Asperger Diaries: Jamie's New School (10 page)

I had to stay
behind after school because the biology teacher had given me a
detention. It isn’t fair. It wasn’t my fault that the rat was in
the classroom. I didn’t even know I had a detention until Mr Avery
informed me this morning.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Jamie is always
one of the last out after school because he doesn’t like to get
caught up in the rush for the buses. This evening, there was still
no sign of him fifteen minutes after the final bell. The school
buses and all of the parents’ cars had left. I walked up the school
drive. I half expected him to appear at the school doors. He
didn’t. I asked the woman at the reception desk if she knew where
he was. She made a few telephone calls. After a few minutes, she
told me that Jamie was in the library. He was on detention. I asked
her why I hadn’t been informed. She didn’t know the details. She
said he would be out in ten minutes. Sure enough, Jamie appeared
about ten minutes later. He looked as though he had been crying. I
didn’t want to risk a scene while we were still in school, so I
didn’t ask him any questions until we were home.

I’m not sure I
have the full story even now. Jamie isn’t very clear on what
happened. It appears he was given a detention yesterday by the
biology teacher for ‘messing about’. He told me yesterday about the
rat which had distracted him, but he didn’t mention a detention. He
said he didn’t know he had been given one until his form teacher
mentioned it today. This is ridiculous. Why would the teacher give
him a detention for something as stupid as that? And how come Jamie
didn’t even know? I am going to have this out with the biology
teacher at the parents’ evening next week.

30th September
(Friday)

Jamie's
Diary

The chemistry
teacher gave me back the homework which I did last week. He gave me
100%. He said the way in which I had documented the experiments was
excellent. 100% is a brilliant mark. I couldn’t have done any
better. Chemistry is my favourite subject. I don’t think anyone
else got 100%.

The history
teacher said tonight’s homework is to prepare for a test on Monday.
The test is going to be on the Luddites. It will be the first
history test we have had, so I have to make sure I do well.

In the swimming
lesson Adam Devlin pushed me in the deep end. The teacher told me
off for getting into the water before he had said we could. I told
him that Adam had pushed me. He made Adam go back to the changing
room to get dressed. After the swimming lesson had finished, my tie
was missing from the clothes peg. I told the teacher, but when he
came to help me to look for it, the tie was back on the peg. The
teacher said I should open my eyes. I know it wasn’t there before.
I think Adam had taken it, and then put it back.

*****

Angela's
Diary

What a breath
of fresh air. Jamie was actually quite talkative on the drive home.
The chemistry teacher had given him top marks for his homework.
Jamie was absolutely thrilled. Chemistry is now officially his
favourite subject. A little praise or encouragement goes a long way
with Jamie. I will definitely have a word with the chemistry
teacher at next Tuesday’s parents’ evening.

Jamie has to
revise for a history test on Monday. He hates tests. He always
worries how he is going to do. He usually gets good marks, but that
doesn’t stop him worrying. At Westlake, when he had a spelling
test, he would always get worked up the night before. He got 100%
almost every time, but it didn’t make any difference. He would
always expect to do badly in the next one. He has made me promise I
will test him on the Luddites over the weekend.

*****

Lesley's
Journal

Tony hasn't
spoken to me all week. It's like last Sunday never happened. I
don't think Courtney and Orange even believe me. Sod him.

I couldn't
believe it when mum said I could have Courtney and Orange over for
a sleepover. I was sure she would say no - she usually does because
my name isn't Jamie. Tram boy had better not stick his nose in
again or I may have to kill him.

OCTOBER

1st October
(Saturday)

Jamie's
Diary

I didn’t go to
town with mum and dad this morning because I had geography homework
to do, and I had to revise for Monday’s history test. Even if I had
gone with them I would still have been thinking about the history
test. Mum said I shouldn’t worry because I always do well in tests.
That’s stupid. I’ve never had a history test before, so how can she
know I will do well. I want to get full marks if I can.

Courtney and
Orange came over. Orange had an armful of carrier bags. She spends
even more money on clothes than Lesley does. I think her parents
must be rich or something. I heard Lesley tell mum Orange is
spoiled. I didn’t say that to Orange though, or I would have been
in trouble again.

I told Lesley
they had to be quiet because I had to revise for a history test.
She said, "Tough shit." She thinks she is so clever when she
swears. She thinks it makes her look grown-up. I think it makes her
look even stupider than she already is. Orange and Courtney both
laughed. I think Lesley is jealous of me because I am clever, and
she isn’t. She never does well in tests or exams. Last year she got
a ‘C’ in two of her end of year exams. She didn’t seem bothered. I
couldn’t find my ear plugs, so I went into mum’s bedroom to do my
revision.

*****

Angela's
Diary

I wanted Jamie
to come out with us this morning, but he insisted he had to revise
for Monday’s history test. I can guarantee none of the other kids
in his class will spend as much time revising as he does. I tried
telling him it is only a first term test. It won’t be the end of
the world if he doesn’t get full marks. Jamie doesn’t see it that
way. He dreads the idea of getting anything less than 100%. He made
me promise again that I will test him tomorrow.

I thought about
giving Rocky a call today to see if he wanted to come over. It
would have been a waste of time because Jamie was so focussed on
the history test. When we got back from town, Jamie had shut
himself away in our bedroom. I think he was putting as much
distance as he could between himself and Lesley. Her friends are
here for a sleepover. In a moment of weakness I had said they could
stay. I hope they keep the volume down otherwise Jamie will be on
their case again. I noticed Orange has been raiding the stores
again. No doubt Lesley will bemoan how little pocket money she gets
by comparison.

2nd October
(Sunday)

Jamie's
Diary

Courtney and
Orange slept over last night. I don’t understand sleepovers. What
is the point of sleeping at someone else’s house when you could
stay at home, and sleep in your own bed? Orange and Courtney had to
sleep on the floor in Lesley’s room. That can’t have been very
comfortable even with sleeping bags. Mum shouldn’t have let them
stay. She knows I have to revise for a test on Monday. You wouldn't
think Lesley and her friends are two years older than me. They are
like little kids laughing and screaming all of the time. They
watched an 18 rated horror movie on Lesley’s laptop last night. I
had heard them talking about it during the day. If mum had found
out, she would have gone mad. It was after midnight when they
stopped talking and laughing. I didn’t get to sleep until almost
one o’ clock this morning.

I told dad I
didn’t want to go swimming today because the P.E. teacher had said
I was getting better at front crawl. I read the text book and all
of my notes on the Luddites yesterday. I spent most of today doing
more research on the Internet. Nana Edith didn’t come over today,
but Orange and Courtney stayed for Sunday lunch. I had my lunch on
a tray in my bedroom because I couldn’t put up with those stupid
girls.

*****

Angela's
Diary

I hate Sundays
now. I spend all day worrying about Monday morning. The girls
stayed for Sunday lunch. Even that was better than having Edith
over. Jamie wasn’t happy that I had allowed the sleepover. I had
been feeling guilty about Lesley because Jamie has been getting all
of my attention. I thought it might compensate a little.

Jamie hid away
in his bedroom all day. He even had his lunch in there on a tray.
He has been revising most of today. I tested him this afternoon. I
didn’t know what kind of question he will be asked, but I asked him
everything I could think of. He knew the subject inside out. The
answers he gave were too detailed if anything. Jamie has a knack of
answering the simplest question with the most complex answer
imaginable. Even though he answered all the questions correctly, he
is still worried about the test tomorrow. When I pointed out that
he had got every question correct, he said I didn’t know what
questions would be in the test.

I had one last
go at trying to shame Andrew into coming with me to parents’
evening on Tuesday. I should have known I would be wasting my time.
His steam engine buddies come first.

3rd October
(Monday)

Jamie's
Diary

I don’t know
why I bothered revising for the stupid history test. It was
pathetic. It was far too easy. The questions were simple. One of
the questions was ‘Why were the Luddites so called?’ What kind of
question is that? The other questions were much the same. We marked
each other’s tests. I got full marks obviously. Only two other
people got full marks. I’m beginning to think some of the kids who
are in the top set shouldn’t be.

A boy sat next
to me in the cafeteria today. I don’t know his name, but I think he
is in the third or fourth year. He had forgotten to bring his money
from home for his lunch. He asked if I had any money I could lend
him. I only had fifty pence. He said that would do, so I gave it to
him. I asked him when he would pay me back. He said it would be the
next time he saw me. Mum said I shouldn’t give him any more money.
I told her I had only lent it to him.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Jamie wouldn’t
eat any breakfast this morning. He said he had a bad stomach. I’m
convinced it was because he had got himself worked up over the
history test. Jamie is hopeless at describing his symptoms when he
feels under the weather. Trying to find out where the pain is, or
how bad it is can be almost impossible. When I collected him
tonight, he was annoyed because the test had been too easy. He said
he could have answered all of the questions without doing any
revision. I wish he would learn from this, but I know he will get
just as worked up the next time there is a test.

Jamie told me
that a boy in the cafeteria had spoken to him at lunch time. I was
thrilled. It’s the first time he has mentioned that he has spoken
to any of the other kids. I tried to find out more, but Jamie
didn’t know anything about the boy. Not even his name. My initial
thrill soon evaporated when Jamie said the boy had asked him for
money. Jamie said the boy had promised to give him the money back
the next time he saw him. I told Jamie he mustn’t give the boy any
more money.

I reminded
Jamie to let me know what he wanted me to ask the teachers
tomorrow. Anything I say to Jamie these days gets the same
reaction. He bites my head off. He said he already knew I wanted a
list of questions, so why did I keep asking him?

4th October
(Tuesday)

Jamie's
Diary

Mum went to the
parents’ evening tonight. I don’t know why dad didn’t go. I wrote
down a few questions for her to ask:

Maths – why do
I have to show working out?

Biology – can
he get rid of the rat?

Geography – can
he give me proper marks?

P.E. - can I
just do breast stroke from now on?

It was a total
waste of time. I don’t know why I bothered writing the questions.
Mum said I didn’t have anything to worry about because all the
teachers had said how well I was doing. They had said my work was
very good. Several teachers had said I was doing far too much work,
and that I didn’t have to do as much. That doesn’t help because
they didn’t say how I could do less, or what I could leave out. I
asked mum if the geography teacher had said he would start to give
me proper marks. She said he didn’t mark that way, and preferred to
make comments on work. I asked if he had explained what the
difference was between ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’. She said I shouldn’t
worry about that because the geography teacher was very pleased
with all of my work. I knew all of that before she went to the
parent’s evening. I still don’t know what was missing from my
second piece of work though. I asked her what the maths teacher had
said about showing the working out. He had said I would lose marks
in exams if I didn’t do it. I asked mum if she had said it wasn’t
fair. She had, but he had said that was just the way it was. The
biology teacher did say he would move the rat out of the classroom.
The P.E. teacher said I must keep trying different strokes.

*****

Angela's
Diary

This is déjà
vu. I must be losing my mind. I spend all my days worrying about
how Jamie is doing at school, but when I speak to his teachers,
they describe him as the perfect pupil. They could have been
reading from the same script as the headmaster. Perhaps it’s a
conspiracy to make me think I have lost my mind. They all appeared
to be sincere. They were full of praise for Jamie. They said he was
a well behaved, quiet boy. Without exception they all said his work
was excellent. Even in the lessons where there had been problems,
the teachers were still very positive. The biology teacher
explained he had given Jamie a number of warnings because he wasn’t
paying attention. He had made Jamie switch seats, but Jamie still
didn’t pay attention, so the teacher finally gave him a detention.
He couldn’t understand how Jamie had been unaware of it. I
explained the problem with the rat, and he said he would make sure
that it was taken out of the classroom. He said, despite the
detention, he was pleased with the standard of the work which Jamie
had presented. The maths teacher did say Jamie needs to learn how
to show working out, but he thought that would come with time. The
geography teacher confirmed what I already knew. That Jamie
shouldn’t worry about his marks because all of his work had been
excellent to date. The ICT teacher wasn’t there. I think he was off
ill. He might not have held Jamie in such high regard.