School Daze

The car packed was packed to it’s breaking point Saturday with nearly all the essentials needed by a 13 year old heading to boarding school.  Tam, Ab and I made the best of our 3½ hour trip on Saturday to Ab’s new school, by joking and talking about the adventures she would experience in the new setting. After an extended summer that she was really getting to like, Ab joked that she’d rather stay home and eat Cheetos, than go back to school.

Especially “that one” where she didn’t know anybody!

Ab mentioned that she was glad Tam came along to help her decorate her half of the dormitory room. As if I couldn’t hang a poster of Kurt Cobain! Geez. It was my job to make the bed. I can guarantee that’s the last time it will be made for quite some time.

Upon arrival we were glad to see an eclectic mix of kids, also new to the school, as the “returning students” were not going to arrive until the following day. Of course to hear her tell it, they were all “preps!”

I knew when I saw the girl wearing way too much dark make-up and a fan-folded dollar bill in her hair as a very stylish bow, a teacher that had wide purple stripes in her hair, and a White boy with a huge afro, that Ab would eventually find a kindred spirit. Walking to the beat of a different drum has some advantages.

She wore her “You’ve ruined my life and can’t you tell I am clearly miserable here” look for the entire registration period, which had the desired effect on me. It was especially heart-wrenching when I heard that Ab’s Korean roommate ditched her after dinner for a group of Asian girls.  Then Ab wandered around by herself for quite awhile.

Later, during the dorm meeting, she made sure to stand away from the group of giggling and happy girls who were there to introduce themselves. I watched her from my perch on the hearth of the fireplace and breathed a little sigh of relief when I saw that Tam had forced some interaction with Ab and another new girl who was also off on the sidelines. “Tansy” commented on how cool Ab’s Slipknot shirt was and I think they found some common ground.

I am hoping by now that she’s found a group of kind girls that will welcome my shy one into their fold. My parent’s handbook says it takes about 2 weeks for the kids to workout their social circles, before they can start settling into the routine of school. First things first, I guess.

Their schedule is so full for the few days that I haven’t heard from her and I am just beside myself. I can’t wait to hear how it’s going and I am praying that she’s doing better than when I left her. It’s so tough, but I know I did the right thing and I am betting in a few months, she‘s going to love it there!