IRREPLACEABLE, UNFORGETTABLE

I would call last year, a part of my life that I would never ever forget. It was like a melody of many notes, crotchets and quavers, strung together, irreplaceable and unforgettable. The recollection of the times I had then, were deeply engraved in my heart. It was the best time of my thirteen years as a child. In school, I did things an average teen would never do. I guess that’s what made this melody so bittersweet and unique. It’s so special to me and my closest friends. The best friends any girl could ever wish for.

I was twelve, starting on the last year of my primary school. I didn’t think my reputation with teachers mattered anymore.

I made many friends and once I got to know everyone a little better, I had my own clique of five. We weren’t exactly known as a clique or a normal group, but we were more of a gang. We were called the Pretty Little Devils, or [PLDS] for short. The name was taken from a book, with that title, we thought it was cool. We always hung out together. Carol, Estee, Janice, Jessica and I played pranks and did many things for the thrill of doing them. To us, it was what we called mere fun.

I still can recall the many things that we had done together as a clique. Many, many things, not many teens have done, and would never do, I guess. Maybe after it all, we were filled with a little bit of regret, but still, we thought that those were the best memories we had together.

The previous five years of primary school were dull for me. Yes, I had many friends. But still, it was dreaded. Like many others dread school, I thought school was a dungeon with priests and priestesses, harping on their many theories. However, the last year of primary school, was so different for me. It wasn’t that we did not have to obey the teachers, and listen to them pass the wisdom around. But it was that, we tried things we would never be able to try again. Thus, primary six was such an eventful year, it made us know ourselves better.

There was the first incident when Mike, a good guy friend of mine, wanted me to use my phone in class. He had forgotten his number and texted me, wanting me to tell him his number. I did not dare. I knew I wasn’t supposed to take out my phone in class. But the girls and guys around me urged me to. They all did, anyway, and did they ever get caught? No, they didn’t. So hands down, I switched on my phone and told him his number. I guess that’s the first written rule I’d broken in primary school. The teachers never saw and this seemed to make me bolder. Telling me it was alright, and that I would never get caught. I did it again and again. I thought, “So what? It was just, a teeny rule to break and who’s going to care?”

I remember math class ever so fondly. Our math teacher isn’t what you call a normal teacher who scolds the class when the class does something wrong. He was lenient, ultra-lenient. He would never scold no matter what we did. This was one advantage we had. Being the best class of the level, we usually had the head of departments as our teachers. And usually, I mean, usually, they don’t have the time to care about what we do. They just assign us work, then do their job and mark them. They won’t teach. They would just be sitting on the wooden desk meant for teachers, waiting for any of us to ask questions.

In math, truth or dare was the game our clique played often. It wasn’t like we had better things to do anyway. Many people played with us at first, but soon, the people got lesser and lesser. It was no point to play for them to play with us. They wouldn’t win. We would. We were the most daring; we didn’t have the fear factor turned on to more than a minimum at that time. They always lost. Soon, it was just the five of us left to play with ourselves. The “dares” we dared were thrilling and rebellious I guess, but like I said, the math teacher didn’t care. No one cared. So we played till our hearts’ content. We did things like walking straight out of the class when the teacher was writing something on the board. We climbed cubicles in the toilet and even sang in there. We took out our phones to take pictures of the teacher even. You see, there wasn’t a purpose in doing such things. It was just for the thrill and the fun.

There was once when Janice threw a paper ball, with something written inside to me while the teacher was telling the class something. The teacher realized. He wanted to catch the paper ball. But his attempt failed. He outstretched his arms in front of me and expected me to pass him the ball. But I didn’t. I read the note and threw it to Carol. The teacher ran and tried to get hold of the ball. But again, he didn’t manage to as Carol threw the ball to Estee and Estee threw it to Jessica. Again, Jessica threw it to Janice. And we continued throwing it around. The teacher was chasing it, apparently, he chosen not to give up. I am not kidding, but the class was laughing and that was totally a once in a lifetime experience, which I think it is lucky for me to do it in primary six, so at least I’ve tried something like that and I know I wouldn’t do it again in secondary school. The bell rang and obviously, he stopped the chasing game and stalked out of class. Silently, I wished the bell hadn’t rung so soon and the chasing game would continue forever.

Then, it was just before PSLE when the teacher allowed us to choose our own partners to sit with. I sat with Carol. And I remember, every math and science period, we would listen to the MP3 and hum along the tune for High School Musical 1. I guess I can still remember how we split the lines and how happy we were, thinking of composing our own lyrics, and choreographing the dance steps. The tune remains ringing in my heart. Every time I hear the song again, I’d think about the times we had together. I would feel the gush of reminiscence flow past me. I love the times we had together. I wish they would come back. I know I wouldn’t do it again in secondary school. Well, at least I’ve tried it back in primary school.

Science was also a rocker to us. It was the period where we played most pranks and got into the deepest trouble. Yes, the Science teacher was another head of department. She was a plump lady with the weirdest dress sense. She was the center target of all our pranks. Indeed, she didn’t really like the five of us. But who could she blame? She loved to find our trouble and not the rest of the class. She was oblivious to the others’ comments about her. No one liked her.

I remember her being really fat. And she was so mean to the class that we invented a pledge for ourselves, as in the class, the “Zhugaporean Pledge”. “Zhu” meant pig in Chinese. Some funny characters in our class even went to further edit her looks in Photoshop. Yes, it was mean. But we couldn’t help it. Taking the “Zhugaporean Pledge” together was so much fun that I wish I could stand at attention and take it again.

I remember the time when we purposely wet the chair in her class. She came in and decided that we were the ones we wet the chair. She didn’t see it, she had zero evidence. And she made us dry the chair outside the class. It was really funny. We had a great time punching, beating, and shaking the chair until it was dry.

Then, there was the time when we were sent out of the class for talking. Obviously, we still had to bring our workbooks out and listen to her ramblings. Then, there was this grasshopper. I was outside with another girl, Emilyn. She used her worksheet and folded a paper box while I managed to let the grasshopper remain on my pen. Then we left the grasshopper inside the box and sent it to the teacher. I promise you. She was in awe, and very very shocked. She screamed and ordered us to put it back in the eco garden. What a wonderful experience. I want it to come back.

I still remember the time when we remained in the school’s netball court and shoot hoops when it was time for supplementary. When we walked into class, the teacher didn’t even realize.

And there was the incident with the magnet. There were these two very strong magnets which produced an extremely irritating sound when attracted. One day, someone in the class went to clank the magnets together many times. The science teacher got so angry she stopped the lesson and waited till someone owned up. Her period was the last period, which led to lunch afterwards. No one wanted to admit his or her crime. I remember being so hungry that I just admitted it was me. The teacher didn’t have much of a reaction. I bet the class was shocked when I said it was me because the people sitting near me didn’t see me with a magnet. That was the second last week of lessons and she told us, she wasn’t going to teach us anymore. The class became really scared, and the next day, the monitors went to beg her to come back.

I remember her favourite target to pick on was Carol. And once Carol forgot to bring her stuffs, she would get called into the heads of departments’ office and asked to call her parents. It was interesting. When the teacher asked her for her mother’s number, she would give her own, and thus, no one would pick up the phone. The teacher would then try her dad’s phone. She would then either give my number or Janice’s number to the teacher. Again, we would reject the call. It was really funny seeing that the teacher didn’t realise the tricks and loopholes. The teacher never did get a chance to talk to her mother.

There was once when the science teacher asked two boys to stand in front of the class and lifted up their shirt to show the class something related to muscles. Mind you, the boys were forced to go up. From then on, the class called the science teacher a rapist. And she was flamed thousands of times on blogs.

Then, there was also the voodoo doll or rather, pig replica of the science teacher which caused the class to burst out in laughter.

I remember on the week before PSLE started, some of us were sent out because of some things we did which made her angry. So she announced that we could do whatever we liked outside. So we took out the poker cards and started our lovely game of gambling along the corridor. What a thing I would never ever be able to try again.

There was also the time when we were forced to bake cookies for her after PSLE. It was a certain sort of post-exam activity. Some of us were so reluctant, so we ended up baking a cookie in the shape of a shit. No kidding. She commented us too.

And I fondly remember another teacher. He is none other than the well known Mr. Sadistic. He was the one who seriously brought up my courage. He read out my compositions in class and in my clique’s opinion, he was the best teacher! He was head of department for English.

I remember when he asked each of us to give a speech on something we cannot live without. I spoke about my phone. I said I’m addicted to it. After the speech, he told me it sounded sadistic. Till now, I can’t figure out why.

There was once when I wrote “bitch” in my composition. I scored the highest in the class for that composition. He read out the composition to the class and told me it was a good application. I was surprised, but it was simply for the thrill.

I remember the day before the Oral examinations. The class was throwing some guy’s pencil box. And suddenly, Mr. Sadistic walked in and the action stopped. He stated scolding the guy who held the pencil box last. And I felt it was unfair since more than half the class threw the pencil box, so I stood up and began telling him what was happening and that it was totally unfair of him to just scold one person. Later he scolded the class; some members of the class were definitely pissed by me.

There was once after the PSLE when we were preparing for the school’s musical. I decided to help with the props and one day I asked him what he thought of my clique. The answer he gave was really funny. He thought that Janice and I could fight for champion fearless girl.

My Chinese Teacher isn’t the head of departments. And I was so relieved to hear that it wasn’t going to be the head of department teaching us, it would end up really worse. My Chinese Teacher is a young and pretty teacher. However, you couldn’t and wouldn’t try to mess about with her. She’s part of the discipline committee.

One day, she heard that we were using paper palettes to shoot certain people in the class and the teachers. Seriously, it was very true. Janice and I made this whole big plastic bag of palettes, and had many rubber bands on our wrists. Many people in the class followed and then I remember getting into trouble with the Chinese teacher, along with Mike and friends. I remember her asking us to write a reflection and get it sign. I wrote the reflection, but soon forgotten about getting it signed. I think I was the only one, she didn’t remember too.

She was my form teacher too. And since she was the strictest teacher, we listened intently during her lessons and did not play any pranks. Thus, Chinese lessons were rather mundane.

Then there were those times after PSLE. I fondly remember the class party at a girl, Melanie’s house after the Higher Mother Tongue paper. We went really crazy. I guess it’s the first time I’ve seen a class together, so bonded, having so much fun together! I don’t know but it seems as if everyone was enjoying themselves like crazy.

I remember most of us jumping into the pool with our clothes on. And we created a total din. The neighbor complained, and he was a little boy. He brought out a knife and threatened the few of us. We fought back with our words. We even took our cameras and took pictures and videos of him holding the knife and threatening us. He said his grandfather was going to call the police soon, we didn’t think it was true, so we carried on, though being warned by the security guard many times.

I can’t forget how I raced with Mike and Janice. Both were Gold Stars in swimming. Racing with Mike was so weird. We didn’t have goggles. So we couldn’t see in the water. He was wearing contacts. We kept crossing paths.

Then, as if reality suddenly had a cut scene and everything became in theatres, policemen and radio DJs came. I am so not kidding. I remember everyone rushing out of the pool and hiding themselves.

Mike and I got into the same toilet, and it was really stuffy. I couldn’t stand it because being together in a toilet was really weird. So he brought me out quietly, and I remember running through the car park barefoot with him, just trying to escape the police. It was so fun! There was oil on the floor and I bet you it was icky. Then, Melanie’s grandmother had to have her name recorded in the police record.

I stayed at Melanie’s house till about ten that night. I had an awesome time. I realized how much I loved my class, six ten.

I still remember the chalet. It wasn’t very pleasant because Janice was suspected of a crime. I’m not sure too. The rest of us weren’t very sure what happened. I remember the first night we spent together. My clique and I hanged around at the arcade. It was so fun. Shooting hoops and dancing. I want all these to come back. I remember the second day at escape theme park. Two guys, Jared and Jeremy brought wine. Mind you, Jacob’s Creek. I didn’t drink. But Janice and Carol drank quite a lot. I guess those times would never come back.

The days after PSLE were fun too. Janice signed up on the trip to Chiang Mai, so she didn’t join us for a few things. Firstly, we had the Captains Ball match. Carol and I got kind of pissed with our class and since we had little chance to play as six ten had so many enthusiastic souls, we went to join and help six one too.

Then, I remember the time when we had this really boring talk about teenagers’ pressure. So, the few of us went to the toilet to play with poker cards.
Five of us hid inside a cubicle. Then, we heard a teacher walking into the toilet. We scrambled out and left the deck of cards in the toilet. Only Carol and I were left inside the toilet, it was meant to look more real. The teacher asked why there were two people in the cubicle in the toilet; I guess she suspected something already. Carol said she had serious stomachache. There was a three of diamonds card on the floor, but it was just our luck that she didn’t realise.

I remember the last day I wore the school uniform; it was the day I would get back my PSLE certificate. I remember trying to look around and see everyone again.
I knew that would be the very last time we gathered as a class. As even if there were gatherings next time, not the entire class would attend.

I guess this part of my life would remain as an unsung melody in my memory. It cannot be sung again. It would just remain very close to me in my heart, never leaving me. I miss my life as a member of six ten. I miss playing the pranks I played. And I miss those once in a lifetime experience which I know would never come back again.

Maybe life was meant to be like that. Sweet stuffs always have to go one day, we’d never live in a world of wonder forever. I miss the times I had together with six ten. I want those days to come back. But I guess they never will.

This part of my life would be with me forever. Many memories of the times I had evoke my tears and laughter. Irreplaceable and unforgettable, with the best friends I could ever wish for.
Can I be a crotchet in this unsung melody ever again? Can I pause and become a quaver rest? I guess not. Sweet stuffs in life float by, leaving footprints of nostalgia, they would never be sung ever again.