Being early February, the prefab classrooms were hot. The ceiling fans whizzed and wobbled at top
speed, faster than helicopter blades, and I could imagine them coming loose and chopping all our
heads off. I sunk down lower in my seat and tried to conserve my energy, as the hot air blew around
me turning my face a scarlet shade of beetroot.
Eventually lunch time came around and I got to wander the school yard again. A few times I heard
the word “vegies” yelled out to the Year 8’s from the older kids. I don’t know why we were called
vegies, but I guessed it was better than being called “squares” or “nerds” or “losers”.
“Hey, look at that kid!” a voice came from behind me, and I turned around to see two Year 9 boys
smirking at me, one with an outstretched finger pointing in my direction, and my red face went
redder. “Looks like one of the kids has jumped the kindergarten fence!” the one pointing laughed to
the other.
Okay. I knew I was short, but I didn’t get the part about the kindergarten fence until much later as I
had no idea the local kindy backed on to the high school. The whole being short thing though, lasted
my whole high school life. You could always find me sitting on the end of the first row in school class
photos, and I didn’t reach my grand height of five foot two and a half (don’t forget the half) until
after I’d left high school. In fact, I am still waiting for my growth spurt.
That lunch time, however, I did find a girl who was being picked on because her dress was too long. I
thought mine was long, but hers was longer. Apparently the popular or tough girls used to hitch
theirs up with belts or elastic hidden under their jumpers, I found out later. But this girl and I
became friends. And after a few weeks, our little group of two multiplied to four, and so it went on.
By the end of Year 8 we had quite a large group of friends and most of us stuck together for the
whole five years and even beyond. Our group was inclusive, as long as you had a sense of humour,
weren’t up yourself or too tough, you were in. We were from different backgrounds. We were
supportive of each other. Some of us were very talented and smart, and others like me, were just
plain average. But we got ourselves through the day to day chores of high school, anticipating recess
and lunch times so we could laugh madly at our teachers, or sympathise with those who been
hauled over the coals, or congratulate those who had done well. Within our group, close friendships
were made. But it was an elastic thing. Sometimes you were drawn to certain friends for different
reasons, and then you would spring back to others. Anything was possible in our group.
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