Well, that wasn’t too bad.
The bus was OK. I had to sit beside someone because it was quite full, so I picked a quiet-looking girl with the same colour hair as Mam, and then I pretended to be really interested in my new science book for the whole journey. She must have thought I was a right swot, ha ha.
Chloe Nelligan was in the yard. She came straight up to me when I walked off the bus, and boy was I glad to see her. I hardly even noticed the garlic breath. She looked just as scared as I felt. We chatted until the bell rang – she was in the Isle of Man for the whole month of July, staying with cousins – and then we were brought into the hall where the principal met us and gave us a talk, and after that we were split into groups and shown around the school.
The art room is brilliant. Imagine, a room especially for painting. I can’t wait to get in there. We’ve double art on Thursdays, hurrah. Wonder what the teacher’s like – we didn’t get to meet her because she was teaching another class, but she looked OK.
We’ve got a form teacher, which means she’ll be sort of like our minder – if we’ve got any problems we can go to her. Her name’s Mrs Keogh, and she seems really nice and friendly. And there are two sixth-year prefects in charge of our class too, like we used to look after the Junior Infants sometimes in primary.
Some of the sixth years look like proper grown-ups. Imagine I’ll be like that in five years’ time. It’s kind of scary and kind of exciting at the same time.
When I got home from school there was a letter from San Francisco waiting for me, which turned out to be a Good Luck card from Mam with a $50 note inside it. I really miss her. It seems like forever since we met.
Bumble was late, as usual, but it was because he was signing up for the after-school soccer club. He says the Comp is brilliant. They have their own swimming pool, which I’m dead jealous about. He’s in the same class as Chris Thompson (remember the one with the girly voice?) and Terry McNamara, who’s still going out with Catherine Eggleston. She’s going to the Comp too, but she was put into a different class. The dunces’ one probably, ha ha.
Anyway, I think secondary school is going to be OK after all.
Wonder how many euros I’ll get for $50. There’s a really cool top in River Island that I might try on tomorrow.