FADED VIRIDITY

CHAPTER FOUR

Before commencing with this chapter, skipping to my innocence in grade 10 and my continued friendship with Amelia, I would like to shed some light on the background of my family when it comes to romantic relationships. I come from a conservative family of religious people. Needless to say, acts of love and lust before marriage was not just frowned upon but also forbidden. Growing up in a family and a school that had these views allowed me to immerse myself in their views and adopted it as my own. I may have not understood them when I was younger, but I abided nonetheless. 

Shockingly, I understand completely today after much research and still abide by them. So, when continuing to read what precedes this, do so with the understanding or how important marriage was and how unfortunate you were seen to be had you stepped beyond those boundaries.

'The class of grade 10 will now occupy the room on the third floor for this year. The staircase near the old tuck-shop is out of bounce for all grades except 11 and 12. All students who require employment at the new tuck-shop will discuss it with, either myself, or the prefects of this year.' Announced Mrs. Buckman, as we stood in assembly. 

She was the principal's wife, and they matched well too. Like two halves of the same apple, neither failed to display their every emotion with grace - be it grief or anger or happiness it was always filtered. I could never figure out how they dealt with people in such an orderly fashion. Mrs. Buckman's signature appearance was the fact that all of her hair was never completely secured within her headgear- silver strands of hair always peeped through. She was an oldish woman of medium height and small built. She was the warmth of my schooling career, to be completely honest. She was the motherly figure of our entire school. If you were being bullied, she was your elder brother. If you felt an atom of nausea, she was the only medical practitioner you would ever require. She never failed to advise us in all aspects of life. She also reprimanded us for everything, including breathing. Even though you hoped she wouldn't, she always remembered each student's name, despite how old she was. Nobody liked being called out by your full name and surname in front of the entire school at assembly all because you giggled nearly too loudly. Despite the fact that she constantly got on our nerves, our system nevertheless required her to succeed in every task. Everyone else at that school would have destroyed it, for all we know.

A new classroom, new year, new form teacher, and a new friend, I present to you grade 10. Until I met Ava Hart, I never would have thought that I would judge anyone this much. She was a girl who lived on the edge, glamorous and dramatic. She and I didn't discuss many topics, but since she was my new partner at the desk, she told me everything that had happened to her over the course of the year. Being the ignorant girl I was, I never really cared about other people's lives. But this time was different. I don't know what changed because I had judged her. I didn't think about her upbringing or the options she had available to her at that time. I would caution others to avoid making the same error in the future. All I could think was, "how could she," rather than offering any other suitable suggestions to assist her turn her life around. All because I sinned differently from her.Back to the warm school morning, she came to class on a Thursday wearing a huge smile on her face. The dimples within her cheeks were now evidently visible. She was a rather healthy girl, and about four fingers taller than me. She had curly brown hair and dyed it with bright blonde streaks. She took a seat next to me, made herself comfortable and immediately turned her chair to my direction. 

'It happened,' she told me with her rosy cheeks screaming for attention as redness shot through them.

'What happened?' I asked her confusedly.

'I met Micheal yesterday', she said, now her cheeks looked as though they were about to explode.

'Oh god, and what happened? You stopped replying to me, I figured something happened.', I said. '

Another guy,' I thought.

'Well, we met yesterday and things got really... hot,' she said excitedly.

'What do you mean hot, Ava?' I asked uninterestedly.

'WE KISSED!' she said finally. While she continued to talk about how gentle his lips were, I continued to look at her in shock. How his hands were fixed on her hips as he shoved her up against the stove as she was making tea. I just continued to stare at her as if she were a ghost. This was the absolute maximum of wrong for me. 

'Okay, okay, stop. You do realize that it's all wrong, right?' I asked her rhetorically unable to control my anger.

'Oh heaven, don't be such a nun my love. It was just a kiss' she replied coolly.

I turned around and pretended to be interested in something other than her. Considering how delighted she was, she failed to notice my disapproval and continued to tell her tale to anyone else she came across. Sadly, I can say that I am not above making judgments. Looking back, I question myself - who was I to dictate the morality of any individual? Or make an ignorant assumption as to think I am better? And run someone over with the truck of my arrogance in order to make myself feel better? Whilst completely ignoring the crystal ball that should it was soon to become my fate too...