Last One Standing

Some people loathe their teenage years, those most influential years of our life, and waste them with drugs and alcohol. I spent those years having great and building company in a great all girls school I initially resented.

SMK (P) Sri Aman wasn't on my secondary school list when we finished standard six at the mere age of twelve. Then yet again, at the time when puberty strikes and we're more or less guided by hormones going haywire rather than measure thoughts, we thought we were mature adults. I thought I could make the best decisions and parents wanted otherwise because they wanted to spoil our lives. I wanted to go to Catholic High because my crush went there. But I was sent to Sri Permata, but got transfered to Sri Aman after my parents great efforts to make sure I went to a good girls school.

What can I say? I hated it like hell. No boys. No fun. Or so I thought. I was so sure I'd get brainwashed into a lesbian, but little did I know then that being in a girls' school does little if not nothing to your sexuality. And so I began my first year in an all girls' school. I was 13 and young- at a very changeable age. But being the shielded school that SA was and still is, we were protected from harm. I met a bunch of people who were just like me: boy crazy , a tad bit rebellious and sent to an all girls' school to be tamed and groomed. Quickly, we formed cliques. My closest friends in Form one were Saf, Elain and Yana. Together, we made the 'Safcamlaina', a name that described our bond that we so creatively came out with in KH class and had it neatly engraved in the eucalyptus-like tree next to the phone booth. These buddies were great- always standing up for me and backing me up. Thing is, all the 1 Cekapians did that. See, it was the group or class cohesion that gave us teens a sense of belonging. We were the champions for drama! Yeah! Midsummer's Night Dream so rocked our world!!!

Five years on and those are all but memories. The last time I checked the tree, our engraved sign had faded. But certain things still remain. I was actually going to call it a night already after a day at work, but since I came online and chatted to naughty Yana who was supposed to be preparing for her finals, I decided to pen this post with glee, nostalgia and self-pity.

We had this thing going on a while ago. Well Yana and I did anyway- a somewhat invisible, friendly, no price- no taunt race: who will get hooked and be the last single one. I will not tell stories or spread rumours but the title does scream it loud and clear no? I remain the last one standing. (Yana, I can hear you protesting but I'm not listening..lalalala ;P) Heheheh. Yes, the first two were well into things and Yana and I were the last two who were left. And so technically, this year, it only applied to us. After tonight's chat, I announce with glee and pleasure that I am the last one standing. Glee and pleasure not because I remain single, sad and searching, oh no, never. But because pumpkin has grown up and soaring into a haven of unfound joy, (damn to your dizziness and confusion). Okay, I should stop the talk and not curse it ya? Sorry about that. But yes, shame on me. Let's grab a bottle of champagne and celebrate and a tub of ice cream to drown my plight of being the one who's the last one standing.