Asperger Diaries: Jamie's New School (4 page)

I wanted to
take a photo of Jamie in his uniform, but he didn’t want to know.
He always hated having his photo taken. He says he can’t smile.
Whenever I get the photo albums out, he leaves the room. He can’t
bear to look at himself. The blazer sleeves are on the long side,
but only because Jamie is so short and weedy. I sometimes forget
how small he is until I see him next to other boys of his age.

*****

Lesley's
Journal

Tony is going
out with Alison Davies. That little tramp only went after him to
spite me. She doesn't even like him. She told me so a few weeks
ago. She just wants to prove she can go out with whoever she wants.
I hate the little cow.

LOL. Tram boy
looks a right tool in his blazer. I wish he had been born two years
later. I would have left Armthorpe by the time he started there. If
that snivelling little shit comes talking to me at school I will
kill him. He thinks he is so smart because he is in the top set. He
can't be that smart if he can't even fasten a tie.

SEPTEMBER

1st September
(Thursday)

Jamie's
Diary

Dad showed me
how to fasten my tie today. I tried to remember how he did it, but
I ended up in a right tangle. I threw the stupid thing on the
floor. Dad wanted to show me again, but I’d had enough. He said he
will write down some instructions for me.

I have
memorised the teachers’ names from their details and photographs on
the web site. I tried to remember which classrooms the senior boys
showed us on Tuesday. We don’t get our timetable until Monday
morning, so I don’t know which lessons I have on my first day. Mum
said I get two lots of homework every weekday. I hope they tell us
how long to spend on homework. I don’t agree with homework at all.
I think school should be for school work, and home should be for
hobbies and other things you enjoy.

Lesley was a
pain today. She said I can’t speak to her at school because I will
embarrass her in front of her friends. She said I can’t sit with
her on the bus, or eat my lunch with her. I don’t want anything to
do with her, or her friends. They are all stupid. All they do is
giggle, and talk about clothes, makeup and boys. Lesley stood in
front of me, and put her tie on in ten seconds flat. She did it to
make me feel bad. She doesn’t like it because I am cleverer than
she is. She needn’t think I will help her with her computer the
next time she breaks it.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Jamie drove me
crazy asking the same questions all day long. He had me test him on
the names of the teachers. If any of the other parents saw me, they
would think I had lost the plot. They would be right. He is annoyed
because he hasn’t got a timetable. He wants to know which lessons
he will have on his first day. He’s always been a bit of a planner.
I don’t know why they didn’t hand them out on Tuesday. There is
always the possibility they did, and that Jamie has lost his
already.

He hasn’t made
much progress with his tie. Lesley didn’t help. She can be a real
little madam when she makes her mind up. She knew Jamie was
struggling, so she stood in front of him, and put on her tie in
double quick time. She had a great big smirk on her face. Andrew
has said he will write out some instructions for him.

2nd September
(Friday)

Jamie's
Diary

Michael Parkes
and his mum are coming to our house tomorrow. I hate it when he
comes over. He always wants to talk about football. I have no
interest in football. It’s a stupid, boring game. I have told him
I’m not interested, but he still goes on and on about it. He’s
always asking me if I saw this goal or that goal. I wish he was
interested in something else. I could show him some of my model
trams, but he’s always messing around, and I’m worried he might
break them. Mum and Michael’s mum are friends. She comes over here
about once a month. Michael starts at Armthorpe next week. I didn’t
see him on Tuesday, so I don’t know which set he is in. I hope he
isn’t in the same one as me. I don’t want to listen to him talking
about football every day at school.

How can it be
so difficult to fasten a tie? I am much cleverer than Lesley, and
yet she makes it look easy. Lesley laughed at me. She did the same
thing when I was little. She used to make fun of me because I
couldn’t tie my shoelaces. I told her to get lost. Dad wrote some
instructions, but they are next to useless. I am going to look on
the Internet for clearer instructions.

*****

Angela's
Diary

When I
mentioned Jackie and Michael were coming over tomorrow, Jamie
stormed off to his bedroom, and slammed the door. Jackie and I have
been friends for years. We were at school together and have kept in
touch ever since. We went to each other’s wedding. She is a
godmother to Lesley, and I am a godmother to Michael. He starts at
Armthorpe on Monday too. I had hoped he and Jamie would hit if off,
but it never happened. Michael is loud and sporty. The exact
opposite of Jamie. He drives Jamie mad by talking about football
all of the time. He doesn't seem to understand Jamie detests
football. Just for once it would be nice if Jamie would make the
effort - if only for my sake.

Just once it
would be great to find a dry towel in the bathroom. I’ve tried to
work out how Jamie gets them so wet. I reckon he must hang the
towel on the shower door while the water is still running. I’ve
asked him if he turns off the water as soon as he gets out of the
shower. He insists he does. I’m not convinced.

3rd September
(Saturday)

Jamie's
Diary

Michael wasn’t
happy because he is in the second set at Armthorpe. He thought he
should be in the top set. I told him he isn’t clever enough. He is
in Bradley house which is blue and black. He said he is going to
try out for the house football team next week. I don’t know why he
bothered telling me because I don’t care.

He talked
non-stop about football as usual. I tried to read my tram book, but
it was impossible to concentrate with him blabbering on. At least
when Cliff comes over, we can play computer games. Michael only
likes football computer games, but I don’t have any. I asked
Michael if he knew his way around Armthorpe. He said he hadn’t
thought about it.

Mum told me off
for being rude because I asked what time Michael and his mum would
be leaving. How can that be rude? I only asked so I would know what
time I could start work on my model. Mum said I should have asked
when Michael’s mum wasn’t in the room. I don’t understand all these
stupid rules about when I can say certain things. Why is it rude to
ask what time someone is leaving? If someone asked me, I wouldn’t
think it was rude.

*****

Angela's
Diary

It was nice to
relax for a while, and share a coffee with Jackie. She’s always so
bubbly and energetic. I don’t know what she must make of me. I feel
run down and exhausted. I just about found the energy to give my
hair a brush before she turned up. I told her Jamie is worried
about Monday. She said I worried too much. She said I should get
out of the house more and suggested a girls’ night out once the
kids are settled at Armthorpe. She goes to the beautician once a
month. She said we should go together, and treat ourselves to a
pamper session. I said I would think about it.

Michael hasn’t
talked much about his new school according to Jackie. She said his
main concern is whether or not he will get into the school football
team. I asked her if Michael had been given a timetable. She said
she didn’t think so. Maybe Jamie didn’t lose his after all.

4th September
(Sunday)

Jamie's
Diary

I think I’ve
finally mastered my tie. I couldn’t do it while dad was watching.
The instructions I downloaded didn’t make any sense at first, but I
eventually worked them out. Once I had done it a few times, it was
easy. I spent an hour putting my tie on, and then taking it off
again. I reckon I could do it blindfolded now. I can do it faster
than Lesley, and I don’t end up with a stupid big knot.

I’ve got a
brand new school bag. I didn’t need one at Westlake because we
didn’t have to carry books around. I wanted to get a briefcase, but
Lesley told mum the other kids would laugh at me. I don’t see why
because they are ideal for carrying a lot of books. I ended up with
a black backpack.

When I was at
Westlake, I used to come home every day at lunch time. Mum used to
walk with me to school, and meet me at the gates at lunch time and
home time. If it rained we used to go in the car. I can’t come home
at lunch time from Armthorpe because it is too far away. Mum is
going to make me sandwiches every day because I might not like the
food they have in the cafeteria. Mum bought a green Tupperware
container for me to take them in.

I have to
travel by school bus to and from Armthorpe. I’ve only ever been on
a bus twice before. That was with mum and dad. I usually go
everywhere in the car. I asked mum if I could go in the car to
Armthorpe, but she said that would be a waste of money because I
get a free bus pass. I wanted a practice run on the school bus
before Monday, but it only runs during term time. Lesley said she
will take me to the bus stop on the first day, but after that I am
on my own.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Tomorrow is the
big day. Jamie has been nervous all day. I daren’t speak to him for
fear of setting him off. Lesley is no help. She has refused point
blank to sit with him on the bus. I tried to call upon her better
nature. Stupid me, I forgot she doesn’t have one. I managed to
persuade her to walk with him to the bus stop on his first day.
Jamie is as worried about the bus as he is about his new school. He
hasn’t been on a bus very often, but the bus stop is at the end of
the road. It takes him right to the school gates. What could go
wrong?

He must have
asked me a hundred times what to do if he gets lost in school. I
keep telling him it is the same for all the new kids. I said he
should follow the other kids. At least that way, if they get lost,
they all get lost together. He asked me what lessons I thought he
would have tomorrow. As if I know. I don’t think they will do much
work on the first day. The teachers will probably use the first
lesson to introduce the subject.

I hope he gets
a good night’s sleep tonight.

*****

Lesley's
Journal

It's bad enough
having to go back to that hellhole, but now I've got wonder boy to
put up with as well. Everybody is going to take the piss if they
see him with me. Mum really expected me to sit with him on the bus.
She must be out of her mind. He's meant to be this and that, and oh
so clever - but he's shitting himself about getting lost in school.
Like it's so hard to find a classroom. Please sir I'm lost!

If I see Alison
I'm going to blank her. I've told Courtney and Orange they can't
talk to her either.

5th September
(Monday)

Jamie's
Diary

Mum thinks I am
asleep, but I am writing this under the covers in bed. I have a
mini torch which I bought from Bargain Parade. Mum can’t see the
torch light under the door, so she doesn’t realise I am still
awake.

I had to stand
all by myself at the bus stop this morning. Lesley didn’t want to
stand with me because she was with her friends. All of the kids
pushed and shoved to get on the bus. It would be far better if
everyone queued properly. I waited until everyone else had got on.
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to sit in a particular seat, so I
asked the driver. He said I could sit anywhere. I sat near the
front. I knew Cliff would be getting on the bus a few stops further
on, so I tried to reserve the seat next to me for him. At the next
stop another boy sat next to me. I said the seat was reserved, but
he ignored me. Cliff got on a few stops later, but he didn’t see
me. He sat at the back of the bus.

There weren’t
any names on the desks in my form room. I didn’t know which one was
mine, so I waited at the front of the room. All of the other kids
seemed to know where to sit. When Mr Avery, our form teacher,
arrived he asked me why I was standing up. I said I didn’t know
which desk I should sit at. He said I could sit anywhere, so I sat
on the front row, next to the window. Mr Avery gave everyone a
timetable, a homework diary, and a plastic card with our locker
number on it. He said if anyone had any questions they should see
him. I wanted to ask how to find the lockers, but he had walked out
of the form room before I could. Our first lesson was geography in
room E12. I had no idea where that was. All the other kids seemed
to know where to go. I followed them. We changed classrooms after
almost every lesson.

I managed to
find the lockers at break time. They are in a long corridor on the
ground floor. I overheard the older kids call it ‘Locker Alley’.
The lockers are all numbered, so it was easy to find mine. I
watched some of the other kids open their lockers. The plastic card
has to be put into the slot on the front. It’s like one of those
pass-keys which you get at hotels.

I was told off
for eating my sandwiches in the classroom at lunch time. I didn’t
know it wasn’t allowed. There are all kinds of rules that no one
tells you about. The other kids seem to magically know them all. I
asked mum if she thought the school had forgotten to give me a copy
of the rule book. She said she didn’t think there was one. The
teacher said I had to eat my sandwiches in the cafeteria. I thought
the cafeteria was only for kids who were having school meals. It
was absolutely packed in there.