad one time that Katie left her group and started talking about Julie and Alicia behind their backs. Alicia and Julie, for the first time, got mad at Katie. They couldn’t understand why she had to be so controlling. Katie would act like she was fine around Julie but be bitchy to Alicia. Alicia was annoyed with all the “girly girl” drama. Katie is still acting how she did the first semester to both of them. I am glad that Katie and Julie do not sit next to each other.
To me, the first situation was not important. The whole first semester, I was worried about Olivia and Alicia. Alicia for another reason than I already said. I am always worried about Alicia because she is so quiet and scared to say something that she may get lost. Olivia and Alicia have equaled best friends forever. The two are exact opposites. The loud, brave girl who isn’t afraid to say anything describes Olivia. Likewise, the quiet, soft spoken girl who will not open up at all describes Alicia. They still have stayed best friends but they both seem to be drifting from the group. The both didn’t talk much at lunch. During recess they would just end up talking to each other. Olivia and Alicia seemed to share a secret language. They knew when the other was sick or hurt. The hardest one to get back would be Alicia, so that’s where I started. I tried to help but she ended up getting more annoyed.
I really noticed the difference when Ashley, Colleen, Holly and I started to leave our study. I insisted that Alicia come along but she refused. I felt bad about it but the others stopped asking. I’d see Alicia in Mr. Gomes’ room all alone and feel for her. I didn’t know how to help her. She seemed to be suffering from us but I refused to let her go. Alicia needed her feelings poured out like last year.
Alicia: I dreaded returning to school. Not because I didn’t receive good grades, I was a straight A student, but because last year was not fun. Last year, seventh grade, was a complete disaster for me. Nothing went right. Hardly any of my friends were in my classes and I definitely had to have the worst teachers. I received Mrs. Derley and Mrs. Higgins. All my secrets were opened up last year to Christine and Ms. Bentz. I was determined not to let it happen again.
Eighth grade started off much better for me. All my core classes were with Erin and all my specials were with Colleen and Holly. Even though we received Mrs. Derley, Colleen did not get along with her either.
As I look back on it now, I messed everything up. Christine and I were like peanut butter and jelly last year and this year more like peanut butter and cheese. I was confused at the beginning of the year and got annoyed with Christine a lot. Sometimes I didn’t realize that Christine was trying to help. Christine and I were too different. Christine and my problems were bad but not as bad as mine and Julie’s.
It all started in science class when Mrs. Murphy told us to get with a partner. I looked around and saw that Erin and Sam were together along with Emily and Noelle. So, Julie asked me to be her partner. I had not been in many of Julie’s classes and she was fun to be around. I didn’t even know Katie was in our class. I never like Katie much but went along with her because everyone else did. I hated to rock the boat. Katie’s strong and opinionated personality was difficult to deal with. Katie ended up being in our lab group along with Jess. Every time we did experiments Katie would act like she knew everything and leave us out. The funny thing happened to be that I was good at science and she was not. Fighting or trying to help Katie was not an option. I didn’t want to get in a fight with her so I left her alone. Jess who’s personality is strong tried to fight with Katie. Katie was livid.
One day, when Julie and I started an experiment she left and went to another group because we were not including her. Katie started to talk about us behind our backs in class. Julie was upset but I told her that she should not care. Katie is still bitchy to me but I do not care. This was not my big problem.
My problem started in Mr. Gomes’ study. Holly, Ashley, Colleen and Christine would all leave his study to talk. The first couple of times they all invited me but I declined. I needed to get my work done because of sports and I didn’t think it was morally right to leave a study to talk. Yeah, I know talk about a priss. Christine ended up being the only one who would ask me but I declined. I think Colleen was upset at me. It seemed to me that she though I was being rude. I felt bad for not going but also mad at them. They had to leave me? It didn’t make sense to me.
Nothing made sense to Olivia and me anymore. We had been tight since ever. We knew when the other was sad or hurt or annoyed. We hated change. At lunch, there were changes everywhere. It really upset me because I wanted to live my old, sixth grade life. I did not want to move on because I was scared. Since I was quiet, I just thought about this all the time. I missed it.
I realized most of my friends had grown away from me and I was confused. Where did I belong? Confusion hurt me so much that first term. I had no idea what was going on. Since last years confrontation with Ms. Bentz and Christine I had been scared out of my mind. I was afraid of opening up to my teachers and my friends. What if that happened to me again? So many questions swam through my temples at night but none of them solved.
(**This is based on a true story. Names were changed along with physical characteristics.**)
Christine: I was glad when school started. I missed my friends and was bored. My friends had changed so much over the summer, some their personalities others their attitudes. The year to remember: eighth grade, our last year in middle school and our last year of just being Southborough. So many problems, drama and situations were sure to come but I never expected so many. This is my story of what happened in term one.
My mom would tell me that someday my friends were bound to change and we might not be able to be friends anymore. I never believed her but in this term it almost became a reality.
After the first couple of weeks of school were under our belts, trouble started brewing in our “sporty, semi-popular” group. It seemed as if my friends had been transformed over the summer. I noticed that even though Alicia and I were close last year, we seemed to be growing apart. We were not in any of each others’ classes and didn’t sit next to each other at the lunch table anymore. I realized that Colleen, Holly and I were growing much closer. We all edited each others’ work and hung out together. All of us seemed to be everywhere together, almost as if we were attached at the hip.
There seemed to be other problems going on besides mine. While Alicia and Julie grew closer, Julie seemed to be drifting away from Katie. This resulted in major drama because Katie loved and had to control everything. She was attached to Julie. As I remember, it all started when Julie chose Alicia to be her lab partner in science class. It ended up that the lab group consisted of Julie, Alicia, Katie and Jessica. To my dismay, Katie would never forgive Alicia for taking “her” spot. Alicia didn’t know she hurt Katie and wanted to be partners with Julie.
Later on in the term, when ever Julie sided with Alicia, Katie would be angry and upset. I remember it got so bad one time that Katie left her group and started talking about Julie and Alicia behind their backs. Alicia and Julie, for the first time, got mad at Katie. They couldn’t understand why she had to be so controlling. Katie would act like she was fine around Julie but be bitchy to Alicia. Alicia was annoyed with all the “girly girl” drama. Katie is still acting how she did the first semester to both of them. I am glad that Katie and Julie do not sit next to each other.
To me, the first situation was not important. The whole first semester, I was worried about Olivia and Alicia. Alicia for another reason than I already said. I am always worried about Alicia because she is so quiet and scared to say something that she may get lost. Olivia and Alicia have equaled best friends forever. The two are exact opposites. The loud, brave girl who isn’t afraid to say anything describes Olivia. Likewise, the quiet, soft spoken girl who will not open up at all describes Alicia. They still have stayed best friends but they both seem to be drifting from the group. The both didn’t talk much at lunch. During recess they would just end up talking to each other. Olivia and Alicia seemed to share a secret language. They knew when the other was sick or hurt. The hardest one to get back would be Alicia, so that’s where I started. I tried to help but she ended up getting more annoyed.
I really noticed the difference when Ashley, Colleen, Holly and I started to leave our study. I insisted that Alicia come along but she refused. I felt bad about it but the others stopped asking. I’d see Alicia in Mr. Gomes’ room all alone and feel for her. I didn’t know how to help her. She seemed to be suffering from us but I refused to let her go. Alicia needed her feelings poured out like last year.
Alicia: I dreaded returning to school. Not because I didn’t receive good grades, I was a straight A student, but because last year was not fun. Last year, seventh grade, was a complete disaster for me. Nothing went right. Hardly any of my friends were in my classes and I definitely had to have the worst teachers. I received Mrs. Derley and Mrs. Higgins. All my secrets were opened up last year to Christine and Ms. Bentz. I was determined not to let it happen again.
Eighth grade started off much better for me. All my core classes were with Erin and all my specials were with Colleen and Holly. Even though we received Mrs. Derley, Colleen did not get along with her either.
As I look back on it now, I messed everything up. Christine and I were like peanut butter and jelly last year and this year more like peanut butter and cheese. I was confused at the beginning of the year and got annoyed with Christine a lot. Sometimes I didn’t realize that Christine was trying to help. Christine and I were too different. Christine and my problems were bad but not as bad as mine and Julie’s.
It all started in science class when Mrs. Murphy told us to get with a partner. I looked around and saw that Erin and Sam were together along with Emily and Noelle. So, Julie asked me to be her partner. I had not been in many of Julie’s classes and she was fun to be around. I didn’t even know Katie was in our class. I never like Katie much but went along with her because everyone else did. I hated to rock the boat. Katie’s strong and opinionated personality was difficult to deal with. Katie ended up being in our lab group along with Jess. Every time we did experiments Katie would act like she knew everything and leave us out. The funny thing happened to be that I was good at science and she was not. Fighting or trying to help Katie was not an option. I didn’t want to get in a fight with her so I left her alone. Jess who’s personality is strong tried to fight with Katie. Katie was livid.
One day, when Julie and I started an experiment she left and went to another group because we were not including her. Katie started to talk about us behind our backs in class. Julie was upset but I told her that she should not care. Katie is still bitchy to me but I do not care. This was not my big problem.
My problem started in Mr. Gomes’ study. Holly, Ashley, Colleen and Christine would all leave his study to talk. The first couple of times they all invited me but I declined. I needed to get my work done because of sports and I didn’t think it was morally right to leave a study to talk. Yeah, I know talk about a priss. Christine ended up being the only one who would ask me but I declined. I think Colleen was upset at me. It seemed to me that she though I was being rude. I felt bad for not going but also mad at them. They had to leave me? It didn’t make sense to me.
Nothing made sense to Olivia and me anymore. We had been tight since ever. We knew when the other was sad or hurt or annoyed. We hated change. At lunch, there were changes everywhere. It really upset me because I wanted to live my old, sixth grade life. I did not want to move on because I was scared. Since I was quiet, I just thought about this all the time. I missed it.
I realized most of my friends had grown away from me and I was confused. Where did I belong? Confusion hurt me so much that first term. I had no idea what was going on. Since last years confrontation with Ms. Bentz and Christine I had been scared out of my mind. I was afraid of opening up to my teachers and my friends. What if that happened to me again? So many questions swam through my temples at night but none of them solved.