Hotpants and Heartbreak

Monday, 9 March 2009

Common

I'm lying on my back, but not for the reasons you're thinking.
I'm lying on my back in our college common room. The inspectors are in, so waltzing into town to optimistically buy Solero's in tiny skirts, floaty tops and oversize sunglasses is strictly off the menu for a day. Instead, it's ruffle collared shirts, floating skirts or wide leg trousers and flats. Then again, I wear flats all the time- usually more flamboyant than my black Primark ballet pumps, admittedly.
We're packed like sardines into the common room, trying to keep from the rising heat. We're usually off adventuring, not all squashed into one place. How I managed to get two chairs to lie down on to myself is a small mystery, but I'm not questioning my blessings. Girls swan this way and that, uncomfortable in so many clothes, squinting to inspect the small-print calorie count on their pasta pots. K sits at the computer, selecting the perfect shots for her portfolio (modeling is her latest craze to boost her flailing self-esteem). The girls around me compare notes on the functions of the legislature for Politics next period. Of course, the room hums with the background chatter of who's shagging who, who wants to be shagging who and who wishes they hadn't shagged who. Someone's discussing the merits of Watchmen (which, of course, I've championed all along), and whether or not Dr. Manhattan is a detached superhero or just a big blue womaniser at heart. The board almost sags under the weight of the list of the fortnight's events- someone's dragging us to see their play, someone's organising a road trip to the beach (even though they may freeze in the process), someone's going out for a chinese- all are welcome.
And I just lie there, considering whether or not I can blag politics, letting all the chaos fall around me, and realising that our strict, all-girls affair isn't such a bad set up. Of course, an impromptu dance session starts in the middle of the room- a crazy mix of Those Dancing Days and the Jonas Brothers- and I have to abandon all thoughts of politics and school sentimentality to join in.

Labels: ,

Friday, 30 January 2009

List

Christ on a bicycle- the shit has hit the fan. Again.
The college I attend is an all-girls' affair, and I also went to the linked secondary school. This has its advantages (the naughty catholic schoolgirl stigma) and disadvantages (every who doesn't know me assumes I'm filthy rich, or batting for the other team). However, there is one disadvantage that seems to stick out head and shoulders above the rest; it seems everyone knows everyone's business.
I can pass any girl in the hallway, and tell you who she's sleeping with, who she wishes she was sleeping with, the last time she dyed her hair and and whose front lawn she woke up on after her most recent night on the town.
Now, admittedly, most of my worst behavior occurs at parties (i.e right in the public eye), and so I have no qualm with people knowing my business. What I do have a problem with is people committing my business to paper, in a sort of sex-name-and-shame burn book.

What happened is this: after a forum last week, a group of girls got together after school, and, after finding nothing constructive or interesting to do, they decided to update the sex list. This is an age-old tradition in our school- it is basically a long list of girls' names, and beside their name is a list of everyone who they've ever slept with. Aside from this being slightly creepy and completely unnecessary, most people were not best pleased when the list of Domesday proportions (what can I say, we've been very busy girls)ended up in the hands of the faculty.

Yes. A comprehensive list of everyone's sexual partners is likely to be tacked up in the staff room as we speak.

Now, the teachers have asked the usual suspects why this list came into fruition. All of the perpetrators have come forward, but the teachers are still refusing to hand over the list, prompting all sorts of nightmarish speculation. After all, if they won't return the list, what's not to say it's not actually tacked up in the staffroom for all to see?

I, for one, will not be happy if this turns out to be the case- there are certain things that you just don't want your teachers to know...

Labels: