{If You're Reading This} ON HOLD

Entry One {Katherine}

April 6, 2017

Dear Journal,

           Sorry for not writing yesterday, it was just so hectic and draining I didn't find time before bed! To recap, it was my first day volunteering at the town's local school, East-Ridge High, and while exciting and different it was certainly much more challenging than I'd anticipated. The school's secretary had been absent and so, with no prior training whatsoever, they made me sub in for her. I had to give out 3 tardies, 4 late passes, and 2 detentions practically all within the first 30 seconds of the school day. God am I glad to be out of high school, me and Amy both I'm sure. 

She's been busy working that new cashier job down at the super market. Though I have to admit it's tough watching her grow up so quickly, I'm unbelievably proud of her. I know Mom and Dad would be too. Things without them have been hard still but better than last month, now that we've settled into our new place and are both working jobs, mine part time but a job nonetheless, things have been just a little bit easier. 

Today I'm volunteering again, I probably will be for the next few days, or weeks even, until I can secure a job there. I've always wanted to be a teacher so really I'm pretty happy with the situation, though 6 year old's most definitely would have been preferred over angsty teens. Guess you can't win 'em all, huh? 

Haha well, today's career day at the school if I didn't already mention that, and frankly I'm relieved. Standing in an auditorium all day and rangling a few pesky teens here and there seems much more "relaxing" than sitting in an office with stacks upon stacks of papers and students lined down the hall to try an leave the premises. I hope no one gives me any trouble, though I'm sure they won't. 

OH, yesterday I met the absolute SWEETEST Junior eating lunch by herself in the teacher's lounge. She wasn't very talkative, but she seemed to enjoy my company, and I know I enjoyed her's too. What was her name....ugh I can't remember it, I know she told me though, it was practically the only word she'd said the entire interaction. Hopefully I'll get to ask her the next time we meet, I wonder if she'll be there again today? 

Well I have to go, I'm just about finished with my breakfast (honey-nut Cheerios with bananas and strawberries!) and if I don't leave now I'll definitely be late. The rent at our new place might be low, but gosh is the traffic a real pain. I'm gonna try an get back into writing throughout the day like I used to, before life got so crazily busy haha. So, see you when I get a moment to sniff the roses!

***

Boy, is this a packed auditorium!! I really didn't know East-Ridge had this large a student body, and yet even with all the crowded hordes of students loitering near the bleachers and waiting in lines near designated podiums, I was able to find Lauren!! That's the girl I mentioned from lunch yesterday, by the way haha. I'd just felt so awful about forgetting her name, like the scatterbrain that I am, that I just HAD to find her. 

And when I left to go into one of the girl's locker room stalls to take a minute and write in my journal, I found her lounging on the tiled floor by her lonesome, reading a book! What luck huh? So anyway long story short, her name's Lauren, and now we're BOTH sitting in the locker room quietly, me writing and her reading. 

I hope she doesn't mind me joining her, I know the fact that she's a student and I'm a teacher must be a tad awkward for her. Truth be told though we're really not all that far apart in age,  I'm 23 and she's 17 (I'm assuming). She just seems sweet, and I guess part of me feels bad that she always seems to be alone, I wonder if- 
*Katherine's neat cursive trails off abruptly, mid-sentence, before starting up again the line below it.* 

Oh my goodness gracious. 
I've never seen a young girl kiss another young girl so...
...passionately. 
She couldn't have been any older than 16 I'm sure, a Sophomore probably, but she certainly looked and acted older the way she asserted herself all over that Senior. 

I don't think she knew me and Lauren were there in the locker room too, hidden behind the stall's curtain and staring embarrassingly as she through the older girl up against the row of orange, metal gym lockers. Lauren stifled a gasp into her book, and instinctively I turned away from the display with hands covering my eyes like a small child. I may have been the adult int he room, but that certainly wasn't something I wanted to get in the middle of. 

When I peaked between my fingers however, to see the tall Sophomore with jet black hair and bright green eyes unbuttoning the entranced Senior's shirt, I knew I had to step in. I stood up awkwardly from the floor, stepping out from behind the stall's white curtain concealing me and clearing my throat in an obnoxiously loud manner. After a few moments the girls pulled apart fro each other, turning towards me with wide-eyes. The younger of the two looked annoyed, grunting as the Senior laughed nervously and dashed out of the room. 

"Enjoying the show??? God."
She'd groaned aggravatedly, rolling her pair of green eyes and readjusting her now jostled shirt in front of the bathroom's mirror. She looked as if she were about to say something else when her eyes drifted behind me, noticing Lauren who was still seated on the floor but in front of a parted curtain. I watched the Sophomore's freckled cheeks flush a deep red as she bit her plump bottom lip and stared at Lauren.

Lauren gave the girl a confused look from behind both her book and the stray, dark hairs that'd fallen over her face like a curtain. Just as I thought maybe the two were going to speak, me being completely at a loss as to what was happening, the younger girl sprinted from the room hurriedly, her face still a bright red. Wonder what THAT was about. 
Regardless, it certainly made for an interesting journal entry, don't ya think? 

XOXO,
           Katherine!