Tatiana Aroyo: The Opportunity

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I’m writing this in the back of Mrs. Cray’s history class. I really should be paying attention, but this is much more interesting. Besides, this is the only way I can stay awake, Mrs. Cray’s lectures being so boring. So I wouldn’t really be paying attention even if I weren’t writing, so it doesn’t make any difference.

That made absolutely no sense.

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be a real writer.
Doubtful.

See, that’s my big ambition. To be a writer with a few books published that people actually want and like to read. Judging from the contents of this file so far though, I’d say that is a long way off.

Then again, the back of Mrs. Cray’s history class isn’t the most inspiring place. But I might as well use this time to practice description.

Mrs. Cray is currently standing at her podium droning on about some historical occurrence. Let me listen for a minute, maybe I’ll figure out what it is....it’s something about the Civil War. I think the Battle of Gettysburg. Don’t quote me on that, though, because Mrs. Cray’s lectures are agony to listen to, so I didn’t listen very long.

Mrs. Cray is not an imposing or inspiring person. She always sort of fades into the background, even in class. She has poofy shoulder-length brown hair with a big grey streak and a nondescript, kind of wrinkly face. She always wears these ugly women’s business suits that she seems to own in only brown and grey. Her panty hose always have at least one run in them, and she wears these horrible black high-heeled shoes with toes so pointy they should be classified as a dangerous weapon. Apparently she owns only one pair of shoes, because she wears these every day.

The classroom is ordinary, with rows of desks and historical posters on the walls and a big map. The class itself is not paying any attention to Mrs. Cray whatsoever. Only two people are typing. We have computers embedded in our desks. We sign on to our account in each class and then basically do whatever we want. There’s even an instant-messaging service that we use to “pass notes.” Amazingly, no one is IMing today, probably because Mrs. Cray’s lecture is even more boring than usual. The other person typing (the first is me, obviously) is David Shore, the class brain. He is the only person immune to Mrs. Cray’s sleep-inducing voice, so he takes notes and sends them to everyone else so we don’t fall behind. I feel sorry for Mrs. Cray’s other classes, because they don’t have someone so smart and selfless as David Shore to take notes for them.

The rest of the class is doing a number of things. Most are sleeping, leaning across their desks with bunched up sweatshirts for pillows. Some are doodling on scraps of paper (One of the few things paper is used for at school). There’s one really good artist in this class, Karen Su, who draws totally funny caricatures. Her specialty is Mrs. Cray lecturing. Some people even buy them off her. I think she’s drawing Sam Wright snoring today.

There’s a group next to me playing cards. I’m amazed Mrs. Cray hasn’t noticed them. But then, we’ve decided that she goes blind and deaf as soon as she starts talking about history. Good luck for us. God knows what we would do if we actually had to pretend to pay attention.
Almi (my best friend, Almilasha Sai) just IMed me. Hold on while I see what she says...............

Oh my God. OH MY GOD. I can’t believe this.
I’m going to copy our conversation here so I won’t forget any of it. Here it is:

DaddysLittleGirl: Tatz, you won’t believe this.

Writerchic: What?

DaddysLittleGirl: You know how my dad’ is an editor?

Writerchic: Yeah....why?

DaddysLittleGirl: Well......don’t freak out too much okay?

Writerchic: TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

DaddysLittleGirl: Ok, ok, don’t bite my head off. Well, I showed Dad some of your stuff and told him about how you want to publish a story and he said that he’d be your editor and help you get your book published!

Writerchic: You’re kidding.

DaddysLittleGirl: Nope.

Writerchic: OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

DaddysLittleGirl: I know!!!!

Writerchic: Okay, hyperventilating here......OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, sorry I have to go I’m too excited to keep talking. I would only be able to repeat “OH MY GOD!!!” a thousand times anyway.

DaddysLittleGirl: K. Congrats!

Writerchic: Thanks. Ttyl.

OH MY GOD!!!! (Yes, I know I use that phrase too much but I don’t care.) Isn’t that insane?! Got to calm down.......calm........breathe in, breathe out............okay, better now.

Now that I think about it though, is there any story of mine that’s worth being published? Definitely none of my stories as they are now would be worth it. But with lots of editing and revision – and with a real professional editor to help out......who knows?

Oh, thank God, history is almost over. Mrs. Cray’s stopped talking and David’s notes should be arriving any minute.....yup, there they are.
Well, I’ve got to go off to English. Since that’s a much more interesting class than history, I probably won’t be able to write any more until tonight. I’ll keep thinking about publishing-worthy stories.

One last time: OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link to next entry:
"Tatiana Aroyo: Musings"  E: Tatiana starts to second guess her good luck.