I’m an odd bird, and I’ll be the first to admit it. I get to and grow out of different “stages” faster than anyone I know, and I have always been like this. Reading the post called Is Being Mean…Fun? brought back a rush of memories from my time as a fifteen and sixteen-year-old. At the time I was in my “Mad March The Total Bitch” stage, having just grown out of the ”Mad March The Awkard Band Geek” stage from the two years before that.  Before I tell my story, I need to emphasize that bullying at my school was an art form. There were no wedgies or physical injuries involved, at least among the sophisticated players. We subtly bullied our chosen targets while managing to polish our halos at the same time.

In high school kids got separated into classes by intelligence level (or perceived intelligence level): there were average kids taking Regular classes, there were slightly-smarter ones taking Honors classes, and you had your golden AP students taking Advanced Placement classes. Odd as it sounds, the smartest kids were often the most popular ones. We were the most involved in the school and got maximum exposure in the school and the city. We were the Captains of the dance & cheerleading teams, drum majors in the band, Presidents of all the clubs, you name it.  I enjoyed my new AP classes and got to know the other “smart” people a lot better. I enjoyed the fact that I grew two inches over the summer and had lost weight. Continue Reading