Asperger Diaries: Jamie's New School Read Online Free PDF Page B

school, and meet me at the gates at lunch time and
home time. If it rained we used to go in the car. I can’t come home
at lunch time from Armthorpe because it is too far away. Mum is
going to make me sandwiches every day because I might not like the
food they have in the cafeteria. Mum bought a green Tupperware
container for me to take them in.
    I have to
travel by school bus to and from Armthorpe. I’ve only ever been on
a bus twice before. That was with mum and dad. I usually go
everywhere in the car. I asked mum if I could go in the car to
Armthorpe, but she said that would be a waste of money because I
get a free bus pass. I wanted a practice run on the school bus
before Monday, but it only runs during term time. Lesley said she
will take me to the bus stop on the first day, but after that I am
on my own.

    *****
    Angela's
Diary
    Tomorrow is the
big day. Jamie has been nervous all day. I daren’t speak to him for
fear of setting him off. Lesley is no help. She has refused point
blank to sit with him on the bus. I tried to call upon her better
nature. Stupid me, I forgot she doesn’t have one. I managed to
persuade her to walk with him to the bus stop on his first day.
Jamie is as worried about the bus as he is about his new school. He
hasn’t been on a bus very often, but the bus stop is at the end of
the road. It takes him right to the school gates. What could go
wrong?
    He must have
asked me a hundred times what to do if he gets lost in school. I
keep telling him it is the same for all the new kids. I said he
should follow the other kids. At least that way, if they get lost,
they all get lost together. He asked me what lessons I thought he
would have tomorrow. As if I know. I don’t think they will do much
work on the first day. The teachers will probably use the first
lesson to introduce the subject.
    I hope he gets
a good night’s sleep tonight.
     
    *****
    Lesley's
Journal
    It's bad enough
having to go back to that hellhole, but now I've got wonder boy to
put up with as well. Everybody is going to take the piss if they
see him with me. Mum really expected me to sit with him on the bus.
She must be out of her mind. He's meant to be this and that, and oh
so clever - but he's shitting himself about getting lost in school.
Like it's so hard to find a classroom. Please sir I'm lost!
    If I see Alison
I'm going to blank her. I've told Courtney and Orange they can't
talk to her either.
     
     
    5th September
(Monday)
     
    Jamie's
Diary
    Mum thinks I am
asleep, but I am writing this under the covers in bed. I have a
mini torch which I bought from Bargain Parade. Mum can’t see the
torch light under the door, so she doesn’t realise I am still
awake.
    I had to stand
all by myself at the bus stop this morning. Lesley didn’t want to
stand with me because she was with her friends. All of the kids
pushed and shoved to get on the bus. It would be far better if
everyone queued properly. I waited until everyone else had got on.
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to sit in a particular seat, so I
asked the driver. He said I could sit anywhere. I sat near the
front. I knew Cliff would be getting on the bus a few stops further
on, so I tried to reserve the seat next to me for him. At the next
stop another boy sat next to me. I said the seat was reserved, but
he ignored me. Cliff got on a few stops later, but he didn’t see
me. He sat at the back of the bus.
    There weren’t
any names on the desks in my form room. I didn’t know which one was
mine, so I waited at the front of the room. All of the other kids
seemed to know where to sit. When Mr Avery, our form teacher,
arrived he asked me why I was standing up. I said I didn’t know
which desk I should sit at. He said I could sit anywhere, so I sat
on the front row, next to the window. Mr Avery gave everyone a
timetable, a homework diary, and a plastic card with our locker
number on it. He said if anyone had any questions they should see
him. I wanted to ask how to find the