Current mood:

sleepy

Goodbye mind-numbing back-breaking labour forever!
I despise writing at this time of day, or rather night, but it's the only opportunity my rather crowded family will allow me access to the Internet, which is a little unfair now that I think about it. Anyway, enough of the small and immediate concerns, I have officially graduated.

This means goodbyes to the people I considered my friends, at least in the senior year which I just graduated from last Thursday. It was quite a day, that Thursday, but I'm going to try to make it quick. But, knowing me, I can't make any promises about how quick this is going to be.

No, I'm not going into recount mode. The graduation day was good, because there was no more schoolwork, obviously. It was drawn out, though, which was bad. I myself didn't mind the day overall, but it didn't have as much to do with spending time with my friends as it did spending time with Kim. Yeah, I have to admit, I didn't pay much heed to the fact that I wouldn't see most of the faces there again. There's only one thing I'm really going to miss about highschool... and that's Kim.

I feel like going all nostalgic at this point, specifically about those special moments with this lady. There were a lot of moments when we'd look into each other's eyes... it didn't matter how far away we were from each other, because in those moments, we were always as close emotionally. Or maybe I've been putting too much emotional weight on this. Meeting eyes like that is technically flirting, so I've been flirting with this highschool teacher for the past one-and-a-half years. I don't know... maybe I'm wrong about that, too. It's most likely a mix between the two. But at least I don't have to leave with the regret of never getting around to telling her how I felt about her. For the non-regular readers, you might want to go back and read about that stunt I pulled on September 22 earlier this year. The point is, I told her how I felt, and that's enough for me to not drown in the 'what if's of telling her.

I said to myself no nostalgia. Anyway, that Thursday morning, breakfast was being served on the roof of the school. Of course, I already ate before I left home, so I declined. Besides, I'm rather skeptical of mass-served food. There were only two things of note. The first was that I signed the shirt of Straker, so at least there'll be one person who'll remember me when I'm gone. Or two, because none other than Kim, along with some other teachers of no real significance to me, decided that they'd join in the festivities. Actually, it wasn't so much festive as it was like another lunchtime, but in the morning, and with breakfast instead. Oh, and I don't really like cooked breakfasts either, too bloaty on me. So, Kim was up there, and she didn't notice me at first. Of course, being the keenly observant person I am, I noticed her instantly. She was eating along with those other teachers I just mentioned. Then she turned. And she saw me. We're traditionally very subtle about this whole business, so she turned back to her meal. But I knew she saw me, because she side-glanced me at least three more times after that. Whenever she looks at me... I don't know how to explain it, but she has a pair of the most alluring eyes I've seen. I picked up her slight smile too. She's so cute when she's happy.

But that was something I'd have to put behind me, because with the way the world works, it was likely that was one of the last times I'd ever see her again.

That is, until I realised that she had actually come to the graduation mass that evening at 7:00 PM. There weren't a lot of teachers at the drawn-out mass to shoo us out of the high school system the NSW state government has set up, but she was one of the ones there. Little mysteries like that always intrigued me. Actually, I didn't really find out that Kim was there until I was actually in and seated. It was a surprise to me that she couldn't find anything better to do on a Thursday night, but it was a pleasant surprise. I could just barely see her, and at one point she actually turned to see me, and that was what kept me awake through two odd hours of official-type people blah-blahing through the whole "ceremony."

Oh, and despite my programming skills, somebody else in my class claimed the Software Design and Development award. Oh well, I'll prove myself in this world some other way. There's always another way. I'm honestly tired of awards. When I go up to an employer, I don't want to plonk all these certificates, medals and trophies on their desks come interview appointment. That just makes you look conceited and one to rest on your own laurels. No, I plan on building a portfolio of my programming work, something I've got in spades. Awards mean nothing if the guy who has them doesn't have the motivation to actually get work done.

Anyway, when I met up with the rest of my family outside the steps of the cathedral, my mother gave me a relatively simple decision: stay behind for the refreshments in the school hall, or simply head home. The more impulsive (and lazy) part of me wanted to crawl back home after a tiring evening. But before I opened my mouth and spoke, I stopped. Perhaps... she'd stay behind? Yeah, Kim would want to socialise a little before going back to whatever she does normally. And so I decided to stay behind.

The night was actually pretty good. I socialised with the friends I probably wouldn't see again in person for a long time, if ever. Straker, Ian Lim, Sheekey, Blake, Sean "M.J." Yang... the whole bunch of them. But my focus was on only one person: Kim. She was there, and she noticed me too. And she looked into my eyes, perhaps for the last times ever. I could have just rushed up to her and hugged her, but I though that the one stunt I pulled on the Wednesday of last week of last term was enough. She knew how I felt, and I think that's made all the difference.

So, goodbye mind-numbing back-breaking labour forever. Goodbye friends. Goodbye, you stupid school. Goodbye, educational incarceration. Goodbye, having to deal with homework.

Goodbye, Kim.