Memories #1 (grade school)

These are just random memories from my childhood that I don’t want to forget

1. I got my very first “boyfriend” in 4th grade. It was this boy who was always following me around and asking to be my boyfriend since 2nd Grade. I was so happy and excited, it was ill fated though because if he ever called my house my brothers would always make it impossible for him to speak to me on the phone and at school I was super shy and worried about my grades so I couldn’t really focus on him during the day or night. But during recess and a game of girls against boys or vice versa we would always chase each other. I was sad because I never even got to hold his hand! The breakup was my first scandal of my life as there would be many lolololol. See, there was a new girl that transferred to our very small private Catholic school in 3rd grade (note- I was only able to go to private school because I was on a scholarship and my mom paid $50-$100/month still a lot of money but she worked a lot so I could go there.) The new girl was easily forgettable and not a lot of people liked her. It was weird because our grade was small we all pretty much got along but there was always whispers of her. Anyways, 4th grade came and she ended up being in the same class as my “boyfriend,” there were 2 4th grade classes that year. Her mom would reach out to my mom about ice skating lessons for me and I never really understood why. My mom got so annoyed she admitted “we cannot afford for Janet to go ice skating or get lessons so she can’t go.” Well the ice skating rink had a new program get 3 lessons for $10, skate rental was extra. My mom asked if I wanted to go and of course I did, anything to get out of the house and this girl’s mom agreed to pick me up and drop me off so my mom said yes. My first lesson went well, the other girl had been ice skating for years so she had a cute outfit and a private skating lesson so afterwards she showed off her new skills. The 2nd time, the other mom asked if I wanted to get a hot dog, ummm yes please. We went to this great hot dog stand off Elston near Irving Park. Who knows if it is still there but the day I got it that hot dog still is the best hot dog I have ever had in my life. It was also the first time I had a full Chicago style hot dog since before it was only ketchup for me but I didn’t want to be annoying so I said I would have it with everything, life changing. And omg the fries were amazing too and it was all for $1.50. The other girl got a coke and I wanted one desperately but I didn’t want to push my luck further so I got a water. Anyways, during the meal the other girl was acting really weird and asking me all these questions about my “boyfriend” it was very strange. She kept talking about him while her mom sat silently listening and I thought that was weird too. I don’t know what it was but something was off. The next day I saw my “boyfriend” and her whispering to each other during church and that was also weird as I had never seen them talk to each other before and all the girls in my class pointed it out to me so I knew I wasn’t crazy. The final ice skating lesson she acted like she hated me and her mom was mean too so after those lessons ended I didn’t continue ice skating or really talk to the girl again. My “boyfriend’s” calls came less and less and no more him chasing me during recess also ended as he said he was tired and couldn’t. The girl then tried to start rumors about me in our grade but of course with such a small community no one could believe her. My friends and peers knew I couldn’t go out because my parents were super strict and most things I just couldn’t afford. But this girl started to say I was stealing! Yes, I was poor but I would never steal. To this day stealing is high up there on the things I despise most about people. Then she started to say I was bulimic like WHAT?!!! I didn’t even really know what that was and granted she was on the heavier side I would never even think of a eating disorder for anyone let alone myself since I know I was sickly thin but that was because I didn’t have a lot of food at home not by choice!!! She just became cruel and finally my “boyfriend” broke up with me. It was all sudden and via a note, I said fine whatever I mean what could I say, I was never a beggar and clearly neither one of us was putting work into this fake relationship so fine but the very next day him and this chick were holding hands during recess!!! OMG the embarrassment, like what a slap to reality and to see how some girls truly are at the tender age of 9/10. This girl friended me, begged her mom to talk to my mom to get close to me to get to my “boyfriend” I mean WOW. The trouble she went through and the crazy calculated moves she did. It was really good and I have to give her credit. It was a huge scandal because none of us could believe a person like her existed. Their relationship didn’t last long and they both transferred by 5th grade. It was crazy and sometimes I do think about them and wonder where they are, I can’t remember their last names so I can’t even Facebook stalk but it is probably for the best. My bestie Laney still brings it up to this day because again we cannot believe she played us so well. I didn’t have another relationship until high school after this one.
2. In 2nd grade, I met a lot of memorable people, I met my very best friend Laney, my first “boyfriend,” my first crush, and this kid J. Laney will have her story another day but she is by far the sweetest, funniest, most thoughtful, one in a trillion, most naive, etc person I have ever met. She is basically the best person I have ever met and I am so thankful I met her in second grade. My crush was this cute kid that played the accordion and he would make periodic pop ins in my life. He and my first “boyfriend” were best friends and went to this thing called “Rainbow Club” it was a club where once a week a group of kids whose parents were divorced or if the family practiced a different religion got to go to during religion class. It was really awesome and I was so jealous I never got to go. They always made the most amazing crafts. One time in 2nd grade my crush wrote me a letter in that class and gave it to me when he got back. He basically confessed his crush on me and I was so happy! When I flipped it to the other side he wrote a letter to his best friend aka my first “boyfriend” telling him what a great friend he was and even though at the time I never told anyone who I liked, it felt weird because I liked both boys but obviously my crush the most. It was a sad day that first day of 3rd grade and finding out he transferred schools hence how I became a “couple” with the other kid in 4th grade. This was my peak in relationships until I turned 17 and got my first kiss. I do have other grade school stories but I can’t remember them too well at the moment. Anyways, there was this kid I will name J. He had almost black hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. He was quite a looker, but you knew something was different about him. Somehow I ended up sitting next to him and he would do the craziest things. He would staple his fingers to get reactions from kids, we would compare our abusive dads a lot, he always brought in dead bugs, and loved picking his boogers to wipe on people. It was so weird to me to see someone so handsome be so crazy. I never could place my finger on him because some days he would be so nice and lend me his pencil or eraser and other days he would be stapling his fingers away wiping blood on my desk. No one lasted long sitting next to him so the teacher would keep me as his partner since I never gave him a reaction he didn’t do the stuff as much with me around. I often wonder where he is, I hope he turned out ok. He didn’t come back after 2nd grade but he definitely left a memorable impression. He wasn’t evil he was just off and needed love. I asked Laney about him the other day and she couldn’t remember him at all! I had to show her his picture and she vaguely remembered him but didn’t remember him being crazy. I guess he just lives on in my memory until I have another grade school reunion where I can ask those friends about him.
3. My last story for the day consists of my 1st Grade teacher. She had an amazing voice and would often sing in Church and we all loved her. She was so young and pretty and always smelled of perfume and hairspray. She was really nice except and this is where it gets weird during story time the kids would sit on the floor and she would sit in a chair and then have a kid massage her neck and back as she read the story. I hated being picked but as little kids we all wanted that attention from the teacher but I always found it so odd touching a person that wasn’t my family. I learned to rub really hard and pinch down so she would make me switch with someone else so I didn’t have to rub her back. She quit mid year to move to Nashville and pursue her singing career and we never heard of her again. Shame because she was a very popular teacher but probably for the best with those weird massages.