The Next day I awoke to my mother’s breakfast, Bradley had already left for school and my sister was smiling as I ate my breakfast.
“What are you so smug about?” I asked.
“You’re starting the 6th grade today at my old school.” Mariah explained.
“W-wait, what?!” I said, almost choking on my food.
Mariah went to middle school at Saint Christopher’s; a catholic school, and that meant school uniforms. I remember teasing my sister about her dorky looking school clothes and now I would be in the same situation she was in.
“N-no way! Mom!!” I yelled.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, it’s so much easier for you to go to Mariah’s old middle school, it’s closer and you can wear her old uniforms.” My mom replied.
Then she led me to my room where my new school uniform was laid out on my bed. Then I was forced into changing into the stupid outfit. When it was finished I was wearing a white blouse with a blue crossover tie and a grey, pleated pinafore dress with white tights and black Mary Jane shoes. My mom had even braided my hair into pigtails despite my fidgeting and complaints. When I was done I walked downstairs and my sister didn’t even try to hide her amusement at my situation, I just knew I was paying for all the times I teased her about her school uniform.
“Awww, my little sister’s first day at Saint Cristopher’s Catholic School! Now remember to not get your uniform dirty, and remember to sit with your knees together, you wouldn’t want to give the boy’s a peep!” Mariah laughed.
My mom gave my sister a look and she relented her teasing for now.
“Now let’s get you to school, Jess. We can’t have you be late on your first day!” My mom chimed.
With that my fate was sealed and I pouted on the way to school where my mom dropped me off and kissed me goodbye and told me she’d miss her little princess so much. After that humiliating experience, I resigned myself to the reality of attending middle school again. I was hoping that I’d at least be able to breeze through my classes with my teenage mind but right at the start of my first period, math, I was reminded of the effects of being in this younger body. All my memories and knowledge about mathematics was gone! I found myself struggling with fractions and couldn’t even begin to fathom simple algebra.
Before I could go to my next class my math teacher, Sister Abigail, held my back and told me that she’d cut me some slack because it’s my first day but expected a lot of improvement to catch up with the other students. Then she swatted me lightly with the ruler she always held and reminded me to keep my shirt buttoned at all times, trying not to let her see me rolling my eyes, I re-buttoned the top button of my shirt and she adjusted my crossover tie before practically yelling at me to get to my next class, as if she wasn’t the one keeping me from getting there.