The Secret Desires of a Gifted Child

The Somewhat Terrible Lives of Lucille and Jane

       Fairfield School of Studies was, and essentially is, a place of learning. Learning was their specialty. For children from the grades of one to eight, with two stages of kindergartners thrown in. There were the smallest of the small, who played in a penned-in area, then the others, a little older, who ran around screaming. Next came the children from the “junior” section of the school, who thought they were so cool because they would take off their jackets in November and run around in short-sleeves and t-shirts.

   Now, for this “junior” division part, and same with the “intermediate” division, I’ll have to explain both girls and boys, because sometimes they are much too different to categorize together. So, for the girls of the same age as the no-jackets-for-me! boys, they would hang around in clumps, wearing skinny jeans and 3D glasses with the frames knocked out; in their opinion, the coolest of the school.

Lastly, for the oldest, they would either be each in a clump (the females in one, the males in the other), or playing Manhunt or Cops and Robbers, or sitting at a table and all making fun of each other and remembering old times. This, of course, varied, to whether they were waging a sort of war on each other, or all, “You want some sugar? I got a bowl full!”

So now that I’ve very nicely explained all that, we can take a look at our main characters and their friends. I wouldn’t bore you in making my main characters from grade three, or maybe four, so I’ve chosen an older age, as everyone enjoys reading about peer relations, hate, love, drama, action, death, slaughter, magic, and so on.

Alright, I may have fabricated some of it, because for those who are weak of heart, I didn’t want to give them any heart attacks. There are no deaths, not much action, and as for the magic, you can determine that yourself.

Now I must begin the story, after explaining much to you, the innocent reader, who reads because they are bored, because reading is fun... Whatever reason you are reading this, it is up to you to decide. I do not expect it to be an all-time hit and popular with everyone, because I’m doing this out of the fun of writing, and to portray the actual school life of a child.

Every story, as we know, starts out innocent (most of the time) and then gets swallowed whole (innocence, magic, imagination, and the lot) by love and crushed. I don’t think I need to go on for everyone to get the point. So, here goes: please enjoy the ride!

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Lucille Baudelaire had written, ‘Michael knows. I told him on the bus,’ on the note during a presentation in geography.

Jane Penderwick, underneath, had written: ‘Good. What did he say?’ And then the teacher looked over at them, and said, “Watch the presentation, girls, or I’ll have to deduct marks from you!”

Louise, the current presenter, looked at them, and started again, her thoughts interrupted. “So, um, yeah, they trade a lot with, um, just a second... er, yeah, Australia.”

After class, Olivia, the tallest and the smartest of the class came over to Jane and Lucille. “Wasn’t that boring? Louise cannot present. I was dying of boredom!”

“Cool,” said Lucille. “Does anyone have a good snack? My grandma packed me gingerbread cookies again! Do you guys want one?”  

“Yes! How can you not like them? They’re good. I wish my grandmother lived here,” remarked Jane, “so then she could bake me gingerbread cookies.”  

“Yes, please,” Olivia said, and took one cookie. “Listen: I have a volleyball meeting this recess, so I’ll meet you after. Next recess I’m free.”