Life Is Pointless

School Was Only The Beginning

I walk into my kindergarten classroom with Naomi and my parents. They all crouch down.
"Joleen," Dad says, "we love you very much. This is a big change to your life. You will be in school until you are in your twenties. I want you to be a good listener and make friends."
"We are so proud of you," Mom says. "I can see that you will do fine."
"You'll like kindergarten. It's fun." Naomi tells me.
We all get into a group hug. I know that I'm in school longer than how preschool was last year.
"Ah, this must be Joleen." The teacher says.
My parents and Naomi stop hugging me and stand up.
"Yes, it is," Mom says. "She's ready."
"Well, that's wonderful! I'm Mrs. Best."
"Are you the best teacher?" I ask.
"I might be." She replies while grabbing a card with a safety pin in it. "Here, this is so everyone will know your name." She pins it on my shirt. I try reading what it says upside down. It isn't easy. I notice two E's next to each other. She spelled my name right. I know that my preschool teacher, Mrs. Ross spelled my name as Jolene instead of Joleen.
"Go on and play, Joleen." Mrs. Best tells me. "After we get everyone in here, I will explain everything about kindergarten."
I walk over to where other kids are playing with the toys. There are several toys in the chest. I pick up a doll.
"That's for girls!" A brown hair, brown eyed girl shouts. Her card reads, Kelsey. "Why do you have a girl name if you're a boy?"
"I am a girl!" I shout. "I like my hair short."
"Your shirt is stupid!" She points out my teddy bear shirt that Naomi used to wear.
"My sister used to wear this."
"I'm calling you Teddy Bear."
"I'm Joleen!"
"Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear!"
I walk away from Kelsey with the doll in my hands. I sit on the floor next to the cubbies. A girl walks over towards me. She has black hair and black skin. Her name on the card reads, Shannon. She sits down next to me.
"Don't feel bad. That girl over there called me names too." Shannon tells me. "What's your name?"
"Joleen," I reply. "What's your name?"
"Shannon." She says. "I like your name."
"Thanks. Want to be friends?"
"Yeah. We should be best friends."
"Want to play with this doll from the toy box?"
We play with the doll in many ways. We both give it many hairstyles. We make it move around and talk.

Throughout the years, I get Shannon and I are called by names. We stay with each other and make ourselves feel better. We start the sixth grade together. A we are in every class together. We had more fun in the summer. We never thought about seventh grade coming up.