Tales From Heller

Quiet Night Thoughts

August 12th:

I can't believe it's the first day of school already. New school year, new faces, new club members, new goals. Vice president. If you'd told me a year ago I'd be vice president, I'd have laughed. This will look great on my college apps.

Chinese class is going to be fun. John, Beth, and all my other friends are there, and Mrs. Huang is nice. It will be good to finally learn how to read and write properly. Well, I already can speak and listen, so that leaves two. Wouldn't it be cool if Heller had a Cantonese class? I'd have taken that instead. Mandarin it is then. Again, new year, new start.

Not sure what's up with that box of green stuff I found. Maybe it's fertilizer. I hope I washed my hands well enough. Don't want to get sick.

August 23rd:

Hey, so funny coincidence, but Frank and I are TAs together now. It was so funny. He was so embarrassed to see me. I wonder if he's been telling Mrs. Huang bad things about me. I don't think he's the type. He's just a bit shy. We talk a lot by email about club stuff, but it's so boring. Not the club stuff. OK, it's kind of boring. But everyone's so formal. That's why I like texts.

Speaking of club stuff, I don't get why Tom and Pranav and all of Frank's other friends are CC'd on the emails. I heard Pranav talk about another email thread and a phone call he and Frank had about club business. I'm vice president, why am I not included in this? What are they hiding from me? I'm sure it's important.

Classes are going well at least. Not much to say there. The other things are more exciting.

September 6th:

I remember when I used to relax on holidays. Now I just read books. I'm slowly working through that list in How To Be A Good Person. Lots of good books on there. I asked Frank about one of them, I forget which, and he said he hadn't read it. Imagine putting a bunch of books you haven't read on a list. So strange.

I saw some people with vials of that green stuff on Snapchat earlier. I know I shouldn't be on Snapchat, but everyone's on it, so I figure it's fine. I'm more curious what they're doing with those though. It can't be fertilizer then. I should ask Frank tomorrow.

October 24th:

I've had the funniest conversations with Frank lately. First a few days ago Mrs. Huang leaves us outside for the entire period, and the poor guy was wearing a suit. I don't know why I expected him to act differently outside the club meetings. But at least with me he's always kind of like that, like he's trying to sell me something. He's funny though, but he never laughs at his own jokes. If I didn't know him so well I would think he was creepy.

He called me cute the other day too. I kind of tricked him though. Now that I think about it, I think he said I was cute to get me to stop talking and not because he really meant it. Or maybe I caught him on a good day. I don't know why I worry so much about that sort of thing. But it's so awkward sitting in silence, and he and his friends do most of the prep for the club meetings, so I need to fill the gap. Maybe I could write some club presentations. I should ask him.

October 30th:

Frank wore a purple tie to the rally today and apparently people were making a big deal about it. I don't know, a suit is a suit. I wish he was a bit more normal during our TA periods. OK, he's quiet and talks about normal things. But Mrs. Huang asked him to help me with my hair and he looked like she asked us to make out or something. It's the 21st century! We can be normal and not treat each other like lepers.

Cookie baking with John was more fun though. I think Beth invited him. I wouldn't have, but I also wasn't opposed to it, so I guess he came. Regina was happy to have him over. At first I thought it was to get back at Tom, but John's friends with him too. Maybe it still is. It was still awkward having John around, even though I love the poor guy. We tried explaining to him what conditioner is, but he didn't get it. I thought boys used that too.