(The process of getting to the stage of actually applying music was a pain in the royal ass, since I do not know more than 20 or so kids by name so Charlie had to name each one for me, then I had to check off on a list how many pictures there were of each kid ... it was really stupid for someone who doesn't know the kids to do; but that's public school for ya. There, now I feel better, my final slideshow bitch!)
At Charlie's school they do not have middle school graduation, they have a dance, and a parent committee is put together to come up with a theme and so on; and that is really the ONLY fanfare that you get as an outgoing 8th grader. We are attending a family party in Minnesota on that day, so Charlie is going to miss it altogether, and before I made the plane reservations, I had asked him how important the dance was to him. He said he could care less. And since it was much easier for us to get out on Friday (and cheaper) I went with that.
So he was sitting in the chair opposite my desk and the slideshow was playing with the music, and the last song came on, which is from High School Musical, and he got the funniest look on his face. I tried to read it and wondered if it was because it was such a totally dorky song, but no, he seemed to like the music. So what was it? Then I thought, "Oh no, it's because he's realizing that he's NOT going to the celebration thing and he's bumming out." I was just about to say something, when he spoke:
"I'm going to high school," he said in a voice of total and utter amazement and disbelief.
"Well, yeah," I answered. "That's the plan."
"No, mom, you don't understand. I am going to high school. I will never be in 8th grade again, I will never be in middle school again. I am going to high school."
The dawning of a new age -- and there it was to see, plastered across his face. As he watched the pictures I could see him processing this new idea; one that obviously hadn't occurred to him before this. And I wondered, was he sad to be leaving a school he had been so miserable in? So I asked.
And he made a face and said that of course he wasn't going to miss it, and looked at me like I had two heads.
And then I asked if he was now finally realizing that he was missing the dance. And he said no, at the baseball party yesterday afternoon the same kids called him fat and gay, so no, he wasn't too bummed out about not attending an event to get yet another dose of abuse.
So I stopped trying to put a label on it and let him finish up his AHA! moment in peace.
Then it hit me.
MY LAST CHILD IS GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL.
Holy shit batman.
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