the conversation

chapter 1

Mr Smith, the science teacher had just concluded the section on 'the big bang theory' and there was a flurry of hands and calls as the many pupils in my class waited impatiently to be called on.

 Not that we were all nerds who loved science. No, that was only me. The class in general was average, and didn't really pay attention too much in class. This class however, was interesting because of the differing viewpoints.

Some kids went all Jesus'y and said God created the world in six days and all that. The other kids were arguing and jeering at them, feeling superior because their secular viewpoint obviously just made them more intellectual, in their opinion, anyway.

 I just sat back and listened. I'm not shy or anything, but I liked just observing sometimes.

You could say that the class was roughly split down the middle. The secular and the religious. There were also some kids that just sat and listened, like me.

I suppose if I had to classify myself I would have put myself with the secularists, but their arrogance got to me, so I just listened.

When there was a break in the arguing I asked "So what is the point of life, then?" I was actually surprised that no one had brought up this question yet. It was one of the arguments that the religious people usually used.

Mr Smith looked at me and smiled, almost patronisingly. “The point of life is to live your life to the fullest, to enjoy and experience everything you can.’YOLO' as you young people like to say, you only live once."

Some kids nodded in agreement.

"Can I just shoot myself?” I heard myself ask.