(He looked like that only with longer hair, no scruff & a nicer smile)

The previous post reminded me of someone from my past.

Just someone I went to school with.

His name was Winston J. & I wouldn't call us friends.

In grade school we were put into an "exceptional child" program together.

I'm still not sure if we were selected because we were brilliant or slightly retarded...not that it matters...we were lumped together...like it or not.

I kind of think we were used as lab rats to see if children can learn without desks & rules & set curriculum (not to mention a teacher that shouted at us constantly & seemed to like when you'd cry...I can still hear her saying to me...as I sobbed & snot ran down my face & onto my favorite purple sweater with the multi colored buttons that absolutely clashed with my slobber...she'd say cruel things like..."that's it...let it all out"...I mean, really? How condescending is that?).

Years later we found ourselves in homeroom together every morning during our freshmen year of high school. They'd group us alphabetically (because doing it any other way would require more thought than they wanted to give). We were both "J"s...so we'd find ourselves sitting next to each other first thing in the morning for every day of high school & that was that.

We'd chat about our weekends or he'd pull my bra strap back & let it go so it would make a loud sound & give me welts that were hysterical if you were him & scarring if you happened to be me.

One day I asked him what he did on the weekend & he said he partied with Michelle. I looked at him blankly (because it was early in the morning & also, I didn't know who Michelle was). He explained that I'd know her as Mrs. Series. Hmmm...that was odd...our French & Spanish teacher from grade school was Mrs. Series. Huh? He was partying with THAT Mrs. Series?

We were 14 & she was...MRS. SERIES. My brain couldn't compute...but now that I look back on it...she was about 28 & separated from her husband...& he was 14 & exceptional...that makes it ok, right?

Labels: Childhood